I.D.E.A.L.
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.
Popular Real Estate Terms
Person chosen by a testator/testatrix to handle and conduct the terms of a will to an estate. Duties include collecting and selling of properties and paying debts of the state. ...
Commonly, a covenant refers to a legal treaty or agreement between various parties. Explicitly, a stipulation comes into existence and is signed to confine particular financial transactions ...
What Is a Real Estate Bubble? One definition for a real estate bubble is the fast increase in prices, usually driven by investors and speculators in major urban areas. Properties are ...
Document issued by a public or private institution to perform some activity according to legal requirements. There is usually a license fee. An example is a real estate license. ...
Loan mandating equal periodic payments to pay off the loan subsequent to the last payment. ...
A type of equity participation loan where, in exchange for charging a below-market interest rate, the lender receives a predetermined percentage of a any increase in value of the property ...
Early American architecture modeled after the English Georgian architecture having two or three stories with a rectangular design and ample ornamentation often including a widow's walk. ...
Market analysis method where sales of similar properties in proximity neighborhoods are compared. The comparable sales methodology is extremely useful if the properties being compared are ...
Also called interim financing. A mortgage that provides the funds necessary for the building or construction of a real estate project. The project can be a residential subdivision, a ...

Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.