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

The definition of adjoining properties describes two or more real estate properties, lots, or parcels that shared a boundary. A property that shares a common border with another is ...

Same as term resale proceeds: Net amount received when property is sold. It equals the selling price less outstanding mortgage balance less all costs incurred in connection with the sale. ...

Post-like components of wood that comprise a building frame. For example, a building code in a locality might require that studs measuring two-up-six be used for the exterior part of the ...

The prepared form used to specify the terms of the listing contract. Usually a listing form consists of blanks the real estate agent fills in to provide the necessary information needed to ...

Interest computations based only on the original principal. For example, the simple interest on a $100,000, 8% loan is $8,000. It is compared with compound interest which is applied to the ...

The result of an act or a fact. ...

The reason a property appraisal is being made. The purpose of the appraisal is the first step in the appraisal process. The purpose of the appraisal should answer several questions: ...

Method of construction where vertical siding is attached to a horizontal framing structure. Often found in the design of agricultural buildings. ...

Measure of central tendency that is a measure of the center of the data; also called an average. Mean and standard deviation are the two most widely used statistical measures that summarize ...

Popular Real Estate Questions