How To Invest Your IRA In Real Estate

There are several advantages of using a self-directed IRA or Solo 401(k) plan to buy real estate. The first is tax deferral or tax-free growth. For example, if one purchased a piece of property with retirement funds for $80,000 and later sold the property for $300,000, the $220,000 of gain appreciation would generally be tax-deferred. Whereas, if you purchased the property using personal funds (non-retirement funds), the gain would be subject to federal income tax, and in most cases, state income tax. Second, a self-directed IRA can allow you to invest in hard assets you know and understand, such as a rental property or piece of land. Lastly, having the ability to invest in alternative assets is believed to be a good source of investment diversification.

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

If you are looking for easy transactions both in and out, REITs provide that. Many REITs are registered with the SEC and are publicly traded on a stock exchange. These are known as publicly traded REITs. Others may be registered with the SEC but are not publicly traded. These are known as non- traded REITs (also known as non-exchange traded REITs).

All REITs have their own specialties, so make sure you do your due diligence on the company. REITs are required to distribute 90% of its taxable income as dividends, so many retirees look to REITs for income.

Rental Properties

You can also invest in rental properties. You can buy distressed properties, rehabthem and rent them out or you can buy performing ones. If you decided that you want to go the distressed route you’ll have to keep a very close eye on the accounting. There are lots of rules in regards to tracking the money. You can either manage them on a daily basis or go through the process of hiring a property manager to manage it for you. This is a good way to build a passive income stream.

Turnkey Real Estate Investment

Turnkey is another viable option for SDIRA owners. Self-directed IRA (SDIRA) is another option for an IRA holder, which allows them to invest in diversified assets. To expand on “diversified assets,” this means that you aren’t restricted to stocks and bonds like most IRAs. You are able to invest in many different things. SDIRA serves as a savings account where your money can grow tax-free until you withdraw the funds, unless it is a Roth IRA. If it is a Roth IRA, the money is taxed prior to going into the account and when it is withdrawn, it is tax-free.

The owner simply transfers funds from his/her IRA or other retirement account to SDIRA. Many of them increase the amount invested with their personal contributions to the account.

A Turnkey Real Estate investment basically means that you are working with a turnkey investment company that are selling rental properties. Most of these investment properties are already rehabbed and rented out. You just need to buy the property and everything else in managed by the turnkey company. This is the best option for out-of-state investorsor someone who’s not interested in buying, rehabbing or managing the property. You’ll get the rent every month and you’ll pay a portion of that to your turnkey company for managing the properties. It is a easy hands off approach to investing in real estate.

Make sure to do your research properly in order to find the right turnkey investment company.Pay them a visit, check the property in person and invest once you’re satisfied.

You may have noticed that fix and flip is not on this list. And there is a big reason for that. The idea behind an IRA is that it is a retirement account, not a business account. If you start conducting business in your IRA, it can open you up to tax liabilities.