Ten reasons to invest in real estate:

1. Real estate has a predictable cash flow

Cash flow is the net spendable income derived from the investment after all operating expenses and mortgage payments have been made. A good real estate investment should provide you with 6% or greater cash flow.

2. Real estate appreciates in value

Since 1968, appreciation levels for real estate have been 6 percent per year, including during the downturn in the economy beginning in 2007, according to the National Association of Realtors.

3. Real estate can be leveraged

The most important advantage of real estate investing is LEVERAGE! It is the use of borrowed capital to increase the potential return of an investment. In real estate transactions, leverage occurs when a mortgage is used to reduce the amount of investor capital required to purchase a property. The annual return on a $200,000 property with a $20,000 net cash flow purchased with cash is 10 percent.

Now, let’s assume a loan of $150,000 is amortized over 30 years at 5 percent interest, but 75% of the money required to purchase the property is borrowed, even factoring in the cost of making the mortgage payment, the annual return more than doubles to 22 percent.

Once you have built up an equity position in an investment property, you can leverage that investment for cash in one of two ways: Secure a second loan against the increased equity or refinance the original loan amount plus the increase equity. This frees up money to buy another investment property.

4. Real estate provides equity buildup

Most real estate is purchased with a small down payment with the balance of the money being provided through debt financing from a lender. Over time, the principal amount of the mortgage is paid down,slowly at first, and then more rapidly toward the end of the amortization period. This principal reduction builds equity.

5. Real estate is improvable

One of the most unique and attractive advantages of real estate is that it is improvable. Because real estate is a tangible asset made of wood, brick, concrete, and glass you can improve the value of any property with some “elbow grease” and “sweat equity”. Whether the repairs are structural or cosmetic, do it yourself or hire someone, the principle is the same. You can make your real estate worth more by improving it.

6. Real estate coincides with retirement

When real estate is purchased, the cash flow is lower and the principal reduction on the mortgage is less. Over time the mortgage is paid down, or paid off, and the cash flow increases. In some respects it’s a forced savings program, yielding a greater amount as time goes by which is a perfect investment for retirement as it increases in cash flow down the road.

7. Real estate is tax deductible

Tax codes allows various deductions for the normal expenses incurred in owning real estate, such as property upkeep, maintenance, improvements and even the interest paid on the mortgage. The deductions can offset income and reduce your overall taxes.

8. Real estate is depreciable

Depreciation is a non-cash expense permitted by tax code that depreciates the value of your investment property over time. However, the value of your investment property actually appreciates. The depreciation deduction allows a real estate investor to generate a larger positive cash flow while reporting a lower income for tax purposes. This creates a higher return than you may initially realize.

9. Real estate has a lower tax rate

If your investment property is sold after a year, the gain is subject to capital gains tax rates which depending upon your individual tax bracket is generally 15% or 20% which is usually less than one’s personal tax bracket.

10. Real estate gains are deferrable

Our tax code, under a 1031 exchange, permits the gain on the sale of an investment property to be transferred from the property being sold to a new property being purchased, hence deferring the payment of any tax on the sale of the property.

There is one final advantage to a real estate investment and that it is understandable an easy for most everyone. It’s easy to purchase, it’s easy to finance and there are no insurmountable financial barriers to enter. It’s easy for most investors to improve their properties and it’s easy to use the tax advantages. While Wall Street is becoming more and more of a mystery and becoming the game of financiers, real estate investing is looking better and better for average Americans.

Real estate has a high tangible asset value.

There will always be value in your land, and value in your home. Other investments can leave you with little to no tangible asset value such as a stock which can dip to zero, or a new car which decreases in value over time. Home owners insurance will protect your investment in real estate, so be sure to get the best policy available so your asset is protected in the worst-case scenario.

Real estate values will always increase over time. 

History continues to prove that the longer you hold onto your real estate, the more https://www.entrepreneur.com/topic/money" rel="follow" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(43, 108, 176);">money you will make. The housing market has always recovered from past bubbles that caused home appreciation to slip, and for those who held on to their investments during those uncertain times, prices have returned to normal, and appreciation is back on track. Now, real estate investors in the top performing markets are enjoying a windfall. In fact, this past year, every state in the nation had a positive appreciation, and some of my clients in the Los Angeles market have made millions of dollars in less than a year from flipping

An investment in real estate can also diversify your portfolio.

If you've ever spoken to a financial planner about investing, then you are very aware of the importance of diversification. When you diversify your portfolio, you spread out the risk. Real estate will always serve as a safe tangible asset to mitigate the risk in your portfolio. Many have amassed wealth by solely investing in real estate.

Asides Telecommunications, Oil & Gas, the next avenue of business to invest to fetch you high return on investment is Real Estate. What you stand to gain in real estate can not be overemphasized.
**ILoveAllah**