Equity Trusts
Same as term REIT: 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 accounting methodology for separately depreciating individual parts or elements of a building or improvement qualifying as business use or a depreciable asset under the IRS tax code. ...
Property taken over by the government because the owner has failed to pay taxes on it. The property may revert back to the owner when the taxes are paid. If not, the government may sell the ...
Neighborhood square somewhat resembling a park. It is often owned by town or row house owners situated near the square. ...
Covering studs on the outside. ...
(1) The exposed trim and molding surrounding a door or window. (2) Woodwork which encases a pipe or structural member. (3) Method of creating a form for the pouring of concrete. ...
percentage of land that may be used productively to the total square footage of the land. For example, if total square footage is 40,000 but only 30,000 square feet may be built upon ...
Same as term access right: The right of a property owner to freely go to and return from an adjoining highway without interference." rollover;"Same as term: Tax-free exchange that allows ...
The maximum pre-approved amount that an individual or business can borrow without preparing a new credit request. It is a safety buffer in the event funds are needed for unexpected ...
Every borrower has his own definition of amortization schedule in mind. An amortization schedule is a table that reveals how the debt is going to be paid back and at what cost. For most ...

Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.