The real estate blog.

You may remember a couple months back, we wrote part 1 on “How to start a real estate investing company“… well, part 2 is ready.

In part 1 we go over creating your business name and deciding on which business entity is right for your company. If you haven’t yet read part one, click below to head over to that post first, then come back to part 2 to get caught up.

Part 1: How to start a real estate investing company

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Part 2: How to start a real estate investing company - Filing the paperwork with the state

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In part 2 you will learn exactly what you need to do to file the paperwork to get your company “legal” in the state(s) that you do business in.

I know, this stuff sounds boring… but these steps are very important to making sure your business foundation is set up correctly.

Even if you are paying another company to do this stuff for you, you should know the process. I know that I like to know the basics of every aspect of my business just so I know when things look right and when they look wrong.

Let’s go!

How to File the Paperwork to Make Your Business Legal -

Each business entity requires specific forms, fees, and filings before your business is a legal entity. If you choose to register your business yourself you will need to know exactly what the states you do business in require and how to file correctly. If you choose to have a professional firm register your business for you (recommended) it will all be taken care of for you.

If you’re one of the ones who finds it hard to spend a couple hundred bucks to have a professional firm register your business for you, you should first get a hold of your Secretary of State and Business Revenue offices. Once you have decided which business entity type you wish to use (with the help of someone experienced or a tax professional) give the office a call and ask them to steer you in the right direction. Ask them for contact information for the offices and agencies that you will need to contact.

If you are filing an LLC, in most states it is rather simple. You fill out the paperwork, fax it in with your payment and that is it. However, each state is different and you should do your homework before just sending everything in. To save you a bit of time we have compiled a list of links to each Secretary of State web site in the country and placed them on this page. Scroll down to your state and go to the web site to find out exactly what you need to do.

Before you do that… I want to drill it into you how important it is that you register your business correctly. If you are using an LLC and you are the only owner, it is very simple to do. However, if you are using a corporation or some type of partnership I would advise you to seek the help of a professional. I assure you, it will be well worth the couple hundred bucks it costs you to do it right. Also, these companies register businesses for a living. Do you want your businesses safety (your personal safety and well being too) and well being to be at risk because you couldn’t buck up a couple hundred bucks? If you are at all unsure about anything involved in the registration and filing process, PAY TO HAVE SOMEONE DO IT FOR YOU!!. We recommend several companies that do an excellent job. Check them out.

Bizfilings.com - Excellent company with solid track record.legalzoom.com

Here is the Secretary of State list:

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of ColumbiaFlorida 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 South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Don’t let any of this scare you! It does look like a complicated process, but it is really rather simple when you have the right people to help you. If you aren’t comfortable registering and filing your business yourself, seek out a professional to help you. What is worse…

Usually, the paperwork for filing your company with the state is one to two pages. 

These forms are pretty simple and straight forward, so don’t overthink it when you are filling these out.  If you have any questions about a certain checkbox, or line, the state is usually pretty helpful in helping you better understand the form and what you should do.

As you know, I’m in the beautiful state of Oregon and I have registered about 5 companies here.  (3 of them my own). 

Let’s look at the Oregon LLC business registration form quickly to go over the different parts.

Oregon form

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