Found of Real Estate Accting

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Foundations of Real Estate Accounting provides a graduate level introduction to real estate accounting, taxation concepts and equity incentives utilizing various tax credit and incentive programs. Topics include GAAP financial statements for real estate companies, financial analysis, fair value and impairment analysis, consolidation, joint venture accounting, Low Income Housing Tax Credits, Historic Tax Credits, New Markets Tax Credits, Energy Tax Credits, internal controls for real estate companies, and understanding operating and partnership agreements. Taxation topics include partnership tax concepts and tax-free exchanges. This course is designed to give you maximum exposure to the leaders in the real estate accounting industry. As a result, some sessions of this course will be taught by various real estate professionals. The objective of this course is to provide you with an understanding of the current financial accounting and taxation issues likely to be encountered in the real estate sector. At the end of this course, you will be able to analyze GAAP prepared accounting statements and identify potential financial and tax issues. Regular attendance is vital. Be sure to keep pace with the assigned work and class discussions. This course covers many different areas of accounting for real estate transactions. If you are not familiar with the subject area or do not understand the assigned material, please ask for clarification or assistance. Do not wait until the end of the course to obtain help. At the end of the course, students should: • Understand the principles and rules of real estate accounting • Be familiar with the accounting standards and pronouncements related to real estate accounting • Understand the principles for the capitalization of pre-acquisition costs • Be familiar with the costs incurred to sell or rent a real estate project and the accounting rules associated with those costs •Be familiar with the valuation process of real estate and how to account for acquisitions of real estate • Understand the principles of non-monetary exchanges of real estate; particularly the basic principles of section 1031: like-kind exchanges • Understand the process underlying a sale of real estate and the different accounting methods associated with profit recognition • Be familiar with other applicable methods for recording a sale of real estate • Understand the principles of a lease and be able to identify the key characteristics of and differences between a capital lease and an operating lease • Understand the accounting methods used by both the lessee and lessor • Understand the differences between the four methods of accounting for interests in real estate ventures: consolidation, equity method of accounting, pro rata consolidation, and the cost method • Understand what a variable and non-variable interest entity are and how to account for them • Be familiar with time-sharing transactions and how to account for them • Be familiar with the special accounting rules related to retail land sales