I appreciate the analytical, business-like aspect of the 1031 exchange, and try to do a couple every year just to keep my chops up. I’d love to do more exchanges because sellers of investment properties have to re-invest to avoid capital-gain taxes. But it’s rare that you can find new properties locally that are a good enough buy to make it worth the trade.
But for those who can – here is a good article on the basics of the 1031 tax-deferred exchange, plus three extra points worth noting:
While you will always want professional guidance when doing this kind of swap, there are three things to have in mind from the start:
Be aware of “passive liability.” In other words, if you have a $1 million mortgage, do a swap and acquire a property with a mortgage of $900,000, you have “gained” $100,000 in the eyes of the taxman. If you are buying and selling large investment properties, these gains can add up quickly.
To “exchange” a vacation or second home, that home must be an investment property. If you are planning to swap a vacation home, you need to make the case that it is an active investment. Usually that means being able to show paying tenants for at least a year. To ensure that you do not swap an investment property for a primary residence, a 2008 IRS ruling created a “safe harbor” for dwellings in a 1031 exchange. To meet the safe harbor rule, in each of two years immediately following the exchange, the home must be rented to another person for 14 days or more, and you may not use the home for more than 14 days (or 10 percent of the total number of days the home is rented in a 12-month period).
An exchanged vacation home cannot become a primary residence for purposes of taking advantage of the principle residence exclusion. Property acquired in a 1031 exchange is subject to a five-year-period of exclusion from the principal residence capital gains tax benefit.
The first few house lotteries were shut down due to their gambling nature, but now there are new twists. First it was the flipper who is unloading a 1906 Craftsman-style home to the person who submits $100 and the best dessert-recipe HERE
Now these folks in Phoenix who paid $350,000 for their house want you to submit an essay and $150 to have a chance to win their flip:
PHOENIX — Valley residents with an extra $150 lying around might want to think about investing that in real estate.
That money could actually go a long way as a Phoenix real estate investor says that’s all it takes to have a shot at purchasing one of his properties.
“We purchased the house with the sole intention of making it beautiful and selling it for profit,” said Erin O’Connor.
O’Connor intends to make a profit by selling the nearly 4,000-square-foot, five bedroom home at 6517 W Lucia Dr. through an essay contest that costs $150 to enter.
Any adult can submit an essay up to 250 words, O’Connor will then narrow the essays down to the best 300 and an attorney will pick the final winner.
“If you win the essay contest, then you’re given the exclusive right to purchase the home for $10 and your normal closing fees,” he said.
Those title and escrow fees are estimated to be roughly $3,000, according to O’Connor’s website.
O’Connor said there needs to be a minimum of 4,500 essays submitted for the contest to be valid and only the first 5,500 will be accepted. That ensures at least $675,000 in revenue for the home and at the most, $825,000.
Michael Weinstein of the YourRealEstateWorld.com team at West USA Realty wrote in an email the property has an estimated value of $418,210, so 2,788 entries would be needed to simply break even on the property.
Weinstein called it a fun idea for those that have the resources but was skeptical about the business model for sellers. O’Connor however, said he hopes it is a business model that not only works, but also will catch on.
“I do believe that it could catch on (and) we could make a business out of it,” he said.
A portion of the revenue from the essay entries will go to benefit St. Jude Children’s Hospital, O’Connor said.
It seems the inventory is so picked over that the remaining would-be sellers need to lower their price to get in the game – but Yunnie won’t ever say it outright. At least he didn’t blame it on tight credit this time. From HW:
Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, says although pending sales decreased in June, the overall trend in recent months supports a solid pace of home sales this summer.
“Competition for existing houses on the market remained stiff last month, as low inventories in many markets reduced choices and pushed prices above some buyers’ comfort level,” he said. “The demand is there for more sales, but the determining factor will be whether or not some of these buyers decide to hold off even longer until supply improves and price growth slows.”
According to Yun, existing-home sales are up considerably compared to a year ago despite the share of first-time buyers only modestly improving. The reason is that the boost in sales is mostly coming from pent-up sellers realizing their equity gains from recent years.
“Strong price appreciation and an improving economy is finally giving some homeowners the incentive and financial capability to sell and trade up or down,” Yun said. “Unfortunately, because nearly all of these sellers are likely buying another home, there isn’t a net increase in inventory. A combination of homebuilders ramping up construction and even more homeowners listing their properties on the market is needed to tame price growth and give all buyers more options.”
Recently we’ve wondered how many first-timers are participating, but actual data has been scant. D.R. Horton says that 41% of their buyers are first-timers, which is probably similar to the resale market and sounds fairly healthy:
Here are the current market conditions through the eyes of D.R. Horton:
For those wondering if there will ever be any more bank-owned properties for sale, here is the list of 38 houses between La Jolla and Carlsbad that are owned by lenders, or 3rd parties who purchased them at the trustee sale:
A few are listed for sale, and others are still waiting for occupants to vacate or lawsuits to be settled. This Bressi Ranch home was foreclosed in April, 2014, and just hit the open market last week at what most would consider to be pretty close to retail price:
The former owners had worked the system – they had been in default since 2008, and endured four different trustee-sale dates before finally giving up the ship. In the meantime, the lender probably did everything they could to modify the loans?
I don’t think anybody has to worry about getting foreclosed unless they have significant equity.
Today’s inventory is about 4% less than what it was last year at this time. Sales this month look to be on track to match those in July, 2014, but pricing is starting to flatten out. The median sales price is only about 3% higher, and the average cost-per-sf only 1% higher than last July.
Click on the link below for the complete NSDCC active-inventory data:
Shiller calls the real estate market inefficient and irrational in the article below – and I don’t know if we can even call it a market. Entry and exit takes weeks at best and are clumsy. You don’t know who, when, or how much until – and if – luck happens to find you. The entire game is rigged to encourage over-paying, so the conservative buyers have a hard time competing.
Home prices have been climbing. They have risen 27 percent nationally since 2012, even more in places like San Francisco. But why worry? If you accept the efficient markets theory — and believe that real estate is an efficient market — then these prices are based on “new information,” even if you don’t know what that information is.
The problem with this kind of thinking is that the efficient markets theory is at best a half-truth, as a voluminous literature on market anomalies shows. What’s more, even that half-truth is grounded mainly in the stock market, which attracts professional investors who sometimes do make the market behave efficiently.
The housing market is another matter. It is far less rational than even the often irrational stock market, for a couple of important reasons. First, most investors find it difficult to understand how housing supply responds to changes in demand. Only a small minority of people think carefully about such things. Second, it is very hard for the minority of smart-money investors who do understand such matters to bet against bubble-level prices in real estate markets. In housing, the smart money has relatively little voice.
I have two RSF listings that are outside the Covenant.
One seller asked me what the chances are of selling.
I said 20%, to which he said, ‘Yikes’.
But any RSF listing only has a 30% or 40% chance of selling. There were 436 listings, and 127 sales (29%) last year in the 92067.
Here are the detached-home total listings and sold listings from 2014:
Area or City
Zip Code
2014 Listings
2014 Solds
Percentage
Cardiff
92007
130
80
62%
Carlsbad NW
92008
302
214
71%
Carlsbad SE
92009
789
525
67%
Carlsbad NE
92010
201
132
66%
Carlsbad SW
92011
336
209
62%
Del Mar
92014
306
193
63%
Encinitas
92024
646
405
63%
La Jolla
92037
637
321
50%
RSF
92067
436
127
29%
Solana Bch
92075
152
82
54%
Carmel Vly
92130
673
470
70%
All Above
Total
4,608
2,758
60%
Listings in the Ranch are the least likely to sell – by far.
What can a listing agent do to help the cause? State your case on value.
It’s always tough to estimate the value of unique or custom homes – but those in the Ranch have so many variables it will make your head spin because every property is so different.
As listing agent, it’s my job to justify the value.
If the purchase is financed, then an appraisal needs to be completed. Even though the sales price will have been given to the appraiser in advance, it’s still the listing agent’s job to make sure they hit the number.
As long as we gathered comps in the beginning to justify our recommended list price, and we have the need to deliver same to appraiser, we might as well include them in the listing to help buyer agents come to the right conclusion.
My case to support the $2,795,000 list price of 7060 Via Del Charro:
Donna and Jim provided exceptional support and professionalism throughout the entire process. We couldn't have been happier with their efforts. They made our house shine, and thanks to their expertise, it sold above the listing price in the very first weekend! Truly a fantastic experience from start to finish.
jesus a sahagun
2024-11-10
Verified
This year has been difficult on our family, mainly due to having to sell our home. Thankfully we knew God had a plan for us and working with the Klinge team was a key part of it. It was an obvious decision to work with them again after such an amazing experience when purchasing the same home we needed to sell. The challenge was, how will we do this in so little time with so much going on? Jim and Donna held our hand every step of the way. Whenever an unexpected issue arose they found and provided a solution. Never once did we feel pressured to make a decision and the Klinges were always reassuring after providing the information that the decision was ours to make. Despite the curve balls, they never panicked and exemplified the “can do” attitude, making us feel optimistic and taken care of. Their expertise and professionalism was superb. But of all the reasons to work with the Klinges, the most impactful and valuable is their compassion and genuine care for their clients. We pray that we can one day purchase our forever home and you better believe that Jim and Donna will be representing us - as long as they will have us of course. Thank you again Klinge team! Your execution, experience, and care are unmatched.
SabihaPasha
2024-07-22
Verified
Jim and Donna were fantastic! Jim understanding my needs, recommending potential places, pointing out the pros and cons of each property was invaluable. Then when the offer was accepted Donna’s organized guidance through the inspections, paperwork etc made the whole process seem effortless.
So grateful that I had them on my side!
dodyfrancis
2024-07-10
Verified
I appreciate Jim & Donna's great teamwork, sound advice, and guidance that eased the stress of selling our Carlsbad home. Their professional input and assistance throughout the process was very helpful. Highly recommended!
sbisachsen
2024-07-10
Verified
The Good
The Klinge Realty Group operates like a finely tuned machine, with a very personal touch. We contacted them on a Sunday and they were talking to us about our family and our needs on our living room couch the following day. They carefully listened to us and worked with us to identify the best and quickest path to listing within 2 weeks to take advantage of the low inventory conditions in our South Carlsbad neighborhood. They knew our tract specifically and had many previous sales there over the years - they came prepared with a thorough analysis of comparative sales and recommended a pricing strategy that they felt confident would yield offers the first weekend on the market.
The Great
Over the next two weeks Donna coordinated a range of vendors who she knew from experience could get the preparation to list work we needed done on time and with high quality. Our light tune-up involved excellent experiences with their stagers, landscapers, contractors, electricians, and plumbers. Throughout this period Donna's daily communication was clear, concise, and responsive. Any time we had questions Donna picked up the phone or texted immediately - but almost always, she answered our questions before we even knew we had them.
The Outstanding
We had a tricky situation with a shared fence that could have delayed our escrow. Donna used superb mediation skills to negotiate the terms of replacement and was personally on site with the fence contractor to make sure everything went smoothly. The fence looks great and escrow closed on time.
The Truly Exceptional
Our house came on the market on a Wednesday and between then and Monday morning Jim was personally at all three open houses. He was in constant communication explaining potential buyer reaction and strength. As he predicted offers began to come in on Saturday and each one was incrementally higher than the last. At the end we had 5 offers, 4 of which were over list, and the final accepted offer was $100,000 over list. In addition to being over list it included rent back terms that met our needs.
The Recommendation
For all of these reasons we would strongly recommend The Klinge Team to anyone wanting to sell in North County Coastal San Diego. I had been reading Jim's blog for 15 years and knew when the time came to sell that he would be our first call. Jim Klinge is not your standard realtor. He is keenly aware of market conditions and sales strategies. And, works his tail off - though not as hard as Donna . At this point he's gone from realtor to friend and I plan to have him over to grill and chill at our new place to talk real estate, but also just about life and raising kids in San Diego. He's more interested in relationships than his sales numbers - and that's why his sales numbers are so high. We have already recommended the Klinge's to some close friends and another successful sale is on deck right around the corner...
user19164788
2024-06-21
Verified
We recently had the pleasure of working with Jim and Donna from Klinge Realty Group to sell our house, and we couldn't be more satisfied with the experience. From the initial meeting, they listened attentively to our needs and provided invaluable guidance on specific improvements to get our home market ready.
Their responsiveness throughout the entire process was truly impressive. Anytime we had questions or concerns, they were quick to address them, ensuring we felt comfortable and informed every step of the way. What stood out the most was their team and extensive network of tradespeople, which made addressing any necessary repairs or updates seamless and stress-free.
Thanks to their expertise and dedication, our house sold quickly and at a great price. We highly recommend Jim and Donna to anyone looking to buy or sell a home. They are a fantastic team who truly care about their clients and deliver exceptional results.
cali4neal
2024-05-07
Verified
We had a wonderful experience buying our home with Donna and Jim! In particular I was very impressed with their efficiency and support through the purchase process. As we were doing the walk through, Donna started contacting roofers, plumbers, aircon, electricians, etc for all the areas we needed potential repairs - by the time we were done with the walk through appointments were already set up to get estimates for all the major services. When we had to change an appointment, or couldn't make one, Donna was there to arrange things to fit our schedule. Even after we closed on our home, Donna helped set up the repairs we needed before move in day. They truly went above and beyond to deliver exceptional service. I'll be calling them for our next home!
zuser20160809095816651
2024-03-16
Verified
The sale of our home exceeded our expectations - Jim and Donna Klinge are the best!
We’ve followed Jim’s Bubbleinfo blog since the 2006 housing bubble. After he helped us buy in 2017 we stayed in touch and Team Klinge were the obvious choice when it came time to move. They guided us through the preparation of the house, including a kitchen refresh - Donna and Lisa skillfully managed the various contractors for us after we had moved out of state. Donna’s excellent attention to detail and regular communication made the whole process run smoothly from a distance.
Jim’s market knowledge, expert negotiating skills and candid opinions, together with Donna’s responsive communications and problem solving, set them in a league of their own.
Highly recommended!
bourmakin
2024-02-09
Verified
Jim and Donna have exceeded my expectations with sale of my house. It was best experience with house sale. Professional, responsive, superior negotiating skills. I would recommend them with 5 star (I would give them even more than max) rating. Sale of my house was closed for really good price in 10 days. Jim and Donna perfectly handled house preparation for sale. Thanks a lot!!!
user1916779
2023-11-17
Verified
Jim and Donna have exceeded my expectations and made my most recent move back to California go so much more smoothly than I expected. Jim’s Bubbleinfo blog was full of useful information about the current market conditions. His experience helped us make a successful offer for the home we wanted in a desirable neighborhood. After the purchase Donna organized the work we needed done in the house without us having to make an additional trip. We were pretty worried when we started searching for real estate that not being in the area was going to makes things really difficult but Jim and Donna made the process so much easier. I enthusiastically recommend them.
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