For some investors, the goal is to own properties “free and clear,” that is, with no mortgage debt. While this is a worthy goal, it does not necessarily make financial sense.
For example, consider a $100,000 property that brings in $9,600 per year in net income (net means gross rents collected, less expenses, such as property taxes, insurance, maintenance, and property management). The $100,000 in equity thus yields a 9.6 percent annual return on investment ($9,600, the annual net cash flow, divided by $100,000, the cash invested).
Taxes rarely make for exciting reading material, but if you own an investment property, there’s at least one set of IRS regulations you absolutely will want to understand: 1031 exchange rules. Why? Because normally when you sell an investment property for more than what you paid for it, you’d have to pay a hefty capital gains tax.
Three things you can take to the bank:
