Taking Full Advantage Of The GO Zone And What It Is

By Mikey Backybacksac

Understanding the GO Zone and how to profit from it, real estate-wise, can come in quite handy when one is considering investing in properties down in what is known as the "Gulf Opportunity Zone." This opportunity zone was created as a result of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and is more formally known as the Gulf Opportunity Zone Act of 2005. There are a number of significant economic incentives involved.

There is almost no one around who hasn't heard of how badly the coastal areas of Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana were hit when Hurricane Katrina made landfall backing August of 2005. Since then, all three states have been devoting a considerable amount of resources to rebuilding from the hurricane, though the effort is hampered by a lack of resources among those wishing to invest in the region.

Congress has enacted several pieces of legislation aimed at providing timely relief, and this particular Act is considered by many legal experts to be one of the most significant and powerful recovery tools ever offered by the Congress. There are, contained within the Act, a number of economic incentives aimed at helping these three Gulf Coast states recover fully from the ravages of the hurricane.

In total, the incentives contained within the Act have created an environment where unparalleled investment opportunity has been made available for those willing to invest in the zone. Of course, a number of time frames exist and anyone wishing to invest in the region needs to keep that in mind if they wish to take advantage of all of the economic incentives offered in the Act.

Currently, the federal government is allowing those who wish to invest in certain property opportunities in the zone to benefit greatly from relaxed depreciation rules. Specifically, normal depreciation can be speeded up in the first year to 50% of the cost that was invested along with the normal depreciation. This bonus has created a set of powerful economic incentives.

Additionally, the Act has provided for a wide range of incentives such as a business that chooses to operate in the GO Zone to do what's called a "carry back" of their net operating losses. In accounting this is known as a 5-Year Net Operating Loss (NOL) Carryback. Businesses can carry this NOL forward for up to 15 years. This is significant in terms of investment potential.

For those interested in exploring investment opportunities for not only business but also for residential real estate located within the zone, it is a good idea to find one of several high-quality Internet-based businesses that exist to help educate and then give sound advice to those who are looking to purchase homes or businesses within the zone.

This opportunity to find a quality residential property existing in the Gulf economic zone is probably one of the best attractions when it comes to the GO Zone. Remember; always take the time to educate one's self about these opportunities before jumping into any sort of investing or commitment. Still, given the powerful incentives, the attraction and potential return are very high. - 31821

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