“Real estate cannot be lost or stolen, nor can it be carried away. Purchased with common sense, paid for in full, and managed with reasonable care, it is about the safest investment in the world.” Franklin D. Roosevelt
They tell us that we need to be risk-takers and bold in our investments to yield greater revenues. We need to have cash fluidity, have buying power as consumers and also be prudent in making our decisions. We necessarily do not need to be sages but we definitely deserve to make informed decisions about our investments. An investor often thinks of two options while investing; gold and real estate. Which of these comes out to be better for our present as well as future depends on realistically gauging the scenario.
For generations, we keep that gold of ours, bars or jewellery collection, in lockers, hardly taken out or hardly worn in fear of being stolen. Sometimes we pass it on, as gifts, in inheritance or at weddings, but seldom do we sell it and even then, we call it an investment that grows. This is a myth that we need to stop believing. Gold does not give any return unless it is sold, it has an illusion of being liquid but in the short term if you sell it, melt-down value, wear and tear, handling, etc., it gives only a nominal return on investment. We need to invest in something, which pays us back not only in the long term but also at regular intervals. Real estate comes as a saviour as it gives us an opportunity where we can hold an asset, grow it and generate revenue out of it. Real estate can give a steady flow of regular income. In the current times, we believe living in a community requires us to be socially responsible. By investing in real estate, you can engage the workforce in construction, employ workers to run your property, and open various avenues for economic activity.
Individual choices must be inclusive and considerate; we need to share success with our society. Your gold is beneficial to you only if it ever is traded for revenue while investing in a property can make you gradually construct an asset, which is productive, earn profit and engage the community. You can begin going from the ground up to small milestones and eventually larger revenues. In clear terms, real estate is the new gold – far better, instead.
MARYAM NAWAZ KAYANI
ISLAMABAD
