A Little Creativity Can Produce Huge Tax-Free Profits by Ernest Tew
After more than forty years in this business, I still enjoy solving problems. What I enjoy most is helping others succeed when faced with the challenge of acquiring a problem property and making it profitable.
One of the best examples we have seen was a mobile home park in Jacksonville, Florida. Due to inadequate management and poor maintenance, 52% of the lots were vacant. With a cash flow deficit of nearly $11,000 a month, the owners were desperate to sell.
Unfortunately, a sale would create an even bigger problem. The group had held the property for more than twenty years, taking the maximum depreciation deductions allowed. Their tax basis was not much more than the original cost of the land. A few years earlier, they refinanced the park and the current mortgage balance was almost $900,000. Even giving the property away or losing it in foreclosure would have resulted in a major tax problem. (When selling or otherwise disposing of property, any debt relief that exceeds the owner's tax basis is taxed as if it were received in cash.)
Mike had found the property and recognized the potential. But he didn't have the money or experience necessary to take on such a large project. He contacted me for help in putting a group together to acquire the property. Before getting involved or recommending it to my investors, I had to be convinced it would be a safe and profitable investment.
We Solved the Owners' Problems
After a lot of thought and conversation, we were able to solve many of the owners' problems—while reducing our risks and cash requirements—by entering into an eight year lease with an option to buy.
To avoid personal liability, we formed a limited partnership to lease the park, manage the business, and deal with the public.
Mike devoted full time to turning the park around. For services rendered, it was agreed that he would receive a percent of any net cash income and a share of the gain when the property was sold.
Six investors contributed a total of $300,000 in cash. However, we invested only $105,000 in the limited partnership. It was used to pay the first year's lease payment, closing costs, buy a few pieces of equipment, and leave a little start-up capital.
The other $195,000 was put into a business trust. This separate entity was designed to provide maximum protection for the money we invested and the equity we expected to create. The trust used $50,000 of the funds to pay the owners for the option.
From time to time, the trust made loans to the limited partnership to pay for park improvements and operating losses.
Enormous Benefits for Everyone
By entering into a net lease with an option to buy, the owners were able to solve their management problems and would no longer have to contribute nearly $11,000 a month to cover operating losses. They received $75,000 in cash, of which only $25,000 was taxable at that time. (The $50,000 in option money didn't have to be reported on their tax return until the option expired in eight years—or when the option was exercised, at which time it became a part of the selling price.)
Since the park was not sold at that time, the owners avoided a major tax problem. They now had up to eight years to find ways to offset the capital gains taxes that would be due when the park is sold.
The investors had a safe, management-free, asset that would soon earn a substantial profit. Along the way, they contributed another $31,000 to cover promotions and additional fix-up work.
More Than One Million in Net Profits
Two and a half years after taking on the project—and before completing the turn-around work—we sold the property for $2.7 million cash.
After receiving credit for the $50,000 paid for the option, the trust had the right to buy the park for $1,350,000. Fortunately, it wasn't necessary for us to come up with that kind of money.
We purchased the park and sold it at the same time, paying for it out of the sale proceeds. Suddenly, the net worth of our trust had increased from $226,000 to about $1,350,000. After pro rating taxes and rents and paying a few selling costs, the net profit was still above $1.1 million.
I think it is crucial to hold one's "real wealth" in a way that it will be safe from those who would use the laws to take from others. Although the return on our investment was quite high, our equity in the trust was always safe from lawsuits and most other risks.
Of course, the investors were pleased to participate in a project that offered such a high return with so little risk. However, the real bonus was in the fact that most of them will never be required to pay income taxes on their share of profits.
I can't explain in this short article the details of how we avoided the usual risks and why most of the investors will never be required to pay taxes on their share of the profits. For a more complete explanation, please read Chapter XII in the updated version of my manual, "How To Get Rich Helping Others."
Ernest Tew is the author of two popular books. "How To Get Rich Helping Others," which explains in simple terms how one can become wealthy by investing in manufactured homes and manufactured home communities and "How To Protect Your Assets" from lawsuits, excessive taxes, probate, and government seizure.
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Copyright 2002-2008 All Rights Reserved.
Published with Permission of Author.
No part of this publication may be copied or reprinted without the express written permission of the Author and/or REIClub.com.
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