Blog Post

When should I decide it is time to sell my rental?

Dustin Edwards • July 3, 2020

At Some Point the Decision to List for Sale or Continue for Rent Should be Asked

For Sale or For Rent - You Decide
Owning a rental property is usually filled with a bit of trepidation. After all, what happens the first time the property is vacant? Of course for many that decision doesn’t even alarm them, but there always comes a time when people ask...should I sell my rental?

While we aren’t CPAs, you can look up the tax code and find out that you can sell a primary residence with a gain of up to $250,000 as an individual tax free or up to $500,000 if you are married. tax free. This rule applies if you have made the property your primary residence for at least 2 of the last 5 years. In Southern California where the gains can be in the 5-10% range annually over a 5 year where the median home value in Los Angeles County was valued at $650,000 in 2020, then taking a tax free gain can be pretty tempting. If it were only that easy then many people might sell each time within the 5 year window, so why do so many decide to keep their rentals? We invite you to consider a deeper thought process to help you decide what is right for your goals.

Selling Outright
When we work with property owners, sometimes it is their first rental and that is great. At times that means they use that first rental as the foundation of a real estate portfolio and at other times they decide that owning a rental just isn’t for them. Regardless of their decision we are here to help them in their mission

If selling is the right decision, we do have a division that is designed to help our rental owners sell their investment properties. Especially those owners who meet the requirement of having occupied the property 2 of the last 5 years as their primary residence we understand the objective of taking those tax free gains vs. taking the long term gains that are offset by depreciation.

For those owners taking the gains on their investment property the main question we ask is “what is your goal with the gains from this property?” While certainly people don’t have to answer, our main purpose in asking the question is ensuring there is a plan in place after the sale. With any of our clients we want to make sure we help them achieve their goals, even if that means we don’t benefit long-term.

1031 Exchange
For many long term property owners this has proven to be a great strategy. A 1031 exchange allows you to defer the taxable gain. In other words you could have a gain, north of $500,000 (if you were married) and delay the taxable gain. For many property owners, especially those in Southern California, it can allow you from being a single family rental owner to a 2-4 unit property owner.  

For example, just envision that you are the owner of a $700,000 single family home owner in Long Beach and you have a dent position of $150,000. Your gain, even with fees, would likely be north of $500,000. Provided that you are looking to put a minimum down on your next income property that would allow you to invest in a property north of $1,500,000 giving you access to a wide array of real estate options (2-4 units or even larger) throughout Long Beach.
End of Depreciation Period

The decision to sell might also come due to the end of the depreciation cycle of your residential income property. The tax code (please check with your CPA) allows a depreciation expense for 27.5 years. If you have owned a residential income property, especially in Southern California, for 27.5 years it is likely that you have a large gain available and it could just be time to sell. Of course if you are in that position we would recommend meeting with a CPA and even including us to explore your options in up leg properties to see if a 1031 exchange might be best.

Whether you want to take a tax free gain, are considering a 1031 exchange or you are at a crossroads due to the end of depreciation we understand the decision isn’t an easy one. When you want to find out more about your options invite you to call us today (562) 888-0247 and we can share our experience. When you are confident you want to continue to rent out your property we invite you to fill out our Free Rental Analysis where we perform a comprehensive comparison to share your rental stacks up to the competition.

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Having clear communication with your tenant is essential for maintaining a healthy landlord-tenant relationship. By being transparent in all relevant interactions, landlords can prevent misunderstandings while resolving repairs and disputes efficiently while improving tenant satisfaction. Having good communication with your tenant is beneficial for landlords too. Effective communication also protects your investment property. Remember that while your tenant is living in the property, landlords need to take care of the repairs. Below are the three best things to do during tenant communications. Prompt Responses Addressing tenant concerns quickly is essential for building trust and maintaining a positive relationship. Tenants feel valued when landlords respond quickly, knowing that their needs are being prioritized. Building this trust not only enhances your tenant’s satisfaction it lowers the possibility of conflicts or misunderstandings to arise. This ultimately creates a healthy and successful rental experience for you and your tenant. Some of the most common inquiries will oftentimes include repair requests, among others. As an example; if your tenant reports a leak under their faucet and the repair is delayed, this can be damaging to your landlord-tenant relationship, as well as your property. If left ignored, that leak can result in hundreds of dollars in water damage and a vacancy . Which can further affect our bottom line negatively. For landlords with multiple properties, this can become difficult to keep track of. A property manager can help with scheduling repairs and communicating with your tenant on your behalf. Document Everything Keeping a detailed record of all interactions with your tenant is an important element when managing a property. There are many choices for documentation including email, text, or written notices. Although many property management companies and landlords have opted to use apps or dedicated tenant portals to log communications. A great example, for instance, a tenant may claim they’d reported a repair issue that was never addressed, if everything is to be documented, both you and the tenant would have a copy of the request. Maintaining transparency with tenants. Having thorough documentation ensures agreements and requests between all parties are clearly tracked. Documenting communications with your tenant provides landlords with a foundation for addressing misunderstandings, or disputes if and when they arise. Provide Regular Updates Regular updates show tenants that their landlord is organized and has an attentive approach to managing their property. Giving tenants ample time for maintenance, inspections or policy changes is a simple way to build trust with your tenants while showing your professionalism. Giving tenants advanced notices reassures them that you’re aware of how changes can affect them and you understand that time might be needed in order to adjust. Surprises are best kept for birthday parties. Proactively notifying tenants of changes helps clear the communication channels and minimizes disruptions which helps tenants feel valued and satisfied. These small yet consistent efforts can contribute to a positive tenant stay, which can encourage lease renewals and long-term tenancy. Additionally, having a good relationship with your tenants can give you a great reputation which can provide you with leads when looking to fill a vacancy . It cannot be understated the importance of communication for a healthy landlord-tenant relationship. Even if your tenant may not agree with some of the decisions a landlord needs to make, by giving your tenants ample time to process the change tenants generally are more accepting of said change. If you’re having trouble communicating with your tenants or if you need help managing Beach City rental property, we invite you to call us today at (562) 888-0247 or complete our Owner Application online .
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