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

Depressed, poorly kept locality that may include vacant businesses. It may be a high crime area. The people living in the area are typically poor and there may also be homeless people. ...

An antenuptial agreement is, as the terms composition states, an agreement that happens before the nuptials, or, in other words, the wedding. The antenuptial agreement is more commonly ...

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. ...

When a real estate owner wants to know what their property tax liability is, they calculate the assessment ratio for their property. An assessment ration is a relationship between a real ...

Blockbusting is a despicable and illegal racist business practice. Here’s how Blockbusting happens: a real estate agent, or someone posing as one, comes to a homeowner and instills ...

Time period for which one expects to keep property such as a real estate investment. ...

Warranties issued by contractors, sellers, and real estate agencies that protect home buyers from specified defects in a house as per the contract. ...

Lienholder's statement as to the unpaid balance on a trust deed note. ...

See estoppel. ...

Popular Real Estate Questions