Definition of "Property appreciation"

Appreciation, or property appreciation in real estate is the increase in the value of a property or asset over time. This increase in value can be due to a number of factors; inflation, population growth, economic growth of an area, etc. Property appreciation can occur under a variety of different circumstances and with virtually any piece of real estate. Appreciation is the opposite of depreciation. Let’s explore some examples of appreciation in real estate. 

 

Examples of property appreciation in real estate

 

Joan is a young woman in her early 30’s. After finishing a masters degree in finance, Joan finds an excellent job with a good salary at a stock brokerage company. As she nears her mid thirties, her house is paid off and she has saved up a tidy sum of money. With her savings, Joan invests in a cozy little bungalow in the suburbs, spending a reasonable sum of $125,000. 

 

After finding a tenant and contracting a property management service, Joan begins to reap the rewards of her investment. However, after a few years of being a landlady, Joan tires of the responsibility and stress of maintaining the property, and decides to sell. After contacting a real estate agent and finding a buyer, Joan manages to get $225,000, making a tidy profit of $100,000. 

 

The cause for this higher price is what is known as property appreciation. During the time that Joan had owned the house, a mall had been built nearby, a new movie theatre opened and an office complex newly constructed. The resulting demand for housing caused the value of Joan’s house to go up, without her even having to do anything.

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

Capitalization rate used to convert the expected income derived from a property into its estimated asset value. The estimated asset value may be computed by dividing the annual income ...

Same as term real estate investment trust (REIT): Type of investment company that invests money in mortgages and various types of investment in real estate, in order to earn profits for ...

The total destruction, razing, tearing down, breaking into pieces or pulverizing of a structure on a building site. Demolition usually occurs when clearing a building site either as ...

In valuing real estate, substitution is the principle that the market value of a property can be relatively accurately estimated by determining market value of similar properties in the ...

Corporation having only one person, A corporation sole is primarily used for the purposes of a nonprofit ecclesiastic church related organization. Ina church, the corporation sole is headed ...

What is the ANSI (American National Standards Institute) Standard? Before arriving at the definition of ANSI standard, you must know that ANSI stands for The American National ...

Directly enhancing the physical nature of the property such as renovating the building, installing a new driveway and parking lot, and gardening. ...

Financing of a home based on how much equity the homeowner has in it. The interest rate is typically a variable one. ...

...

Popular Real Estate Questions