Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure and Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]	Note 1 – Going Concern The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming Real Estate Associates Limited VII (the “Partnership” or “Registrant”) will continue as a going concern. The Partnership continues to generate recurring operating losses. In addition, the Partnership is in default on notes payable and related accrued interest payable that matured between December 1999 and December 2004. Eight of the Partnership's nineteen remaining investments involved purchases of partnership interests from partners who subsequently withdrew from the operating partnership. As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, the Partnership is obligated for non-recourse notes payable of approximately $6,070,000 to the sellers of the partnership interests, bearing interest at 9.5 to 10 percent. Total outstanding accrued interest is approximately $15,215,000 and $14,649,000 at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. These obligations and the related interest are collateralized by the Partnership's investment in the local limited partnerships (the “Local Limited Partnerships”) and are payable only out of cash distributions from the Local Limited Partnerships, as defined in the notes. Unpaid interest was due at maturity of the notes. Seven of the notes payable have matured and remain unpaid at December 31, 2011. In connection with the sale of Hampshire House (as discussed in “Note 3 – Investments in and Advances to Local Limited Partnerships”), approximately $890,000 of sale proceeds were used at closing to repay one non-recourse note payable and associated accrued interest during the year ended December 31, 2010. No such payments were made during the year ended December 31, 2011. As discussed in “Note 4 – Notes Payable”, the Partnership entered into an agreement with the non-recourse note holder for five of the Local Limited Partnerships with notes payable totaling approximately $2,329,000 and accrued interest of approximately $5,946,000 at December 31, 2011, in which the note holder agreed to forebear taking any action under these notes pending the purchase by the note holder of a series of projects including the properties owned by nine of the remaining Local Limited Partnerships. Management negotiated an extension of the maturity date on one note payable to January 1, 2012. The Partnership entered into an agreement with the non-recourse note holder for the remaining two Local Limited Partnerships in which the note holder agreed to forebear taking any action under these notes in order to permit the underlying properties of these Local Limited Partnerships to pursue refinancing of certain indebtedness owed to the respective housing authorities. Management is attempting to negotiate extensions of the maturity dates on these three notes payable. If the negotiations are unsuccessful, the Partnership could lose its investment in the Local Limited Partnerships to foreclosure. As a result of the above, there is substantial doubt about the Partnership’s ability to continue as a going concern. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments to reflect the possible future effects of the recoverability and classification of assets or the amounts and classification of liabilities that may result from these uncertainties. Note 2 - Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Organization The Partnership was formed under the California Limited Partnership Act on May 24, 1983. The Partnership was formed to invest primarily in other limited partnerships or joint ventures which own and operate primarily federal, state or local government-assisted housing projects. The general partners of the Partnership are National Partnership Investments Corp. ("NAPICO"), a California Corporation (the “Corporate General Partner”), and National Partnership Investments Associates II. The business of the Partnership is conducted primarily by NAPICO. The Corporate General Partner is a subsidiary of Apartment Investment and Management Company (“Aimco”), a publicly traded real estate investment trust. On January 31, 2012, an affiliate of the Corporate General Partner entered into a management agreement with a third party management services company for the management of a portfolio of approximately 147 properties with 10,184 units held by entities, including the Partnership, in which Aimco and its affiliates have minority limited and general partner interests. On January 31, 2012, an affiliate of the Corporate General Partner also entered into an option agreement with the management services company pursuant to which it granted the company the exclusive option, for a period ending on December 27, 2013, to purchase the minority interests in the portfolio held by Aimco and its affiliates. Aimco expects the sale of such interests to be completed later this year, pending the satisfaction of certain closing conditions. The general partners collectively share a one percent interest in profits and losses of the Partnership. The limited partners share the remaining 99 percent interest which is allocated in proportion to their respective individual investments. The Partnership shall be dissolved only upon the expiration of 50 complete calendar years (December 31, 2033) from the date of the formation of the Partnership or the occurrence of various other events as specified in the Partnership Agreement. Upon total or partial liquidation of the Partnership or the disposition or partial disposition of a project or project interest and distribution of the proceeds, the general partners will be entitled to a liquidation fee as stipulated in the Partnership Agreement. The limited partners will have a priority return equal to their invested capital attributable to the project(s) or project interest(s) sold and shall receive from the sale of the project(s) or project interest(s) an amount sufficient to pay state and federal income taxes, if any, calculated at the maximum rate then in effect. The general partners' fee may accrue but shall not be paid until the limited partners have received distributions equal to 100 percent of their capital contributions. No such fees were accrued or paid during the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010. Basis of Presentation The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. Subsequent Events The Partnership’s management evaluated subsequent events through the time this Annual Report on Form 10-K was filed. Principles of Consolidation These consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Real Estate Associates Limited VII and Real Estate Associates IV (“REA IV”), a California general partnership in which the Partnership holds 99 percent of the general partner interest. Losses in excess of the minority investment that would otherwise be attributed to the non-controlling interest are being allocated to the Partnership. Use of Estimates The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Method of Accounting for Investments in Local Limited Partnerships The investments in Local Limited Partnerships are accounted for using the equity method. Abandonment of Limited Partnership Interests In 2011 and 2010, the number of Limited Partnership Interests decreased by 48 and 51.5 interests, respectively, due to limited partners abandoning their interests. At December 31, 2011 and 2010, the Partnership had outstanding 15,249.50 and 15,297.50 limited partnership interests, respectively. In abandoning his or her Limited Partnership Interest(s), a limited partner relinquishes all right, title, and interest in the Partnership as of the date of abandonment. Net Income (Loss) Per Limited Parntership Interest Net income (loss) per limited partnership interest was computed by dividing the limited partners' share of net income (loss) by the number of limited partnership interests outstanding at the beginning of the year. The number of limited partnership interests used was 15,297.5 and 15,349 for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Cash and Cash Equivalents Cash and cash equivalents includes cash on hand and in bank accounts. At certain times, the amount of cash deposited at a bank may exceed the limit on insured deposits. The entire cash balance at December 31, 2011 and 2010 is maintained by an affiliated management company on behalf of affiliated entities in a cash concentration account. Impairment of Long-Lived Assets The Partnership reviews its investments in long-lived assets to determine if there has been any impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the asset may not be recoverable. If the sum of the expected future cash flows is less than the carrying amount of the assets, the Partnership recognizes an impairment loss. No impairment losses were recognized during the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010. Segment Reporting Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 280-10, “Segment Reporting”, established standards for the way that public business enterprises report information about operating segments in annual financial statements and requires that those enterprises report selected information about operating segments in interim financial reports. ASC Topic 280-10 also established standards for related disclosures about products and services, geographic areas, and major customers. As defined in ASC Topic 280-10, the Partnership has only one reportable segment. Fair Value of Financial Instruments ASC Topic 825, “Financial Instruments”, requires disclosure of fair value information about financial instruments whether or not recognized in the balance sheet, for which it is practicable to estimate fair value. The notes payable and amounts due for partnership interests are collateralized by the Partnership’s investment in eight Local Limited Partnerships and are payable only out of cash distributions from the Local Limited Partnerships. The operations generated by the Local Limited Partnerships, which account for the Partnership’s primary source of revenues, are subject to various government rules, regulations and restrictions which make it impracticable to estimate the fair value of the notes and related accrued interest payable. At December 31, 2011, the Partnership believes that the carrying amount of its other assets and liabilities reported on the balance sheet that require such disclosure approximated their fair value due to the short-term maturity of these instruments. Variable Interest Entities The Partnership consolidates any variable interest entities in which the Partnership holds a variable interest and is the primary beneficiary. Generally, a variable interest entity, or VIE, is an entity with one or more of the following characteristics: (a) the total equity investment at risk is not sufficient to permit the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support; (b) as a group the holders of the equity investment at risk lack (i) the ability to make decisions about an entity’s activities through voting or similar rights, (ii) the obligation to absorb the expected losses of the entity, or (iii) the right to receive the expected residual returns of the entity; or (c) the equity investors have voting rights that are not proportional to their economic interests and substantially all of the entity’s activities either involve, or are conducted on behalf of, an investor that has disproportionately few voting rights. The primary beneficiary of a VIE is generally the entity that has (a) the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance, and (b) the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits that could potentially be significant to the VIE. In determining whether it is the primary beneficiary of a VIE, the Partnership considers qualitative and quantitative factors, including, but not limited to: which activities most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance and which party controls such activities; the amount and characteristics of the Partnership’s investment; the obligation or likelihood for the Partnership or other investors to provide financial support; and the similarity with and significance to the business activities of the Partnership and the other investors. Significant judgments related to these determinations include estimates about the current and future fair values and performance of real estate held by these VIEs and general market conditions. At December 31, 2011 and 2010, the Partnership holds variable interests in nineteen VIEs for which the Partnership is not the primary beneficiary. The Partnership has concluded, based on its qualitative consideration of the partnership agreement, the partnership structure and the role of the general partner in each of the Local Limited Partnerships, that the general partner of each of the Local Limited Partnerships is the primary beneficiary of the respective Local Limited Partnership. In making this determination, the Partnership considered the following factors: · the general partners conduct and manage the business of the Local Limited Partnerships; · the general partners have the responsibility for and sole discretion over selecting a property management agent for the Local Limited Partnerships’ underlying real estate properties; · the general partners are responsible for approving operating and capital budgets for the properties owned by the Local Limited Partnerships; · the general partners are obligated to fund any recourse obligations of the Local Limited Partnerships; · the general partners are authorized to borrow funds on behalf of the Local Limited Partnerships; and · the Partnership, as a limited partner in each of the Local Limited Partnerships, does not have the ability to direct or otherwise significantly influence the activities of the Local Limited Partnerships that most significantly impact such entities’ economic performance. The nineteen VIEs consist of Local Limited Partnerships that are directly engaged in the ownership and management of nineteen apartment properties with a total of 1,237 units. The Partnership is involved with those VIEs as a non-controlling limited partner equity holder. The Partnership’s maximum exposure to loss as a result of its involvement with the unconsolidated VIEs is limited to the Partnership’s recorded investments in and receivables from these VIEs, which were zero at December 31, 2011 and 2010. The Partnership may be subject to additional losses to the extent of any financial support that the Partnership voluntarily provides in the future.

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure and Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]

Note 1 – Going Concern

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming Real Estate Associates Limited VII (the “Partnership” or “Registrant”) will continue as a going concern. The Partnership continues to generate recurring operating losses. In addition, the Partnership is in default on notes payable and related accrued interest payable that matured between December 1999 and December 2004.

Eight of the Partnership's nineteen remaining investments involved purchases of partnership interests from partners who subsequently withdrew from the operating partnership. As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, the Partnership is obligated for non-recourse notes payable of approximately $6,070,000 to the sellers of the partnership interests, bearing interest at 9.5 to 10 percent. Total outstanding accrued interest is approximately $15,215,000 and $14,649,000 at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. These obligations and the related interest are collateralized by the Partnership's investment in the local limited partnerships (the “Local Limited Partnerships”) and are payable only out of cash distributions from the Local Limited Partnerships, as defined in the notes. Unpaid interest was due at maturity of the notes. Seven of the notes payable have matured and remain unpaid at December 31, 2011.

In connection with the sale of Hampshire House (as discussed in “Note 3 – Investments in and Advances to Local Limited Partnerships”), approximately $890,000 of sale proceeds were used at closing to repay one non-recourse note payable and associated accrued interest during the year ended December 31, 2010. No such payments were made during the year ended December 31, 2011. As discussed in “Note 4 – Notes Payable”, the Partnership entered into an agreement with the non-recourse note holder for five of the Local Limited Partnerships with notes payable totaling approximately $2,329,000 and accrued interest of approximately $5,946,000 at December 31, 2011, in which the note holder agreed to forebear taking any action under these notes pending the purchase by the note holder of a series of projects including the properties owned by nine of the remaining Local Limited Partnerships. Management negotiated an extension of the maturity date on one note payable to January 1, 2012. The Partnership entered into an agreement with the non-recourse note holder for the remaining two Local Limited Partnerships in which the note holder agreed to forebear taking any action under these notes in order to permit the underlying properties of these Local Limited Partnerships to pursue refinancing of certain indebtedness owed to the respective housing authorities. Management is attempting to negotiate extensions of the maturity dates on these three notes payable. If the negotiations are unsuccessful, the Partnership could lose its investment in the Local Limited Partnerships to foreclosure.

As a result of the above, there is substantial doubt about the Partnership’s ability to continue as a going concern. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments to reflect the possible future effects of the recoverability and classification of assets or the amounts and classification of liabilities that may result from these uncertainties.

Note 2 - Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Organization

The Partnership was formed under the California Limited Partnership Act on May 24, 1983. The Partnership was formed to invest primarily in other limited partnerships or joint ventures which own and operate primarily federal, state or local government-assisted housing projects. The general partners of the Partnership are National Partnership Investments Corp. ("NAPICO"), a California Corporation (the “Corporate General Partner”), and National Partnership Investments Associates II. The business of the Partnership is conducted primarily by NAPICO. The Corporate General Partner is a subsidiary of Apartment Investment and Management Company (“Aimco”), a publicly traded real estate investment trust.

On January 31, 2012, an affiliate of the Corporate General Partner entered into a management agreement with a third party management services company for the management of a portfolio of approximately 147 properties with 10,184 units held by entities, including the Partnership, in which Aimco and its affiliates have minority limited and general partner interests. On January 31, 2012, an affiliate of the Corporate General Partner also entered into an option agreement with the management services company pursuant to which it granted the company the exclusive option, for a period ending on December 27, 2013, to purchase the minority interests in the portfolio held by Aimco and its affiliates. Aimco expects the sale of such interests to be completed later this year, pending the satisfaction of certain closing conditions.

The general partners collectively share a one percent interest in profits and losses of the Partnership. The limited partners share the remaining 99 percent interest which is allocated in proportion to their respective individual investments.

The Partnership shall be dissolved only upon the expiration of 50 complete calendar years (December 31, 2033) from the date of the formation of the Partnership or the occurrence of various other events as specified in the Partnership Agreement.

Upon total or partial liquidation of the Partnership or the disposition or partial disposition of a project or project interest and distribution of the proceeds, the general partners will be entitled to a liquidation fee as stipulated in the Partnership Agreement. The limited partners will have a priority return equal to their invested capital attributable to the project(s) or project interest(s) sold and shall receive from the sale of the project(s) or project interest(s) an amount sufficient to pay state and federal income taxes, if any, calculated at the maximum rate then in effect. The general partners' fee may accrue but shall not be paid until the limited partners have received distributions equal to 100 percent of their capital contributions. No such fees were accrued or paid during the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.

Subsequent Events

The Partnership’s management evaluated subsequent events through the time this Annual Report on Form 10-K was filed.

Principles of Consolidation

These consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Real Estate Associates Limited VII and Real Estate Associates IV (“REA IV”), a California general partnership in which the Partnership holds 99 percent of the general partner interest. Losses in excess of the minority investment that would otherwise be attributed to the non-controlling interest are being allocated to the Partnership.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Method of Accounting for Investments in Local Limited Partnerships

The investments in Local Limited Partnerships are accounted for using the equity method.

Abandonment of Limited Partnership Interests

In 2011 and 2010, the number of Limited Partnership Interests decreased by 48 and 51.5 interests, respectively, due to limited partners abandoning their interests. At December 31, 2011 and 2010, the Partnership had outstanding 15,249.50 and 15,297.50 limited partnership interests, respectively. In abandoning his or her Limited Partnership Interest(s), a limited partner relinquishes all right, title, and interest in the Partnership as of the date of abandonment.

Net Income (Loss) Per Limited Parntership Interest

Net income (loss) per limited partnership interest was computed by dividing the limited partners' share of net income (loss) by the number of limited partnership interests outstanding at the beginning of the year. The number of limited partnership interests used was 15,297.5 and 15,349 for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents includes cash on hand and in bank accounts. At certain times, the amount of cash deposited at a bank may exceed the limit on insured deposits. The entire cash balance at December 31, 2011 and 2010 is maintained by an affiliated management company on behalf of affiliated entities in a cash concentration account.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

The Partnership reviews its investments in long-lived assets to determine if there has been any impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the asset may not be recoverable. If the sum of the expected future cash flows is less than the carrying amount of the assets, the Partnership recognizes an impairment loss. No impairment losses were recognized during the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010.

Segment Reporting

Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 280-10, “Segment Reporting”, established standards for the way that public business enterprises report information about operating segments in annual financial statements and requires that those enterprises report selected information about operating segments in interim financial reports. ASC Topic 280-10 also established standards for related disclosures about products and services, geographic areas, and major customers. As defined in ASC Topic 280-10, the Partnership has only one reportable segment.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

ASC Topic 825, “Financial Instruments”, requires disclosure of fair value information about financial instruments whether or not recognized in the balance sheet, for which it is practicable to estimate fair value. The notes payable and amounts due for partnership interests are collateralized by the Partnership’s investment in eight Local Limited Partnerships and are payable only out of cash distributions from the Local Limited Partnerships. The operations generated by the Local Limited Partnerships, which account for the Partnership’s primary source of revenues, are subject to various government rules, regulations and restrictions which make it impracticable to estimate the fair value of the notes and related accrued interest payable. At December 31, 2011, the Partnership believes that the carrying amount of its other assets and liabilities reported on the balance sheet that require such disclosure approximated their fair value due to the short-term maturity of these instruments.

Variable Interest Entities

The Partnership consolidates any variable interest entities in which the Partnership holds a variable interest and is the primary beneficiary. Generally, a variable interest entity, or VIE, is an entity with one or more of the following characteristics: (a) the total equity investment at risk is not sufficient to permit the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support; (b) as a group the holders of the equity investment at risk lack (i) the ability to make decisions about an entity’s activities through voting or similar rights, (ii) the obligation to absorb the expected losses of the entity, or (iii) the right to receive the expected residual returns of the entity; or (c) the equity investors have voting rights that are not proportional to their economic interests and substantially all of the entity’s activities either involve, or are conducted on behalf of, an investor that has disproportionately few voting rights. The primary beneficiary of a VIE is generally the entity that has (a) the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance, and (b) the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits that could potentially be significant to the VIE.

In determining whether it is the primary beneficiary of a VIE, the Partnership considers qualitative and quantitative factors, including, but not limited to: which activities most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance and which party controls such activities; the amount and characteristics of the Partnership’s investment; the obligation or likelihood for the Partnership or other investors to provide financial support; and the similarity with and significance to the business activities of the Partnership and the other investors. Significant judgments related to these determinations include estimates about the current and future fair values and performance of real estate held by these VIEs and general market conditions.

At December 31, 2011 and 2010, the Partnership holds variable interests in nineteen VIEs for which the Partnership is not the primary beneficiary. The Partnership has concluded, based on its qualitative consideration of the partnership agreement, the partnership structure and the role of the general partner in each of the Local Limited Partnerships, that the general partner of each of the Local Limited Partnerships is the primary beneficiary of the respective Local Limited Partnership. In making this determination, the Partnership considered the following factors:

· the general partners conduct and manage the business of the Local Limited Partnerships;

· the general partners have the responsibility for and sole discretion over selecting a property management agent for the Local Limited Partnerships’ underlying real estate properties;

· the general partners are responsible for approving operating and capital budgets for the properties owned by the Local Limited Partnerships;

· the general partners are obligated to fund any recourse obligations of the Local Limited Partnerships;

· the general partners are authorized to borrow funds on behalf of the Local Limited Partnerships; and

· the Partnership, as a limited partner in each of the Local Limited Partnerships, does not have the ability to direct or otherwise significantly influence the activities of the Local Limited Partnerships that most significantly impact such entities’ economic performance.

The nineteen VIEs consist of Local Limited Partnerships that are directly engaged in the ownership and management of nineteen apartment properties with a total of 1,237 units. The Partnership is involved with those VIEs as a non-controlling limited partner equity holder. The Partnership’s maximum exposure to loss as a result of its involvement with the unconsolidated VIEs is limited to the Partnership’s recorded investments in and receivables from these VIEs, which were zero at December 31, 2011 and 2010. The Partnership may be subject to additional losses to the extent of any financial support that the Partnership voluntarily provides in the future.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the organization, consolidation and basis of presentation of financial statements disclosure, and significant accounting policies of the reporting entity. May be provided in more than one note to the financial statements, as long as users are provided with an understanding of (1) the significant judgments and assumptions made by an enterprise in determining whether it must consolidate a VIE and/or disclose information about its involvement with a VIE, (2) the nature of restrictions on a consolidated VIE's assets reported by an enterprise in its statement of financial position, including the carrying amounts of such assets, (3) the nature of, and changes in, the risks associated with an enterprise's involvement with the VIE, and (4) how an enterprise's involvement with the VIE affects the enterprise's financial position, financial performance, and cash flows. Describes procedure if disclosures are provided in more than one note to the financial statements.

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