Why YOU must invest in real estate TODAY!

Here are three important reasons...

One of the most frequent advices that can be given to the youth when it comes to investment is starting young. And just because, the advice is so frequent, most of us tend to forget that it is actually the BEST advice anyone can be given.

Why is starting young so important? The answer is hardly rocket science. By the sheer luxury of time that youth has on hand in terms of the period of investment, the risk appetite is multiplied several times which in turn leads to investments that by design are high risk, high returns. At a simpler level, starting young means you have a lot scope for distributing your investments over a long period of time, ultimately leading to a substantial increase in the net amount invested. At a still simpler level, starting young means your money has that much more time to grow and hence, higher returns.

While this common wisdom has had many young investors coming into the market, investing largely in equities and debt instruments, real estate continues to be an area out of the purview of the obvious choice of the investors. Going by the volatile nature of the economy these days however, real estate has rapidly emerged as a mode of investment that should ideally be on the top of the investment priority list, especially for the young investors. We give you a lowdown on the reasons why real estate should be preferred by the youth.

1. The anti-inflation investment

Real estate investments are an almost guaranteed way to get around inflation. Real estate is growing market, more so because of the rapidly shrinking supply of land.

You only have to go house-hunting in a city like Mumbai to know the extent of land shortage in the country. A shortage supply logically means a growth in market and so long as this shortage persists, the market shall not slow down.

The core point here is a careful market research before investing into the real estate. You can hardly expect your money to grow exponentially if you choose to invest your money in a landed property in remote UP. It shall still grow but not as much as it would in a more favourable location like Mumbai or Delhi-NCR.

There are other considerations too, which need to be taken into account. For instance, in cities like Pune and Gurgaon, which thrive on floating population, investing in residential properties that can be leased out at a later stage is a good strategy.

These examples are illustrative. The moot point here is that investment in real estate can be an excellent strategy for the young investors to get past inflation.

The essential corollary is proper market research and careful consideration before investment. Read up, ask around and ask plenty of questions. If there is any doubt about importance of market research, read 6 ways builders HARASS home buyers.

2. Affordable option

Yes, you read it right. Contrary to the popular perception, investing in real estate is actually one of the more affordable options with banks funding up to 80 per cent of the cost.

The young investors also get income tax benefits. A slightly more complex benefit is derived from the fact that young investors are expected to pay fixed installments over years which in effect amounts to purchasing an asset at a lower cost, whose value is bound to appreciate while the investor's own income too keeps rising.

For those young investors looking to discipline their investments, servicing regular EMIs is an excellent method. Of course, real estate is a volatile asset but from a reasonable perspective, it is still a safer bet than stock markets, especially when trade pundits across board have been reiterating the fact that the probability of appreciation in case of real estate investments is very high.

3. Tangible asset

This is not exactly an objective benefit but may hold significant importance in several cases. Unlike old times when owning house marked a definite landmark in one's life, young investors can now enjoy the benefits of a tangible asset pretty early on in their lives. If the property is a residential one meant for personal purposes, the obvious benefits are manifold.

In several cases, the investors end up paying an EMI which is only slightly more or almost equal to the rent they would be paying otherwise, with an added benefit of actually residing in their 'own' place.

As we had stated earlier, real estate is a volatile option, even if relatively less so. And hence, the prudent way ahead is to make real estate one of the modes of investment in your portfolio and not the only one.

An ideal portfolio has a balanced distribution between various options and irrespective of the benefits or the risk factors, concentration of wealth in any mode is problematic. The ideal way ahead is to start off with SIPs (systematic investment plans) and gradually proceed to real estate, as and when you reasonably acquire enough spare wealth to distribute between various investment options.

The key is to be prudent with your money and invest as soon as you possibly can. And while investing in real estate, always remember, an aware investment is the only safe investment and a thorough market research is a must.