Succession planning in family-owned businesses is rarely just about ownership. It is about liquidity, fairness among heirs, tax exposure, and the long-term viability of both the business and the family balance sheet.

For experienced real estate owners, the 1031 exchange is rarely new. Many have executed one before, or at least evaluated it seriously during a sale.

A 1031 exchange is one of the most powerful ways for real estate investors to defer capital gains taxes. But sometimes, even with the best planning, things don’t go as expected.

For many owners, the business is not just a company—it’s a lifetime of effort, risk, and sacrifice.