Category: Commercial Real Estate

Have you always wanted to buy rental property and become a landlord? As you can imagine, putting up with some tenants can be a pain in the neck. But the discomfort can be eased by the valuable tax breaks available to rental property owners. In fact, favorable tax laws are one big reason why so many fortunes have been made in real estate. Another big reason is that leveraging real estate investments with mortgages can multiply profits. But for purposes… Read more ›

Many people invest in marketable securities, including stocks, bonds, money market funds and real estate investment trusts (REITs). But a less conventional investment option that’s historically paid off for many investors is purchasing a home or condo to rent out to third parties. This alternative may help diversify your existing portfolio and hedge against public market trends. With any investment, there are no guarantees of success, especially if you have a short time horizon. But rental properties may be a… Read more ›

Joint ventures are common in the construction industry, especially with large long-term projects. These collaborative arrangements allow construction firms to work together, for a limited time period, on one or more construction projects. The upsides include pooling of expertise and resources, broader geographic reach, reduced risk, and enhanced financing and bonding capacity. But joint ventures also have potential pitfalls, so they need to be set up and managed with care. Getting Started It’s important to understand how joint ventures work,… Read more ›

  Does your estate plan include instructions on how to access your online bank and brokerage accounts? What about your social media accounts and electronically stored photos? And if you own blockchain assets, they could be permanently lost if your professional advisor or beneficiaries don’t have the private key to unlock them. The bottom line: It’s important to include digital assets in your estate plan and keep password lists updated. Laws lag developments The laws in the area of digital… Read more ›

You’ve found the perfect piece of property for your business. After researching the zoning laws, you find the permitted uses don’t match up with your plans. What can you do? There are four options: Modify your proposal to fit the zoning regulations. Look for other land where the laws permit your proposed use. Apply for a variance. Request that your land be rezoned for your proposed use. If the first two options work, you’re in business. But if you have… Read more ›

The days of classic “tax shelters”— such as cattle breeding or oil drilling deals — are long gone. But at least one major tax shelter is still standing: Your home. If you own your principal residence, you can cash in on a bevy of tax breaks, saving thousands of tax dollars or even more. Accordingly, here are six ways your home can provide tax shelter. 1. Home sale exclusion. Let’s begin with the biggest tax payoff for homeowners. If you… Read more ›

“Why Effective Cash Flow Management is Crucial for Subcontractors” was originally published in the April 2021 issue of The Contractors Compass (American Subcontractors Association). Click here to view.  A good way to think about cash flow is to see it as your business’ wallet. Cash flow reports are crucial tools for business owners and managers to help them understand where their business’ money is coming and going, and when. Making decisions based on that information is key. Establishing good accounting… Read more ›

In response to increasing public pressure, the Small Business Administration announced on June 19 that it would release the names of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan recipients awarded at least $150,000 in funds. No timeline for the disclosure has been announced, but the SBA said it would “disclose the business names, addresses, NAICS codes, zip codes, business type, demographic data, not-for-profit information, jobs supported, and loan amount ranges as follows:” $150,000-$350,000 $350,000-$1 million $1-2 million $2-5 million $5-10 million Participants… Read more ›

Since passage of the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020 on June 5, 2020, the Small Business Administration has continued to bring current and prospective borrowers up to speed through a series of interim rules for the program, as well as the release of a revised loan forgiveness application, a revised loan borrower application, and a new EZ form of the loan forgiveness application. Updated PPP Loan Forgiveness Application (and a new EZ Version) On June 17, the Small… Read more ›

The U.S. Senate has passed the bipartisan Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020, which loosens several of the Paycheck Protection Program’s (PPP’s) more onerous restrictions regarding loan forgiveness. President Trump has signed the bill into law. The new law follows the May 22, 2020, release of an interim final rule from the U.S. Department of Treasury and the Small Business Administration (SBA) on PPP loan forgiveness requirements. Among other areas, that guidance addresses the calculation of full-time employees and… Read more ›