Complex Real Estate Investment Strategies

I offer these strategies to help simulate ideas. While I perform only real estate brokerage, I strongly recommend that you seek the advice of other qualified professionals such as lawyers, accountants, home inspectors, appraisers, mortgage lenders, etc. Who are your generals?

1. Master Lease with Option to Purchase

• Ownership: Investor leases a property with the right (not obligation) to buy it later.
• Legal: Requires a detailed contract outlining lease terms, purchase option, and default provisions.
• Tax: Lease payments may be deductible as rental expenses. Purchase may trigger capital gains and depreciation benefits.
• Why it's clever: Low initial investment; control without immediate ownership.

2. Series LLC for Multi-Property Portfolios

• Ownership: Each property is held in a separate “series” under one parent LLC.
• Legal: Limits liability per property; series are insulated from one another. Louisiana does not have statutes recognizing Series LLCs, but investors typically form separate LLCs for each property to achieve liability segregation.
• Tax: One tax return for the entire LLC (varies by state); may qualify as a pass-through entity.
• Why it's clever: Isolates risk and simplifies portfolio-wide management and asset protection.

3. Installment Sale with Seller Financing (Owner Carry)

• Ownership: Title transfers to the buyer, but payments are spread over years.
• Legal: Requires promissory note and deed of trust/mortgage.
• Tax: Seller may defer capital gains tax over the life of the loan (installment method under IRC §453).
• Why it's clever: Tax deferral and steady income stream for the seller; low capital outlay for the buyer.

4. Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) Formation

• Ownership: Pool investor capital into a trust structure that owns income-producing real estate.
• Legal: Must meet IRS and SEC compliance rules; 90% of taxable income must be distributed as dividends.
• Tax: No corporate tax at the trust level if structured properly; investors pay taxes on dividends.
• Why it's clever: Avoids double taxation; can raise capital from multiple investors.

5. 1031 Exchange into a Delaware Statutory Trust (DST)

• Ownership: Fractional ownership in a passive real estate investment.
• Legal: DST holds title; investors own beneficial interests.
• Tax: Preserves capital gains deferral from 1031 Exchange; avoids active management.
• Why it's clever: Allows deferral of taxes without direct property management.

6. Opportunity Zone Fund

• Ownership: Invest capital gains into a Qualified Opportunity Fund that develops in a designated zone. Louisiana has 150 designated Opportunity Zones aimed at spurring economic development.
• Legal: Fund must meet compliance rules on asset use and timing.
• Tax: Potential deferral and even elimination of capital gains if held for 10+ years.
• Why it's clever: Turns tax liability into long-term equity growth.