Straight-line Depreciation

Definition of "Straight-line depreciation"

Danielle Eliot real estate agent

Written by

Danielle Eliotelite badge icon

Better Homes & Gardens Metro Brokers

The depreciation method where an equal amount of depreciation expense is allocated to each full period of the asset's useful life. The amount of depreciation is computed as follows; Annual depreciation = (Original costs -Salvage value)/ Useful life. For example, assume that the building costs $800,000 and has an estimated useful life of 20 years. The estimated salvage value at the end of the 5-year period is $200,000. Then the straight-line depreciation per year is ($800,000 - $200,000)/20 years= $30,000/year.

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

Determination made concerning the motivation of a testator in making devises of the will. A will can be contested if it can be proved the testator did not have rational motives when ...

Where property is sold to the highest bidder. ...

When someone throws around the term “mobile home”, it almost requires further explanation to fully understand what that person is talking about. Why is that? Well, one mobile ...

The definition for the gross living area published by the Appraisal Institute’s Dictionary of Real Estate 4th Edition is: “The total area of finished, above-grade residential ...

Reformation in real estate means a legal action to straighten out an erroneous deed, a misleading document, an error, a paragraph, or a contract entirely which resulted from an ...

Taxpayer can deduct losses only to the degree of risk. Amounts are restricted to the cash investment and the debt from which the taxpayer is personally liable. ...

Aluminum or metal treated barrier that is placed between the concrete and wood of the foundation of a newly constructed building to prevent termites from infesting the wood. Many experts ...

Older property is bought usually by a governmental agency to be modernized and improved. In many cases, the deteriorating property is torn down and a new structure built. An example is ...

A fixed asset whose utility is derived from its physical attachment to a property and which usually cannot value or damage. A fixture, under the terms of a lease or other agreement, can be ...

Popular Real Estate Questions