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
Federal act passed in 1974 regulating mobile homes. The act defines a mobile home as a "Structure, transportable in one or more sections, which is eight body feet or more in width and is ...
Outline or diagram of a structure or group of structures used for planning purposes. ...
The appraisal approach is used to estimate the value of an asset, based on various factors to reach the closest educated guess of the asset. While an appraisal approach does consider the ...
Having two families live in a residence designed for only one family. This violates single-family residence zoning. ...
Paneled brickwork between timber quarters, a framed wall, or partition. ...
A rental agreement is a written contract that establishes a temporary arrangement between the owner of a property and an individual who wishes to have possession of the property for a ...
Regional area from which a particular product or service can expect its greatest demand. For example, a retail department store expects to attract shoppers from a market area having a ...
Use of other people's money (OPM) in an attempt to maximize the return but at high risk. The use of leverage in real estate investing is a way to maximize yield on a small down payment. ...
Used primarily by real estate corporations as a means of restructuring and reorganizing existing debts. Creditors must vote on a debt-paying plan and a judge must give approval. It provides ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.