Alternative investment is an investment or an asset that falls outside the conventional types of investment such as stocks, bonds, and cash (Athanassiou, 2012). Examples of alternative investments include real estate, derivatives, hedge funds, private equity, venture capital, commodities (e.g. precious metals), peer-to-peer lending, and collectibles (e.g. art). Compared to conventional assets, alternative investments are subject to fewer or less stringent regulations. Additionally, most alternative investments involve higher minimum investments, more complex fee structures, and lower transaction costs (Lee, 2015). Other features that distinguish alternative investments from conventional investments include lesser liquidity, lack of provable performance information, and valuation difficulties. Due to these characteristics, an individual considering alternative investments must carefully consider the available options and their associated conditions before making the final decision. In this paper, I compare different forms of alternative investments and justify the investment I would choose. Since alternative investments often have little or no correlation with conventional asset classes, they are usually suitable options for anyone interested in diversifying their investment portfolio. For me, real estate investment trusts (REIT) provides one of the safest forms of alternative investments. REITs are investments that enable an investor to earn returns from real estate property without necessarily buying the property (Lee, 2015). In other words, one does not need to become a landlord. Instead, the...
However, this does not necessarily mean becoming a landlord is a bad thing. With land, you can get a bank to finance a property. A major advantage of real estate property is that rental income is almost guaranteed.
(Economou and Trichias, 2009) Remuneration is stated to be as follows for each of these actors: (1) real estate brokers -- Commission based on percentage of the transaction value; (2) lawyers -- Commission based on percentage of the transaction value; (3) Notaries -- Commission base don percentage of the transaction value; (4) Civil Engineers -- According to specific regulations, taking into account elements of the property in question; and (5) Constructors -- percentage of
Real Estate Industry Analysis The residential real estate industry has been surprisingly resilient in light of the current economic situation. Over the previous two years residential real estate purchases registered into the double digits, while these numbers are down, the market for real estate is anything but out. At a glance, it would appear that realtors do not even know that a recession exists as new properties are springing up from
Based on past cycles of real estate market fluctuations, many analysts expect the real estate market to decline further before it rebounds again. In all likelihood, the misfortune of some will provide investment opportunities for others within the next year. The buyer's market that is expected to follow will inevitably result in property sales at far below their prior value. Qualified investors who can wait for the eventual market to
A secondary mortgage market permits mortgage originators to be more responsive to dynamic mortgage demand and to lower mortgage rates for some homeowners when mortgage demand is higher. According to Koppell (2001): Government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) are hybrids -- part public, part private -- that affect the lives of most Americans. Anyone who has borrowed money to purchase a home, farm, or pay for college, or invested in a mutual fund
Real Estate According to New York Times reporter Leslie Eaton, the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks "inflicted deep and lasting wounds on New York City's already-teetering economy; devastated both big companies and small businesses in and around twin towers; brought business across city to halt for days, weeks and in some cases months, slashing workers' earnings and tax revenues alike; made many employers determined to spread their workers over wider swath
Property portfolio ownership and management is not based on charitable foundations but rather on the idea that investors will benefit from that ownership. Therefore, in order to ascertain the profitability of owning and managing certain specific properties is of importance to the investors interested in achieving those benefits. One method for that ascertaining is to employ the Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT). MPT was actually developed as a tool to moderate
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