Historically, real estate has generated 3% annual rates of returns over the past five or six decades. Yet, real estate values have plummeted significantly in many regions since the start of the Credit Crisis in the Summer of 2007.
In fact, residential and commercial property values in many areas of the country have fallen 30%, 40% or 50% + from their last market peak highs near 2006 to 2008.
Fortunately, home values have begun to increase rapidly in many prime U.S. regions thanks to a combination of near record low interest rates, a declining supply of available properties for sale, and more motivated investors in search of finding investments which offer positive net returns on their money.
In the “Old Days” When Banks Offered Positive Returns
Back in the late 1970s and early 1980s, double-digit savings account rates were common, especially back when the Prime Rate hit 21.5% in December 1980. Why risk money in stocks, bonds, real estate, commodities, or other forms of investment options when banks and many of the largest Savings and Loans were offering incredibly high annual rates?
These same high savings account rates were insured by the FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) or by FSLIC (Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation), which was established under “The National Housing Act of 1934.”
Tragically, FSLIC later went bust too after the insurance fund ran out of capital just like the FDIC did after bailing out Washington Mutual in September 2008. The government then bailed out the FDIC, which had previously bailed out FSLIC, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and numerous banks, investment banks, and insurance companies as the financial implosion continued onward these past 5 or 6 years.
Yet, how many Americans were bailed out by the government? Besides near record low interest rates in recent years, what other ways have American citizens been financially assisted these past few years?
Or…do we need to try to bail out ourselves one way or another?
When Banks Go Bust, So Do the High Rates of Return
Sadly, approximately 747 potentially “fly by night” or unreliable Savings and Loans and many reputable and seemingly very creditworthy Savings and Loans collapsed in the mid ‘80s to early ‘90s. The failure of these 747 Savings and Loans of the approximate 3,200 Savings and Loans nationwide later led to the implosion of about 25% of all Savings and Loans nationwide.
A major reason why so many Savings and Loans failed was due to the actions of the Federal Reserve as the then Fed Chairman Paul Volker helped lead the way to increase interest rates significantly in order to allegedly “quash inflation.” Sadly for S & Ls, they typically made long-term fixed rate loans tied to short-term interest rates and money.
As rates increased, Savings and Loans could not continue to afford to pay their banking customers double digit rates of returns for their money, so many Savings and Loans failed.
When the S & Ls went bust, more money went back into the stocks markets and into real estate. If one really analyzes the rapid ascent of the Dow Jones index from lows near January 1986 (Dow Jones index near the 1,500 range) and the passage of the Tax Reform Act of 1986, which negatively impacted real estate and tax shelters, more investment capital then later flooded into the stock market.
Does the Soaring Stock Market Make Any Sense?
How does today’s 14,500+ Dow Jones index level make any sense to anyone who understands basic economic and investment formulas? Is it more of a case of too much money chasing the highest rates of returns rather than investors believing that the U.S. economy is on the verge of booming once again?
By comparison in 2013, doesn’t real estate seem like a safer investment option than the U.S. stock market?
It seems to me that more savvy investors are beginning to believe that real estate has both a better potential short and long-term investment future after seeing home appreciation rates varying between 6% and 20%+ in many regions of the country over just the past year.
The Rule of 72 + “Leverage”
The Rule of 72 is one of the simplest ways to calculate the potential future rates of appreciation for various types of investments such as real estate or stocks. The Rule of 72 is a banker’s rule that calculates the number of years it will take for a sum of money to double. You divide the number 72 by the annual percentage rate you are receiving or anticipate receiving on that sum of money.
For example, if you believe that home values will increase an average of 10% per year consistently over the next several years, then it will take 7.2 years (72 divided by 10 = 7.2) for that $100,000 home to double in value to a projected $200,000 home.
If I only invested 5% down ($5,000) to buy that same $100,000 home, and it doubles in value in just over seven years, then I have really leveraged my investment strategies in a very positive way, which is very challenging to do with most other types of investment options today. A potential increase of $100,000 in future equity off of an initial investment of a $5,000 down payment over a seven (7) year time period is not too shabby in any “boom or bust” economic cycle.
The Eighth Wonder of the World
Compound interest is such an amazing investment concept that it’s been called the Eighth Wonder of the World. The magic of compound interest can be best illustrated by answering this financial riddle:If you take a penny and double it every day, how much money will you have in a month?
Imagine compounding quarters
instead of pennies!
Think about this for a minute. What’s your guess? What has the doubling penny become after a 31-day month?My friends and business associates usually guess a few thousand dollars or possibly even a few hundred thousand dollars. Yet, the same little almost worthless penny snowballs in the final week of the fictional month’s compound growth projection forecast to an amazing $10,700,000+ in compounded value.
If I give you a fictional penny for your thoughts, then will you turn those same thoughts into action by finding investments today which will make more money for you than for the banks or anyone else today?
As inflation continues to increase exponentially and seemingly “snowball” each and every single day, then what better asset class to benefit from high rates of inflation is there today than real estate?