What Outdoor Features Can Set Your Home Apart?

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Most homeowners are interested in increasing their home’s value to ensure that they can make more of a profit off of the property once it’s time to sell. When it comes to boosting your property value, adding outdoor features can prove to offer a high rate of return once you find a buyer. When you want to invest in features that will pay off, there are a few features that are worth purchasing.

Barbecue Stations

Barbecue stations and outdoor kitchens are in demand among buyers because it offers a place to entertain outdoors. Homes with barbecue stations have a 26 percent higher value than those that don’t include the feature because it provides the ability to spend more time outside.

Showers

Outdoor showers are increasing in popularity because they provide you with the chance to rinse off after taking a dip in the water. Many homes that are located near the beach or a lake can benefit from an outdoor shower because it will prevent you from tracking in sand or dirt.

Fire Pits

Fire pits are now considered to be a staple for outdoor spaces because they allow you to stay warm while inviting your guests over. The open flames make it easy to roast s’mores and can make it possible to spend time in cooler weather conditions while stargazing.

Patio

A patio makes it possible to lounge outdoors instead of having to sit on the grass in your backyard. Patios are a valuable addition that has an ROI value of over 100 percent. You can place patio furniture on the feature and spend time dining outdoors while taking in the view of the surrounding environment. Finishing or repairing an existing patio can also have a high return of 500 percent. Add outdoor light and a few pillows to make it a comfortable space.

Pools

Although some pools don’t have an effect on the value of the home, they can increase what the property is worth if there’s enough space available around the feature to ensure that the backyard can still be used for other purposes. Install a pool with spillways, a diving board, or rock formations to create an appealing feature that will increase the visual appeal and the functionality of your backyard.

4 Reasons Why You Should Add Commercial Real Estate to Your Portfolio

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If you’ve followed the stock market recently, you’re no doubt familiar with the volatility the market has suffered in recent weeks. Indeed, February saw the largest one-day drop in the history of the Dow Jones. And while the markets are still strong, this turbulence — as well as future uncertainty with international trade relations — has made real estate investing a more enticing option for forward-thinking investors. In particular, more investors are turning to commercial real estate opportunities in the United States as a way to balance out their investment portfolios.

Investing in Real Estate to Combat Inflation

According to a recently released study by famed investment specialist, Martha Peyton, commercial real estate investments responded better to periods of inflation than corporate stocks, long-term government treasuries, and private bonds. The reason why commercial real estate is such an effective hedge against inflation is that during times of inflation, the price of real estate — particularly larger multi-tenant properties — also goes up.

Take Advantage of Tax Benefits

The Internal Revenue Code offers a wide range of benefits to individuals who own real estate owners. For instance, smart investors can transition large portions of their real estate earnings into things like depreciation deductions and mortgage interest as a way to shield their dividends. Before diving into this sort of high-level real estate investments, though, it’s wise to have a conversation with your tax accountant about how to derive the most benefit from this approach.

Commercial Real Estate Continues to Appreciate

A quick analysis of historic investment trends in commercial real estate indicates that commercial real estate appreciates faster than other investment types. One reason for this is that commercial real estate can appreciate in value because of things that exist outside of the market. For example, a landlord can make a commercial property more valuable by renovating or updating a building to make it more modern. These improvements make the commercial holding more valuable, even though the stock market is not involved in the process.

Commercial Real Estate Has Intrinsic Value

Another reason investors are beginning to turn to commercial real estate is because these properties actually have intrinsic value. While it can be difficult to pinpoint the actual value of a stock, a commercial real estate property is valuable because the land the property sits on has tangible value, as does the actual structure of the property itself. This intrinsic value means that commercial real estate holdings do not fluctuate in value as frequently as stocks do.