Development offices and non-profit organizations of all sizes and shapes are taking a closer look at real estate gifts and the transforming impact these gifts can have on their organization. The largely untapped potential of charitable real estate gifts is becoming even more critical in these challenging economic times. In this article (published originally on the University of Denver's PGDC) Dennis Bidwell gives insight on why organizations should take a closer look at real estate gifts and how they can position themselves for success in attracting them.  MORE »

What happens after the kids have flown the coop and Mom and Dad are left with a large home and an even larger potential capital gains tax on sale? In this article, PGDC Editor-in-Chief Marc D. Hoffman reviews the capital gains tax rules that accompany sales of principal residences and how charitable planning techniques can be blended seamlessly to create a win-win result for the charitably inclined. The original version of this article appeared in the October/November 2002 issue of the Journal of Practical Estate Planning and was presented by the author at the 2002 National Conference on Planned Giving.  MORE »

Contributions of real property represent one of the most complicated yet rewarding opportunities in charitable gift planning. This discussion reviews various types of real property, how it is owned, income tax considerations regarding transfers to charity, factors limiting transfer, and its compatibility with various types of split interest gift planning vehicles.  MORE »

The development officer and the estate planning professional benefit by having a more complete understanding of both the gift and tax implications of real estate donations. Charitable gifts of real property are increasing opportunities for the nonprofit PGO and the proprietary advisor. This presentation will offer strategies to identify, cultivate and successfully complete more real property donations to your charity. We will start with the softer issues of marketing and internal processes for accepting such gifts. We will then transition into more complex examples of planned gifts of real estate.

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Often, the family home and vacation home are substantial assets owned by donors. It is important for gift planners to be familiar with different types of ownership, gifting options, options you are getting cash out of, the property, and the potential problems gift planners will encounter when real estate is owned by a decedent's estate. This session centers around issues with the family home and vacation home. Various mechanisms for holding real property such as Qualified Personal Residence Trusts, Revocable Trusts and life estate deeds will be discussed. Methods of gifting remainder interests in property to charity are included in the session. Reverse mortgages, which are a great way to solve liquidity problems, are detailed. Finally, problems associated with owning real estate in a decedent's estate will be presented.

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In this article from Leimberg Information Services, New York attorney Conrad Teitell is ringing an alarm bell about a major charitable deduction benefit that may be lost thanks to a few greedy tax promoters, donors, and complicit charities who are conspiring to grossly inflate the value of charitable gifts, conceal key elements from the IRS, and avoid the Form 8282 "tattletale" rule.  MORE »

This session provides a review of various gift techniques that can be applied to real estate gifts, including outright gifts of real estate, bargain sales, and charitable remainder trusts. It will focus on the topic from the standpoint of the charity as well as the viewpoint of the potential donor, covering reasons to consider gifts as well as the downside liabilities and potential risks of these gifts. For the experienced - it is a review of the subject from an asset specific standpoint. For the beginner, it is a compendium of opportunities and possible pitfalls of real estate as a gifted asset.  MORE »

The Land Trust Alliance has proposed a voluntary accreditation program and a program of training and technical assistance to ensure the credibility of land trusts, which have been criticized by the IRS and Congress because of improper tax breaks for donations of conservation easements.  MORE »

Legal principles pertaining to the various rights and obligations of real estate ownership, the spectrum of property types and the levels of management intensity associated with each, and the economic constraints associated with various types of real estate will be covered. (Syllabus Code 3.02)  MORE »

A postmortem qualified conservation easement yields significant tax savings, and can provide a lasting legacy for the decedent and his heirs. In this article, Rhode Island attorney Robert G. Petix, Jr. analyzes the rules applicable to such easements, and shows planners how they can take a "second bite of the apple."  MORE »