Blog: 1031 Exchange: An Overview and Benefits for Investors


Investors often ask if we can do a 1031 exchange on a property to defer taxes on the gains upon sale. A syndication structure (apartment or self-storage) does make it more challenging to do a 1031 exchange but it can certainly be done.


Here at Alpha Equity Group, we plan to do a 1031 exchange upon the sale of each asset and bring investors along with us. And we do provide options to investors to liquidate their shares if they want to get out.


Before we get into the mechanics of the 1031 exchange, let’s dive into what a 1031 exchange is and why it is important to consider using the 1031 exchange to build your wealth.


What is a 1031 exchange?


A 1031 exchange is a powerful tax deferral strategy that was originally started in 1921 a short 3 years after the first income tax code was enacted by Congress. Since then, it has had a complicated history and has gone through several iterations. When it was first enacted, almost 100 years ago, it allowed for non-like-kind exchange provisions, but this was quickly eliminated in 1924.

The current 1031 tax code allows like-kind real estate asset exchange to defer capital gain taxes. This can only be performed with real estate capital gains (psst… there is even a strategy to be able to use this on your primary residence which we cover in this article).


Why is it important to know how to leverage a 1031 exchange?


One of the major benefits of doing the 1031 exchange is the ability to defer the tax on capital gains and to avoid depreciation recapture. However, if you sell and take the proceeds out instead of opting for the 1031 exchange you will pay the capital gains tax.

If you can continue to 1031 exchange until you die, your “basis” in the property will reset to the current value of the investment when you die as the investment is handed down to your heirs. This is called a “basis step up”. This is also why the 1031 exchange is often called a “legacy wealth play” as this allows you to never pay capital gains (or depreciation recapture) and to leave more to your family when you pass away.

Another reason to consider a 1031 exchange is to keep your capital working hard with minimal downtime. It can be very frustrating for an investment to liquidate, and then you are having to search for a replacement investment and earning no income.

All these reasons together, help you build passive cashflow now and generational wealth later and we love working with investors for the long haul in building wealth as opposed to one off investments.


How is the 1031 exchange executed?


When we have decided to sell a property, we will poll the limited partners in the entity that holds the asset to see if they want to participate in the 1031 exchange. We do this early in the sales process since the next property (called a replacement property) must be identified within 45 days of closing. Then we must close on the new property within 180 days from closing to qualify. To remain compliant with the tax code, we must use a qualified intermediary to handle all funds between the sale of the initial asset and the purchase of the replacement asset.

When we poll investors via email, we do our best to have an asset identified to exchange into, but it’s not always the case. As the limited partner investor, you will have two choices: participate in the 1031 exchange or to liquidate your proceeds.

If you choose to participate in the “exchange” your initial capital and capital gains from the sale must roll over in the exchange. Completing the survey by the requested deadline is the only action you need to take until documents are ready for signature. Depending on the next asset being purchased, if you participate in the 1031 exchange, it may also be possible to add to your initial investment.

If you do not participate in the 1031 exchange; you’ll provide disbursement instructions for how you’d like to receive your proceeds from the sale.

In either case, be sure to consult with your tax professional to understand your complete tax situation.


In Conclusion


Completing a 1031 exchange can be very tricky as there is a certain timeline and many moving parts that must be followed for it to work properly, according to the IRS guidelines. Hence, the reason why you will find that many operators choose not to do a 1031 exchange at all at the end of their deals since it takes more time, energy, and effort to complete the transaction.

Building to Hold vs Building to Sell

By Christian O'Neal • July 31, 2025
Why Building and Holding Real Estate for the Long- Term Delivers Superior, Tax-Efficient Yield 

Rent Control - Does it Work?

By Christian O'Neal • July 31, 2025
Rent Control: A Well-Intentioned Policy That Misses the Mark In the debate over affordable housing, few policies stir as much emotion—or controversy—as rent control. Advocates see it as a way to shield tenants from rising rents. Critics argue it does more harm than good. When you examine the economic evidence and real- world outcomes, the conclusion becomes clear: rent control is a deeply flawed solution to a real problem. What Is Rent Control? Rent control is a policy that limits how much landlords can increase rent, either through caps tied to inflation or fixed annual percentages. On paper, it sounds compassionate: protect renters from displacement and make cities more affordable. But in practice, rent control reduces the supply of available housing, discourages new development, and often hurts the very people it's meant to help. Why Rent Control Backfires 1. It Discourages New Construction Developers are less likely to build in markets where future rent growth—and thus returns—are capped. Why take the risk of developing multifamily housing in a city where your upside is limited and your operating environment is politicized? 2. It Drives Property Owners Out of the Market Faced with strict rent regulations, landlords may convert rental units to condos or remove them from the market altogether. Fewer units mean more scarcity, which ultimately drives prices higher for everyone else. 3. It Distorts Housing Allocation Rent control encourages long-term tenants to stay in apartments they might otherwise outgrow or vacate. This locks up valuable housing stock and prevents more dynamic turnover, often freezing lower-cost units in place for higher-income tenants. 4. It Creates a Two-Tiered Market Markets with rent control often develop into two separate ecosystems: regulated apartments that are underpriced and hard to find, and unregulated units with inflated prices to compensate for suppressed supply. The California–New York Split: A Tale of Two Approaches Historically, California and New York have been peers in over-regulating rental housing. But recently, they’ve taken different paths: California's Recent Steps Forward:  Voters rejected rent control expansion (Prop 21 and earlier Prop 10)  Streamlined approvals and reduced CEQA abuse to promote new development New York's Recent Moves Backward:  Passed “Good Cause Eviction” law—effectively rent control in disguise  Political calls for rent freezes and demonization of landlords If you’re an open-minded apartment developer evaluating both markets today, California’s message is increasingly: We need you. New York’s? Not so much. To be fair, both are still difficult places to build housing, and cities like Los Angeles and Berkeley remain deeply anti-development. But California has shown progress by recognizing that you can’t claim to be pro-housing while simultaneously vilifying those who create and operate it. A Misalignment of Incentives A core problem with rent control is that it treats housing supply as fixed and ignores the private sector's role in expanding it. If developers and operators are stripped of potential upside—and burdened with unpredictable political risk—they simply stop building. Even well-intentioned pro-development plans (like NYC’s "City oare undermined when operators believe they’ll be punished after delivery through hostile regulation or public scorn. You can't be truly pro-development unless you're also pro-operator. Policies that foster collaboration, not scapegoating, create the conditions for long-term affordability. The Real Way Forward Instead of imposing artificial caps, cities should focus on increasing housing supply through zoning reform, expedited approvals, and public-private partnerships. The more units that come online, the more pricing power shifts away from landlords and toward tenants—naturally. Rent control is seductive in its simplicity but devastating in its consequences. It’s a policy that tries to solve a supply problem with demand-side restrictions—and in doing so, it often makes things worse. At Alpha Equity Group, we believe that smart, sustainable development is the key to housing affordability. And that requires sound economics, not political theater.

Into the Future – Making Sense of Rates in a World That Doesn’t

By Christian O'Neal • June 24, 2025
In the world of capital markets, clarity is often fleeting — and today, it feels downright elusive. The Federal Reserve’s latest June dot plot offered little in the way of certainty. While the median projection sees the Federal Funds Rate in the mid-3% range by the end of 2026 , the dispersion among voting members is striking. Seven members predict no rate cuts in 2024 , reflecting just how divided the committee remains in the face of conflicting data. This latest update marks a 25-50 basis point shift downward from May , but the overarching theme is one of caution, not conviction. That sentiment is mirrored in the economic projections. Core PCE inflation , the Fed’s preferred inflation measure, is now expected to end 2025 at 3.0% , 30 basis points higher than earlier forecasts. Meanwhile, real GDP is forecast to slow from 2.3% in Q4 2024 to just 1.7% in 2025 — another sign that the lagged effects of monetary policy are expected to begin to show. At the same time, the Fed’s balance sheet has shrunk dramatically, from a peak of $9 trillion in April 2022 to just $2.3 trillion today . That quantitative tightening, coupled with a lack of consistent inflation suppression, leaves both equity and bond markets vulnerable to further volatility. This all feeds into an uncomfortable truth: rates are likely to remain higher for longer , and the market is struggling to price that reality. The VIX index , a 30-day forward-looking gauge of volatility in equities, is trending higher. When volatility rises even as indices fall, credit spreads widen , liquidity tightens, and financing risk surges. For commercial real estate investors , this has enormous implications. As we explored in our recent article on CRE Price Discovery , the market remains in flux. The bid-ask spread in real estate is still somewhat wide, and most transaction activity today is being driven by maturing debt — not opportunistic investments banking on future growth. This means valuations are being forced downward, especially for assets that were purchased or refinanced at ultra-low rates in 2021–2022. Consumer behavior is also in transition. Household formation is slowing, and personal savings rates are slowly ticking up although they are significantly down from longer term averages – which could reflect folks bracing for economic turbulence. U.S. household formation currently stands at 1.058 million, down 7.68% from last month’s 1.146 million and down 47.73% from 2.024 million a year ago. Looking globally, demand for U.S. Treasuries remains a critical economic indicator that has trickling effects on the economy . A strong bid-to-cover ratio — like the 2.67x seen at the June 11th 10-Year Treasury auction , with nearly 88% of bids from foreign banks — is encouraging. It suggests continued faith in U.S. fiscal credibility and currency strength despite market apprehensions in our strength, such as the US credit rating being downgraded by Moody’s. This equilibrium is rather fragile. Should the U.S. continue to run massive budget deficits with a debt-to-GDP ratio north of 120% , investors may begin to demand higher yields — or worse, seek refuge in alternative stores of value. Gold is one such store. The World Gold Council recently reported that 76% of central banks expect to increase their gold holdings over the next five years , up from 69% in 2023. This flight to real assets reflects growing concern about the long-term value of fiat currencies — and a desire to hedge against systemic risk. The Bottom Line  Rates are likely to remain high through 2025 and into 2026 Inflation remains persistent but progress has been unclear Growth is slowing, and volatility is rising Real estate is repricing around debt maturity events Global capital is shifting cautiously, looking for safety At Alpha Equity Group, we believe this is a time for discipline, not risk-taking. We’re staying patient, watching the data, and investing defensively — focusing on secured debt positions and capital preservation. While others chase uncertain upside, we’re building long-term value through downside protection while we wait out the convergence of dozens of factors completely outside our control.
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