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
When a real estate owner wants to know what their property tax liability is, they calculate the assessment ratio for their property. An assessment ration is a relationship between a real ...
Use of a parcel of land that will produce the greatest current value. ...
A contract not in writing. Oral contracts are legally enforceable except for those applicable to the sale of real estate. ...
When a mortgage loan is provided to a borrower, the lender establishes a fund called a tax and insurance escrow to accumulate the debtor's monthly payments for property taxes and insurance ...
Annual return rate of capital invested in a wasting asset. The capital is returned from the depreciating asset's earned income. ...
Pipes from a structure to a sewer for the purpose of sewage disposal. ...
Amount required to payoff the full balance of the mortgage today. The amount equals the principal balance plus any prepayment penalty. ...
The two terms used to describe professionals in the real estate industry are “realtor” and “real estate agent”. These two terms are used interchangeably or as ...
Guarantee by a seller to a buyer to satisfy, for a specified time period, problems in the quality or performance of items within the home. There is usually no additional charge during the ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.