A 1031 exchange (like-kind exchange) is one of the most significant tax advantages available to a real estate investor selling a property with large realized gains. By implementing this tax strategy, it is possible to defer tax payments on the sale of an investment property indefinitely. While like-kind exchanges are common, there are still many complexities to navigate. Given some of the proposed legislative changes put forth by the Biden administration and members of Congress, it may make sense to accelerate transactions into the 2021 tax year.
A rebound for investment activity
When it came to commercial real estate, many investors had likely felt that property values had peaked in 2016, that the bull run was ending and the economy was due for a pullback. Those are among the reasons that Jeff Otteau feels overall investment sales in New Jersey fell last year to $6.5 billion, from $8.3 billion in 2016, while activity also slowed in New York City. Yet that trend could be in store for a reversal as a result of the newly amended tax code, which has preserved and added to the benefits given to real estate investors.
