Video - How to Control Your Funds in a 1031 Exchange

In a 1031 exchange, you can’t touch the cash proceeds from the sale of the relinquished property. You can’t have actual or constructive receipt of the money. So an intermediary takes possession of the cash proceeds sort of like the synthetic seller. The intermediary becomes the seller of the property and hold onto the proceeds. Your intermediary can hold the proceeds in a separate, segregated bank escrow account to safeguard them. Furthermore, the bank can enter into a qualified escrow deposit agreement that specifies the bank can’t release the funds without the client’s written authorization. So while you can’t have direct control over the funds, you can have an indirect veto power over any disbursements out of the account to protect them from someone absconding with your funds or utilizing them in a way you don’t want.

• Start Your 1031 Exchange: If you have questions about 1031 exchanges, feel free to call me at 612-643-1031.

Defer the tax. Maximize your gain.

© 2023 Copyright Jeffrey R. Peterson All Rights Reserved

What Title Closers Should Know About Closing Costs & 1031 Exchanges

Many closers are put in an uncomfortable position because taxpayers have all kinds of credits and debits on their closing statements and the closer is asked if these expenses are permitted transactional expenses that may appear on a closing statement. The closer doesn’t have the tools to answer these questions.

Big Picture

Let’s talk really big picture. On the sale of the relinquished property the taxpayer wants to move all of their equity into their new replacement property. The taxpayer is allowed to pay out of the net proceeds certain transactional expenses like:

• Realtor commissions

• Attorney fees related to the exchange

• Recording fees

• State deed tax

But sometimes the taxpayer wants to put an oddball expense on the closing statement like a bill from home depot or other expenses unrelated to the transaction. Those oddball expenses that wouldn’t normally appear on a closing statement should ring an alarm bell.

The other expenses that might need to be addressed are debits for security deposits, rent proration, and property taxes.

• Start Your 1031 Exchange: If you have questions about 1031 exchanges, feel free to call me at 612-643-1031.

Defer the tax. Maximize your gain.

© 2023 Copyright Jeffrey R. Peterson All Rights Reserved

Video - The First Step in any 1031 Exchange

The first step in a 1031 exchange is to sing it from the mountain tops in your contracts that you intend to do a 1031 exchange. When you sign the purchase agreement for the sale of your relinquished property you want to include language that affirmatively says you’re doing an exchange. You want to elicit the cooperation of the buyer because there will be a notice that will be given to that purchaser that pertains to your exchange. What you’re going to tell them is “I have assigned my rights in this purchase agreement to the qualified intermediary.” You want to be able to prove that you gave that written notice so you ask the buyer to sign an acknowledgement.

Furthermore, you want to get into contract with your qualified intermediary early in the process. As soon as you’ve got a purchase agreement signed with the buyer it’s time to make arrangements with the intermediary to have them step into your shoes as the seller so they can receive the proceeds and start interacting with the closing agent. There’s a lot of behind the scenes coordination that has to be done between the intermediary and the closing agent to make sure the transaction goes smoothly.

When you sign a purchase agreement for your replacement property, you may also want to include the standard language that states your affirmative desire to do a 1031 exchange and you want to engage with the intermediary as early as possible to make the arrangements behind the scenes. This will set you up for a smooth closing process.

• Start Your 1031 Exchange: If you have questions about 1031 exchanges, feel free to call me at 612-643-1031.

Defer the tax. Maximize your gain.

© 2023 Copyright Jeffrey R. Peterson All Rights Reserved

Video - Can You 1031 Exchange Foreign Property?

Interestingly, foreign property cannot be 1031 exchanged for US property. The code specifically says that foreign property is not like-kind to US property. But remember, US taxpayers are taxed on their gains from wherever they’re derived, including foreign transactions. So if you’re a US taxpayer selling foreign real estate you can still do a 1031 exchange on your foreign real estate, but you can’t exchange into the US. So you would have to do a foreign property to foreign property exchange. For example, if you sold a property in the UK you could buy your replacement property in Canada or Mexico, but you could not buy the replacement property in Minnesota because the US property would not be considered like-kind to the UK property.

• Start Your 1031 Exchange: If you have questions about 1031 exchanges, feel free to call me at 612-643-1031.

Defer the tax. Maximize your gain.

© 2023 Copyright Jeffrey R. Peterson All Rights Reserved

Essential Things to Keep in Mind When Doing a 1031 Exchange with a Contract for Deed

Some taxpayers completing 1031 exchanges are buying replacement properties from sellers with “seller-backed financing,” such as a contract for deed. Furthermore, this contract may be inconvenient to record because this conveyance of equitable title by contract for deed may violate the sellers existing bank financing agreements which is sometimes referred to as the “due on sale clause.” These provisions in the loan agreement and mortgage, often prohibit any convenience or transfer of the banks collateral without first paying off the debt owed to the bank. 

Minnesota requires that the contracts for deed be recorded in a timely fashion, and imposes both potential criminal and civil penalties for failure to record.

• Start Your 1031 Exchange: If you have questions about 1031 exchanges, feel free to call me at 612-643-1031.

Defer the tax. Maximize your gain.

© 2023 Copyright Jeffrey R. Peterson All Rights Reserved