Property Depreciation
Definition of "Property Depreciation"
To depreciate is to lose value for something. Depreciation is the act of losing worth.
Connecting with real estate, Property depreciation can be both an accounting method typically used to assess the decrease of value of something stretched over time in order to reduce taxable income without reducing cash, or the simple fact of an asset losing its value due to time and usage.
Was that vague? Well, then let’s go deep and get metaphysical here: only change is constant in life. That means that everything is changing from moment to moment. Could you say that a car you bought for $100,000 10 years ago, a vehicle that stayed days and days in direct sunlight, endured rain, a few bumps, plus extensive family use and a lot of miles of usage … is still worth $100,000?
Of course not.
That’s why you see a lot of collectors that do not take toys out of their box. It’s a way to conserve value; the moment the toy is out of the box, the moment the car is out of the dealership, the moment the house gets build… the property depreciation clock starts to run. To some extent, maintenance may partially arrest or offset wear and deterioration but - because defining “value” requires a comprehensive approach - technical obsolescence of its materials and technology might also come into play.
In the end, property depreciation and depreciation as a whole is the culmination of the understanding that the more you use things, the more they lose their worth. In a capitalist society where productivity is everything, it might be a harsh concept, but a very necessary one. Now - since not all things are worth the same and some things take its toll earlier (or later) than others – property depreciation is to be read as more of a concept or convention, than a pragmatic universal calculation. Property depreciation needs to be calculated considering a lot of factors. In real estate and elsewhere. But the main idea is thinking about the asset’s usage lifespan and calculating its curve of value throughout it.
Real Estate Tip:
Is property depreciation common? Yes! And the longer you try to sell your house without a real estate agent the bigger the property depreciation of your property becomes! Time is money! Don't wait to find out the hard way what happens when a property starts to depreciate! Search The OFFICIAL Real Estate Agent Directory ® find a local real estate agent and get that money!
Popular Real Estate Terms
Financial intermediaries who invest in deeds of trust and mortgages, and hold them in their own portfolio. Large financial firm that uses depositors' money to lend to borrowers. ...
Bond whose interest is free of federal, state, or local tax in the state of the issuer. It is typically a municipal bond of estate or county agency. For example, a New York City resident ...
Legal order for a person to present at a deposition or trial documents in his possession, such as related to a real estate transaction. ...
Note having more than one maker, if one or more of the makers default on the note, all makers are sued jointly, rather than just one or all, to make restitution ...
All of the conditions of the purchase and sale agreement have been fulfilled. The escrow agent prepares a written summary of the funds received in escrow, and the moneys paid out. The agent ...
A column designed to support a concentrated load. A pier column is made out of steel, steel reinforced concrete or wood. A structure extending out into the water supported by numerous ...
Extent to which soil has cavities or pores, thereby allowing water to pass through. soil productivity;Ability of the soil to accomplish the desired objective such as its capacity for ...
Compared to; relative to; against. ...
While trying to determine your net income, you might come across the term revenue, sales, or gross income. So what does revenue mean? Through revenue, we understand the income generated ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.