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
Method of finishing edges of walls, window jams, doors, or projections with decorative strips of wood to give a better appearance as well as providing protection from jagged edges and ...
Rental agreement directly between the landlord and tenant. If the tenant then rents it out to another, it is referred to as a sublease. The relationship takes the following form: ...
Administrator of estate is a term used in common-law jurisdiction for a person assigned a particular responsibility. The administrator of estate definition describes a court-appointed ...
As the term “servient” comes from the root word “serve” and to serve means to perform a duty or a service for another entity, its meaning is easy to define. The term ...
Metal hardware within the construction that is typically not visible, such as bolts, nails, and screws. ...
The external covering finish of a structure which protects it from the elements. Exterior finish materials, including shingles, siding, and paints, are design to resist severe weathering ...
Depth of land used as standard to appraise its value. An example is 100 feet used for residential land. ...
Horizontal wood siding commonly used on the exterior of buildings which overlap each other. ...
Potential homeowners buy land at a location they like and then build their house on it. ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.