1031 Exchange Planning Checklist
Use this checklist to slow down the planning process, gather the right documents, and make sure the advisor conversation starts with the decisions that matter most.
Checklist
- Confirm the property is held for investment or business use and review sale timing before closing.
- Choose the qualified intermediary before funds are received, not after.
- Model taxable sale, full deferral, partial exchange, DST, and debt replacement scenarios side by side.
- Create a 45-day identification plan with backup properties and written investment criteria.
- Reserve liquidity for taxes, repairs, vacancies, legal work, and personal cash flow.
- Decide how the replacement property fits retirement income, estate planning, and portfolio concentration.
What to bring to an advisor
Bring the documents, numbers, deadlines, and unanswered questions that define the planning problem. The best first meeting is not a product conversation. It is a decision map that shows what must happen now, what can wait, and which professionals need to coordinate.
Numbers
Estimated value, basis, debts, taxes, income needs, cash reserves, and any transaction-specific deadlines.
Documents
Tax returns, statements, agreements, letters of intent, entity documents, trust documents, and professional contact information.
Priorities
Privacy, family, lifestyle, charitable, estate, income, and risk preferences that should shape the plan.
Questions
Anything that feels irreversible, unclear, or too expensive to answer after the fact.
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