Real Estate: To Be or Not to Be, in an LLC

Thomas Kopelman, Anne Rhodes, and Lisa Weigel dig into one of the most common real estate questions advisors hear: should a client hold a rental, second home, or even a primary residence inside an LLC? The answer, they argue, is never reflexive — it depends on weighing liability protection against state estate taxes, property-tax reassessment, income-tax treatment, and lost personal exemptions. Along the way they cover piercing the corporate veil, how to size and separate LLCs, the domicile traps of converting real property into an intangible interest, and privacy tools like land trusts and nominee trusts. From entity structure to a well-built umbrella policy, this episode helps advisors model the trade-offs and avoid one-size-fits-all advice.