A professional digital graphic featuring the Lucas Real Estate Group logo centered below the bold headline “Opportunity Zones Explained,” set against a golden-hour city skyline, creating a high-end, sophisticated feel suitable for real estate and tax-focused branding.

Opportunity Zones Explained: How to Defer and Potentially Eliminate Capital Gains Taxes in Real Estate

  • May 25, 2025
  • devinlucas

The federal Opportunity Zone program offers one of the most compelling tax incentives for real estate investors and individuals with capital gains. By reinvesting gains into a Qualified Opportunity Fund (QOF), you may defer—and potentially eliminate—federal capital gains taxes while investing in long-term real estate or business projects. Learn how the program works, what qualifies, and why now may be the right time to take advantage.

Promotional graphic for Lucas Real Estate featuring centered text that reads “1031 Exchanges & LLCs: What You Need to Know” over a background image of a modern duplex-style residential building, with the Lucas Real Estate logo centered at the bottom. Extra padding is included at the top and bottom to accommodate cropping on social media platforms.

Can You 1031 Exchange Out of an LLC That Owns Real Estate? Not Directly — But There Are Workarounds

  • May 22, 2025
  • devinlucas

Think you can do a 1031 exchange with an LLC interest? Not so fast.
Many investors are surprised to learn that LLC membership interests are excluded from 1031 exchange eligibility under IRS rules. But with proper planning—like “drop and swap” strategies and other structuring techniques—you may still be able to defer taxes. In this article, we break down the risks, workarounds, and best practices for LLC-held real estate in high-value markets like Newport Beach.

Promotional graphic for Lucas Real Estate Group featuring the centered headline "Structured Installment Sales – A Niche Strategy for Tax Deferral" over a modern luxury home with clean architectural lines, expansive windows, and a reflecting pool. The Lucas Real Estate Group logo is displayed prominently at the bottom.

Structured Installment Sales in Real Estate: A Niche Strategy for Tax Deferral

  • May 22, 2025
  • devinlucas

Structured Installment Sales offer real estate sellers a niche tax-deferral strategy with long-term income potential. Learn how this IRS-approved method, backed by IRC § 453, works — and how Lucas Real Estate Group helps Newport Beach and Costa Mesa clients implement it seamlessly.

Promotional graphic for Lucas Real Estate Group featuring the headline “1031 Exchanges with Limited Partnership Owners” over a background image of a modern high-rise building with beige stone cladding and glass balconies, accompanied by the Lucas Real Estate Group logo at the bottom.

Can You 1031 Exchange Out of a Limited Partnership That Owns Real Estate? Not Directly — But There Are Workarounds

  • May 16, 2025
  • devinlucas

Can you complete a 1031 exchange if you only own a limited partnership interest in real estate? Not directly—but strategic solutions like the “drop and swap” may provide a path forward. In this article, we explore the legal and tax complexities of navigating 1031 exchanges from within a partnership, with a focus on opportunities in high-value markets like Newport Beach.

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1031 Exchanges and Vacant Properties: Can You Defer Taxes on an Empty Home?

  • March 12, 2025
  • devinlucas

Can a Vacant Property Qualify for a 1031 Exchange?
The IRS focuses on investment intent, not just rental income, to determine eligibility. Key factors include the original purpose of acquisition, tax treatment, marketing efforts, and whether the property was ever used personally. Court cases like Alderson v. Commissioner and Reesink v. Commissioner have ruled that properties held for appreciation—despite never being rented—can still qualify.
Read the full article for key legal precedents and expert guidance.

graphic of a home swap, where one home is being exchanged for another

1031 Exchange aka the Like-Kind Exchange – An Overview and How To

  • May 10, 2023
  • devinlucas

A detailed article on the like-kind exchange aka the 1031 exchange, including requirements and discussions on use with personal residences, and interplay with the IRS section 121 exemptions. There may be no better tax incentive than the 1031 Exchange, available exclusively to real estate investors.