Real Estate

By: John P. Napolitano, CFP®, CPA, PFS, MST

 

The second half of the American dream of home ownership is to own that home without a mortgage. For some, this may be a brilliant strategy. But for others, in the long run, perhaps not paying it down faster is a better choice.

By: John P. Napolitano, CFP®, CPA, PFS, MST

By: John P. Napolitano, CFP®, CPA, PFS, MST

 

Whether it’s your primary residence, a second home or an investment property, there are several ways to look at real estate from an investment point of view.

By: John P. Napolitano, CFP®, CPA, PFS, MST

Some families intentionally pool their resources to make investments in real estate. Others inherit properties and become partners, whether that was their plan or not. Either way, owning real estate with family members can be a great way to benefit from family resources or be the straw that breaks the camel’s back with respect to family harmony.

By: John P. Napolitano, CFP®, CPA, PFS, MST

Whether it’s called home or room sharing, short term rental arrangements (or whatever the regulators ultimately call it), millions of people have jumped on the bandwagon of either renting or advertising rooms for rent for as short as a single night. This may work wonders for your cash flow if you need extra money, but it also has a set of income tax and risk management considerations that can’t be ignored.

By: John P. Napolitano, CFP®, CPA, PFS, MST

As we all know, just about anything that you sell for a gain comes with a tax bill.  There are a few exceptions, with your primary residence being one of them. The home sale exclusion allows a married couple to exclude up to $500,000 of gain on the sale of their primary residence.  The exclusion would be $250,000 for a single taxpayer.

By: John P. Napolitano, CFP®, CPA, PFS, MST

It seems like only yesterday that we were writing about the woes of investment real estate. Owners of investment properties were wishing they didn’t own them and buyers had all but dried up. Obviously, a lot can change in 10 years. Today on the other hand, people are lined up to buy properties and realtors almost expect each listing they put up to get bid up over asking price in a frenzied few days of offers and negotiation.

By: John P. Napolitano, CFP®, CPA, PFS, MST

Most people own some real estate, and for the most part, those who don’t own property still list their desire to own as a part of their financial forecast. Whether it is your primary residence, a second home or an investment property, there are several ways to look at real estate from an investment point of view.

By: John P. Napolitano, CFP®, CPA, PFS, MST

The strategy of gifting the family home to the next generation as your parents mature is fraught with possible pitfalls. Yes, it may save the home’s value from being consumed for long term health care issues, and in the end that may or may not matter.