#real-estate
Real Estate
Real estate accounting, property tracking, and investment management
Canada Killed the Underused Housing Tax. If You Own Property There, Your Paperwork Isn't Done Yet.
Canada repealed the federal Underused Housing Tax for 2025 onward on March 26, 2026, but the repeal is not retroactive — US owners of Canadian property still owe UHT returns, penalties, and interest for 2022–2024, and BC's Speculation and Vacancy Tax, Vancouver's Empty Homes Tax, and Toronto's Vacant Home Tax remain in force.
Commercial Lease Renewal in 2026: Retail Rent Caps vs. Office Tenant Leverage
National retail vacancy sits under 6% while office vacancy runs near 19-20% in 2026, so retail tenants should negotiate a CPI rent-escalation cap of 3-5% while office tenants can push for $75-$150 per square foot in tenant improvement allowances and multiple months of free rent.
C-PACE Financing for Commercial Property Energy Upgrades: Rates, Terms, and the Lender Consent Catch
C-PACE financing lets commercial property owners fund HVAC, solar, and resiliency upgrades with 100% financing repaid through the property tax bill at 5.5%-9.5% fixed rates over 20-30 years, though the senior-lien structure requires existing mortgage lender consent, which is the most common closing bottleneck.
Commercial Property Management Accounting: Trust Accounting and CAM Reconciliation Explained
Commingling trust and operating funds is illegal in all 50 states with fines from $1,000 to $25,000 per violation, and CAM reconciliation errors can trigger tenant audits years later — here's how three-way reconciliation and a property-specific chart of accounts keep commercial books compliant.
Solar Farmland Leases: A Landowner's Guide to Rates, Rollback Taxes, and Contract Terms
Solar ground leases on farmland pay $500-$1,200 per acre annually nationally once construction begins, but landowners who skip the decommissioning bond, rollback-tax reimbursement, and escalator clause often lose more than they gain over a 20-to-35-year term.
Manufactured Housing Community Bookkeeping: Lot Rent, RUBS Compliance, and the TOH/POH Split
Manufactured housing operators need separate TOH and POH accounts, itemized utility line items, and dedicated infrastructure capex tracking, since RUBS billing bans in Minnesota and Colorado are already reshaping how utility cost recovery must be documented in 2026.
Real Estate Commission Splits and Desk Fees: A Bookkeeping Guide for Agents
Real estate agents should record gross commission and brokerage splits as separate line items, not just the net deposit, because the IRS matches Schedule C income against the gross figure brokerages report on Form 1099-NEC.
Short-Term Rental Trust Accounting: The Booking-Fee Rules That Can Cost a Property Manager Their License
Property managers who commingle short-term rental trust funds with operating cash face fines from $1,000 to $25,000 per violation and, in states like California, license suspension once commingled amounts exceed $10,000.
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: What UK Sole Traders and Landlords Must Do Before April 2026
Starting April 2026, UK sole traders and landlords with combined gross income over £50,000 must file quarterly digital updates to HMRC instead of one annual Self Assessment return, with penalty-free late filing only in the first year.
Rental Arbitrage Bookkeeping: How to Set Up Books for a Leased Airbnb Business
Rental arbitrage bookkeeping differs from landlord accounting because the lease is a pure operating expense with no equity, only furniture is depreciable over 3-5 years, and most operators land on Schedule C rather than Schedule E once average guest stays fall under 30 days with services provided.
How to Bookkeep a Coworking Space: Deferred Revenue, Cost Allocation, and CAM Charges
A coworking space earns revenue across five distinct streams and must defer prepaid membership revenue, allocate CAM charges, and split costs by square footage to accurately price hot desks against private offices.
The FinCEN Residential Real Estate Rule Is Vacated: A Guide for LLC and Trust Buyers
A Texas federal court vacated FinCEN's Residential Real Estate Rule on March 19, 2026, eighteen days after it took effect, ending the mandatory reporting requirement for all-cash LLC and trust property purchases while FinCEN appeals to the Fifth Circuit.