My question is: Canadian-specific QUESTION: My wife and I have two young children, ages 6 and 9. At present, we have some cash for a down payment to buy a condo. Our intent is to buy it now and rent it out until they are older so that they can have it when they go to University. With condo prices soaring the way they are, I believe it is best to put our money into real estate rather than an RESP. What is your opinion on this and how can I avoid paying huge taxes, especially since we are giving it to them when they are older? --------------------------------------------------------------------------- david ingram replies: I prefer in trust accounts to own the real estate directly NOW in the children's name. That way, any profit or loss as the case may be will be taxable to you until the children reach the age of 18, but will be taxable to them as they start university or college or just get on with life. The good part about this method is that the capital gains will be taxable to the children and NOT you as it would be if you start with it in your name. A hint. If your own mortgage is not deductible, take the down payment you have and pay it down first on your own mortgage. Then take out a HELOC for the down payment. That part of the interest will be deductible on what was not deductible before. "THEN", you can take the rent that comes in and use it to pay down any other part of the mortgage which is not deductible and borrow more money to make the expenses on the rental house. You can goto www.centa.com and click on the November 3001 newsletter (top left hand corner). You will likely need some guidance if you wish to pursue this. Fred Snyder's Thursday night seminars will help. Answers to this and other similar questions can be obtained free on Air every Sunday morning. Every Sunday at 9:00 AM on 600AM in Vancouver, I, david ingram am a permanent guest on Fred Snyder of Dundee Wealth Managers' LIVE talk show called "ITS YOUR MONEY" Those outside of the Lower Mainland will be able to listen on the internet at www.600AM.com <http://www.600am.com/> Call (604) 280-0600 to have your question answered. BC listeners can also call 1-866-778-0600. Callers to the show and questioners on this board can also attend the Thursday Night seminars on finance and making your Canadian Mortgage Interest deductible. Every Thursday Evening, Fred Snyder of Dundee Wealth Management conducts one of 17 different financial seminars at his office Time: 7:00 to 9:30 PM Date: Every Thursday evening Place 1764 West Seventh Vancouver (corner of Burrard) Phone (604) 731-8900 to register No cost - no obligation Topics always cover mortgage interest as a deduction other topics - getting the mortgage, estate planning, critical care insurance, income taxation, differences between stocks and bonds, and usually the most innovative HELOC mortgage offered in Canada from Manulife Bank David Ingram's US/Canada Services US / Canada / Mexico tax, Immigration and working Visa Specialists US / Canada Real Estate Specialists Home office at: 4466 Prospect Road North Vancouver, BC, CANADA, V7N 3L7 Cell (604) 657-8451 - (604) 980-0321 Fax (604) 980-0325 Calls welcomed from 9 AM to 9 PM 7 days a week (please do not fax or phone outside of those hours as this is a home office) email to taxman at centa.com <mailto:taxman at centa.com> www.centa.com <http://www.centa.com/> www.david-ingram.com <http://www.david-ingram.com/> Disclaimer: This question has been answered without detailed information or consultation and is to be regarded only as general comment. Nothing in this message is or should be construed as advice in any particular circumstances. No contract exists between the reader and the author and any and all non-contractual duties are expressly denied. All readers should obtain formal advice from a competent and appropriately qualified legal practitioner or tax specialist in connection with personal or business affairs such as at www.centa.com <http://www.centa.com> . If you forward this message, this disclaimer must be included." Be ALERT, the world needs more "lerts" This from "ask an income tax and immigration expert" from www.centa.com <http://www.centa.com/> or www.jurock.com <http://www.jurock.com/> or www.featureweb.com <http://www.featureweb.com/> . David Ingram deals on a daily basis with expatriate tax returns with: multi jurisdictional cross and trans border expatriate problems for the United States, Canada, Mexico, Great Britain, the United Kingdom, Kuwait, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, China, New Zealand, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Russia, Georgia, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Scotland, Ireland, Hawaii, Florida, Montana, Morocco, Israel, Iraq, Iran, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Mali, Bangkok, Greenland, Iceland, Cuba, Bahamas, Bermuda, Barbados, St Vincent, Grenada,, Virgin Islands, US, UK, GB, and any of the 43 states with state tax returns, etc. Rockwall, Dallas, San Antonio and Houston Texas Denmark, Finland, Sweden Norway Bulgaria Croatia Income Tax and Immigration Tips, Income Tax and Immigration Wizard Income Tax and Immigration Guru Income Tax and Immigration Consultant Income Tax and Immigration Specialist Section 216(4) 216(1) NR6 NR-6 NR 6 Non-Resident Real Estate tax specialist expert preparer consultant expatriate anti money laundering money seasoning FINTRAC E677 E667 105 106 TDF-90 Reporting $10,000 cross border transactions Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Garland, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon. Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Rockwall, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec City, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Yukon and Northwest and Nunavit Territories, Mount Vernon, Eumenclaw, Coos Bay and Dallas Houston Rockwall Garland Texas Taxman and Tax Guru and wizzard wizard - consultant - expert - advisor -advisors consultants - gurus - Paris Prague Moscow Berlin Lima Rio de Janeiro, Santaigo New York, Boston, Sacramento, Minneapolis, Salem, Wheeling, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Pensacola, Miami, St Petersburg, Naples, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Orlando, Atlanta, Arlington, Washington, Hudson, Green Bay, Minot, Portland, Seattle, St John, St John's, Fredericton, Quebec, Moncton, Truro, Atlanta, Charleston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, Taos, Grand Canyon, Reno, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Sun City, Tulsa, Monteray, Carmel, Morgantown, Bemidji, Sandpointe, Pocatello, Bellingham, Custer, Grand Forks, Lead, Rapid City, Mitchell, Kansas City, Lawrence, Houston, Albany, Framingham, Cambridge, London, Paris, Prince George, Prince Rupert, Whitehorse, Anchorage, Fairbanks, Frankfurt, The Hague, Lisbon, Madrid, Atlanta, Myrtle Beach, Key West, Cape Coral, Fort Meyers, Berlin, Warsaw, Auckland, Wellington, Honolulu, Maui, Kuwait, Molokai, Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo, Manilla, Kent, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Regina, Red Deer, Olds, Medicine Hat, Lethbridge, Moose Jaw, Brandon, Portage La Prairie, Davidson, Craik, Edmonton, Calgary, Victoria, Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, Edinburgh, Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow, Copenhagen, Oslo, Munich, Sydney, Nanaimo, Brisbane, Melbourne, Darwin, Perth, Athens, Rome, Berne, Zurich, Kyoto, Nanking, Rio De Janeiro, Brasilia, Colombo, Buenos Aries, Squamish, Churchill, Lima, Santiago, Abbotsford, Cologne, Yorkshire, Hope, Penticton, Kelowna, Vernon, Fort MacLeod, Deer Lodge, Springfield, St Louis, Centralia, Bradford, Stratford on Avon, Niagara Falls, Atlin, Fort Nelson, Fort St James, Red Deer, Drumheller, Fortune, Red Bank, Marystown, Cape Spears, Truro, Charlottetown, Summerside, Niagara Falls, Albany STAR WARS ask international income tax & immigration expert consultant david ingram from North Vancouver, BC, Canada experts on RRSP RESP IRA 401(K) radio CKBD 600AM 9 AM Sunday mornings on Fred Snyder's IT's YOUR MONEY