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1031 Exchange Questions Answered

One real question per page, answered directly first, then explained with the rules, numbers and forms behind the answer.

Each page here owns one question people ask before, during or after an exchange, and opens with the answer. The explanation that follows carries the rule, the number and the form behind it, with the sources listed at the end.

Where a question turns on your state, the state pages carry those rules; where it turns on the property you are selling, the property-type pages do.

Deadlines and identification

Can I buy a replacement property that is not on my identification list?

Not as part of the exchange. Unlisted property bought with exchange funds is treated as not like-kind and taxed as boot, unless it closed within 45 days.

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Can I get an extension on my 45-day or 180-day deadline?

No hardship extension exists. Only an IRS disaster release under Rev. Proc. 2018-58 section 17 moves a 45- or 180-day deadline, by 120 days or the release's date.

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Do I need to file a tax extension to keep my full 180 days?

Yes, if your 2026 sale closed after October 17: Form 4868 for individuals, or after September 16 with Form 7004 for calendar-year partnerships and S corps.

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Do the 45-day and 180-day 1031 deadlines include weekends and holidays?

Yes. Both periods are calendar days ending at midnight on day 45 and day 180; a Saturday or holiday deadline does not roll to Monday.

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Does the 180-day clock start at closing or at recording of the deed?

It starts at closing, the day your sale is completed and the buyer takes ownership. Recording comes later and adds no days at either end of the 180-day period.

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How do I identify a DST interest on my 45-day identification list?

Name the trust as its offering documents do, add the property address, and state the dollar amount you intend to buy, in a signed notice sent by day 45.

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How do I properly identify replacement property, and is an email to my agent enough?

A valid 1031 identification is a signed written document delivered by midnight of day 45 to the QI or seller; an email to your own agent or attorney does not count.

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When does the 45-day clock start: closing, funding or recording?

Day zero is the date the benefits and burdens of ownership pass, normally the day escrow funds and releases your deed, never the day the county records it.

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When does the QI release my funds if my exchange fails, and when is the tax due?

The QI may release funds after day 45 with nothing identified, on day 181, or once a written contingency ends every deal; tax falls in the payout year.

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Intermediaries and closing

Can I touch, borrow against or pledge my exchange funds during the exchange?

No. Your agreement must give you no right to receive, pledge or borrow the money before the exchange period ends, and firing the intermediary changes nothing.

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Can my attorney, CPA or real estate agent be my qualified intermediary?

No, if they worked for you in the two years ending on your closing date. Reg. 1.1031(k)-1(k)(2) treats that person as your agent, and an agent is disqualified.

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Does a 1031 exchange delay my closing, and what does the QI do at the closing table?

No. The QI never takes title or replaces escrow: it is assigned into your contract, the deed goes to the buyer, and escrow wires the net proceeds to the QI.

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How do I choose a safe qualified intermediary?

No federal license exists. Judge the account: a $1M fidelity bond or a qualified escrow needing your signature, plus $250,000 of errors and omissions cover.

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How much does a 1031 exchange cost?

A straightforward delayed exchange runs about $750 to $1,500 in intermediary fees. Reverse and improvement structures cost $4,500 to $15,000 plus draw fees.

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How much does a reverse exchange cost and why is it more?

A reverse exchange costs more because a titleholder must form an entity, take title, borrow and insure for up to 180 days, and some states tax the extra transfers.

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How much does an improvement (build-to-suit) exchange cost?

Far more than a delayed exchange: a titleholder entity, two title transfers, a construction loan it must carry, and boot on anything unbuilt by day 180.

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Who holds the earnest money deposit in a 1031 exchange, and can the QI pay it?

Let escrow hold it. The QI can wire the deposit from exchange funds once assigned into your purchase contract; your own deposit returns as a closing credit.

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Who pays the QI fee and can it come out of exchange funds?

You do, as the exchanger. It can be paid at closing or from the exchange account without boot because it is a transactional item, and it then reduces your boot.

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Have a sale in motion?

Tell us what you are selling and when it closes. An advisor will send a free proposal with replacement options that fit your deadlines and your state's rules.

DST marketplace · Preview

See what a DST replacement property looks like

Three of twelve sample structures: asset class, leverage, minimum and hold. The sponsor, the distributions paid and the offering size are what marketplace access adds, after a short suitability call. Request access and the current list follows.

Regional Distribution Center

Interstate logistics corridor · Southeast

A single-tenant logistics building on a long net lease to an investment-grade shipper, held without debt.

Minimum
$100,000
Leverage
All-cash0% loan-to-value
Target hold
7 to 10 years
Strategy
Current income, Diversification
Sponsor
Distributions
Offering size

Shown with marketplace access

Sample offering: a hypothetical illustration of this structure type, not an actual or current offering.

Net Lease Pharmacy Portfolio

Six states · Midwest

A portfolio of free-standing stores leased to a national pharmacy chain, spread across several states.

Minimum
$25,000
Leverage
All-cash0% loan-to-value
Target hold
7 to 10 years
Strategy
Current income, Diversification
Sponsor
Distributions
Offering size

Shown with marketplace access

Sample offering: a hypothetical illustration of this structure type, not an actual or current offering.

Self Storage Portfolio

Florida and Georgia · Southeast

Climate-controlled storage facilities in high-growth suburbs, with month-to-month leases that reprice quickly.

Minimum
$50,000
Leverage
Moderate leverage40 to 55% loan-to-value
Target hold
5 to 7 years
Strategy
Current income, Growth
Sponsor
Distributions
Offering size

Shown with marketplace access

Sample offering: a hypothetical illustration of this structure type, not an actual or current offering.

Sample offerings: hypothetical illustrations of structure types, not actual or current offerings. Photos are representative of each asset class. Current offerings are private placements for accredited investors, described by private placement memorandum.

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years of experience
20+
in DST transactions
$1B+
states licensed
50
vetted national sponsors
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Generally, net worth over $1 million excluding your primary residence, or income over $200,000 ($300,000 with a spouse) in each of the last two years.

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