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Strategies For Financing Commercial Real Estate Deals

Typically, you will need to secure a loan for financing commercial real estate deals due to the size of the deal and type of property. While this probably makes sense, what you may not consider is where to look for this financing. Most if not all investors would probably consider going to large banks because of their overall size and assets. But read on to see why this might not be your best option and where you should probably be looking instead.

Obtaining Bank Loans:

It is preferable to deal with small, rather than large, banks. Big banks have more money, but not necessarily for you. Also, it’s easier to get lost in a big bank, because those employees may get promoted to a different location or a different department suddenly, your contact may no longer be there when you need them most, like in the middle of a deal.

A small bank that has their charter as a community bank is a better bet. A community bank is formed under what is called the Community Banking Act (CBA). It usually furnishes a certificate of need, just like a hospital would do to get into the community. Their certificate indicates the particular niche of the market on which they are focused. Also, one of the great benefits of a small bank is the loan approval process. They usually don’t have to wait for a committee to meet to discuss your loan. They see each other every day and make decisions quickly, since there are only two or three persons on the loan committee.

And how about this for a twist you may not have considered before. When you find a local bank with whom you enjoy a thriving relationship, consider trying to make them your tenants. Imagine having the community bank that you use for most of your accounts being downstairs in the lobby of your building. You could go down when your representative is not busy, or even visit with one of the officers to see what they think about a particular deal you’re considering. Certainly, this would give you an edge over your competition if there is such a thing when dealing with banks. But surely it couldn’t hurt to have such a relationship.

Here is another source for financing commercial real estate deals you may not have considered before.

Finance Company Loans:

Finance companies are capable of doing things that conventional banks can not do due to government regulations or the internal workings of the institution itself. The first thing a person thinks of when this type of company is mentioned, is usually Household Finance or Family Finance. And while these are certainly finance companies, they aren’t the ones you need to be contacting. The types of finance companies you want to contact are the ones with vast real estate financial dealings. Below are three of the larger companies that do this type of business, but you could certainly find others with all of the resources available to us today to locate information.

Some Finance Company Suggestions:

• GE Capital

• Westinghouse

• Ford Credit

So in summary, I hope this provides you with some valuable information perhaps you had not considered prior. By opening your eyes to some additional resources for financing commercial real estate deals, it may be an area you will want to consider for your investing portfolio moving forward.

Selecting an Auto Body Repair Shop

Due to the amount of time we spend on the road the chances of us needed to find a great auto body shop may come up more than once. Most of us get a little flustered at the thought of searching for the right place that can work in your price range. No one ever knows where to start though. Here are a few tips on choosing the perfect auto body shop for you.

The first step is finding an auto body shop that will fix your car to look like the collision never happened. Some good auto body shops will only have the ability to fix your car to a point called pre-loss condition. Pre-loss condition is when the mechanic fixes your cars appearance, body structure, and keeps your cars mechanical reliability.

Next comes customer service, our favorites. Everyone has horror stories about bad customer service in numerous places of business. However, if you are calling an auto body shop that means that lives were once in danger so they should immediately ask if anyone was injured. Their chance at making money should never overshadow your needs or concerns. Many body shops are only in the business because they know that everyone will need to have their car repaired at some point. Most of those businesses do not have a skilled and knowledgeable staff. That is why it is so vital to find the right body shop so you and your insurance company are getting what you have paid for.

When dealing with your insurance company, make sure that you fight for the right to pick your own repair shop. Most insurance companies and repair shops have a deal worked out to lower the shops cost in exchange for giving them business. The shop then cuts corners and leave out steps to keep the cost down. This in turn means you are paying the insurance company the inflated premiums and your deductible but are only receiving second rate repair. The insurance company may respond saying that they can not guarantee the work of other shops but in reality all good shops guarantee their work for as long as you own that car. If a shop says that they do not have that standard, it is a sign to keep looking.

Always ask the person who is estimating your damage questions. If you are working with a smaller shop the person you are speaking with will probably be the one working directly on your car. In larger chain shops they have sales people who do the estimates and have no direct connection or knowledge about your car. The techs working on your car may not want to rewrite you an estimate to make it the correct amount. Never be afraid to ask questions if you are confused. Larger shops may have fancy equipment and tools to make people believe that they are much more advanced then other shops but in reality, those fancy tools are rarely even used in fixing your car.

Always ask the body shop about their insurance programs or DRP (direct repair programs) because this may mean they can not create their own business and need the help of a deal. Not all shops that have these programs are bad shops but it can defiantly be a red flag.

The very best way to find a good body shop is by word of mouth, so ask around. Most people would never send you to a place where they were not satisfied with the work they were given.

Now when you are stuck in a bind after a collision you will have the right information and questions to ask before selection the body shop for you. The last and the most important thing to remember is, if you ever feel uncomfortable or pressured by a body shop, move on because they may be desperate for business because they are not known for their good service.

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Tax Deductions (Business Tax Deduction Tips)

Real estate depreciation offers substantial opportunity for increasing tax deductions. Most depreciation schedules are established by simply separating land and long-life improvements. This simple approach is lawful but sharply understates lawful depreciation. About 20-40% of improvements for most properties are short-life items. Short life items can be depreciated over 5, 7, or 15 years. There are about 130 short-life items that have been determined by legislation, tax court decisions and IRS rulings.

Real estate depreciation can typically be increased by 50-100% for the first 5-7 years of ownership by obtaining a cost segregation study. A cost segregation study precisely values up to 130 components of real estate that can be valued as short-life property.

By obtaining a cost segregation study, it is possible to obtain a windfall of tax deductions by “catching-up” previously under-reported depreciation. This one-time “catch-up” can occur in the first tax return filed after the cost segregation study is performed without filing any amended tax returns.

Reviewing fixed asset listings (of business personal property) can generate a meaningful amount of tax deductions. They often include items that should have been expensed, which have been sold or thrown away or which have an excessive depreciation life. Items that should have been expensed include operating expenses (sometimes included by error) and maintenance or repairs (which was necessary but did not increase the life of the assets or component.) Section 179 allows business to use up to $108,000 of 2006 capital expenditures as tax deductions. Confirm you are not capitalizing assets that could be claimed as a tax deduction.

Casualty losses also offer opportunity for tax deductions. For a casualty loss, you can deduct: 1) the market value immediately before the casualty less 2) the market value immediately after the casualty less the amount covered by insurance. The portion that is not intuitive is: the market value after the casualty is much less than the value before plus the cost to renovate. Other factors which can and should be considered for tax deductions are: lost rent/usage, stigma (in some cases), construction management, construction risks, and entrepreneurial effort.

Bad debts are a subjective matter. Judgment is required to accurately estimate the amount that should be claimed as a tax deduction. If bad debts have not been examined carefully for several years, they may offer a meaningful tax deduction opportunity. (This applies to companies who utilize accrual accounting. Companies who use cash accounting can’t claim a tax deduction for bad debt since they never recognized the revenue.)

Do well by doing good. You reduce taxes in several ways when making charitable contributions. For example, you purchased land 10 years ago for $200,000, and it is now worth $1,000,000. However, you now realize you will never use the land for the intended purpose. You can donate the land to a qualified charitable organization and take a tax deduction for $1,000,000. However, you do not have to pay capital gains taxes on the appreciation.

Tax deductions sometimes seem arcane and complicated. However, a knowledgeable team of advisors from several fields can reduce your federal income taxes. The complexity of the tax code makes it difficult for any one personal to be knowledgeable in all areas.

Cost segregation produces tax deductions and reduces federal income taxes across the country and in every size market. Below are just a few examples of cities where cost segregation generates meaningful tax deductions.

City:

  • New York, NY
  • Houston, TX
  • Hartford, CT
  • Las Vegas, NV
  • Memphis, TN
  • Philadelphia, PA
  • Orlando, FL
  • Phoenix, AZ
  • Atlanta, GA
  • Bridgeport, CT
  • Worcester, MA
  • Akron, OH
  • Harrisburg, PA
  • Salt Lake City, UT
  • St. Louis, MO
  • Portland, OR
  • Scranton, PA
  • Greenville, SC
  • Bakersfield, CA
  • Madison, WI
  • Chicago, IL
  • Fresno, CA
  • Riverside, CA
  • Albany, NY
  • Indianapolis, IN
  • Birmingham, AL
  • Ft. Lauderdale, FL
  • Baton Rouge, LA
  • Augusta, GA
  • Honolulu, HI

Cost segregation produces tax deductions for virtually all property types, including the following:

Property Type:

  • Medical facility
  • Shopping mall
  • Restaurant
  • Country club
  • Fast food restaurant
  • Power center
  • Hotel
  • Car wash facility
  • Convenience store
  • Health spa

Almost every industry, including the following, can generate cost-efficient tax deductions by using cost segregation.

Industry:

  • Golf courses and country clubs
  • Transportation equipment manufacturing
  • Electrical component manufacturing
  • Real estate lesser
  • Apparel manufacturing
  • Wood product manufacturing
  • Plastic and rubber products manufacturing
  • Furniture stores
  • Beverage and tobacco product manufacturing
  • Building supply dealers

Tax reduction services include federal income taxes, state income taxes and property taxes. We do not prepare income tax returns. Instead, our advisors review your circumstances and suggest cost effective options to lawfully reduce your income tax liability. 5. O’Connor & Associates is a national provider of commercial real estate consulting services including cost segregation studies, tax reduction, feasibility studies, tax return review, apartment inspections . O’connor associates services includes business valuation tax deduction, due diligence, income tax, tax reduction, property tax, feasibility studies, real estate consulting, market research, Denton Central Appraisal District, Tips and Tricks for Appealing Your Property Taxes in Collin, Collin county appraisal, Federal tax reduction

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