Even as COVID-19 has thrown many investors off their feet, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Capemay Properties, Eunice Adjei Bonsu, has said the time has come for people to invest in real estate in order to secure their future.
According to her, with uncertainties and unpredictability of markets and other investment instruments across the globe, the best investment option is for people to go into real estate investments, particularly in Ghana where prices of properties always appreciate.
Speaking in an interview on how people can leverage the many opportunities and certainty that investments in real estate brings, Ms. Bonsu mentioned once the investment is well structured to make entry affordable and returns predictable, the phobia and misinformation around investments in real estate will be discarded.
“Our goal in the property industry is to create investment opportunities and wealth building opportunities for the next generation of property investors. We believe the next generation needs sound education on solid investments in the area of real estate as an investment option in order to secure their future wealth. We are confident of providing properties of high standards, fitted with quality amenities and in prime locations to make for a great investment and yield great returns,” she added.
Benefits of investing in real estate
to her, there are some very major benefits when people invest in real estate. First is potential Profits. She explained that real estate is a value for money business and therefore, when the investor re-sells the property, there is great potential for profit.
“Since real estate values typically increase with inflation, property investments can serve as a hedge against inflation. In addition to being able to sell real estate, investors can make money renting it. Landlords typically get a steady net income from their rental property,” she said.
Secondly, leverage. According to CEO of Capemay Properties, which is currently developing Signature Apartments, with the purchase of real estate, an investor attains financial leverage. The real estate owner can borrow money – whether a second mortgage, home equity loan or personal loan – using the real property as collateral. It also takes a smaller proportionate outlay to purchase real estate than other investments.
The third benefit of investing in real estate, she explained is the non-liquidity and fluctuating real estate market. “Real estate is a very non-liquid asset. A property owner might not be able to sell his investment when he wants to, or for the price he needs to in order to make a profit.
It is worth noting that stocks the world over have taken a big hit as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic as much as rent has gone down. However, once the economy picks up, securing a real estate investment or keeping your current investment will boom. Hence, this is the best time to buy so when the economy recovers, the property will appreciate and they can resell.”
Further, she pointed out appreciation as another benefit. To her, on top of the build-up in equity from paying down the mortgage, the investor would also benefit from the increase in property value.
Then there is equity, which according to Capable Wealth, each time one makes a mortgage payment a part of it goes toward paying interest on the loan and a part goes toward paying down the principal value of the property. “With each payment, you own more and more of the property. Over time, real estate prices tend to go up in value. From the 1960s through the early 2000s there wasn’t a single year of decline in the median home price in the U.S.”
Signature Apartments
Speaking further on the qualities of Signature Apartments, Ms. Bonsu said Signature Apartments provides residents with a communal feel and work life balance.
“The Signature community has access to countless amenities including a roof top swimming pool and bar, fitness centre and steam room, lawn tennis court, ballet and yoga studio, library, movie theatre, karaoke studio, bowling alley, private underground parking, ground level swimming pool, restaurants, etc.”
She added that The Signature is offering different apartment types for the different classes of investors especially for the next generation of property investors. “We are willing to start from various price points to create opportunities for the first time and multiple-time investors.”
On how to capture the market to rope in more people and ensure return on investment for homebuyers, Ms. Bonsu said the company has exceeded the practice in real estate through its Signature Apartments which is located at Tetteh Quarshie opposite the Accra Mall by providing world class amenities to ensure a perfect work life balance of potential tenants making it more competitive than hotels and also ensuring quality of construction and high standard fixtures.
“This is very important as property investment is for long term and as such, the product should be quality enough to stand the test of time. Most people buy for investment and the product should be able to rent and give a good return on investment,” she added.
