Equity Trusts
Definition of "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
income statement destroyed by a casualty such as a fire. This requires the reconstruction of the income statement based on source records, information, and documents. Income statement ...
Marketable title that is free of encumbrances and disputed interests. Clear title is essential in order to convey a general warranty deed in a transaction. ...
Process of simultaneously appraising several pieces of property. Normally, occurs when a local government conducts a reassessment. ...
Lienholder's statement as to the unpaid balance on a trust deed note. ...
Written document by an official granting agency and signed by an empowered official certifying that some specific act including the fulfillment of certain requirements has occurred on a ...
Opinion of a judge having no direct legal or binding effect on the outcome of a pending judicial decision. An obiter dictum is considered to be an incidental judicial remark about some ...
Loan in which two or more lenders participate in the total financing of a single mortgage. The lenders in a piggyback loan do not necessarily have equal shares. ...
Judicial order prohibiting a person or business from doing something. The court may issue this dictate when unlawful conduct or activity is occurring. ...
See annuity due. ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.