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
An arm’s-length transaction is a business deal, or transaction where the seller and buyer act independently of each other without influence on the other party. What sets these types ...
Expenditures incurred building a structure, including material and labor. ...
That’s the name of the study a Real Estate Broker presents to home sellers when trying to turn them into clients. In it, by making a comparison with the available houses in the market ...
Low level of land positioned between mountains or hills. ...
Involves monthly payments for property taxes and insurance, besides principal and interest. The tax and insurance payments are put into an impound account. For a residential mortgage this ...
Property held by an individual, such as furniture. ...
To acquit, exonerate, absolve, or discredit allegations. ...
Brick wall where a space or cavity is left between the inner and outer walls and is usually filled with insulation. ...
Title granted to those having expertise in valuing homes by the American Institute of Real Estate Appraisers. ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.