Join our mailing list for special offers & resources:

If You’re Thinking of Selling Any Time in the Next 10 Years, Don’t Wait Another Minute

[Watch video]Selling now and offering terms (owner financing) will probably get the retired owners of a 37 unit apartment building what they want… much more so than refinancing and managing for another 10+ years.Recent email from someone looking for a refinance (from a commercial hedge fund… Chase won’t refinance for them… they just want their $1,157,000 balloon payment):

“Dawn,

You have us thinking.  We would like to sell anytime between now and 5 years.  What we would like out of a transaction is $100,000 a year for 20 years.  Is that doable?  Otherwise, it will pay to keep the building.

Meanwhile we are all proceeding to have a loan in place by 10/15.  Loan is uppermost in our mind, but thought I’d give you something to think about–for us.”

Yes, great to be thinking… Just off the top of my head…

Installment Sale

  • Purchase price: $3,500,000
  • Buyer comes in with $1,500,000 down payment (kinda stiff – pays off existing financing and closing costs)
  • You carry a first note and deed of trust for: $2,000,000
  • At 5% amortized over 240 (20 years)
  • Monthly P&I payment from buyer: $13,199.12 (x12 = $158,389.37/year to you)
  • This also defers capital gains, but you have to deal with depreciation recapture.
  • Buyer pays all taxes and insurance and maintenance


Installment Sale

  • Purchase price: $3,500,000
  • Buyer comes in with $875,000 down payment (25% is reasonable, more buyers can do this)
  • Buyer gets a bank loan for $1,000,000
  • Between DP and bank loan you pay off underlying financing and put $375,000 in the bank (for capital gains, or money to make real estate loans with at 9-12% safe returns)
  • You carry a second note and deed of trust for as much as the bank will let you: $1,625,000 (alternatively… have the buyer get a private money loan for just enough to get rid of the underlying bank financing… another $600,000 or so, instead of a $1,000,000 bank loan, then you don’t have to worry about the bank not letting you record a 2nd)
  • At 5% amortized over 240 (20 years)
  • Monthly P&I payment from buyer: $10,724.28 (x12 = $128,691.37/year to you)
  • This also defers some capital gains, but you have to deal with depreciation recapture.
  • Buyer pays all taxes and insurance and maintenance


Use a Title Holding Trust instead

  • You place the property in a title holding (land) trust
  • Mutually Agreed Value: $3,500,000
  • Buyer comes in with $1,500,000 initial contribution (kinda stiff – pays off existing financing and closing costs)
  • You become co-beneficiaries in the trust
  • Buyer leases property from trustee
  • Monthly lease payment from buyer: $13,199.12 (x12 = $158,389.37/year to you)
  • This also defers 100% capital gains and depreciation recapture until trust is terminated (1-20 years) at which point you can potentially do a 1031 exchange if you want to
  • Buyer pays all taxes and insurance and maintenance


Sell to conventional buyer, cash or cash-to-new-loan and use Deferred Sales Trust

  • Purchase price: $3,500,000
  • You pay off underlying financing and put $2,000,000 in a DST (low risk portfolio you help determine)
  • Create payout equivalent to 4% amortized over 240 (20 years)
  • Monthly payout from trust: $12,119.61 (x12 = $145,435.28/year to you)
  • This defers capital gains like an installment sale, but you have to deal with depreciation recapture.

Of course, these numbers are based upon your opinion of value at $3,500,000.
Selling now will get you…

  1. A simpler life… no management to deal with
  2. You are buffered against downturns in the market in the next 10 years (very likely)
  3. You are buffered against major improvements that need to be done, like new roof, etc., new plumbing or electrical… catastrophic events

If you’re thinking of selling any time in the next 10 years,

THE SOONER THE BETTER!!!

Don’t waste another minute.  Things are stacking up to get more ‘interesting’, not less.  What you need to think about is quality of life, which of course is influenced by monthly cash flow, but also stress level, and how hard you have to work to manage the property, and what you could do with your time if you weren’t managing.  Wanting to travel more?  Visit family?  Take up basket weaving?

If you decide to sell, I would recommend that I co-list the property with an expert in apartment buildings (I know some), and I have the expertise in owner financing strategies and private money solutions that most agents lack.  If I am not co-listing the property I will need to charge you an up front deposit for consulting that will be refunded to you at close of escrow when we have the buyer bring in my fees as part of their closing costs.

Anyhow, we’ll talk soon!

Dawn


P.S.  Ask questions, make comments and connect on my Facebook Page!

P.P.S.  My real live book is available at last: “Seller Financing on Steroids: Pumping Paper for Power, Peace and Profits” 

Share this article