When it comes to investing in real estate, there is a myriad of advantages. There are various kinds of real estate investments, and investing goals can differ from person to person. Do your research and learn more about these before deciding which type of investment is right for you. A wise investment can be life-changing, so you should have all the facts before investing. Besides real estate, an investment portfolio encompasses stocks, mutual funds, gold, crypto, etc. Keep reading to learn more about the 6 advantages of investing in real estate.
First things first, one of the most apparent advantages is regular monthly cash flow in the form of passive rental income. Also, there are various tax-related advantages when investing in real estate. The property you buy appreciates over time, so you can make a profit after selling it. Moreover, you also gain home equity and diversify your portfolio. Investing in real estate protects you against inflation and provides long-term security.
Passive income
Real estate investment is an excellent way to generate steady passive income by collecting monthly rent. However, you also have specific responsibilities and nominal costs as the homeowner and landlord. It is a good thing, though, that the rent can cover these costs if you set the right rental price. There are various handy tools you can resort to, such as the ones that can analyse the rate of return for each property you’re considering investing in. Also, you should always use a professional real estate agency. For instance, if you’re considering buying or renting your property in Melbourne, Australia, you should hire professionals, such as the best Point Cook real estate agency, to help you find a perfect property or find tenants.
Tax-related advantages
When it comes to other advantages, there are certain tax-related advantages. For instance, there is a mortgage interest deduction, depreciation deduction, maintenance costs and repairs deduction.
As far as mortgage interest deduction is concerned, you have the benefit of deducting interest from the mortgage loan you used either to purchase or improve a property. The amount that can be deducted varies on the height of your yearly rental income.
You also qualify for a depreciation deduction, where you can depreciate the cost of buying or improving a property over its useful life. Remember that residential properties have a useful life of 27.5 years, while commercial properties have 39 years.
As for the maintenance costs and repairs deduction, all the necessary and reasonable repairs can be deducted from the year they incurred. These include things such as repainting walls due to damage, fixing leaks, and replacing broken windows.
Appreciation over time
What happens with rental properties over time is that they appreciate. That simply means that their value increases every year. To make a profit from appreciation, many people decide to rent out their property and then sell it after a few years when its value appreciates. It is another valid way to earn money from investing in real estate, besides making a passive income from collecting rent. The appreciation will depend on a few factors, such as market demand and the area where your property is located.
Home equity and portfolio diversification
When you own a property or multiple properties, you build home equity, which allows you to pay down your mortgage. Home equity plays a key role in real estate investing: it increases your net worth but can also be used to purchase additional properties. It is a great way to expand your real estate investment portfolio without taking another loan or a form of financing.
Moreover, real estate investing also helps your portfolio diversification, including assets with a higher return rate and a lower risk than other investment forms. For instance, renting is most often long-term, and you can avoid less fluctuation than with some other forms of investments.
Protection against inflation
Inflation is the period that comes with rising prices and goods on the market. Rental properties are always in demand, so with higher prices on the market, the rental price also increases. Charging more enables you to increase your monthly profit and use it for your mortgage payment, maintenance costs, or other investments.
Long-term security
What’s more, investing in real estate provides us with feelings of long-term security. Remember that local demand is always present, especially when the real estate market is highly competitive. Even though becoming a landlord might seem challenging at first, once you master the basics, it becomes normal and natural to you. And even if you don’t master being a landlord, you can always hire a property manager or leverage a property management software platform, which will help to make renting easier for both you and your tenants.
These are just some of the main advantages investing in real estate brings – there are more; you just need to find a suitable way to harvest them through the right form of real estate investing.
Jess Cooper is a part-time journalist and blogger based in Sydney, Australia.