Tax and finance · Reinvent NY glossary
Depreciation is a tax deduction that allows real estate investors to recover the cost of an investment property over time — 27.5 years for residential and 39 years for commercial properties. Only the building value (not land) is depreciable. For a $500,000 residential rental property with $400,000 building value, the annual depreciation deduction is approximately $14,545. This 'phantom expense' reduces taxable rental income without any actual cash outlay. When selling, depreciation recapture is taxed at 25%. Cost segregation studies can accelerate depreciation, yielding larger deductions in early years.
The four states international buyers ask about most: New York up 5.2% on the year, California at a 4.22% yield, and what Texas and Florida really cost.
Indiana, Missouri and Ohio in 2026: state gains of 3-3.5% on the year with yields of 5.75-6.61%, and the secondary cities quietly outperforming the metros.
Baltimore in 2026: a $192,669 typical value, $1,799 rents and an 11.2% gross yield — the highest on the Northeast corridor, and what the price is telling you.
Ohio in 2026: a $251,502 state median up 3.5% on the year, with Cleveland at a 14.13% gross yield and Columbus at 6.96% — and what separates the two.
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