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

Any property, tangible or otherwise, except real estate. For example, furniture or automobiles. ...

In real estate and across the nation, you will see different types of house structures, frames, and aspects. One of those is the A-frame type. This is an architectural style that leans ...

Property tax rate whereby each mill is $1 of tax assessment per $1,000 of assessed property value. For example, a house in Los Alamitos is assessed at $200,000 and the millage rate is 10 ...

A criminal act of falsely representing another individual to gain profit or gain an advantage. ...

That which remains. As applied to real estate, it is the profit derived from rentals after subtracting all operating costs from the gross rental revenue. ...

Lease payments based on factors other than the passage of time. ...

Map that shows the location and boundaries of individual properties. ...

market in which there are comparatively few bids to buy or offers to sell real estate. The term relates to a single investment or to a particular investment market, such as the real estate ...

Initial or senior mortgage on property. It comes before all subsequent mortgages, and the mortgage has precedence in payment if default occurs. ...

Popular Real Estate Questions