Definition of "I.D.E.A.L."

Colleen   MacCallum real estate agent

Written by

Colleen MacCallumelite badge icon

EXIT Right Realty

An acronym stating the real estate is the I.D.E.A.L. investment. Each if the five letters in IDEAL stands for an advantage to real estate as an investment. "I" stands for interest deduction. The mortgage interest paid on the first and second residential homes are tax deductible. On the average, real estate is a good hedge against inflation because property value and the income from properties rise to keep pace with inflation. "D" stands for depreciation. The building on your land depreciates in book value each year and you can deduct this depreciation from your investment property and not residential. "E" is for equity buildup. This buildup of a capital asset is like money in the bank. As you amortize a mortgage, the value of your equity investment will steadily rise. In the case of income-producing property, this amortization could mean that your tenants help you build your estate. "A" is for appreciation. Your property value goes up every year, hopefully. Be careful because this is not guaranteed. "L" is for leverage. When you buy a house you make a down payment, say, 10% and you borrow the balance, say, 90%. You get the benefit of 100% even though you put up only 10% of your own money. You can maximize return with other people's money (OPM). The use of a mortgage and OPM means that you can use small amounts of cash to gain control of large investments and earn large returns on the cash invested.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

Use of other people's money (OPM) in an attempt to maximize the return but at high risk. The use of leverage in real estate investing is a way to maximize yield on a small down payment. ...

(1) Financial ability and soundness of a business or individual to afford the purchase of property. (2) Worth of the dollar in real terms considering inflation. ...

Court having the responsibility of performing probate of wills and administering estates. In certain states, a probate court can appoint guardians for minor children of an estate. ...

Legal contract in which the lender controls the pledged property being financed. The agreement describes the property and its location. Of default occurs, the lender may sell the ...

Right to select something or perform some act. An example is a renter of property that is given the option to buy the home at the end of the rental period or to renew the lease. Not ...

The assessment sales ratio is a way of measuring the accuracy of a property’s assessed value when compared to the property’s selling price. This measurement gives the ...

The definition of an absentee owner is a property owner who does not reside on the property. An absentee can be an individual or a corporation with legal ownership over a property ...

Also called "Grey Shell, "Bare Shell," and "Artic Shell," a Cold Shell could be described as the more radical version of a Vanilla Shell. So, what does precisely the Cold Shell definition ...

Federal agency within the Department of Housing and Urban Development that provides financing to home buyers, particularly those with little cash or with a need to lower monthly payments. ...

Popular Real Estate Questions