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
People often use the term in their everyday discourse, yet many wonder what the meaning of common law genuinely implies. Common law refers to a system of jurisprudence based on court ...
Expenditures pay by the owner of house to keep and maintain it including real estate taxes, interest on a mortgage, repairs and maintenance, and capital additions (e.g., new roof, new ...
System of interconnected pipes, radiators, and/or ducts designed to heat a building utilizing a main heating unit. The system is controlled through a thermostat that regulates the ...
Economic policies designed to reduce the fluctuation in the business cycle. An example is Federal reserve monetary policies. An attempt by an underwriter to prevent a market price of a ...
Ownership interest in property that is above the minimum needed to meet uncertainties or a downward trend in real estate market. ...
Charges billed for services rendered. They may be on a flat basis or on an hourly rate. ...
Periodic expenditures undertaken to preserve or retain a property's operational status for its originally intended use. These expenditures do not improve or extend the life of the property. ...
national trade association of people engaged in the mortgage banking business, dedicated to the betterment of the mortgage banking industry through education, legislation, and high ethical ...
Lien on a given property, such as an person's house as a collateral for a loan. ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.