The Case Study of a 1031 DST Specialist

By Steve Haskell, Senior Vice President at Kay Properties and Investments

There are various strategies when using DSTs (Delaware Statutory Trusts) in a 1031 exchange. Some investments are as easy as a simple exchange from one property into a single DST. Other times DST’s are used to invest leftover equity from an exchange so the investor is not taxed on leftover funds, called “boot”. Investors will routinely use DSTs as a backup ID in case their target replacement property doesn’t work out. And occasionally, Kay Properties will assist an exchanger to utilize all said strategies in one sophisticated effort to mitigate risk and defer as much tax as possible. Read on for the experience of a highly skilled 1031 DST specialist.

A real estate investor sold an investment property for approximately $2M.  Roughly 25% of his property was leveraged. Therefore, $1.5M was sitting in his qualified intermediary account. He then contacted Kay Properties to pursue a partial 1031 DST exchange. The exchanger wanted to purchase a property on his own, but something smaller and easier to manage than the property he recently sold. He wanted to put part of his exchange into a completely passive DST option that would require no management on his part. The DST part was relatively easy. However, he was having a hard time finding a replacement property to own outright, and the 45-day clock was ticking. Kay Properties created a multifaceted strategy that supported the investor from a variety of angles.

First, the exchanger used the debt built into the DST to replace his mortgage. The Kay Properties representative created a DST portfolio for the investor with a loan-to-value of approximately 50% to match the exact debt required to satisfy the 1031 exchange regulation. The debt was non-recourse, meaning the investor did not need to apply or sign for the loan, nor did it show up on his personal balance sheet. This freed him up to purchase a smaller property to own outright without taking out a mortgage, which increased his probability of closing.

Next, the exchanger used a DST as a backup ID in case the target property did not work out. The due diligence period on the replacement property extended past the 45-day period. If inspections exposed an issue that compromised the deal, the exchanger would be vulnerable to over hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes. However, since the Kay Properties representative advised the client to use a DST as a backup ID, the exchangers risk of a failed exchange was significantly mitigated. 

Finally, Kay Properties assisted the investor to ensure there was no leftover equity by using the DST to invest the leftover boot. After the exchanger and the seller agreed on a price, he realized there was approximately $50,300 of exchange funds left over. Kay Properties found a DST to invest that exact amount to finish up the exchange. 

When one has the knowledge and the assistance of a skilled DST 1031 specialist, an investor can mitigate risk and protect themselves from a failed exchange in a variety of ways. Through the assistance and guidance of Kay Properties, the exchanger in this case split funds into both DSTs and his own property, replaced his debt with a non-recourse loan, protected his exchange with a backup ID, and took care of the leftover boot. These high level DST skills often are not available to investors who choose to work with unaware financial planners with little-to-no understanding of real estate, 1031 exchange strategies and DST investments. Fortunately, the client was working with Kay Properties. If you are interested in learning more on how to use a DST to mitigate risk and defer taxes in your 1031 exchange, contact Kay Properties by registering at www.kpi1031.com.