1031 Exchange Guide for Westside Multifamily Owners

Owners considering an exchange should speak with a CPA, tax advisor, attorney, and qualified intermediary before signing sale documents. Sale timing, identification deadlines, and replacement debt can affect the strategy.

Take these questions to your CPA and qualified intermediary before sale documents are signed. Use the IRS exchange guidance and Publication 544 to frame the discussion, not to decide your individual eligibility. [1][2][3]

• Does my ownership structure and use of the property qualify, and how would an exchange compare with a taxable sale? Ask your CPA to estimate both outcomes. [1]
• Who will receive and hold the sale proceeds, and what exchange documents and escrow instructions must be in place before closing? Have the qualified intermediary confirm the arrangement before funds move. [3]
• What are my identification and completion dates, measured from the transfer of the property I am selling? Have the qualified intermediary and CPA confirm the dates, the written-identification requirements and whether my tax-return due date affects the completion deadline. [2]
• Which replacement properties fit my price range, management goals and financing capacity? Begin the search while preparing the listing, rather than relying on a suitable property appearing after the sale.
• How do the existing loan payoff, proposed replacement debt, additional cash and any cash I want to retain affect the exchange? Have the CPA review the tax treatment and the lender confirm financing assumptions.

A realistic value range helps define replacement-property targets, expected equity, debt needs, and whether a sale still supports the owner's larger plan.

The 1031 Timeline Calculator is a planning aid for that conversation. Use dates confirmed by your qualified intermediary and CPA for the actual exchange; a calculator result does not establish a filing deadline or qualification.