After both of our parents had passed away, my brother and I used the plots my dad had purchased for their burial. At the time of the purchase, he had also purchased two plots in the same area for my brother and I. Since I no longer live in the area in which the plots are located, I decided to get rid of the two remaining plots. At this point in my life, I would rather be buried with my wife when we die and will be buried somewhere other than the town in which I grew up. I wondered what the easiest method to sell the plots would be and what would their market value be?
I discussed the situation with my younger brother, and we decided that it would be best to just gift him the two plots so that he and his wife could be buried there. While checking on the transfer process I decided, out of curiosity, to do some investigating on the value of the two plots. Boy was I surprised! What a nice investment these had turned out to be. The value had increased exponentially since their original purchase.
I'm not trying to suggest that investing in well located burial plots or grave sites is the next great global investment opportunity. Like many other property investments there are many factors that must be considered:
* these can increase in value or decrease in value
* they are available in many price levels for each market
* in some areas they are in short supply
* location and type of structural restrictions and quality is important
* there is a vibrant resale market
* there will always be a continuous clientèle for this type of property
In fact, while doing my online research I discovered that there are many internet brokers who assist in the resale of cemetery plots. And with more and more people choosing online auctions or classified sites to make real estate purchases, such as ebay or Craigslist, this may be a good place to start your search.
The development of new upscale memorial parks and gardens will change the cemetery concept and allow for increased value potential over time. If you do your due diligence, and you can buy at the right price, whether for personal use or for a real estate resale, you just might find that over time your decision to purchase cemetery or burial plots was a very smart investment move.
