1031 Exchange Scenarios & Case Studies

Real-world examples of various 1031 exchange structures and strategies.

Scenario 1: Standard Delayed Exchange

Setup: Investor owns a $2M apartment complex with $800K equity. Sells on June 1. QI receives $1.2M in net proceeds. 45-day deadline: July 17. 180-day deadline: November 28.

Outcome: Exchanges into a $1.5M commercial property. Defers $600K+ in capital gains and ALL accumulated depreciation.

Scenario 2: Reverse Exchange

Setup: Investor finds ideal replacement property but doesn't have liquidity yet. Uses an Exchange Accommodation Titleholder (EAT) to purchase the replacement property first.

Structure: EAT holds title and leases to investor. Investor sells relinquished property within 180 days. EAT transfers title to investor at closing.

Scenario 3: Drop-and-Swap

Setup: Three partners in a partnership want different outcomes. Partnership distributes TIC interests proportionally. Withdrawing partner cashes out. Remaining partners individually exchange their TIC interests.

Result: Non-taxable distribution. Each remaining partner defers ALL gain on their TIC exchange.

Scenario 4: DST Exchange (Passive Transition)

Setup: Investor owns $3M rental property but is retiring. Exchanges proceeds into three DST beneficial interests.

Outcome: Monthly distributions (~5-6% yield), zero management, deferred gains and depreciation.

For interactive scenario builder and personalized analysis, visit the Scenarios page.