Definition of "Capital lease"

Rental in which the lessee obtains major property rights. Although not legally a purchase of property, theoretical substance governs over legal form and requires that the leased property be recorded as an asset on the lessees books. The asset equals present value of the minimum lease payments and the present value of the bargain purchase option. A capital lease exists if any one of the following four criteria is met: (1) the lease transfers ownership of the property to the lessee at the end of the lease term; (2) there is a bargain purchase option; (3) the lease term is 75% or more of the life of the property; and (4) the present value of minimum lease payments equals or exceeds 90% of the fair market value of the property.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

The cost of property, such as a home owned for tax purposes. For example, a home was purchased for $150,000. capital improvements to it cost $15,000. The house was later sold for $230,000. ...

Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is a measure of the cost of credit that must be reported by lenders under the Truth in Lending regulations. The Annual Percentage Rate (APR) takes into ...

Any geographic taxing division where the legally chosen representatives are charged with the responsibility of assessing taxable property and collecting tax revenue. ...

Owner has rights to water on his land. He also has a reasonable privilege to water adjacent to his property that flows through it or abutting it. ...

If you are involved with real estate, chances are you've come across the term "convey" or conveyance. But what does convey mean in real estate? This term is crucial whether you're buying, ...

Situation in which an owner of property sells the property to an investor and then leases the property back, usually for a 20- or 30- year term. ...

Market price pf all the property prior to a condemnation proceeding. ...

Offering price. ...

You can frequently encounter “circa” in everyday discourse, referring to an approximation as an approximate date. Variations of circa are: about, near, and roughly.  The ...

Popular Real Estate Questions