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Intermediate terms

Essential Real Estate Wealth Building Terms

This curated collection includes key terms that might be helpful when exploring the fundamental wealth-building principles of real estate investing. It delves into the core concepts that attract investors, from income generation to long-term asset growth. These terms were selected based on common questions and areas where investors often need clarity.

Learning Path

1

Capital Gains Tax

Capital Gains Tax is a tax on the profit realized from the sale of a non-inventory asset, such as real estate, calculated as the difference between the selling price and the adjusted cost basis.

Intermediate13-14 min
2

Rental Income

Rental income is the total revenue generated from an investment property through rent payments and other fees, before or after deducting operating expenses. It is a critical metric for evaluating a property's profitability and investment viability.

Intermediate15-18 min
3

Appraisal

An appraisal is an unbiased, professional opinion of a property's market value, conducted by a licensed appraiser, primarily used for lending, buying, and selling decisions.

Intermediate14-15 min
4

Leverage

Leverage in real estate is the use of borrowed capital, typically through mortgages, to finance property purchases and amplify potential investment returns.

Intermediate15-18 min
5

Equity

Equity in real estate is the portion of a property's value that an owner truly owns, free and clear of any outstanding debts or liens. It is calculated as the property's current market value minus the total amount owed on any mortgages or loans.

Beginner12-13 min
6

Comparative Market Analysis

A Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) is an informal estimate of a property's value based on recently sold, active, and expired listings in the same area, used by real estate professionals to help buyers and sellers determine a competitive price.

Intermediate15-18 min
7

BRRRR Method

The BRRRR Method is an advanced real estate investment strategy (Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat) designed to build a scalable rental property portfolio by leveraging forced appreciation to recycle initial capital for subsequent investments.

Advanced14-15 min
8

Return on Investment

Return on Investment (ROI) is a financial metric that measures the profitability of an investment by comparing the net profit to the initial cost, expressed as a percentage.

Beginner13-14 min
9

Cash-on-Cash Return

Cash-on-Cash Return (CoC) is a real estate investment metric that calculates the annual pre-tax cash flow generated by a property as a percentage of the total cash an investor has invested.

Intermediate15-18 min
10

1031 Exchange

A 1031 Exchange allows real estate investors to defer capital gains and depreciation recapture taxes when selling an investment property by reinvesting the proceeds into a new "like-kind" investment property within strict IRS timelines.

Advanced15-18 min
11

Passive Income

Passive income refers to earnings from an enterprise in which an individual is not actively involved, typically generated from real estate investments like rental properties, REITs, or syndications, requiring minimal ongoing effort after initial setup.

Intermediate13-15 min
12

Capital Accumulation

Capital accumulation is the process of increasing one's wealth or assets over time by saving, investing, and reinvesting earnings to build a larger financial base.

Beginner5-6 min
13

Net Operating Income

Net Operating Income (NOI) is a key real estate metric representing a property's annual income after deducting all operating expenses, but before accounting for debt service, income taxes, and capital expenditures.

Intermediate11-12 min
14

Financial Freedom

Financial freedom is the state where your passive income consistently covers all your living expenses, allowing you to live without needing a traditional job.

Beginner2 min
15

Appreciation

Appreciation in real estate is the increase in a property's market value over time, leading to a profit for the owner when sold or refinanced. It is driven by market forces, economic growth, and property improvements.

Beginner12-13 min
16

Capitalization Rate

The Capitalization Rate (Cap Rate) is a real estate valuation metric used to estimate the potential rate of return on an investment property, calculated by dividing its Net Operating Income (NOI) by its current market value.

Intermediate14-15 min
17

Real Estate Investing

Real estate investing is the practice of purchasing, owning, managing, and/or selling properties for profit, leveraging assets to generate income, capital appreciation, and tax benefits.

Intermediate12-13 min