Why Real Estate Investing Makes Dollars and Sense
Turn on the television or scroll through Facebook, and chances are you’ll see at least one advertisement for a group or “guru” who promises to teach you how to “get rich quick” through real estate investing. The truth is, much of what they’re selling are high-risk tactics that aren’t a good fit for the average investor. However, there is a way to make steady, predictable, low-risk income through real estate investing. In this blog post, we’ll examine the tried-and-true tactics that can be used to increase your income, pay off debt, and even fund your retirement!
WHY INVEST IN REAL ESTATE?
One of the basic principles of real estate investment lies in this fact: everyone needs a place to live. According to the Government of Canada’s Average Household Expenditures data, housing is typically a Canadian’s largest expense. But there are other reasons why real estate is a great investment choice, and we’ve outlined the top five below:
1. Appreciation
Appreciation is the increase in your property’s value over time. History has proven that over an extended period of time, the value of real estate continues to rise. That doesn’t mean recessions won’t occur. The real estate market is cyclical, and market ups and downs are natural. The Teranet–National Bank of Canada House Price Index shows a steady increase in Canadian home values since its inception in 1999.
While no investment is without risk, real estate has proven again and again to be a solid choice to invest your money over the long term.
2. Hedge Against Inflation
Inflation is the rate at which the general cost of goods and services rises. As inflation rises, prices go up. This means the money you have in your bank account is essentially worth less because your purchasing power has decreased.
Luckily, real estate prices also rise when inflation increases. That means any money you have invested in real estate will rise with (or often exceed) the rate of inflation. Therefore, real estate is a smart place to put your money to guard against inflation.
3. Cash Flow
One of the big benefits of investing in real estate over the stock market is its ability to provide a fairly steady and predictable monthly cash flow. That is, if you choose to rent out your investment property to a tenant, you can expect to receive a rent payment each month.
If you’ve invested wisely, the rent payment should cover the debt obligation you may have on the property (i.e. mortgage), as well as any repairs and maintenance that are needed. Ideally, the monthly rental income would be great enough to leave you a little extra cash each month, as well. You could use that extra money to pay off the mortgage faster, cover your own household expenses, or save for another investment property.
Even if you only take in enough rent to cover your expenses, a rental property purchase will pay for itself over time. As you pay down the mortgage every month with your rental income, your equity will continue to increase, until you own the property free and clear … leaving you with residual cash flow for years to come.
As the owner, you will also benefit from the property’s appreciation when it comes time to sell. This can be a great way to save for retirement or even fund a child’s college education. Purchase a property when the child is young, and with a little discipline, it can be paid off by the time they are ready to go to college. You can sell it for a lump sum, or use the monthly income to pay their tuition and expenses.
4. Leverage
One of the unique features that sets real estate apart from other asset classes is the ability to leverage your investment. Leverage is the use of borrowed capital to increase the potential return on an investment.
For example, if you purchase an investment property for $100,000, you might put 10% down ($10,000) and borrow the remaining $90,000 in the form of a mortgage. Even though you’ve only invested $10,000 at this point, you have the ability to earn a profit on the entire $100,000 investment. So, if the property appreciates to $120,000 – a 20% increase over the purchase price – you still only have to pay the bank back the original $90,000 (plus interest) … and you get to keep the $20,000 profit. That means you made $20,000 off of a $10,000 investment, essentially doubling your money,
even though the market only went up by 20%! That’s the power of leverage.
5. Tax Advantages
An often overlooked reason to invest in real estate is the tax benefit. When you record your income from a rental property on your annual tax return, you get to deduct a number of expenses associated with the investment. This includes “rental expenses, such as homeowner’s insurance, property taxes, maintenance fees, advertising, mortgage interest, utility costs and property management fees.” You may also qualify for the Capital Cost Allowance (CCA), which is depreciation that can be claimed on your property. Be sure to consult a tax professional, as you may be responsible for repaying this deduction when you sell the property.
Even if you’re not interested in owning a rental property, your personal residence can serve as a tax-free investment vehicle. Generally, when you own an investment property you pay a capital gains tax on any profits you make when you sell the property. However, when you sell a principal residence, you are exempt from paying these taxes. That means you can purchase a property, live in it while you remodel it, and then sell it for a tax-free profit. This can be a great way to get into real estate investing.
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