Investing In Real Estate With Your IRA
As you know, real estate is at a 30 year low right now in many markets. Recently all over Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and countless other publications there have been stories about big Wall Street companies jumping in and buying real estate rather than stocks… because they know they can get a better return.
So, why are most Americans still trusting their own retirements… IRAs… 401ks… with the stock market?
Answer is, they don’t know any better.
Before we dive into the good stuff… remember, we are not financial advisors and by no means should this guide be meant to act as financial, tax, or legal advice. It’s for informational purposes only. Consult your own professional advisors before you make any financial choices like this.
The Self-Directed IRA for Real Estate
There’s something called a Self-Directed IRA. They’ve been around for a while… and in the past several years lots of people have realized that their IRAs aren’t earning them a darn thing (sometimes even losing money). So, those people (maybe this is you) have started to look for other ways to earn better returns with that same IRA.
Enter the “self-directed IRA”.
A self-directed IRA is simple. It’s a retirement account that has the same tax benefits as a normal IRA… but, you have more flexibility in deciding what you want your IRA to be invested in.
You can invest in…
- Real estate (commercial, income generating rental property, rehabs, etc.)
- Promissory Notes secured by mortgages (i.e. – private lending)
- Tax lien certificates
- Limited partnerships
- LLC’s
- Sub-C corporations
- Real estate options
- Some types of precious metals
- … and the normal investments like stocks that your normal IRA can invest in
Basically, this opens it up so you can buy investment real estate with your IRA… or be a private lender in real estate.
Are There Restrictions?
Yes, there definitely are. There are restrictions on what you do with the real estate if you buy and hold… what types of precious metals… and often times the “custodian” of the SDIRA has restrictions on what they think you can and should invest in.
A custodian? Whats that?
Great questions.
Self-Directed IRA Custodians
The US Government created the SD-IRA loophole to help investors take more control over their investments while at the same time still getting the tax benefits. But, at the same time… they don’t want people setting up these SD-IRAs and just doing whatever they want.
So there is a barrier that they have to have in place… and thats the custodian.
The custodian is usually the Self-Directed IRA company who you have your IRA with. They act as the “go between” when you’re going to make an investment. Many custodians have guidelines on what you can invest in, how long it will take for you to actually make your money work for you once they approve the investment… etc. Some custodians are more passive… and let you actually have a checkbook where you can write checks from your SD-IRA to make investments.
You should do your homework and find the custodian that is right for you, but this is who we know and use:
- Specialized IRA Services …….
Getting Off The Sidelines And Getting Your Money Working For You
If you feel a self-directed IRA may be a great way for you to invest a portion of your retirement in things you know (rather than the unpredictable stock market)… then dive in, take some time to educate yourself on the pros and cons of a SD-IRA (those websites I put above are a great place to start. They have all kinds of resources to learn more about self-directed IRAs and how you can use them to invest in real estate).
If you have any questions on how you can work with us as an investor… just connect w/ us through our contact form or call us anytime at: 417-592-9072. We offer discount investment properties in Southwest Missouri and surrounding areas to investors like you who often buy them and keep them as rentals. Also, for those qualified investors who want to explore private lending… contact us and we’ll talk about how we work with private lenders as well.
Happy investing! We’re here as a resource for you so don’t hesitate to connect with us anytime.