Assess their risks, liquidity, investments, returns, timeframes and other terms
Invest in fractionalized rental properties
Invest in real estate loans
Groundfloor enables individuals to begin investing in real estate with a minimal initial requirement of only $10.
Investing with Lofty carries typical real estate investment risks, including market volatility, economic changes, and property management challenges. Additionally, the use of cryptocurrency and tokenization presents legal and regulatory uncertainties.
Investing on Groundfloor involves credit risk from borrower default, market risk due to real estate market fluctuations, liquidity risk as investments are tied up until loan maturity without a secondary market for early exit, regulatory risk from changes in laws affecting real estate and crowdfunding, and platform risk related to operational disruptions or cybersecurity threats.
Lofty provides liquidity by allowing investors to list their property tokens for sale on the marketplace at any time, with a 2.5% transaction fee. Orders are held in escrow and have a 30-day expiration.
On Groundfloor, liquidity is tied to the term of the real estate loans, which range from 6 to 18 months. Investors' funds are committed until the loan matures and the borrower repays.
Lofty offers a 5% cash on cash return, with token values updating monthly based on HouseCanary's Automated Valuation Model (AVM).
Groundfloor's loans are graded from A to G, with interest rates ranging from 5.5% to 25.5% annually, based on risk. A diversified portfolio across all repaid loans to date would have earned a 10.72% annualized net return.
Investment time horizon on Lofty is not fixed and is determined by property owners' collective decision on when to sell through the governance system.
Groundfloor investments have loan terms ranging from 6 to 18 months.
Investors from the US and abroad can invest with Lofty, excluding those from OFAC-sanctioned countries.
Groundfloor is accessible to investors both in the US and internationally. However, for non-US investors, a minimum transfer-in amount of $5,000 is required.
The value of assets on Lofty's platform can be volatile, influenced by economic trends, interest rates, and real estate market conditions, potentially leading to variable financial outcomes for investors.
The assets on Groundfloor, which are short-term real estate loans, generally exhibit lower volatility compared to stocks, as their value is more closely tied to specific real estate projects and less to daily market swings.
Lofty's marketplace transactions are executed using a smart contract on the Algorand blockchain, which has been audited by CertiK for security.
Groundfloor offers securities under Regulation A of the Securities Act of 1933, allowing it to sell securities to residents in states where it's qualified or announced its intent under Regulation A's Tier 1 or Tier 2.
Lofty's specific insurance details are not provided, but properties on investment platforms are usually insured against physical damage.
Investments on Groundfloor are not insured by any government agency such as the FDIC or SIPC, nor are they guaranteed by Groundfloor. This means investors fully assume the risk of borrower default or project failure, without any insurance safety net.
Lofty provides daily rental income to investors, which can be withdrawn at any time through various methods including ACH, PayPal, and cryptocurrency options.
Groundfloor pays interest on funded loans. Interest accrues from the investment date until the loan is repaid. Loans may have monthly or deferred payment terms, with monthly interest payments processed once a month and lump sum repayments for deferred loans.
Investors on Lofty can sell tokens anytime on the marketplace and withdraw proceeds using methods like bank transfer, PayPal, or cryptocurrency.
Investors on Groundfloor get their money back, including principal and accrued interest, once the borrower repays the loan, typically within 6 to 18 months. Repayments are processed within 7 days, with funds made available in the investor's dashboard for withdrawal or reinvestment.
Investors on Groundfloor pay no fees. Instead, borrowers are charged an underwriting fee by Groundfloor, ranging from 2% to 4.5% of the loan's principal amount.
Lofty provides US residents with pre-filled 1099 tax forms for income and capital gains reporting. Non-US residents may reduce withholding taxes with forms W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E if they have a US SSN or ITIN.
Groundfloor provides tax support by issuing a 1099-INT form for interest income over $10, a 1099-B for principal losses, and a 1099-MISC for promotional credits over $600.