As a real estate investor, your priority is to get a return on your investment. But if someone, most likely a tenant or other business, files a lawsuit against you, your profits and assets will instantly vanish. You have to protect your real estate assets. If you think you can rely on your insurance to protect them, think again. Check out our previous post on why insurance is not asset protection for details on protecting your assets properly.
Would you believe me if I told you there's a new real estate investment method that not only allows you to protect your investments, but also save money and increase your return on investment?
I'm referring to the traditional, single purpose LLC. My new method is simple. First you form an LLC. Then you put your property in it. For each property you have, you form one LLC.
By doing this you'll be able to limit your personal liability and reap tax benefits depending on what state you form your LLCs in. You can form an LLC in any state you choose. Smart investors "shop around" to find the state that suits their needs best.
Let's say you have two LLCs, each one holding one separate property. Note that you can also use a Series LLC for this purpose.
Only the property held in the LLC which is subject to the lawsuit can be used to settle judgments. And that's only if you lose, which is unlikely with me at your side.
But if you do lose your other property will be untouchable, your credit will be safe and nobody will be able to bring down your mini real estate empire.
Protecting your credit is essential. Without good credit you can't get future financing, which means your days of real estate investing will most likely come to an end. One lawsuit can ruin everything you've worked for.
Then there's your family to consider if you have one. By holding your properties in an LLC, you will protect them from the fallout of lawsuits as well.
Do you want the greatest level of asset protection? Consider putting your asset protection strategy on steroids by forming a corporation to act as your property management company.
This property management company is completely separate from your LLCs. And for a good reason too!
Let's say you have a contractor or tenant that would sue you. Or anybody else that's in business with your real estate company who would sue you. They would only be able to sue your property management company, because it's separate from your LLCs.
They won't have a single claim against any of your real estate investment properties. This is exactly what you want. If they sue you and win, they'd be lucky to get their legal fees paid. Learn more about how I can make your real estate investment assets untouchable.
Scott Royal Smith is an asset protection attorney and long-time real estate investor. He's on a mission to help fellow investors free their time, protect their assets, and create lasting wealth.
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