How can I contribute?
There are many options to consider:
Each option has advantages depending on your needs, goals, and financial situation. There are tax advantages to each possibility, and we recommend you consult with your tax accountant or attorney to decide which best matches your situation. Fertile Edge CLT is open to being creative with possibilities — as we are all in this together. By contributing your property to FECLT, you will experience the satisfaction of contributing to a growing movement changing the way our society views private property and how we live together.
Owner donates a home, building, or vacant parcel (or sells at below-market price) to the Community Land Trust, which can then be used for affordable housing.
When you donate a piece of property outright to the Land Trust there are real benefits aside from knowing that you are making the amazing gift of preserved affordable housing to the community. Owners who donate their property outright (or some of the equity from their home) are typically entitled to an income tax deduction based on the property’s fair market value. In addition, donors avoid paying capital gains tax owed if they were to sell the property.
Owner leaves property to FECLT in Will, Living Trust, or Beneficiary Designation.
Many owners consider their estate plan the best place to set up a gift to the Community Land Trust so that their property can be used for affordable housing after they pass. Donating assets through your Will or Living Trust or by designating the Community Land Trust as beneficiary of your retirement account or life insurance allows you and/or your heirs to avoid paying estate and/or income taxes on those assets. While the impact is less immediate, this kind of planning for the future is essential to the Land Trust’s long-term goal of removing as many properties as possible from the private, speculative market.
Owner sells the property to FECLT at a below market rate price, either now or in the future and gets a charitable deduction from their income tax for the difference between market rate and the sales price.
If you don’t want to contribute to the speculative real estate market but need to get some return on your property and could use an income tax deduction, selling your home or the remainder interest in your home to a CLT at below market may make sense for you.
This is called the Retained Life Estate (RLE) option. Owner sells the “remainder interest” to the Land Trust, but continues to own the “retained life estate” and continues to live there for an agreed upon period of time, which could be for the rest of the owner’s life. The Land Trust pays the owner the value of the remainder interest, determined by an appraisal of the “fair market value” and an IRS formula for the value of the RLE. If you agree to transfer the property at a price below fair market value, you can get a tax deduction for the difference.
RLE is a good option for homeowners who want to continue to live in their house for either the short- or long-term, and need some cash in the meantime. This option can be better than a “reverse mortgage” — which is laden with fees and can result in transfer of your home to a bank or mortgage lender rather than your CLT.
Donor donates cash or securities to FECLT to fund future acquisitions of real property.
Donations of cash or securities (i.e., stock or mutual fund shares) are a powerful way to help the Land Trust fulfill our mission. With this gift the Land Trust will be in a better position to purchase properties that become available, thereby removing those properties from the speculative real estate market.
Matching charitable contributions by employers and donations from business entities will help make affordable housing a reality for the workers who support our economy.
Do you want to contribute to providing equity buildings for the North Fork Valley’s farmers & Earth stewards? FECLT continues to look for corporate donors who can contribute grants, materials and items to help build, furnish and landscape new affordable homes.
