Investing In Real Estate With Your IRA
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 and 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.
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.
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.
Basically, this opens it up so you can buy investment real estate with your IRA or be a private lender in real estate.
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.
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 thats right for you.
Do some research to find the right fit for you. Some have more expensive fees than others and some give more flexibility than others.
Before you sign on with a SD-IRA company ask them a few key questions.
Fees can vary wildly. Some charge an annual fee based on the value of the account, some charge an annual fee, some charge large setup fees, etc. Find out what works for you. But, the idea is that by being able to invest in real estate with your IRA you’ll more than make up for the fees you’re paying with your higher returns.
Some companies can take up to 30 days+ to fund an investment after you send it in for approval. Some SD-IRA’s give you what’s called “true checkbook control”, where you actually get a checkbook where you can write checks from your IRA account which gives you immediate access to the funds (i.e. – to close a deal quickly). Checkbook control usually is a tad more expensive to set up than an IRA account that requires all investments to go through the sometimes lengthy custodian approval process, but again find out what’s best for you.
Some SD-IRAs with larger more traditional companies like Schwab and SmithBarney put restrictions on what your account can invest in. Some don’t allow real estate while others do. Just ask.
Not all retirement accounts can be rolled over into a self-directed IRA. Most IRAs can be and even some 401(k)s can be. Just ask your financial advisor and ask the representative at the SD-IRA company you’re working with.
Not all retirement accounts can be rolled over into a self-directed IRA. Most IRAs can be and even some 401(k)s can be. Just ask your financial advisor and ask the representative at the SD-IRA company you’re working with.
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: 205-216-5338. We offer discount investment properties in Birmingham 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.