Tuesday, March 24, 2009

TIC investments

By john krol

Recent years have seen a surge in people investing in real estate. They seem to have finally realized that real estate is possibly the only investment which offers a tight safety-net in today's volatile and highly unpredictable world economy. While the U.S. dollar can not seem to rise out of its nosedive and the U.S. economy seems to be a victim of a very bad case of volatility, land remains an important source of income for many people as it has remained for so many others since the beginning of time.

Up until the very recent past, the number one arrangement for real estate investment remained to be partnerships. Partnerships have been a force to be reckoned with, be it in terms of real estate or in terms of any other field such as sports, music, movies, etc. However, lately, people seem to be opting for TIC arrangements instead of partnerships for their real estate investment needs. This has proved to be a very wise decision as TICs are able to offer safety as well as the prospect of high profits by nullifying the hindrances found in partnerships.

Firstly, unlike partnerships where the investor would own a stake in the partnership which in turn would own the property, TICs allow investors to own a fractional interest in the property themselves. Secondly and more importantly, while all partners in a partnership need to be in accordance when replacing a property, TICs allow investors to easily cash-out of the investment or replace it without the need to consult other co-owners. Additionally, TICs further benefit investors by granting them the freedom to exchange their individual undivided interest at any time rather than having to wait for the disposal of the asset as is the case in partnerships. TICs also do not forcefully bind an owner to remain with any of his/her co-owners in the future.

Remember though that is not where the list of perks ends. TICs make it possible to compete with institutional capital and attain high-quality properties; so TIC owners not only attain access to better investment options, but they also have the option of diversifying their property types and geographical locations, thus reducing their risks. TICs also allow investors to benefit from professional third-party management which ensures a steady and reliable cash stream.

This third-party management plays a vital role in distinguishing TICs from other real estate investment arrangements. These third-party managers, known as Sponsors, take on all responsibilities of running the investment on a daily basis, hence freeing up time for owners. This concept thus runs opposite to partnerships where if you do give up the day-to-day responsibilities of the investment and become a general partner, you are forced to leave the daily running to one of your partners who may, or may not, be the right person for the job. TICs, on the other hand, ensure that the day-to-day running remains in the hands of professionals who know exactly what they are doing at all times. Additionally, since these Sponsors handle more than one property at any given time, they have considerable leverage with financial institutions. Therefore, they are able to attain very favorable lending terms for the investment.

TICs also allow an investor to benefit from various tax breaks. Moreover, these ingenious arrangements grant an investor the chance to diversify his overall investment portfolio of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, business investments, etc. So it is easy to conclude that TICs are here to stay. Whether you are for them or you are against them, you will not be able to deny that given the current economical situation in United States, TIC arrangements offer a safety net which remains unparallel in the market.

http://www.iraassets.com/j2009k/index.html - 15246

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