Equity Trusts
Same as term REIT: Type of investment company that invests money in mortgages and various types of investment in real estate, in order to earn profits for shareholders. Shareholders receive income from the rents received from the properties and receive capital gains as properties are sold at a profit. REITs have been formed by a number of large financial institutions such as banks and insurance companies. The stocks of many of them are traded on security exchanges, thereby providing investors with a marketable interest in real estate investment portfolio. By law, REITs have to distribute 95 percent of their income to shareholders, and in turn they are exempt from corporate taxes on income or gains. In exchange for this special tax treatment, REITs are subject to numerous qualifications and limitations including:
- Qualified asset and income tests. REITs are required to have at least 75% of their value represented by qualified real estate assets and to earn at least 75% of their income from real estate investments.
- Shareholder qualifications. Generally, REITs are not permitted to be closely held and must have a minimum of 100 shareholders.
Popular Real Estate Terms
In real estate, the term "preamble" refers to an introductory statement that outlines the fundamental principles and goals guiding the industry's practices. Specifically, in the National ...
Transfer of both real and personal property. An example is the sale of a home with personal belongings. Putting together a group of property to be sold together, perhaps at a discount ...
Absence of a personal liability such as when a creditor may seize an office building used as security for the obligation but cannot attach any other assets of the debtor. ...
Same as term nonconforming use: Property use which is in violation of the current zoning ordinance, but had been in use prior to the zoning ordinance's enactment. A nonconforming use is ...
Provision in a lease agreement allowing the landlord to raise the rental to take into account inflation, higher upkeep costs, and higher interest rates. An index may be used such as the ...
To understand what a principal broker is, we have to go back up the family tree of real estate.You do understand all brokers can be real estate agents, but not every real estate agent can ...
An agreement specified in the lease providing the tenant the option to renew the lease for a given time period upon the expiration of the initial lease. Most lease options include the ...
Siding made out of aluminum, plastic derivates, or cement asbestos having ridges and valleys which is attached to the sides of buildings. ...
Corporation whose stockholders are taxed as partners. That is, income is taxed as direct income to the shareholders. The key advantage of this tax treatment is that shareholders escape ...

Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.