Your Most Important Deal… Keeping Your Investments and Family on Track!

You’re prepared right?

The first step is one that many real estate investors have already taken care of…drafting a Last Will and Testament. So, you have it all spelled out…you have met with your lawyer and carefully drafted a Will that details who inherits all of your assets right down to your great great grandfather’s pocket watch. While this is an important first step, if you are an active real estate investor, the fact is that you have some additional preparation needed in order to allow your loved ones to continue to maximize the benefits of all your hard earned investments.

The Real Estate Investors Portfolio

Drafting a portfolio is critical when you own multiple real estate holdings and other investments. The portfolio should detail:

• Property Details
  • Address
  • Purpose of Property (i.e. Rental, Fix and Flip, Buy and Hold, Commercial, etc.)
  • Income details (Monthly rental amounts and any other income stream)
• Property Management Details (i.e. name, phone number, e-mail address, and role of each person managing the property, etc.)
• Maintenance Team Details
  • Name
  • Contact Information
  • Wage Information (how much are they paid, how frequently, and how (direct deposit, check, etc.))
  • Skills (i.e. carpenter, plumber, electrician, etc.)
  • Property and/or properties you have them servicing
• Loan and Mortgage Details
  • List mortgage and loans specific to each property along with
    • Name, Address, Phone Number, and contact person at each Bank
    • Loan/Mortgage Account Number
    • Monthly Payment Amount and Due Date
    • Maturity Date
    • Interest Rate
  • *Remember* to include this same information for any private investors you may owe money to as well.
• Bank Information
  • List bank accounts you have and which properties they are associated with along with
    • Name, Address, Phone Number, and contact person at each Bank
    • Account Number
• System Information
  • Make a list of any computer systems you use for your business along with
    • Link to Login Page
    • Purpose of the system (property management, bookkeeping, etc.)
    • Property(ies) you use it for
• Instructions
  • Include a personal note outlining any instructions you feel your successor will need to successfully carry on with each investment.
• Documents
  • Include copies of key documents your successor will need. Some documents your successor may need:
    • Leases
    • Purchase Agreements
    • Loan Documents
    • Sale Agreements
    • Rental Agreements
    • Etc.
• Login Information and Passwords
  • You may want to draft a list of login information and passwords that your successor will need.
  • Important Note: Make sure you secure this information properly.

Hidden benefits

Once you have your real estate investors portfolio completed, you will find that you can rest easy. Your successors will have what they need to carry on with your investments.

The hidden benefit is that you will find you now have a phenomenal reference tool that you can use for yourself!

Disclaimer

The documents listed, the examples, and the references in this article are merely examples. This is not an all-inclusive list of what you need to include in your real estate investment portfolio; this is absolutely for illustration purposes only.

American IRA, LLC does not give investment advice. We do offer guidance as to the rules and regulations related to their self-directed accounts and the benefits of different account types so that our clients can take that information to their professionals to discuss the ramifications of various decisions on their individual situation.