Escrow account crowdfunding portals

By Itself, An Escrow Account Won’t Stop Sponsors From Stealing Investor Money

As reported everywhere, CrowdStreet investors recently suffered very large losses when a sponsor apparently absconded with their money. It’s a very bad thing, not only for those investors but for the real estate crowdfunding industry. You’d almost think this were crypto! 

In the aftermath, many have called for crowdfunding sites to use escrow accounts. My point today is that escrow accounts by themselves aren’t enough.

CrowdStreet hosts offerings under Rule 506(c), where escrow accounts aren’t required. On the other side of the street, in the Reg CF world, funding portals must use an escrow agent. Rule 303(e) even specifies who can serve as the escrow agent (a broker-dealer, a bank, or a credit union) and directs which instructions the funding portal is required to give to the escrow agent under what circumstances. If and when the issuer reaches its target amount the funding portal must instruct the escrow agent to release the funds to the issuer, while if the investor cancels his, her, or its investment commitment or the offering is terminated, the funding portal must instruct the escrow agent to return the funds to the investor.

Now let’s assume exactly such an arrangement had been in place for the doomed offering on CrowdStreet.

The offering would have stipulated a “target amount” of $63 million, with the money held securely in escrow. With the target amount raised, CrowdStreet would have given the escrow agent instructions to release the money to the sponsor, following the regulations to the letter. And the sponsor would have stolen it.

By itself the escrow account wouldn’t have prevented the theft. Extrapolating to Reg CF, the escrow accounts used by funding portals do not prevent theft. They just make the unscrupulous sponsor wait until reaching the target amount to steal the money.

To prevent the theft you have to layer something on top of the escrow agent. In the CrowdStreet offering you could have prevented the theft by wiring the money not to the sponsor but to the title company conducting the closing, with instructions that it would be used only to acquire the property. In a typical Reg CF offering, where the money is being used by the issuer for marketing or other general business purposes, it’s much harder.

This is another reason why the “bad actor” rules are odd. They catch people who have violated the securities laws but not people who have robbed strangers at gunpoint. 

Questions? Let me know

Another Reason Real Estate Sponsors Should Try Crowdfunding

I participated recently in the syndication of a high-quality, income-producing, multi-family project in a top market.

The sponsor raised $4.5 million from a family office. Among the terms of that investment:

  • The sponsor provided 40% of the capital.
  • The investor received $75,000 for making the investment.
  • The sponsor made representations about the property’s condition, including environmental representations.
  • The sponsor guaranteed the proposed renovation of the project as if it were the general contractor.
  • The sponsor was required to provide the investor with lots of financial reports, including audited financial statements.
  • The sponsor was required to update the project’s business plan on a regular basis, subject to the investor’s approval.
  • The LLC Agreement listed 38 separate actions requiring the investor’s consent.
  • The investor had the right to sell the project after three years.
  • The sponsor was subject to all traditional fiduciary obligations, like the director of a public company.
  • The investor had the right to replace and/or sue the sponsor based on mere negligence.
  • If the investor asserted a claim, it could stop all distributions to the sponsor — not just fees and distributions in the nature of a promotion, but distributions made with respect to the sponsor’s capital.
  • The Tax Appendix was itself 18 pages long.

I view that as pretty onerous, especially for a $4.5M investment.

As that deal was being negotiated, real estate Crowdfunding sites were raising $4.5 million and much for individual projects with terms nowhere near as onerous.

At the same time, they’re giving ordinary Americans, not just wealthy family offices, the opportunity to invest in great deals. That’s why the title of this post says “Another.”

New Podcast – In-Depth Commercial Real Estate

In this episode Paul speaks to Crowdfunding attorney Mark Roderick about Crowdfunding in real estate. They go in-depth how the JOBS act that created crowdfunding changed funding portals, advertising, and where the future of raising capital is and what sponsors should focus on and be careful with.

In-Depth Commercial Real Estate

In-Depth Commercial Real Estate is an exploration of the people, ideas, strategies, and methods behind commercial real estate. In each episode, we’ll talk to an expert about a particular topic: from CMBS and cap. rates to innovation and hiring strategies, and everything in between.

Disclaimer: This real estate podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not imply suitability. The views and opinions expressed by the presenters are their own. The information is not intended as investment advice.For any inquiries or comments, you can reach us as info@indepthrealestate.com.

Questions? Let me know.

SEC Proposes Major Upgrades To Crowdfunding Rules

The SEC just proposed major changes to every kind of online offering:  Rule 504, Rule 506(b), Rule 506(c), Regulation A, and Regulation CF.

The proposals and the reasoning behind them take up 351 pages. An SEC summary is here, while the full text is here. The proposals are likely to become effective in more or less their existing form after a 60-day comment period.

I’ll touch on only a few highlights:

  • No Limits in Title III for Accredited Investors:  In what I believe is the most significant change, there will no longer be any limits on how much an accredited investor can invest in a Regulation CF offering. This change eliminates the need for side-by-side offerings and allows the funding portal to earn commissions on the accredited investor piece. The proposals also change the investment limits for non-accredited investor from a “lesser of net worth or income” standard to a “greater of net worth or income” standard, but that’s much less significant, in my opinion.
  • Title III Limit Raised to $5M:  Today the limit is $1.07M per year; it will soon be $5M per year, opening the door to larger small companies.

NOTE:  Those two changes, taken together, mean that funding portals can make more money. The impact on the Crowdfunding industry could be profound, leading to greater compliance, sounder business practices, and fewer gimmicks (e.g., $10,000 minimums).

  • No Verification for Subsequent Rule 506(c) Offerings:  In what could have been a very important change but apparently isn’t, if an issuer has verified that Investor Smith is accredited in a Rule 506(c) offering and conducts a second (and third, and so on) Rule 506(c) offering, the issuer does not have to re-verify that Investor Smith is accredited, as long as Investor Smith self-certifies. But apparently the proposal applies only to the same issuer, not to an affiliate of the issuer. Thus, if Investor Smith invested in real estate offering #1, she must still be verified for real estate offering #2, even if the two offerings are by the same sponsor.
  • Regulation A Limit Raised to $75M:  Today the limit is $50M per year; it will soon be $75M per year. The effect of this change will be to make Regulation A more useful for smaller large companies.
  • Allow Testing the Waters for Regulation CF:  Today, a company thinking about Title III can’t advertise the offering until it’s live on a funding portal. Under the new rules, the company will be able to “test the waters” like a Regulation A issuer.

NOTE:  Taken as a whole, the proposals narrow the gap between Rule 506(c) and Title III. Look for (i) Title III funding portals to broaden their marketing efforts to include issuers who were otherwise considering only Rule 506(c), and (ii) websites that were previously focused only on Rule 506(c) to consider becoming funding portals, allowing them to legally receive commissions on transactions up to $5M.

  • Allow SPVs for Regulation CF:  Today, you can’t form a special-purpose-vehicle to invest using Title III. Under the SEC proposals, you can.

NOTE:  Oddly, this means you can use SPVs in a Title III offering, but not in a Title II offering (Rule 506(c)) or Title IV offering (Regulation A) where there are more than 100 investors.

  • Financial Information in Rule 506(b):  The proposal relaxes the information that must be provided to non-accredited investors in a Rule 506(b) offering. Thus, if the offering is for no more than $20M one set of information will be required, while if it is for more than $20 another (more extensive) set of information will be required.
  • No More SAFEs in Regulation CF:  Nope.

NOTE:  The rules says the securities must be “. . . . equity securities, debt securities, or securities convertible or exchangeable to equity interests. . . .” A perceptive readers asks “What about revenue-sharing notes?” Right now I don’t know, but I’m sure this will be asked and addressed during the comment period.

  • Demo Days:  Provided they are conducted by certain groups and in certain ways, so-called “demo days” would not be considered “general solicitation.”
  • Integration Rules:  Securities lawyers worry whether two offerings will be “integrated” and treated as one, thereby spoiling both. The SEC’s proposals relax those rules.

These proposals are great for the Crowdfunding industry and for American capitalism. They’re not about Wall Street. They’re about small companies and ordinary American investors, where jobs and ideas come from.

No, the proposals don’t fix every problem. Compliance for Title III issuers is still way too hard, for example. But the SEC deserves (another) round of applause.

Please reach out if you’d like to discuss.

The High Return Real Estate Show Podcast: Crowdfunding For Real Estate Investors 

2019-10-22_10-03-37CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

Jack gets the day off, and Shecky gets to have a one-on-one conversation with Mark Roderick, the leading Crowdfunding and FinTech lawyer in the US.

In this episode, you’ll learn…

  • What is Crowdfunding?
  • The two different kinds of Crowdfunding
  • What and who to look for in a Crowdfunding company.
  • How does Crowdfunding apply to Real Estate Investing?
  • Who are the big players in the Crowdfunding space?
  • The three types of Equity Crowdfunding

This episode is a MUST listen to anyone wanting to understand how technology is changing our investing landscape!

Questions? Let me know.

REITS vs. Pass Through Entities: Section 199A and Real Estate Crowdfunding

Skyscraper Buildings Made From Dollar Banknotes

The 2017 tax act added §199A to the Internal Revenue Code and, with it, two complementary tax deductions:

  • A deduction of up to 20% of the income from a limited partnership, limited liability company, or other “pass through” entity.
  • A deduction equal to 20% of “qualified REIT dividends.”

Which is better for sponsors and investors?

As described here, the 20% deduction for pass-through entities is enormously complicated. Most important, the deduction can be limited for taxpayers whose personal taxable income exceeds $157,500 ($315,000 for a married couple filing jointly). These limits depend on the W-2 wages paid by the pass-through entity (not much for most real estate syndications) and the cost of the entity’s depreciable property (pretty substantial for most real estate syndications). And, naturally, those limits are themselves subject to special rules and definitions.

In contrast, the 20% deduction for qualified REIT dividends (which includes most dividends from REITs, other than capital gain dividends) is straightforward, with no cutdown for higher-income taxpayers.

Does that mean §199A favors REITs over LLCs and other pass-through entities? Not necessarily.

The key is that most real estate syndications don’t generate taxable income. Typically, the depreciation from the building “shelters” the net cash flow, at least during the early years of the project. The tax-favored nature of real estate is, in fact, part of what makes it such an attractive investment in the first place.

If an investor in an LLC is receiving cash flow from the syndication and paying zero tax, the 20% deduction of §199A is irrelevant. And, for that matter, so is the 20% deduction for REIT dividends. If a REIT isn’t generating taxable income because its cash flow is sheltered by depreciation, then its distribution will probably treated as a non-taxable return of capital rather than a taxable dividend.

As discussed here, the key advantage of a REIT over an LLC or other pass-through entity is that the LLC investor receives a complicated K-1 while a REIT investor receives a simple 1099. The relative simplicity of the 20% deduction for REIT dividends over the 20% deduction for pass-through entities is nice, but wouldn’t tip the balance in favor of a REIT by itself.

Questions? Let me know.

School for Startups Radio: Crowdfunding Update with Mark Roderick

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

Mark Roderick appeared on School for Startups Radio with Jim Beach to discuss the current state of crowdfunding and how the industry is progressing. He discusses the booming real estate crowdfunding industry and how the rest of the crowdfunding space measures up.

The Real Estate Syndication Show: How To Do Crowdfunding Legally

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Raising money without begging investors is no easy task for startups. At times, help from a third-party individual is needed to make it happen. But how do you know if you are legally paying brokers to raise capital and not breaking any law or guides set by the Securities and Exchange Commission?

In this interview, Mark Roderick explains what a broker is, and the legal process that raising money entails. He cites examples of the repercussions of hiring an unlicensed broker-dealer, gives advice on the lessons he has learned in the industry, and touches on his blog that tackles crowdfunding.

 

The Real Estate Way to Wealth and Freedom Podcast

WEALTH AND FREEDOM PODCAST

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

In this episode of The Real Estate Way to Wealth and Freedom, you will learn:

  • Crowdfunding – what it is and how it relates to real estate
  • Comparing and contrasting crowdfunding and syndication
  • How much money you can raise and who you can raise money from
  • Title 2, Title 3, & Title 4 crowdfunding – what to know
  • Predictions of how technology will impact real estate investing in the future

Questions? Let me know.

Podcast: The Business Credit & Financing Show Focusing on How to Avoid Crowdfunding Legal Pitfalls with Mark Roderick

MSR Podcast OCt 2018

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN | Also available on iTunes & Spotify

During This Show We Discuss…

  • Your potential legal liability using crowdfunding platforms
  • When a potential investor can sue the project creator
  • The “3 flavors” of crowdfunding you should know about
  • Legal issues with flex versus fixed funding
  • How the new tax law affects crowdfunding
  • 20% tax deduction in crowdfunding transactions
  • Getting crowd funding for real estate investing
  • What you should know about peer-to-peer lending
  • Issues with bonuses you may offer to donors
  • What to know about the SEC’s role in crowdfunding
  • What an opportunity zone fund is and how they work
  • Why trusts invest in crowdfunding projects
  • Other big investors who are investing in crowdfunding campaigns
  • Potential legal pitfalls in peer-to-peer lending?
  • And much more

Mark Roderick is one of the leading Crowdfunding and Fintech lawyers in the United States. Expanding on his in-depth knowledge of capital-raising and securities law, Mark represents many portals and other players in the Crowdfunding field. He writes a widely read blog, crowdfundattny.com, which provides readers with a wealth of legal and practical information for portals, issuers and investors. He also speaks at Crowdfunding events across the country and represents industry participants across the country and around the world.