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Self-Storage Real Estate: Pros and Cons for Investors

self storage real estate

What is self-storage real estate?

Simply put, self-storage properties are built to contain many, often hundreds of individual storage spaces of varying sizes. It’s a booming market, forecast to be worth over $64 billion by 2026.

Individuals and businesses rent these spaces to store possessions like furniture, clothes, equipment, business records, inventory – just about anything one can imagine. The top five reasons people use self-storage are for moving purposes, lack of space at home, change in household size, downsizing, and business purposes.

These facilities have become increasingly popular among real estate investors for several reasons:

Steady Income

Perhaps the most compelling reason for investors to turn to self-storage is the likelihood of a steady revenue stream. The demand for storage units increased to 14.5 million in 2022, up by 970,000 since 2020, with owners seeing an annual return on investment of almost 17% over a nine-year span.

Recession-Resistant Investment

Self-storage real estate has proven to be notably resilient during difficult economic times. For example, census data show that self-storage revenue increased steadily during the pandemic and occupancy averaged 96.5% in the third quarter of 2021 compared to 91.5% in the first quarter of 2020. As people relocated and downsized, or needed to make room for home offices, they needed space to store belongings.

Even during the Great Recession of 2008, while most REITs suffered losses, self-storage showed a positive 5% return.

Lower Operating Costs

Compared to other income-producing property types, operating costs tend to be lower for self-storage units, typically around 35% of revenue. These spaces do not experience use as intensive as apartment, office, or retail properties, and have far fewer amenities. No late-night calls for clogged plumbing. On average, property taxes account for almost one-third of the expenses for this property type.

Stable Cash Flow

With a large number of relatively small units, the loss of an individual tenant does not typically impact cash flow the way it would with the loss of an apartment or commercial tenant. Also, when a unit does go vacant, it can usually be ready for a new tenant immediately, saving both the rollover time and cost usually needed for other types of space.

Advantageous Leases

Month-to-month leases are the norm, so owners can adjust rates quickly if market conditions change. Some owners take payment by automatic credit card or ACH billing, reducing the chances of default. No property owner relishes the prospect of an eviction, but in many states, the process is, at least, less difficult and time-consuming than it would be with an apartment or commercial tenant. And you may be able to recover at least some of your economic loss via a lien that permits you to auction off a unit’s contents.

Of course, anything worth having or doing comes with some challenges. Here are a few:

Market Saturation

One potential risk in the self-storage sector, as in virtually any area of real property, is the risk of oversupply.   To be sure, an essential part of your planning is to evaluate whether the market where you plan to invest is becoming saturated. This can occur if there is a spike in the construction of new facilities, if supply is starting to outstrip demand, or if institutional investors are beginning to dominate your market. Your due diligence needs to be focused to be on the lookout for these warning signs as you evaluate your long-term plans.

Management

While you probably will not have a lot of the management duties that are a familiar part of owning properties that are occupied by real people, there are still some hands-on considerations with self-storage real estate. Think of the property as your own retail establishment. You will probably need to have a person on-site during business hours to control access to the facility, deal with walk-in customers wanting to sign up, or make equipment like hand trucks or platform trucks available for use. Self-storage facilities in the U.S. employ, on average, 3.5 employees per facility. https://alansfactoryoutlet.com/blog/self-storage-industry-statistics/

Security

We doubt that you’ll keep the Hope Diamond or your Mickey Mantle rookie baseball card in your self-storage cubicle, but folks often do store valuable stuff. These facilities need to ensure that they have robust access-control systems in place and video surveillance. They also need to maximize security of the storage units themselves. Tenants will usually provide their own locks, but the units should be built with reinforced walls and doors to make them less vulnerable to forced entry.

Conclusion

The self-storage real estate sector, with its potential for high returns, recession-resistant demand, and relatively low operational costs can offer compelling investment opportunities. It’s also important to acknowledge that challenges exist, like hands-on management responsibilities, robust security demands, and the possibility of market saturation. Investors who approach this sector with careful due diligence and a realistic understanding of the pros and cons should find themselves in a position to capitalize on the growing demand for self-storage facilities.

— Frank Gallinelli

FYI: We think the self-storage sector is important enough that we’ve dedicated an area in our Real Estate Investment Analysis, Pro Edition software specifically to this property type.

 

software to analyze real estate investmentsonline video courses for real estate investors


Copyright 2024, Frank Gallinelli and RealData® Inc. All Rights Reserved
The information presented in this article represents the opinions of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of RealData® Inc. The material contained in articles that appear on realdata.com is not intended to provide legal, tax or other professional advice or to substitute for proper professional advice and/or due diligence. We urge you to consult an attorney, CPA or other appropriate professional before taking any action in regard to matters discussed in any article or posting. The posting of any article and of any link back to the author and/or the author’s company does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation of the author’s products or services.

Photo by JOSHUA COLEMAN on Unsplash


Is it Good to be Green?—The Long-Term Benefits of Implementing Energy-Saving Improvements in Commercial Property

energy-saving improvements to commercial real estate

Environmental awareness and sustainability have become increasingly important in recent years, and this is certainly true of the commercial real estate industry. Commercial property owners who implement energy-saving improvements can not only help the environment but at the same time unlock a number of long-term benefits for their businesses.

     1. Cost Savings

According to energy.gov, commercial buildings waste up to 30% of the energy they consume. Investing in energy-saving improvements can significantly lower overall operating costs. Some common measures include:

• Lighting upgrades17% of all electricity consumed by commercial building is from lighting. Incandescent bulbs are energy hogs. Replacing them with LED bulbs can result in a significant cost savings. According to EnergyStar, LED’s provide the same brightness as tradition bulbs, but use 90% less energy and can last 15 times longer. Traditional bulbs also release 80% of their energy as heat, raising the cost of air conditioning.

• Utilizing natural lighting — Increasing natural lighting via skylights and south-facing windows where possible, and using energy-efficient blinds and shades can help reduce the need for artificial lighting.

• Insulation and weatherization — Ensuring that the building is properly insulated and weatherized can prevent energy loss and reduce heating and cooling costs by as much as 10% according to the EPA. Windows, doors, and walls are the first places to look, but don’t forget the roof, HVAC ducts, outlets, and pipes.

• Using power management settings on computers and other hardware — Per EnergyStar, each office desktop computer wastes up to $50 a year. This is an easy way to reduce electricity use.

• Getting an energy audit — Contact your utility company to learn what services are available, but in many locales there are different audit levels, varying from free to paid. Some utility companies offer rebates or other incentives to customers who follow through on audit recommendations. An energy audit can help define what options are worthwhile and what their costs and potential savings could be; and a consultation with your CPA to review the cost-benefit balance can reveal the actual tangible return on investment for any of the cost-saving strategies.

• Getting a competitive quote for electricityIf you’re in a deregulated state, you may be able to choose your electricity supplier and lock in a rate that is lower than what you would get from your utility company.

• Installing solar panels — While solar can be good for your bottom line and for the environment, and perhaps even reduce your dependence on the grid, it’s important to weigh some potential offsetting factors. Does the roof have adequate structural integrity, or must you upgrade that first? Does the building get enough days of full sun? Could future adjacent development block direct sunlight? Are there regulations about hookups or fire department roof access that you need to anticipate? Is your electricity bill — especially if you’re a landlord responsible solely for common area utilities — sufficient to justify the initial capital outlay? A professional solar company should be able to give some reasonable projections of the time need to recover your costs, and help you make an informed decision.

2. Increased Property Value and Rental Premium

From a strictly metrics-based viewpoint, energy cost savings should increase net operating income and therefore increase value.

On a more subjective scale, energy-efficient buildings are highly sought after by environmentally conscious businesses and tenants, as they offer lower operating costs for tenants as well as owners, and present a reduced environmental impact. Does that translate into sales and rental premiums?

Although it may be difficult to quantify, there seems to be widespread agreement that the so-called “green premium” is alive and well. The US Green Building Council cites significant sales premium in LEED-certified buildings and CBRE offers a detailed study of rent premiums. Such premiums are of course a function of location as well as property type and class, but in general they all seem to confirm that energy efficiency measures have a positive impact on asset value and on rent.

And on the other side of the coin is the so-called “brown discount.” The value of buildings that don’t measure up in regard to energy conservation may take a hit, sometimes up to 30%, due to the growing demand for “green” buildings.

3. Enhanced Tenant Satisfaction and Retention

Commercial tenants increasingly favor buildings that prioritize sustainability and energy efficiency. Implementing energy-saving improvements sends a strong message to tenants that the property owner is committed to providing a high-quality and sustainable environment.

By reducing energy costs and creating a comfortable and healthy indoor environment, commercial property owners can significantly enhance tenant satisfaction. Satisfied tenants are more likely to renew their leases, leading to higher occupancy rates and reduced turnover, which ultimately improves the property’s long-term financial stability.

4. Management Benefits

Energy efficiency measures can extend the lifespan of a building’s systems and increase its overall value. This can make the property more attractive to potential buyers or tenants, potentially leading to higher rental income or sale price.

5. Tax Incentives

The tax regs are always a moving target, but you can find the IRS regs for “Energy efficient commercial buildings deduction” as of this writing (1/2024) here. In short, it appears that eligible improvements for years 2023 and later are for interior lighting, HVAC, hot water systems, and building envelope. The deduction amounts are the lesser of:
The cost of the installed property, or
The savings per square foot calculated as:
$0.50 per square foot for a building with 25% energy savings
Plus $0.02 per square foot for each percentage point of energy savings above 25%
Up to a maximum of $1.00 per square foot for a building with 50% energy savings

A final note: Kermit the Frog didn’t find it easy to be green, but you might find it much more appealing. Energy-saving improvements in commercial properties can provide you with substantial financial returns and management benefits, making them worthwhile investments for you as a property owner.

 

Have you implemented any energy-saving improvement in your commercial property? Please share your experience.

— Frank Gallinelli

 

software to analyze real estate investmentsonline video courses for real estate investors


Copyright 2024, Frank Gallinelli and RealData® Inc. All Rights Reserved
The information presented in this article represents the opinions of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of RealData® Inc. The material contained in articles that appear on realdata.com is not intended to provide legal, tax or other professional advice or to substitute for proper professional advice and/or due diligence. We urge you to consult an attorney, CPA or other appropriate professional before taking any action in regard to matters discussed in any article or posting. The posting of any article and of any link back to the author and/or the author’s company does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation of the author’s products or services. Image generated with AI – January 13, 2024 at 3:45 PM

New Program from RealData: “REIA Quick Edition”

 

REIA Quick Edition is a compact a very affordable quick analysis of any income-producing property.

We designed it so you can key in just a few key items and get a single-page report that can help you to decide whether you should pass or examine the property in create detail. It will calculate your NOI, Cash-on-Cash, Debt Coverage Ratio, IRR, potential resale price and more.

Get more info at https://www.realdata.com/products/reia-quick


What Does the Future Hold for Commercial Real Estate?

Inflation, interest rates, concerns about recession, pandemic-inspired work-style changes, taxes. There are enough wild cards in the deck to give any economic forecaster vertigo.

Not all real estate markets or all sectors are created equal, so to paraphrase an old TV auto ad, your mileage may vary. Nonetheless, we think it’s possible to make at least some reasonable and general forecasts about the near-term prospects for commercial real estate. Here is some of what we’re hearing, and thinking.

Multifamily

The multifamily sector seems likely to continue showing positive revenue growth. Freddie Mac predicts 3.5% increase in gross income nationally from apartment rentals in 2023, and a 5.1% vacancy rate. The multifamily market was outrageously strong in 2021, has cooled off somewhat since then, but still looks like a propitious place for investor dollars. With mortgage rates at their highest level in years, and the inventory of single-family homes for sale in short supply in many areas, there should be a lot of folks who must opt for apartments — hence, continued strong demand. Globest suggests that “multifamily remains a front-running investment choice.”

Office

The office market seems a bit harder to get a handle on. Many office workers have become very comfortable with working from home and are reluctant to go back into the office. They’ve been saving on commuting costs, especially in a time of high gas prices, on child care, and sometimes even on the cost of business attire. Some employers are demanding that workers return full time, but many are agreeing to a hybrid model, a few days a week in the office and a few at home. For many businesses, this means they need less office space. An in-depth interview on Co-Star with three industry analysts concurs that hybrid work is here for the long term and that demand for space is likely to decrease.

These analysts also noted that the suburban office market has been more resilient than the central business districts, and that suburban vacancies have actually been lower than those in CBDs. Finally, they note that while office leasing appears to be stabilizing, rising interest rates have been putting a damper on sales.

Industrial

If there is one clear winner right now, it would appear to be the industrial sector. In an article on trends in industrial real estate, commercialsearch.com says, “Onshoring efforts, coupled with a continuation of last year’s e-commerce boom, have only added to the already sky-high demand for industrial real estate.” It further quotes an analyst who believes this sector will be “among top performers across the commercial real estate sector in 2023.”

Similarly, NAIOP’s Industrial Space Demand Forecast says, ”Despite rising interest rates and growth in the supply of new space entering the market, the outlook for industrial real estate remains bright as supply chain conditions steadily improve. Low vacancy rates will continue to support growth in rents and property values.”

Retail

Retail, like politics, tends to be hyper-local. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal, The Decline of the Five-Day Commute Is a Boon to Suburban Retail, puts this in the context of the post-pandemic environment. The trend of businesses moving their office out of the central business district has led to fewer people shopping in downtown locations; but on the flip side, the suburbs have generally been the beneficiaries. “In the second half of last year, urban retail availability surpassed suburban availability for the first time since at least 2013, according to real-estate firm CBRE. Asking rent growth in the suburbs also outpaced urban areas last year.”

Overall — Sustainability

One phenomenon that looks like it will cut across all sectors is the growing interest in sustainability. It seems very likely that this will drive demand for green buildings. As we all become more aware of the impact that buildings can have on the environment, there is a growing demand for green buildings that are designed to be energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. This is creating opportunities for developers who can build green buildings. There are also financial incentives to commercial property owners, including reduced operating costs, increased asset value, and higher rents. We’ll be having a follow-up post with more on this soon, so stay tuned.

Frank Gallinelli



         


Copyright 2022,  Frank Gallinelli and RealData® Inc. All Rights Reserved
The information presented in this article represents the opinions of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of RealData® Inc. The material contained in articles that appear on realdata.com is not intended to provide legal, tax or other professional advice or to substitute for proper professional advice and/or due diligence. We urge you to consult an attorney, CPA or other appropriate professional before taking any action in regard to matters discussed in any article or posting. The posting of any article and of any link back to the author and/or the author’s company does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation of the author’s products or services.  Building photo by John Unwin on Unsplash Solar array photo by Trinh Trần on pexels.com

The Case of the Mysterious Sinking IRR

Users of our Real Estate Investment Analysis program sometimes call us with questions that are not about the software but about the underlying analysis. If we had a “greatest hits” list for those questions the all-time winner would be this: “My cash flow goes up each year; the value of the property goes up each year; but when I look at the Internal Rate of Return, it goes down almost every year. What’s up with that?” To see how this can happen, let’s take a look at two very simple examples.

Example #1: We purchase a property for $100,000 all cash. It has a Net Operating Income of $10,000, so the capitalization rate is 10%. We are going to assume that 10% is the right cap rate for this market (primarily because it make the math in our example easy to follow). Because we bought the property for cash there is no debt service and so we can also assume that the cash flow is the same as the Net Operating Income. For those who require an instant (and very abbreviated) refresher course on these concepts, use the following:

  • Gross Income less Operating Expenses equals Net Operating Income
  • Net Operating Income less Debt Service equals Cash Flow
  • Net Operating Income divided by Capitalization Rate equals the property’s Present Value

The property is in good shape and is running well when we buy it. Our initial cash flow occurs on Day One when we spend $100,000 in cash to make the purchase. We project that we can raise the rent 4% during the first year to $10,400. The property is well-located, so we believe we can get a bit more aggressive over time. We’ll project that we can increase the revenue 5% in the second year, 6% in the third, 7% in the fourth and 8% in the fifth. Here is what our projections look like:

 

Notice that, if we sell the property at the end of one year for its full value (i.e., with no selling costs, to keep matters simple), our Internal Rate of Return (IRR) is a pleasing 14.4%. If we sell at the end of year two, our IRR for that holding period is even better, 14.92%. If we hang on to the property for five years, we see that we can expect a 16.38% IRR. The rents go up each year, the value goes up and so does the IRR. All is right with the world.

Example #2: At the same time we buy another property, also for $100,000 cash. It too has a $10,000 NOI, but this property needs immediate management improvements to control expenses and to get rents in line with the market. We feel sure that we can get the NOI (and hence the cash flow) to $12,000 in the first year. That should get it on a stable footing, from which we expect a more modest 3% increase in rent each year thereafter. The rents go up each year, the value goes up each year, but what about the IRR?

 

At the end of the first year, we’re thrilled by a robust IRR of 32%. We worked hard; we deserve it. But if we hold the property for a second year the Internal Rate of Return drops to 22.76% — still not shabby but significantly lower than at the end of the prior year. Indeed, the longer we hold the property, the lower the IRR becomes. What, to coin a phrase, is wrong with this picture? Nothing is wrong, actually. The numbers are correct. Remember that Internal Rate of Return is a time-sensitive measurement. The biggest jump in cash flow and in the property’s value came early. The earlier it arrives, the less severely it gets discounted — it’s the “time value of money” concept. The increases that occur in years two through five are smaller to begin with and they get discounted over a greater number of years, shrinking their worth to us today even more.

Simply put, if we hold the property two years instead of one, then that second year dilutes the overall rate of return because it didn’t contribute as much (especially after an extra year of discounting) as the first year did. If we hold the property for three years, the return gets diluted still further.

At this point, someone in the back of the room is surely asking the insightful question, “So what?” Here’s what: The first property is telling us that it will perform better as an investment if we hold onto it for a while. Its rent increases are accelerating each year. Even though the increases have to be discounted — it’s that time value of money again — they’re growing at a pace that makes them worth waiting for. Hence the IRR gets higher with each year we hold on. The second property, however, has a bit more of a roman candle quality to its performance. The big flash comes early; after that, it just sputters along.

Does this mean you should immediately sell such a property? If you’re happy with the long-term IRR and could not find a replacement property with a greater yield, it might make sense to hold. Or you might be more comfortable following the words of immortal Janis Joplin: Get it while you can. To put that in more businesslike terms, you might decide to sell the property when the IRR peaks; then take the proceeds and reinvest them. Whichever way you go, the important thing is that you’ll be making an informed decision.

Better than being like this guy.


If you found this example helpful, I have a lot more educational material for real estate investors and developers. For example, check out these video lessons…

Real Estate Investment Case Studies where I take you step-by-step through the evaluation of five different property types: apartment, mixed-use, triple-net leased, retail strip center, and single-family property

Value-Add Real Estate Investments where I show how you might do something tangible or intangible to a property, but in either case, something that increases how much a person would pay to acquire that asset from you when you’re done.

Or if you’re ready for a complete training series in real estate investment, development, finance, partnerships, and more, consider Mastering Real Estate Investing.

—— Frank Gallinelli  

 

Copyright 2023,  Frank Gallinelli and RealData® Inc. All Rights Reserved

The information presented in this article represents the opinions of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of RealData® Inc. The material contained in articles that appear on realdata.com is not intended to provide legal, tax or other professional advice or to substitute for proper professional advice and/or due diligence. We urge you to consult an attorney, CPA or other appropriate professional before taking any action in regard to matters discussed in any article or posting. The posting of any article and of any link back to the author and/or the author’s company does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation of the author’s products or services.


What Happened to Your Property Management?

If you’ve taken my video course, read any of my books, listened to some of the podcasts I’ve been on, then you’re very aware that I often rant about how important it is for you to account for just the real operating operating expenses when you evaluate the worth of a property — no more and no fewer.

There is one mistake I see really often, and I want to call it out here in this video blog.

 

Copyright 2021,  Frank Gallinelli and RealData® Inc. All Rights Reserved
The information presented in this article represents the opinions of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of RealData® Inc. The material contained in articles that appear on realdata.com is not intended to provide legal, tax or other professional advice or to substitute for proper professional advice and/or due diligence. We urge you to consult an attorney, CPA or other appropriate professional before taking any action in regard to matters discussed in any article or posting. The posting of any article and of any link back to the author and/or the author’s company does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation of the author’s products or services.

Love Your Hat! What is Your Lender Really Looking at When You Apply for a Commercial Mortgage?

If you’re not an all cash buyer, then when you purchase a piece of income-producing real estate you’ll probably need to secure mortgage financing to complete the deal. It’s essential for you to understand what your lender is looking at when underwriting that loan.

And — If you guessed that he or she is not admiring your millinery —  ok then, stick with me here. I’m going to discuss briefly a couple of key yardsticks.

Of course, this short video blog post is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to evaluating, financing, and acquiring a successful real estate investment.

For in-depth insight into on all the key metrics and methods, check out https://realestateeducation.net/

And you’ll find the software that will do all the heavy lifting for your analysis and presentation at https://realdata.com

 

Copyright 2021,  Frank Gallinelli and RealData® Inc. All Rights Reserved

The information presented in this article represents the opinions of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of RealData® Inc. The material contained in articles that appear on realdata.com is not intended to provide legal, tax or other professional advice or to substitute for proper professional advice and/or due diligence. We urge you to consult an attorney, CPA or other appropriate professional before taking any action in regard to matters discussed in any article or posting. The posting of any article and of any link back to the author and/or the author’s company does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation of the author’s products or services.


NEW Version 20 of Real Estate Investment Analysis Pro Edition Software

We’re very excited to announce the release of new Version 20 of our Real Estate Investment Analysis software. This application has been the go-to solution for thousands of income-property investors since its first release in 1982.

(No, that’s not a typo. We’re proud to report almost four decades of enhancements based on users’ feedback.)

Version 20 has big new features and a whole new outlook on both development and investment properties. It has you covered on all fronts — buy and hold, build and hold, fix and flip, value-add — now you can model them all with one software program.

At its core, Real Estate Investment Analysis (REIA) is income-property investment analysis software for all who deal with commercial or residential income properties: individual and institutional investors, developers, brokers, lenders, accountants, portfolio managers, financial planners, builders, and architects.

It helps you make detailed income and expense projections, before- and after-tax cash flow calculations, key ROI measurements, partnership analyses, and a great deal more.

New functionality in v20 brings you month-by-month development cash flow planning, with drawdown construction loan for value-add, renovation, even construction from the ground up. Evaluate the development phase, then see how holding the property produces returns over time.

Get the full scoop here about new version 20.

Copyright 2020, RealData® Inc. All Rights Reserved

The information presented in this article represents the opinions of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of RealData® Inc. The material contained in articles that appear on realdata.com is not intended to provide legal, tax or other professional advice or to substitute for proper professional advice and/or due diligence. We urge you to consult an attorney, CPA or other appropriate professional before taking any action in regard to matters discussed in any article or posting. The posting of any article and of any link back to the author and/or the author’s company does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation of the author’s products or services.


RealData’s Commercial Income Worksheet

The Commercial Income worksheet in RealData’s REIA Pro software is one of its leading power features that makes it a stand-out tool for investment analysis.

 

It’s designed to allow you to enter income from any number of tenants with great flexibility, and to model a lease scenario of any size or shape.

In this video we’ll have a quick overview of how this feature works, and how it can help you when you’re evaluating a commercial income property.

Click here to watch

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Copyright 2020,  Frank Gallinelli and RealData® Inc. All Rights Reserved

The information presented in this article represents the opinions of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of RealData® Inc. The material contained in articles that appear on realdata.com is not intended to provide legal, tax or other professional advice or to substitute for proper professional advice and/or due diligence. We urge you to consult an attorney, CPA or other appropriate professional before taking any action in regard to matters discussed in any article or posting. The posting of any article and of any link back to the author and/or the author’s company does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation of the author’s products or services.


Opportunity Zones = Defer or Avoid Capital Gains Tax

The end of the year compels many people to think about tax planning, which in turn prompts us to highlight a feature of the new tax law that could provide significant benefit to real estate investors. It has to do with what are called “Opportunity Zones.”

These zones are economically distressed, low-income communities, and according to the Wall Street Journal the zones encompass almost 9,000 census tracts with a population of nearly 35 million. A list of the zones can be downloaded from this IRS page

In a nutshell, the benefit to investors is that they can defer the capital gains on an existing investment until the end of 2026 by rolling those gains into an Opportunity Zone project. In addition, they can avoid capital gains on the new investments in the zone if they hold them for at least 10 years

Like a number of provisions in the Tax Cut and Jobs Act, not all of the details were in place when the law was passed, but the IRS did in fact release regulations about this on October 19, 2018. Apparently there are still some loose ends and the IRS in their FAQ says they will be “…providing further details, including additional legal guidance, on this new tax benefit” over the next few months.   

Those who enjoy parsing the tax code can peruse the current version of the regulations.  You can find more readable summaries at National Real Estate Investor or here if you have an online subscription to the Wall Street Journal

A key takeaway from the Journal article is that this tax break appears to have been designed to give investors reasonable flexibility. For example, it cites that “…as long as 70% of a business’s tangible property is in a zone, the business doesn’t lose its ability to qualify for the tax break.” The regulations so far don’t seem to have a lot of hidden trap doors or “gotchas.” 

It would appear that this tax break provides an opportunity for investors to free up capital that is sitting dormant in properties they’re reluctant to sell because of what would otherwise be a capital gains tax burden. Now investors should be able to benefit from at least one if not two  tax breaks, and at the same time do something positive for their communities.

What do you think? Are you likely to pursue a project in an Opportunity Zone?

— Frank Gallinelli

View a sample lesson from my video course,
“Introduction to Real Estate Investment Analysis”

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Copyright 2018,  Frank Gallinelli and RealData® Inc. All Rights Reserved

The information presented in this article represents the opinions of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of RealData® Inc. The material contained in articles that appear on realdata.com is not intended to provide legal, tax or other professional advice or to substitute for proper professional advice and/or due diligence. We urge you to consult an attorney, CPA or other appropriate professional before taking any action in regard to matters discussed in any article or posting. The posting of any article and of any link back to the author and/or the author’s company does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation of the author’s products or services.

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