
1031 Exchange Into a DST: How to Stop Being a Landlord w/ Ashley Romiti
Ashley Romiti explains how a 1031 exchange into a Delaware Statutory Trust (DST) lets landlords sell, defer the taxes, and go fully passive. Ashley underwrote over $500 million in real estate as a commercial broker before moving to the DST side, and today she helps 1031 investors stop being landlords without giving up the tax deferral. We cover what a DST is, how it lets you close in days instead of fighting the 45-day identification deadline, and why some deals carry a 30% fee load. She also shares the questions to ask any DST advisor and explains why younger investors still growing a portfolio should skip DSTs entirely. Questions answered in this episode: What is a Delaware Statutory Trust, and does it qualify for a 1031 exchange? How does a DST help you avoid the 45-day identification deadline? Who is a DST a good fit for, and who should avoid it? What fees should you check before investing in a DST? What questions should you ask a DST advisor? About Ashley: Ashley Romiti is a DST specialist with GCA 1031 and a former commercial real estate broker with 15 years on the advisory side, helping 1031 investors transition from active ownership to passive income. Links: Connect with Ashley and get her DST ebook: https://gca1031.com 🔗 Build systems for your investing business: https://realdealcrew.com Chapters: 00:00 Why most investors lose on the exit 01:43 What underwriting $500M taught her about DSTs 03:59 1031 exchange basics: the taxes you defer 05:44 TIC vs DST: what is a Delaware Statutory Trust? 06:53 Why retiring landlords are moving into DSTs 07:26 DST sponsors: Bluerock, Cantor, Passco, Inland 07:48 $100K minimums and diversifying across DSTs 08:22 How DSTs handle debt replacement in a 1031 09:05 How a DST beats the 45-day identification rule 10:54 Who a DST is (and isn’t) right for 12:28 How to choose from 100+ DST deals 13:45 What is a 721 exchange into a REIT? 15:04 Step by step: a 1031 exchange into a DST 18:14 Getting comfortable with illiquidity 19:06 Are DSTs risky? The biggest misconceptions 19:48 DST fees: watch for a 30% fee load 21:26 Questions to ask before hiring a DST advisor 24:25 Why you shouldn’t trust AI on DST research 25:18 Plan your exit before you sell #1031Exchange #DelawareStatutoryTrust #RealEstateInvesting #DST #PassiveIncome #TaxDeferral #RealEstateInvestor #Landlord #REIT #CommercialRealEstate #RetirementPlanning #RealDealChat Work With RealDealCrew If you’re already closing deals but your intake, follow-up, or visibility feels inconsistent, here are two ways to go deeper: Take the Deal Intake Assessment See how resilient your current operation actually is. → https://assessment.realdealcrew.com Book a Fit Call If you want to explore what a fully system-driven deal flow looks like, let’s talk. → https://realdealcrew.com/book LIKE • SHARE • JOIN • REVIEW Website Apple Podcasts YouTube YouTube Music Spotify Amazon Music Facebook Twitter Instagram










