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

A charge based on the asset value of a real estate security portfolio to manage it. For an open-end mutual fond, the management charge is included in the selling cost of the security. ...

A contract not in writing. Oral contracts are legally enforceable except for those applicable to the sale of real estate. ...

The add-on interest is a type of interest that is figured into the total cost of a loan over its entire life. The interest is added to the principal and divided by the number of monthly ...

Limitation or prohibition such as on what a tenant in an apartment may not do. Local laws may also restrict certain actions such as failing to use the property for gambling purposes. ...

Arrangement the insured and insurer share on a proportional payment for a loss. ...

The logical definition of both words is almost enough to understand what is earnest money. Money is a form of exchange between people to assert value to something and Earnest equals ...

House design to be easily expandable. ...

The angle of a roof in relation to its horizontal axis expressed as a ratio of inches (cmm) per foot of horizontal distance. The sloping of ground, such as sloping ground away from the ...

Legal proceeding whereby a person's property is attached and used to pay an obligation. The employer may withhold part of the employee's salary to the court until the debt has been paid. ...

Popular Real Estate Questions