There is a number of ways to hold title to real property. Perhaps the most common way is to hold full title – or “fee” simple title – as an individual or married couple. Title to real property can also be held jointly by multiple corporate or individual persons. One increasingly common means to
Combining Sections 121 & 1031 for Optimal Tax Treatment
As we’ve noted before on HTW, Section 1031 of the IRC applies specifically and exclusively to real property used for business or investment purposes. Section 121, on the other hand, applies to primary residences, and can be utilized to eliminate substantial capital gain upon the sale of one’s
Top Areas for Future Home Buyers in the Greater Seattle Region
Though many of our clients are homeowners, quite a few of our clients are currently in the market (or plan to be in the market) for a new home. For this reason, in our present article we’d like to take a moment to highlight some of the hottest areas for real estate purchases in the greater Seattle
Investment Property & the Personal Residence Exclusion
Contrary to what many may suppose, the initial purpose underlying the acquisition of a property does not necessarily bar future invocation of the principal residence exclusion (under IRS section 121). As we've discussed earlier, Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code allows homeowners to exclude
The Basics of Tenancy-in-Common Ownership Arrangements
Many of our clients are real estate owners and so in this installment of HTW we thought it beneficial to introduce the concept of tenancy-in-common ownership arrangements. A tenancy-in-common (TIC) is a form of joint ownership which involves multiple owners who share an undivided fractional interest
Essential Points of the Principal Residence Exclusion
In our first essay on section 1031 we promised to explore other sections of the tax code – namely, 1033 and 121 – which may be of interest to our readers. As always with HTC, we are true to our word. In this essay we will discuss some of the basic facts of section 121. Section 121 is referred to as
Vancouver’s Latest Tax May Impact Seattle Real Estate Market
Though the Seattle real estate market is attractive on its own merits, a recent tax issued in Vancouver, Canada may create even more demand in the Seattle housing market. In recent years, foreign buyers have caused housing prices in the Vancouver market to rise substantially. In response, the city
Basic Facts of Cost Segregation
Cost segregation is a process which involves separating personal property assets from real property assets for the purpose of shortening the time of depreciation and reducing tax liability. In a cost segregation study, assets are classed together according to their depreciation period. Cost
