On paper, relying on the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) section 1031 to defer capital gain taxes on a real estate sale seems straightforward. You target the replacement property within 45 days, then close on that property within 180 days. Your Qualified Intermediary handles the exchange, resulting in a new property and a sweet tax deferral.
There is a lot to consider before diving into real estate as an investment. You need to understand your own investment goals, and risk tolerance. You also should have an understanding of the market in which you want to invest, type of property you are eyeing, how much it is valued for – and the asset grade. Much like papers and school work are graded based on quality, real estate assets also come with grades, based on many factors.
In a previous blog, we focused on various types of real estate we dubbed “recession-resistant.” Property types such as student housing are considered to be insulated against recessions, as it succeeds or fails based on fundamentals such as college enrollment rather than economic cycles.
It should come to no surprise that Delaware Statutory Trusts (DSTs) carry many of the same risks as a direct property investment. After all, the underlying asset driving the investment’s performance is some type of real estate asset. From illiquidity to macroeconomic risks, such as rising interest rates, DSTs are exposed to a variety of similar factors that may spell trouble for any real estate investment.
Investing in real estate for wealth management and estate planning could potentially be a savvy move. If you make intelligent decisions concerning your real estate purchase, you could end up with a decent income flow. And, by the time you die, your heirs might not be penalized with extra taxes on your real estate investments, thanks to a concept known as “step-up in basis.”
In her iconic song “D-I-V-O-R-C-E,” Tammy Wynette sings about the heartbreak of a couple that is separating. Throughout the song, Wynette spells out the difficult words, to ensure that the couple’s four-year-old son remains blissfully ignorant about the parents’ breakup.
In an environment of increasing property values and interest rates, realizing a return on real estate is becoming increasingly difficult for investors, whether it be an investment into direct property or a fractional ownership structure, such as a Delaware Statutory Trust. While this may be a concern for most, as 89% of investors put their money into real estate1, many are ignoring the crucial aspects of a real estate investment that go beyond the macroeconomic pressures.
When you think of the words “industrial real estate,” what comes to mind? If your first thought involves massive factories and production plants, you’re partially right. Industrial real estate encompasses a wide spectrum of property types, and includes warehouses, manufacturing buildings, and flex properties to name a few. Typically housing multiple tenants, this asset class is becoming a hot investment commodity, due to current pricing, growing demand, and mostly hands-off maintenance.
Picture this.
You are with your financial planner, talking about different ways in which you can boost the power of your investment portfolio. Then he or she throws out the term “risk-adjusted returns” when asking about investment decisions.
If you are scratching your head about risk-adjusted returns, tell your financial planner you will get back to him/her. Then, read this article.
*Update February 2019: Realized has established its Secondary Market and has completed its first Secondary Market transaction.
