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 right to allow livestock to graze on a certain range or grazing lands. Grazing rights can be obtained through a lease or by contractual agreement stipulating the period of time and the ...

People often need help understanding the difference between offeror vs offeree in real estate. A rhythm sets the stage from the first step in real estate transactions. It's the interaction ...

Edifice constructed on the to floor of a building usually occupying less than 1/2 the roof area. A penthouse is used for two purposes; one or more luxury apartments directly accessed by a ...

List of architectural design items needing to be corrected and resolved prior to finalizing a building design. ...

Increase in the value of property arising from holding it. The gain is realized only when the property is sold at which time it is taxable. An example is the increase in the appraised value ...

A statistical procedure using a body of measurable independent variables to compute an equation that successfully measures and forecasts the variance in another variable, the dependent ...

Type of flooring, made up of tiles of colored stone or marble that is set in concrete. ...

Time interval between buying a real estate investment and selling it. A sound way to determine the return from a real estate investment is over its life. For example, if land was bought on ...

A relatively unknown term, laches or the” doctrine of laches,” means failure to assert one’s rights or a claim in a given matter in time. Failing to take action on a ...

Popular Real Estate Questions