Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
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
Funds of property bestowed upon a person or an institution. The income is used to serve a specific purpose for which the endowment was intended. ...
Holding and controlling property. It includes not only custody but also having some legal right. An example is occupying real property and enjoying its benefits. ...
Transfer of real estate from one taxpayer to another that are exempt from federal income taxes. An example is an exchange of property in which ownership of transferred real estate is still ...
Interest is due on a loan only if a particular circumstance occurs. ...
Uniform charge for transportation and delivery of household items to a homeowner within a particular locality. ...
Costs incurred in connection with real property that increase its cost basis or worth, such as a new roof, an additional room, or paneling a room. ...
A right or interest in property held by a third party, which often limits the use and diminishes the value of the property, but usually does not prevent the transferring of title. The more ...
A judicially approved plan in which a persons obligations are paid over three years. It is an arrangement for the repayment of debts which permits a credit user in severe financial straits ...
A two-story house characterized by a balcony spanning the width of the second story. Monterey architecture was adopted from the early California Spanish period. ...
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