SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-K

[X] ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010

[ ] TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period _________to _________

Commission file number 0-13810

REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATES LIMITED VII

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

California	95-3290316
(State or other jurisdiction of	(I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)	Identification No.)

55 Beattie Place, PO Box 1089

Greenville, South Carolina 29602

(Address of principal executive offices)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code (864) 239-1000

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

None

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

Limited Partnership Interests

(Title of class)

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes [ ] No [X]

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes [ ] No [X]

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes [X] No [ ]

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). [ ] Yes [ ] No

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. [X]

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer”, “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer £

Accelerated filer £

Non-accelerated filer £(Do not check if a

smaller reporting company)

Smaller reporting company S

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes [ ] No [X]

State the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting partnership interests held by non-affiliates computed by reference to the price at which the partnership interests were last sold, or the average bid and asked price of such partnership interests as of the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter. No market exists for the limited partnership interests of the Registrant, and, therefore, no aggregate market value can be determined.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

None

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a “safe harbor” for forward-looking statements in certain circumstances. Certain information included in this Annual Report contains or may contain information that is forward-looking within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Actual results may differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements and, in addition, will be affected by a variety of risks and factors, some of which are beyond the Partnership’s control, including, without limitation: financing risks, including the availability and cost of financing and the risk that the Partnership’s cash flows from operations may be insufficient to meet required payments of principal and interest; national and local economic conditions, including the pace of job growth and the level of unemployment; the terms of governmental regulations that affect the Partnership and its investment in Local Limited Partnerships and interpretations of those regulations; the competitive environment in which the Partnership operates; real estate risks, including fluctuations in real estate values and the general economic climate in local markets and competition for residents in such markets; litigation, including costs associated with prosecuting or defending claims and any adverse outcomes; and possible environmental liabilities, including costs, fines or penalties that may be incurred due to necessary remediation of contamination of properties presently owned or previously owned by the Local Limited Partnerships in which the Partnership has invested. Readers should carefully review the Partnership’s consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto, as well as the other documents the Partnership files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

PART I

Item 1. Business.

Real Estate Associates Limited VII ("REAL VII" or the "Partnership") is a limited partnership which was formed under the laws of the State of California on May 24, 1983. On February 1, 1984, the Partnership offered 2,600 units consisting of 5,200 limited partnership interests and warrants to purchase a maximum of 10,400 additional limited partnership interests through a public offering managed by E.F. Hutton Inc. The Partnership received $39,000,000 in subscriptions for units of limited partnership interests (at $5,000 per unit) during the period from March 7, 1984 to June 11, 1985, pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-11.

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. The principal business of the Partnership is to invest, directly or indirectly, in other limited partnerships which own or lease and operate Federal, state and 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, a subsidiary of Apartment Investment and Management Company (“AIMCO”), a publicly traded real estate investment trust.

The Partnership holds limited partnership interests in eleven local limited partnerships (the "Local Limited Partnerships") as of December 31, 2010. The Partnership also holds a general partner interest in Real Estate Associates IV (“REA IV”) which, in turn, holds limited partnership interests in eight additional Local Limited Partnerships as of December 31, 2010; therefore, the Partnership holds interests, either directly or indirectly through REA IV, in nineteen Local Limited Partnerships as of December 31, 2010. The general partner of REA IV is NAPICO. Each of the Local Limited Partnerships owns a low income housing project which is subsidized and/or has a mortgage note payable to or is insured by agencies of the federal or local government.

The partnerships in which Real VII has invested are principally existing Local Limited Partnerships. The Partnership became the limited partner in these Local Limited Partnerships pursuant to arm's-length negotiations with the Local Limited Partnership's general partners who are often the original project developers. In certain other cases, the Partnership invested in newly formed Local Limited Partnerships which, in turn, acquired the projects. As a limited partner, the Partnership's liability for obligations of the Local Limited Partnership is limited to its investment. The local general partner of the Local Limited Partnership retains the responsibility of maintaining, operating and managing the property owned by the Local Limited Partnership. Under certain circumstances of default, the Partnership has the right to replace the local general partner of the Local Limited Partnerships, but otherwise does not have control of sale, refinancing, etc.

Although each of the partnerships in which Real VII has invested will generally own a project which must compete in the market place for tenants, interest subsidies and rent supplements from governmental agencies make it possible to offer these dwelling units to eligible "low income" tenants at a cost significantly below the market rate for comparable conventionally financed dwelling units in the area.

The Partnership does not have any employees. Services are performed for the Partnership by the Corporate General Partner and agents retained by the Corporate General Partner.

A further description of the Partnership's business is included in "Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" included in this Form 10-K.

Item 2. Properties.

During 2010, most of the projects in which the Partnership had invested were substantially rented. The following is a schedule of the status, as of December 31, 2010, of the projects owned by Local Limited Partnerships in which the Partnership, either directly or indirectly through REA IV, has invested.

SCHEDULE OF PROJECTS OWNED BY LOCAL LIMITED PARTNERSHIPS

IN WHICH REAL VII HAS AN INVESTMENT

DECEMBER 31, 2010

			Units
			Authorized
			for Rental
			Assistance
		Financed,	Under	Occupancy
		Insured	or Other Rent	Percentage
		and	Supplement	for the Years Ended
	Number of	Subsidized	Program	December 31,
Property Name and Location	Units	Under	Section 8 (B)	2010	2009

Aristocrat Manor
Hot Springs, AR	101	(A)	101	87%	98%

Arkansas City Apts.
Arkansas City, AR	16	(C)	12	71%	73%

Bellair Manor Apts.
Niles, OH	68	(A)	7	92%	88%

Birch Manor Apts. I
Medina, OH	60	(A)	12	94%	91%

Birch Manor Apts. II
Medina, OH	60	(A)	6	93%	90%

Bluewater Apts.
Port Huron, MI	116	(E)	--	91%	87%

SCHEDULE OF PROJECTS OWNED BY LOCAL LIMITED PARTNERSHIPS

IN WHICH REAL VII HAS AN INVESTMENT (continued)

DECEMBER 31, 2010

			Units
			Authorized
			for Rental
			Assistance
		Financed,	Under	Occupancy
		Insured	or Other Rent	Percentage
		and	Supplement	for the Years Ended
	Number of	Subsidized	Program	December 31,
Property Name and Location	Units	Under	Section 8 (B)	2010	2009

Ivywood Apts.
Columbus, OH	124	(A)	75	96%	97%

Jasper County Prop.
Heidelberg, MS	24	(C)	24	96%	98%

Nantucket Apts.
Alliance, OH	60	(A)	59	95%	93%

Newton Apts.
Newton, MS	36	(C)	--	77%	54%

Oak Hill Apts.
Franklin, PA	120	(A)	82	97%	93%

Oakview Apts.
Monticello, AR	32	(C)	17	89%	93%

Oakwood Park I Apts.
Lorain, OH	50	(D)	50	94%	95%

Oakwood Park II Apts.
Lorain, OH	78	(D)	--	83%	81%

Pachuta Apts.
Pachuta, MS	16	(C)	16	81%	96%

Richards Park Apts.
Elyria, OH	60	(A)	24	88%	90%

Shubuta Properties
Shubuta, MS	16	(C)	16	94%	95%

Tradewinds East
Essexville, MI	150	(E)	30	92%	93%

Yorkview Estates
Massillon, OH	50	(A)	50	96%	95%

TOTALS	1,237		581

(A) The mortgage is insured by the Federal Housing Administration ("FHA") under the provisions of Section 236 of the National Housing Act.

(B) Section 8 of Title II of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974.

(D) The mortgage is insured by FHA, under the provisions of section 221(d)(3) of the National Housing Act.

(E) The mortgage is insured by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.

Ownership Percentages

The following table details the Partnership's ownership percentages of the Local Limited Partnerships and the cost of acquisition of such ownership. All interests are limited partner interests owned by the Partnership. Also included is the total mortgage encumbrance on each property for each of the Local Limited Partnerships as of December 31, 2010.


	Real VII	Original Cost		Notes Payable
	Percentage	of Ownership	Mortgage	and Accrued
Partnership	Interest	Interest	Notes	Interest
			(in thousands)
Aristocrat Manor (1)	99.00%	$ 710	$ 2,918	$ --
Arkansas City Apts.	99.00%	95	466	--
Bellair Manor Apts. (1)	98.99%	305	336	--
Birch Manor Apts. I	99.55%	250	--	1,326
Birch Manor Apts. II	99.56%	258	275	1,194
Bluewater Apts. (1)	99.00%	650	614	--
Ivywood Apts. (1)	98.99%	550	638	--
Jasper County Prop.	99.00%	128	620	--
Nantucket Apts. (1)	98.99%	225	136	--
Newton Apts.	99.00%	185	981	--
Oak Hill Apts. (1)	98.99%	565	917	--
Oakview Apts.	99.00%	214	1,042	--
Oakwood Park I Apts.	98.79%	160	--	1,336
OakwoodParkII Apts.	99.99%	260	--	1,984
Pachuta Apts.	95.00%	85	423	--
Richards Park Apts.	98.99%	275	257	--
Shubuta Properties	99.00%	86	417	--
Tradewinds East (1)	99.00%	850	2,183	--
Yorkview Estates (1)	98.99%	220	266	--
		$ 6,071	$12,489	$ 5,840

(1) REAL VII owns through REA IV

Although each Local Limited Partnership in which the Partnership has invested owns an apartment complex which must compete with other apartment complexes for tenants, government mortgage interest and rent subsidies make it possible to rent units to eligible tenants at below market rates. In general, this insulates the projects from market competition.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings.

The Corporate General Partner is involved in various lawsuits arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business. In the opinion of management and the Corporate General Partner, the claims will not result in any material liability to the Partnership.

PART II

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

The Limited Partnership Interests are not traded on a public exchange but were sold through a public offering managed by E.F. Hutton Inc. It is not anticipated that any public market will develop for the purchase and sale of any partnership interest; therefore, an investor may be unable to sell or otherwise dispose of his or her interest in the Partnership. Limited Partnership Interests may be transferred only if certain requirements are satisfied. At December 31, 2010, there were 2,870 registered holders, owning an aggregate of 15,297.5 limited partnership interests in the Partnership. The Partnership has invested in certain government assisted projects under programs which in many instances restrict the cash return available to project owners. The Partnership was not designed to provide cash distributions to investors in circumstances other than refinancing or disposition of its investments in limited partnerships. In March 1999, the Partnership made a distribution of approximately $272,000 to the limited partners and approximately $3,000 to the general partners, using proceeds from the sale of the Partnership interests. No other distributions have been made from the inception of the Partnership.

AIMCO and its affiliates owned 1,177.58 limited partnership interests in the Partnership representing 7.70% of the outstanding interests at December 31, 2010. It is possible that AIMCO or its affiliates will acquire additional limited partnership interests in exchange for cash or a combination of cash and units inAIMCO Properties, L.P., the operating partnership of AIMCO, either through private purchases or tender offers. Pursuant to the Partnership Agreement, unitholders holding a majority of the limited partnership interests are entitled to take action with respect to a variety of matters, that include, but are not limited to, voting on certain amendments to the Partnership Agreement and voting to remove the Corporate General Partner. Although the Corporate General Partner owes fiduciary duties to the limited partners of the Partnership, the Corporate General Partner also owes fiduciary duties to AIMCO as its sole stockholder. As a result, the duties of the Corporate General Partner, as corporate general partner, to the Partnership and its limited partners may come into conflict with the duties of the Corporate General Partner to AIMCO as its sole stockholder.

Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

This item should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and other items contained elsewhere in this report.

The Corporate General Partner monitors developments in the area of legal and regulatory compliance.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

The Partnership's primary source of funds consists of the receipt of distributions from Local Limited Partnerships in which the Partnership has invested. It is not expected that any of the Local Limited Partnerships in which the Partnership has invested will generate cash flow from operations sufficient to provide for distributions to limited partners in any material amount. An infrequent source of funds is from the sale of a Local Limited Partnership property or the sale of the Partnership’s interest in a Local Limited Partnership. The Corporate General Partner has determined that its cash and cash equivalents are to be reserved to fund Partnership reserves and operating expenses.

As of December 31, 2010 and 2009, the Partnership had cash and cash equivalents of approximately $1,481,000 and $1,645,000, respectively. All of this cash is on deposit with a financial institution.

Eight of the Partnership's nineteen remaining investments involved purchases of partnership interests from partners who subsequently withdrew from the operating partnership. 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 at December 31, 2010 is approximately $14,649,000. These obligations and the related interest are collaterized by the Partnership's investment in 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. The Partnership has not repaid the notes payable and is in default under the terms of seven of the notes. In 2005, 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 $5,725,000 as of December 31, 2010, 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. The Partnership has no remaining investment balance in these Local Limited Partnerships at December 31, 2010 and 2009.

Management negotiated an extension of the maturity date on one note payable and is attempting to negotiate extensions of the maturity dates on the two notes payable not subject to the forebearance agreement. If the negotiations are unsuccessful, the Partnership could lose its investment in the Local Limited Partnerships to foreclosure.

The consolidated financial statements included in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” have been prepared assuming the Partnership 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. As a result, 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 amounts and classifications of liabilities that may result from the outcome of these uncertainties.

On April 20, 2010, Hampshire House sold its investment property for a sale price of $4,600,000. After payment of closing costs and upon the purchaser’s closing of its financing of the property, the Partnership’s share of distributable proceeds was approximately $1,063,000, which was recognized as a distribution in excess of investment in Local Limited Partnerships during the year ended December 31, 2010. Approximately $890,000 of the proceeds were used at closing to repay the non-recourse note and related accrued interest payable to an affiliate of the purchaser associated with the Partnership’s investment in Hampshire House, and the Partnership received the remaining proceeds of approximately $173,000. The Partnership had no investment balance remaining in Hampshire House as of December 31, 2010 and 2009.

On December 18, 2007, Clarkwood Apartments I and Clarkwood Apartments II entered into separate agreements with a third party to sell their investment properties for approximately $1,570,000 and $2,617,000, respectively. These sales were completed on April 9, 2009. The Partnership received approximately $83,000 from the sale of Clarkwood Apartments I and approximately $140,000 from the sale of Clarkwood Apartments II during the year ended December 31, 2009. The Partnership had no investment balance remaining in either Clarkwood Apartments I or Clarkwood Apartments II as of December 31, 2010 and 2009.

In August 2007, the mortgage lender for the mortgage encumbering Newton Apartments sent notice accelerating the debt. The Local Operating General Partner requested that the lender restructure or write down the debt. The Local Operating General Partner conducted mediation with the lender in June 2010. The mortgage lender was unwilling to write down or restructure the debt, but did agree to give the Local Operating General Partner additional time to complete a sale of the property. Accordingly, the Local Operating General Partner has listed the property for sale with a broker and is actively seeking a purchaser for this property as well as Jasper County Apartments, Pachuta Apartments and Shubuta Apartments.

Results of Operations

At December 31, 2010 and 2009, the Partnership holds investments in eleven Local Limited Partnerships and a general partner interest in Real Estate Associates IV which, in turn, holds limited partnership interests in eight and nine additional Local Limited Partnerships, respectively; therefore, the Partnership holds interests, either directly or indirectly through REA IV, in nineteen and twenty Local Limited Partnerships, respectively. The general partner of REA IV is NAPICO. The Local Limited Partnerships all own housing projects, most of which were substantially rented. The Partnership, as a limited partner, does not have a contractual relationship with the Local Limited Partnerships or exercise control over the activities and operations, including refinancing or selling decisions of the Local Limited Partnerships that would require or allow for consolidation. Accordingly, the Partnership accounts for its investment in the Local Limited Partnerships using the equity method. Thus the individual investments are carried at cost plus the Partnership’s share of the Local Limited Partnership’s profits less the Partnership’s share of the Local Limited Partnership’s losses, distributions, and impairment charges. However, since the Partnership is not legally liable for the obligations of the Local Limited Partnerships, or is not otherwise committed to provide additional support to them, it does not recognize losses once its investment in each of the Local Limited Partnerships reaches zero. Distributions from the Local Limited Partnerships are accounted for as a reduction of the investment balance until the investment balance is reduced to zero. Subsequent distributions received are recognized as income in the consolidated statements of operations. For those investments where the Partnership has determined that the carrying value of its investments approximates the estimated fair value of those investments, the Partnership’s policy is to recognize equity in income of the Local Limited Partnerships only to the extent of distributions received, and amortization of acquisition costs from those Local Limited Partnerships.

There was no recognition of equity in losses from the Local Limited Partnerships for the years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009, as the Partnership's investment in all Local Limited Partnerships had been reduced to zero prior to January 1, 2009.

During each of the years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009, the Partnership received operating distributions of approximately $7,000 from Local Limited Partnerships that were recognized as income on the consolidated statements of operations included in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” as the Partnership’s investment in the Local Limited Partnerships had been reduced to zero.

At times, advances are made to the Local Limited Partnerships. Advances made by the Partnership to the individual Local Limited Partnerships are considered part of the Partnership's investment in limited partnerships. Advances made to Local Limited Partnerships for which the investment has been reduced to zero are charged to expense. During the year ended December 31, 2010, the Partnership advanced approximately $23,000 to Clarkwood Apartments I and II to pay for the Local Limited Partnership’s tax returns. During the year ended December 31, 2009, the Partnership advanced approximately $14,000 to one Local Limited Partnership, Clarkwood Apartments II in order to facilitate the sale of the Local Limited Partnership’s investment property. The 2010 and 2009 advances were charged to expense on the consolidated statements of operations included in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data”. While not obligated to make advances to any of the Local Limited Partnerships, the Partnership made these advances in order to facilitate the sales of the properties owned by Clarkwood Apartments I and II.

Operating expenses, other than interest expense and management fees, consist of legal and accounting fees for services rendered to the Partnership and general and administrative expenses. Legal and accounting fees were approximately $81,000 and $70,000 for the years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively. General and administrative expenses were approximately $20,000 and $25,000 for the years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively.

A recurring partnership expense is the annual management fee. The fee is payable to the Corporate General Partner of the Partnership and is calculated at 0.5 percent of the Partnership's original remaining invested assets and is calculated at the beginning of each year. The management fee is paid to the Corporate General Partner for its continuing management of Partnership affairs. Management fees were approximately $202,000 and $225,000 for the years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively. Management fees decreased due to the sale of the investment properties owned by Clarkwood Apartments I and II in 2009.

The Partnership, as a limited partner in the Local Limited Partnerships in which it has invested, is subject to the risks incident to the management and ownership of improved real estate. The Partnership investments are also subject to adverse general economic conditions and, accordingly, the status of the national economy, including substantial unemployment, concurrent inflation and changing legislation, could increase vacancy levels, rental payment defaults and operating expenses, which in turn, could substantially increase the risk of operating losses for the projects.

The current policy of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) is to not renew the Housing Assistance Payment (“HAP”) Contracts on a long term basis on the existing terms. In connection with renewals of the HAP Contracts under current law and policy, the amount of rental assistance payments under renewed HAP Contracts will be based on market rentals instead of above market rentals, which may be the case under existing HAP Contracts. The payments under the renewed HAP Contracts may not be in an amount that would provide sufficient cash flow to permit owners of properties subject to HAP Contracts to meet the debt service requirements of existing loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration of HUD (“FHA”) unless such mortgage loans are restructured. In order to address the reduction in payments under HAP Contracts as a result of this new policy, the Multi-family Assisted Housing Reform and Affordability Act of 1997 (“MAHRAA”), provides for the restructuring of mortgage loans insured by the FHA with respect to properties subject to the Section 8 program. Under MAHRAA, an FHA-insured mortgage loan can be restructured into a first mortgage loan which will be amortized on a current basis and a low interest second mortgage loan payable to FHA which will only be payable on maturity of the first mortgage loan. This restructuring results in a reduction in annual debt service payable to the owner of the FHA-insured mortgage loan and is expected to result in an insurance payment from FHA to the holder of the FHA-insured loan due to the reduction in the principal amount. MAHRAA also phases out project-based subsidies on selected properties serving families not located in rental markets with limited supply, converting such subsidies to a tenant-based subsidy.

When the HAP Contracts are subject to renewal, there can be no assurance that the Local Limited Partnerships in which the Partnership has an investment will be permitted to restructure its mortgage indebtedness under MAHRAA. In addition, the economic impact on the Partnership of the combination of the reduced payments under the HAP Contracts and the restructuring of the existing FHA-insured mortgage loans under MAHRAA is uncertain.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

The Partnership owns limited partnership interests in unconsolidated Local Limited Partnerships, in which the Partnership’s ownership percentage ranges from 95% to 99.99%. However, based on the provisions of the relevant partnership agreements, the Partnership, as a limited partner, does not have control or a contractual relationship with the Local Limited Partnerships that would require or allow for consolidation under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (see “Note 2 – Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” of the consolidated financial statements in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data”). There are no lines of credit, side agreements or any other derivative financial instruments between the Local Limited Partnerships and the Partnership. Accordingly the Partnership’s maximum risk of loss related to these unconsolidated Local Limited Partnerships is limited to the recorded investments in and receivables from the Local Limited Partnerships. See “Note 3 – Investments in and Advances to Local Limited Partnerships” of the consolidated financial statements in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” for additional information about the Partnership’s investments in unconsolidated Local Limited Partnerships.

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, 2010 and 2009, the Partnership holds variable interests in nineteen and twenty VIEs, respectively, 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 at December 31, 2010 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, 2010 and 2009. The Partnership may be subject to additional losses to the extent of any financial support that the Partnership voluntarily provides in the future.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

A summary of the Partnership’s significant accounting policies is included in "Note 2 – Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies" which is included in the consolidated financial statements in "Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data". The Corporate General Partner believes that the consistent application of these policies enables the Partnership to provide readers of the consolidated financial statements with useful and reliable information about the Partnership’s operating results and financial condition. The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires the Partnership to make estimates and assumptions. These estimates and assumptions affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements as well as reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from these estimates. Judgments and assessments of uncertainties are required in applying the Partnership’s accounting policies in many areas. The Partnership believes that of its significant accounting policies, the following may involve a higher degree of judgment and complexity.

Method of Accounting for Investments in Limited Partnerships

The Partnership, as a limited partner, does not have a contractual relationship with the Local Limited Partnerships or exercise control over the activities and operations, including refinancing or selling decisions, of the Local Limited Partnerships that would require or allow for consolidation. Accordingly, the Partnership accounts for its investments in the Local Limited Partnerships using the equity method. The Partnership is allocated profits and losses of the Local Limited Partnerships based upon its respective ownership percentage (between 95% and 99.99%). Distributions of surplus cash from operations from most of the Local Limited Partnerships are restricted by the Local Limited Partnerships’ Regulatory Agreements with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”). These restrictions limit the distribution to a portion, generally less than 10%, of the initial invested capital. The excess surplus cash is deposited into a residual receipts reserve, of which the ultimate realization by the Partnership is uncertain as HUD frequently retains it upon sale or dissolution of the Local Limited Partnership. The Partnership is allocated profits and losses and receives distributions from refinancings and sales in accordance with the Local Limited Partnerships’ partnership agreements. These agreements usually limit the Partnership’s distributions to an amount substantially less than its ownership percentage in the Local Limited Partnership.

The individual investments are carried at cost plus the Partnership’s share of the Local Limited Partnership’s profits less the Partnership’s share of the Local Limited Partnership’s losses, distributions and impairment charges. See “Note 2 – Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” to the consolidated financial statements included in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” for a description of the impairment policy. The Partnership is not legally liable for the obligations of the Local Limited Partnerships and is not otherwise committed to provide additional support to them. Therefore, it does not recognize losses once its investment in each of the Local Limited Partnerships reaches zero. Distributions from the Local Limited Partnerships are accounted for as a reduction of the investment balance until the investment balance is reduced to zero. When the investment balance has been reduced to zero, subsequent distributions received are recognized as income in the consolidated statements of operations included in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data”.

For those investments where the Partnership has determined that the carrying value of its investments approximates the estimated fair value of those investments, the Partnership’s policy is to recognize equity in income of the Local Limited Partnerships only to the extent of distributions received and amortization of acquisition costs from those Local Limited Partnerships. Therefore, the Partnership limits its recognition of equity earnings to the amount it expects to ultimately realize.

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

Real Estate Associate Limited VII

List of Financial Statements

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Consolidated Balance Sheets – December 31, 2010 and 2009

Consolidated Statements of Operations – Years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Partners’ Deficit - Years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows – Years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The Partners

Real Estate Associates Limited VII

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Real Estate Associates Limited VII as of December 31, 2010 and 2009, and the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in partners' deficit and cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2010. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Partnership's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. We were not engaged to perform an audit of the Partnership’s internal control over financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Partnership’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of Real Estate Associates Limited VII at December 31, 2010 and 2009, and the consolidated results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2010, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Partnership will continue as a going concern. As more fully described in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, the Partnership continues to generate recurring operating losses. In addition, notes payable and related accrued interest totaling approximately $15,738,000 are in default due to non-payment. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Partnership's ability to continue as a going concern. Management's plans in regard to these matters are also described in Note 1. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments to reflect the possible future effects on the recoverability and classification of assets or the amounts and classification of liabilities that may result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

/s/Ernst & Young LLP

Greenville, South Carolina

March 31, 2011

REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATES LIMITED VII

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(in thousands)

	December 31,
	2010	2009
Assets

Investments in and advances to Local Limited
Partnerships (Note 3)	$ --	$ --
Cash and cash equivalents	1,481	1,645
Receivables – limited partners	40	38
Total assets	$ 1,521	$ 1,683

Liabilities and Partners’ Deficit

Liabilities:
Notes payable, in default (Notes 1 and 4)	$ 4,670	$ 4,920
Accrued interest payable, in default (Notes 1 and 4)	11,068	11,275
Notes payable (Note 4)	1,400	1,400
Accrued interest payable (Note 4)	3,581	3,441
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	85	101
	20,804	21,137
Contingencies (Note 7)

Partners' deficit:
General partners	(517)	(519)
Limited partners	(18,766)	(18,935)
	(19,283)	(19,454)
Total liabilities and partners' deficit	$ 1,521	$ 1,683

See Accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATES LIMITED VII

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(in thousands, except per interest data)

	Years Ended December 31,
	2010	2009
Revenues:
Interest income	$ --	$ 2

Operating expenses:
Management fees – Corporate General Partner (Note 5)	202	225
General and administrative	20	25
Legal and accounting	81	70
Interest (Note 4)	573	589
Total operating expenses	876	909

Loss from partnership operations	(876)	(907)
Distributions in excess of investment in Local
Limited Partnerships (Note 3)	1,070	230
Advances to Local Limited Partnerships
charged to expense (Note 3)	(23)	(14)
Net income (loss) (Note 6)	$ 171	$ (691)

Net income (loss) allocated to general partners (1%)	$ 2	$ (7)
Net income (loss) allocated to limited partners (99%)	169	(684)
	$ 171	$ (691)

Net income (loss) per limited partnership interest (Note 2)	$ 11.01	$(44.52)

See Accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATES LIMITED VII

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN PARTNERS' DEFICIT

(in thousands, except interest data)

	General	Limited
	Partners	Partners	Total

Partnership interests (A)		15,297.5

Partners' deficit, December 31, 2008	$ (512)	$(18,251)	$(18,763)

Net loss for the year ended
December 31, 2009	(7)	(684)	(691)

Partners' deficit, December 31, 2009	(519)	(18,935)	(19,454)

Net income for the year ended
December 31, 2010	2	169	171

Partners' deficit, December 31, 2010	$ (517)	$(18,766)	$(19,283)

(A) Consists of 15,297.5 and 15,349 interests at December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively. During 2010 and 2009, 51.5 and 16 interests, respectively, were abandoned (Note 2).

See Accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATES LIMITED VII

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(in thousands)

	Years Ended
	December 31,
	2010	2009
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	$ 171	$ (691)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash used
in operating activities:
Advances to Local Limited Partnerships charged to expense	23	14
Distributions from sale of Local Limited
Partnership property recognized as income	(1,063)	(223)
Change in accounts:
Receivables – limited partners	(2)	(3)
Accrued interest payable	573	589
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	(16)	59
Net cash used in operating activities	(314)	(255)

Cash flows from investing activities:
Advances to Local Limited Partnerships	(23)	(14)
Distributions from sale of Local Limited
Partnership property	173	223
Net cash provided by investing activities	150	209

Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(164)	(46)

Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year	1,645	1,691

Cash and cash equivalents, end of year	$ 1,481	$ 1,645

Supplemental disclosure of non-cash activity:
Repayment of note payable and accrued interest from sale
of Local Limited Partnership property	$ 890	$ --

See Accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATES LIMITED VII

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DECEMBER 31, 2010

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, 2010 and 2009, the Partnership is obligated for non-recourse notes payable of approximately $6,070,000 and $6,320,000, respectively, to the sellers of the partnership interests, bearing interest at 9.5 to 10 percent. Total outstanding accrued interest is approximately $14,649,000 and $14,716,000 at December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively. These obligations and the related interest are collaterized 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, 2010.

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, 2009. As discussed in “Note 4 – Notes Payable”, the Partnership entered into an agreement with the non-recourse note holder for five other Local Limited Partnerships with notes payable totaling approximately $2,329,000 and accrued interest of approximately $5,725,000 at December 31, 2010, 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 and is attempting to negotiate extensions of the maturity dates on the two notes payable that are not subject to the forebearance agreement.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.

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.

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.

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 2010 and 2009, the number of Limited Partnership Interests decreased by 51.5 and 16 interests, respectively, due to limited partners abandoning their interests. 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 Partnership 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 15,349 and 15,365 for the years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009, 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, 2010 and 2009 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, 2010 and 2009.

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, 2010, 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.

Recent Accounting Pronouncement

In December 2009, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standards Update 2009-17, Improvements to Financial Reporting by Enterprises Involved with Variable Interest Entities, or ASU 2009-17, which is effective for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2009. ASU 2009-17, which modifies the guidance in ASC Topic 810, “Consolidation”, introduces a more qualitative approach to evaluating VIEs for consolidation and requires a company to perform an analysis to determine whether its variable interests give it a controlling financial interest in a VIE. This analysis identifies the primary beneficiary of a VIE as 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 has the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly affect the VIE’s performance, ASU 2009-17 requires a company to assess whether it has an implicit financial responsibility to ensure that a VIE operates as designed, requires continuous reassessment of primary beneficiary status rather than periodic, event-driven assessments as previously required, and incorporates expanded disclosure requirements. The Partnership adopted ASU 2009-17 effective January 1, 2010. The adoption of ASU 2009-17 did not have a significant effect on the Partnership’s consolidated financial statements.

Variable Interest Entities

· 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

Note 3 - Investments in and Advances to Local Limited Partnerships

As of December 31, 2010 and 2009, the Partnership holds limited partnership interests in eleven Local Limited Partnerships, and a general partner interest in REA IV which, in turn, holds limited partnership interests in eight and nine additional Local Limited Partnerships, respectively; therefore, the Partnership holds interests, either directly or indirectly through REA IV, in nineteen and twenty Local Limited Partnerships, respectively. The other general partner of REA IV is NAPICO. The Local Limited Partnerships own residential low income rental projects consisting of 1,237 and 1,387 apartment units at December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively. The mortgage loans of these projects are payable to or insured by various governmental agencies.

The individual investments are carried at cost plus the Partnership’s share of the Local Limited Partnership’s profits less the Partnership’s share of the Local Limited Partnership’s losses, distributions and impairment charges. See “Note 2 – Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” for a description of the impairment policy. The Partnership is not legally liable for the obligations of the Local Limited Partnerships and is not otherwise committed to provide additional support to them. Therefore, it does not recognize losses once its investment in each of the Local Limited Partnerships reaches zero. Distributions from the Local Limited Partnerships are accounted for as a reduction of the investment balance until the investment balance is reduced to zero. When the investment balance has been reduced to zero, subsequent distributions received are recognized as income in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. During each of the years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009, the Partnership received operating distributions of approximately $7,000 from the Local Limited Partnerships that were recognized as income on the consolidated statements of operations.

At times, advances are made to the Local Limited Partnerships. Advances made by the Partnership to the individual Local Limited Partnerships are considered part of the Partnership's investment in limited partnerships. Advances made to Local Limited Partnerships for which the investment has been reduced to zero are charged to expense. During the year ended December 31, 2010, the Partnership advanced approximately $23,000 to Clarkwood Apartments I and II to pay for the Local Limited Partnership’s tax returns. During the year ended December 31, 2009, the Partnership advanced approximately $14,000 to one Local Limited Partnership, Clarkwood Apartments II in order to facilitate the sale of the Local Limited Partnership’s investment property. The 2010 and 2009 advances were charged to expense on the consolidated statements of operations. While not obligated to make advances to any of the Local Limited Partnerships, the Partnership made these advances in order to facilitate the sales of the properties owned by Clarkwood Apartments I and II.

The Partnership has no carrying value in investments in Local Limited Partnerships as of December 31, 2010 and 2009.

Although the Partnership’s recorded value of its investments and its equity in income and/or distributions from the Local Limited Partnerships are individually not material to the overall financial position of the Partnership, the following are summaries of the unaudited condensed combined balance sheets of the aforementioned Local Limited Partnerships as of December 31, 2010 and 2009, and the unaudited combined results of operations for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2010. (2010 and 2009 amounts exclude Hampshire House, which sold April 20, 2010 and Clarkwood Apartments I and Clarkwood Apartments II, which sold April 9, 2009):

CONDENSED COMBINED BALANCE SHEETS

OF THE LOCAL LIMITED PARTNERSHIPS

	December 31,
	2010	2009
	(in thousands-unaudited)
Assets:
Land	$ 1,557	$ 1,557
Buildings and improvements, net of accumulated
depreciation of approximately $30,385 and $29,226	8,584	8,008
Other assets	5,936	5,507
Total assets	$16,077	$15,072

Liabilities and Partners' deficit:
Mortgage notes payable	$12,489	$12,094
Notes payable	1,750	1,750
Accrued interest on notes payable	4,090	3,924
Other liabilities	3,345	3,125
Total liabilities	21,674	20,893

Partners' deficit	(5,597)	(5,821)
Total liabilities and partners' deficit	$16,077	$15,072

CONDENSED COMBINED RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
OF THE LOCAL LIMITED PARTNERSHIPS

	Years Ended December 31,
	2010	2009
	(in thousands-unaudited)
Revenues:
Rental and other	$ 8,034	$ 7,842

Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	1,160	1,166
Interest	58	108
Operating	6,579	6,691
Total expenses	7,797	7,965

Income (loss) from continuing operations	$ 237	$ (123)

The difference between the investment per the accompanying consolidated balance sheets at December 31, 2010 and 2009 and the equity per the Local Limited Partnerships' combined financial statements is due primarily to cumulative unrecognized equity in losses of certain Local Limited Partnerships, costs capitalized to the investment account, cumulative distributions recognized as income and the recognition of impairment losses.

The current policy of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) is to not renew the Housing Assistance Payment (“HAP”) Contracts on a long term basis on the existing terms. In connection with renewals of the HAP Contracts under current law and policy, the amount of rental assistance payments under renewed HAP Contracts will be based on market rentals instead of above market rentals, which may be the case under existing HAP Contracts. The payments under the renewed HAP Contracts may not be in an amount that would provide sufficient cash flow to permit owners of properties subject to HAP Contracts to meet the debt service requirements of existing loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration of HUD (“FHA”) unless such mortgage loans are restructured. In order to address the reduction in payments under HAP Contracts as a result of this new policy, the Multi-family Assisted Housing Reform and Affordability Act of 1997 (“MAHRAA”) provides for the restructuring of mortgage loans insured by the FHA with respect to properties subject to the Section 8 program. Under MAHRAA, an FHA-insured mortgage loan can be restructured into a first mortgage loan which will be amortized on a current basis and a low interest second mortgage loan payable to FHA which will only be payable on maturity of the first mortgage loan. This restructuring results in a reduction in annual debt service payable by the owner of the FHA-insured mortgage loan and is expected to result in an insurance payment from FHA to the holder of the FHA-insured loan due to the reduction in the principal amount. MAHRAA also phases out project-based subsidies on selected properties serving families not located in rental markets with limited supply, converting such subsidies to a tenant-based subsidy.

Note 4 – Notes Payable

Eight of the Partnership's nineteen remaining investments involved purchases of partnership interests from partners who subsequently withdrew from the operating partnership. The Partnership is obligated for non-recourse notes payable of approximately $6,070,000 and $6,320,000, respectively, to the sellers of the partnership interests bearing interest at 9.5 to 10 percent. The Partnership recognized interest expense of approximately $573,000 and $589,000 for the years ended December, 2010 and 2009, respectively. Accrued interest is approximately $14,649,000 and $14,716,000 as of December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively. Seven of the eight notes matured between December 1999 and December 2004. These obligations and related interest are collateralized by the Partnership's investments in 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 and eight of the notes payable have matured and remain unpaid at December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively.

In 2005, the Partnership entered into an agreement with the non-recourse note holder for five other Local Limited Partnerships with notes payable totaling approximately $2,329,000 and accrued interest of approximately $5,725,000 as of December 31, 2010, 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 Local Limited Partnerships. The Partnership has no remaining investment balance in these Local Limited Partnerships as of December 31, 2010 and 2009.

There were no other principal or interest payments made on these notes during the years ended December 31, 2010 or 2009. Management negotiated an extension of the maturity date on one note payable and is attempting to negotiate extensions of the maturity dates on the two notes payable not subject to the forebearance agreement. If the negotiations are unsuccessful, the Partnership could lose its investments in the Local Limited Partnerships to foreclosure.

Note 5 - Transactions with Affiliated Parties

Under the terms of the Restated Certificate and Agreement of Limited Partnership, the Partnership is obligated to NAPICO for an annual management fee equal to 0.5 percent of the original remaining invested assets of the remaining partnerships and is calculated at the beginning of each year. Invested assets are defined as the costs of acquiring project interests, including the proportionate amount of the mortgage loans related to the Partnership's interest in the capital accounts of the respective partnerships. The fee was approximately $202,000 and $225,000 for the years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively.

An affiliate of the Corporate General Partner is the local general partner in fourteen of the Partnership’s nineteen Local Limited Partnerships.

AIMCO and its affiliates owned 1,177.58 limited partnership interests in the Partnership representing 7.70% of the outstanding interests at December 31, 2010. It is possible that AIMCO or its affiliates will acquire additional limited partnership interests in exchange for cash or a combination of cash and units in AIMCO Properties, L.P., the operating partnership of AIMCO, either through private purchases or tender offers. Pursuant to the Partnership Agreement, unitholders holding a majority of the limited partnership interests are entitled to take action with respect to a variety of matters, that include, but are not limited to, voting on certain amendments to the Partnership Agreement and voting to remove the Corporate General Partner. Although the Corporate General Partner owes fiduciary duties to the limited partners of the Partnership, the Corporate General Partner also owes fiduciary duties to AIMCO as its sole stockholder. As a result, the duties of the Corporate General Partner, as corporate general partner, to the Partnership and its limited partners may come into conflict with the duties of the Corporate General Partner to AIMCO as its sole stockholder.

Note 6 - Income Taxes

The Partnership is not taxed on its income. The partners are taxed in their individual capacities based upon their distributive share of the Partnership's taxable income or loss and are allowed the benefits to be derived from off-setting their distributive share of the tax losses against taxable income from other sources subject to passive loss limitations. The taxable income or loss differs from amounts included in the consolidated statements of operations because different methods are used in determining the losses of the Local Limited Partnerships as discussed below. The tax loss is allocated to the partner groups in accordance with Section 704(b) of the Internal Revenue Code and therefore is not necessarily proportionate to the interest percentage owned.

A reconciliation is as follows (in thousands, except per limited partnership interest):

	Years Ended December 31,
	2010	2009

Net income (loss) per financial statements	$ 171	$ (691)

Other	(51)	380
Partnership's share of limited local
partnership	2,643	2,458
Income per tax return	$ 2,763	$ 2,147

Income per limited partnership interest	$353.35	$272.30

The following is a reconciliation between the Partnership’s reported amounts and the Federal tax basis of net liabilities (in thousands):

	December 31,
	2010	2009

Net deficit as reported	$(19,283)	$(19,454)
Add (deduct):
Deferred offering costs	5,091	5,091
Investment in Partnerships	(5,716)	(10,662)
Accrued interest	11,776	14,723
Other	(856)	(1,450)
Net deficit – Federal tax basis	$ (8,988)	$(11,752)

Note 7 - Contingencies

Note 8 – Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation of Local Limited Partnerships in which Real VII Has Invested (unaudited)

All amounts in thousands

				Buildings
				And
		Notes Payable		Related
	Mortgage	and Accrued		Personal		Accumulated
Description	Notes	Interest	Land	Property	Total(2)	Depreciation (2)
Aristocrat Manor	$ 2,918	$ --	$ 265	$ 4,483	$ 4,748	$ 3,072
Arkansas City Apts.	466	--	22	510	532	283
Bellair Manor Apts.	336	--	153	1,547	1,700	1,366
Birch Manor Apts. I	--	1,326	61	1,332	1,393	1,169
Birch Manor Apts. II	275	1,194	50	1,394	1,444	1,225
Bluewater Apts.	614	--	130	4,659	4,789	3,532
Ivywood Apts.	638	--	200	2,945	3,145	2,598
Jasper County Prop.	620	--	33	938	971	800
Nantucket Apts.	136	--	35	1,438	1,473	1,162
Newton Apts.	981	--	55	1,204	1,259	1,133
Oak Hill Apts.	917	--	76	3,175	3,251	2,733
Oakview Apts.	1,042	--	75	1,203	1,278	638
Oakwood Park I Apts.	--	1,336	63	874	937	756
OakwoodParkII Apts.	--	1,984	102	1,397	1,499	1,218
Pachuta Apts.	423	--	21	600	621	519
Richards Park Apts.	257	--	53	1,426	1,479	1,246
Shubuta Properties	417	--	23	714	737	580
Tradewinds East	2,183	--	118	7,850	7,968	5,291
Yorkview Estates	266	--	22	1,280	1,302	1,064
Total	$12,489	$ 5,840	$1,557	$38,969	$40,526	$30,385

(2) Reconciliation of real estate and accumulated depreciation (unaudited)

	Years Ended December 31,
	2010	2009
	(in thousands-unaudited)
Real Estate

Balance at beginning of year	$ 42,837	$ 42,754
Improvements during the year	1,735	83
Disposal of property	(4,046)	--
Balance at end of year	$ 40,526	$ 42,837

	Years Ended December 31,
	2010	2009
	(in thousands-unaudited)
Accumulated Depreciation

Balance at beginning of year	$ 32,580	$ 31,285
Depreciation expense for the year	1,159	1,295
Disposal of property	(3,354)	--
Balance at end of year	$ 30,385	$ 32,580

Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

None.

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.

(a) Disclosure Controls and Procedures

The Partnership’s management, with the participation of the principal executive officer and principal financial officer of the Corporate General Partner, who are the equivalent of the Partnership’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, respectively, has evaluated the effectiveness of the Partnership’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based on such evaluation, the principal executive officer and principal financial officer of the Corporate General Partner, who are the equivalent of the Partnership’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, respectively, have concluded that, as of the end of such period, the Partnership’s disclosure controls and procedures are effective.

Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

The Partnership’s management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Internal control over financial reporting is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act as a process designed by, or under the supervision of, the principal executive and principal financial officers of the Corporate General Partner, who are the equivalent of the Partnership’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, respectively, and effected by the Partnership’s management and other personnel to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of consolidated financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and includes those policies and procedures that:

· pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of assets;

· provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of consolidated financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of the Partnership’s management; and

· provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of assets that could have a material effect on the consolidated financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risks that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

The Partnership’s management assessed the effectiveness of the Partnership’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2010. In making this assessment, the Partnership’s management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in Internal Control-Integrated Framework.

Based on their assessment, the Partnership’s management concluded that, as of December 31, 2010, the Partnership’s internal control over financial reporting is effective.

This annual report does not include an attestation report of the Partnership’s registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting. Management’s report was not subject to attestation by the Partnership’s registered public accounting firm pursuant to rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission that permit the Partnership to provide only management’s report in this annual report.

(b) Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting.

There has been no change in the Partnership’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) during the fourth quarter of 2010 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Partnership’s internal control over financial reporting.

Item 9B. Other Information.

None.

PART III

Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.

Real Estate Associates Limited VII (the “Partnership” or the “Registrant”) has no directors or officers. The general partner responsible for conducting the business of the Partnership is National Partnership Investments Corp., a California Corporation (“NAPICO” or the “Corporate General Partner”).

The names and ages of, as well as the positions and offices held by, the present directors and officers of NAPICO are set forth below: The Corporate General Partner manages and controls substantially all of the Partnership’s affairs and has general responsibility and ultimate authority in all matters affecting its business. There are no family relationships between or among any directors or officers.

Name	Age	Position
John Bezzant	48	Director and Executive Vice President
Ernest M. Freedman	40	Director, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Lisa R. Cohn	42	Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
Paul Beldin	37	Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting
		Officer
John McGrath	39	Senior Vice President
Stephen B. Waters	49	Senior Director of Partnership Accounting

John Bezzant was appointed as a Director of the Corporate General Partner effective December 16, 2009. Mr. Bezzant was appointed Executive Vice President of the Corporate General Partner and AIMCO in January 2011 and prior to that time was a Senior Vice President of the Corporate General Partner and AIMCO since joining AIMCO in June 2006. Prior to joining AIMCO, Mr. Bezzant spent over 20 years with Prologis, Inc. and Catellus Development Corporation in a variety of executive positions, including those with responsibility for transactions, fund management, asset management, leasing and operations. Mr. Bezzant brings particular expertise to the Board in the areas of real estate finance, property operations, sales and development.

Ernest M. Freedman was appointed Director, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Corporate General Partner and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of AIMCO in November 2009. Mr. Freedman joined AIMCO in 2007 as Senior Vice President of Financial Planning and Analysis and has served as Senior Vice President of Finance since February 2009, responsible for financial planning, tax, accounting and related areas. Prior to joining AIMCO, from 2004 to 2007, Mr. Freedman served as chief financial officer of HEI Hotels and Resorts. Mr. Freedman brings particular expertise to the Board in the areas of finance and accounting.

Lisa R. Cohn was appointed Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of the Corporate General Partner and AIMCO in December 2007. From January 2004 to December 2007, Ms. Cohn served as Senior Vice President and Assistant General Counsel of AIMCO. Ms. Cohn joined AIMCO in July 2002 as Vice President and Assistant General Counsel. Prior to joining AIMCO, Ms. Cohn was in private practice with the law firm of Hogan and Hartson LLP.

Paul Beldin joined AIMCO in May 2008 and has served as Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer of AIMCO and the Corporate General Partner since that time. Prior to joining AIMCO, Mr. Beldin served as controller and then as chief financial officer of America First Apartment Investors, Inc., a publicly traded multifamily real estate investment trust, from May 2005 to September 2007 when the company was acquired by Sentinel Real Estate Corporation. Prior to joining America First Apartment Investors, Inc., Mr. Beldin was a senior manager at Deloitte and Touche LLP, where he was employed from August 1996 to May 2005, including two years as an audit manager in SEC services at Deloitte’s national office.

John McGrath was appointed to serve as Senior Vice President of the Corporate General Partner and the equivalent of the chief executive officer of the Partnership effective January 18, 2011. Mr. McGrath was appointed Senior Vice President of AIMCO in January 2010, with responsibility for AIMCO’s third party asset management and fund management business. Mr. McGrath joined AIMCO in 2005 as a Vice President of Finance.

Stephen B. Waters was appointed Senior Director of Partnership Accounting of AIMCO and the Corporate General Partner in June 2009. Mr. Waters has responsibility for partnership accounting with AIMCO and serves as the principal financial officer of the Corporate General Partner. Mr. Waters joined AIMCO as a Director of Real Estate Accounting in September 1999 and was appointed Vice President of the Corporate General Partner and AIMCO in April 2004. Prior to joining AIMCO, Mr. Waters was a senior manager at Ernst & Young LLP.

The Registrant is not aware of the involvement in any legal proceedings with respect to the directors and executive officers listed in this Item 10.

One or more of the above persons are also directors and/or officers of a general partner (or general partner of a general partner) of limited partnerships which either have a class of securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or are subject to the reporting requirements of Section 15(d) of such Act. Further, one or more of the above persons are also officers of Apartment Investment and Management Company and the general partner of AIMCO Properties, L.P., entities that have a class of securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or are subject to the reporting requirements of Section 15 (d) of such Act.

The board of directors of the Corporate General Partner does not have a separate audit committee. As such, the board of directors of the Corporate General Partner fulfills the functions of an audit committee. The board of directors has determined that John McGrath meets the requirement of an "audit committee financial expert".

The directors and officers of the Corporate General Partner with authority over the Partnership are all employees of subsidiaries of AIMCO. AIMCO has adopted a code of ethics that applies to such directors and officers that is posted on AIMCO's website (www.AIMCO.com). AIMCO's website is not incorporated by reference to this filing.

Item 11. Executive Compensation.

None of the directors and officers of the Corporate General Partner received any remuneration from the Partnership during the year ended December 31, 2010.

Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners

(a) The General Partners own all of the outstanding general partnership interests of REAL VII.

The following table sets forth certain information regarding limited partnership interests of the Partnership owned by each person or entity as known by the Partnership to own beneficially or exercise voting or dispositive control over more than 5% of the Partnership’s limited partnership interests as of December 31, 2010.

Name of Beneficial Owner	Number of Interests	% of Class

AIMCO Properties, L.P.	1,177.58	7.70%
(affiliate of the Corporate General Partner)

The business address of AIMCO Properties, L.P. is 4582 S. Ulster St.Parkway, Suite 1100, Denver, Colorado 80237.

(b) None of the officers or directors of the Corporate General Partner own directly or beneficially any limited partnership interests in REAL VII.

Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence

An affiliate of the Corporate General Partner is the local general partner in fourteen of the Partnership’s nineteen Local Limited Partnerships.

AIMCO and its affiliates owned 1,177.58 limited partnership interests in the Partnership representing 7.70% of the outstanding interests at December 31, 2010. It is possible that AIMCO or its affiliates will acquire additional limited partnership interests in exchange for cash or a combination of cash and units in AIMCO Properties, L.P., the operating partnership of AIMCO, either through private purchases or tender offers. Pursuant to the Partnership Agreement, unitholders holding a majority of the limited partnership interests are entitled to take action with respect to a variety of matters, that include, but are not limited to, voting on certain amendments to the Partnership Agreement and voting to remove the Corporate General Partner. Although the Corporate General Partner owes fiduciary duties to the limited partners of the Partnership, the Corporate General Partner also owes fiduciary duties to AIMCO as its sole stockholder. As a result, the duties of the Corporate General Partner, as corporate general partner, to the Partnership and its limited partners may come into conflict with the duties of the Corporate General Partner to AIMCO as its sole stockholder.

Neither of the Corporate General Partner’s directors is independent under the independence standards established for New York Stock Exchange listed companies as both directors are employed by the parent of the Corporate General Partner.

Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services.

The Corporate General Partner has reappointed Ernst & Young LLP as independent auditors to audit the consolidated financial statements of the Partnership for 2011. The aggregate fees billed for services rendered by Ernst & Young LLP for 2010 and 2009 are described below.

Audit Fees. Fees for audit services totaled approximately $35,000 for each of the years 2010 and 2009. Fees for audit services also include fees for the reviews of the Partnership’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.

Tax Fees. Fees for tax services totaled approximately $27,000 and $23,000 for 2010 and 2009, respectively.

PART IV

Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules.

(a) The following consolidated financial statements are included in Item 8:

Consolidated Balance Sheets – December 31, 2010 and 2009

Consolidated Statements of Operations - Years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Partners' Deficit - Years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - Years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Schedules are omitted for the reason that they are inapplicable or equivalent information has been included elsewhere herein.

(b) Exhibits:

See Exhibit Index

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

	REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATES LIMITED VII

	By: National Partnership Investments Corp.
	Corporate General Partner

	By: /s/John McGrath
	John McGrath
	Senior Vice President

	By: /s/Stephen B. Waters
	Stephen B. Waters
	Senior Director of Partnership Accounting

	Date: March 31, 2011

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

/s/Ernest M. Freedman	Director and Executive Vice	Date: March 31, 2011
Ernest M. Freedman	President

/s/John Bezzant	Director and Executive Vice	Date: March 31, 2011
John Bezzant	President

/s/John McGrath	Senior Vice President	Date: March 31, 2011
John McGrath

/s/Stephen B. Waters	Senior Director of Partnership	Date: March 31, 2011
Stephen B. Waters	Accounting

REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATES LIMITED VII

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit Description of Exhibit

3 Restated Certificate and Agreement of Limited Partnership dated May 24, 1983 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission Form S-11 No. 2-84816, which is hereby incorporated by reference.

31.1 Certification of equivalent of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Securities Exchange Act Rules 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a), as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

31.2 Certification of equivalent of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Securities Exchange Act Rules 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a), as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

32.1 Certification of the equivalent of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.