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

Latin: now for then. Descriptive of actions which are performed after a deadline has elapsed, but retroactively have the same effect as if they were carried out in a timely manner. For ...

The seller disclosure is a statement made in good faith regarding the condition of the home he/she is trying to sell. There is a seller disclosure form – called “Form 17” ...

Legal obligation to pay taxes associated with owning property or earning income. For example, a real estate owner must pay property taxes. ...

How many days, months, or years are required before a new building has the desired occupancy ratio. The occupancy rate influences the amount financial institutions are willing to lend. ...

The term market segmentation is mostly used in marketing for assembling prospective buyers in groups based on their needs and their response to a marketing action. One definition of market ...

The meaning of recordation defines the act of recording deeds and various property documents in a public registry office. Recordation proves ownership claims on a property or other assets. ...

Building more than six stories high serviced by elevators. ...

Everyone is aware of the perplexing complexities of a real estate transaction. Enter Opendoor, a company that aims to simplify this experience. If you're a house hunter, seller, real estate ...

You may have heard the term codicil in a conversation but might have yet to understand it entirely. What’s the codicil definition? “Codicil meaning” refers to a supplement ...

Popular Real Estate Questions