Saturday, 18 January 2014

Ways to Buy Real Estate with Your IRA

By Marco Santarelli


Did you know you can invest your IRA in real estate? Like many people you could have heard about this before but are not quite certain how it can be done. I'll steer you through the simple three-step process and how it works.

The very good news is it's easy. Following this process lets you assume control over your retirement account and invest in assets you want to invest in. Let's walk through each of the three steps one at a time.

STEP 1: You Want a Really Self-Directed IRA

First, you will need a self-directed IRA (SDIRA). If one was to go down to your bank or brokerage and tell them you want a self-directed IRA they might doubtless tell you that's what you have. But their definition of self-directed means you can make a decision from a list of limited investment options that they charge money or a commission on. If instead you ask if you can take title to a specific property in your IRA, what will they tell you? "You cannot do that" or "you can't do that here. " Why? Because they can't charge you a commission on the estate you buy so they simply do not permit these sorts of investments.

What makes an IRA self-directed? The fast answer is, it depends completely on the keeper or trust company who holds your IRA. Each IRA trustee is permitted to impose limitations on the types of investments they hold. Therefore , you want to choose a really self-directed IRA custodian, one that allows you to choose your own investments, whatever they could be. There are a few truly self-directed IRA custodians that we work with that aren't commission-based institutions like your bank or brokerage. A self-directed IRA custodian will typically charge an annual charge for the IRA service and does not levy commissions or take any proportion of your profits. This gives you the liberty and suppleness to select your own investments.

Most IRA custodians aren't self-directed so step one is to spot a truly self-directed IRA keeper and open a self-directed IRA. Once you've identified your new custodian, it will only take one or two minutes to open a self-directed IRA account. Almost all of the process can be handled over the phone or online.

STEP 2: Deposit Money in Your Newly Created Self-Directed IRA

Next you deposit cash into your new self-directed IRA. You can do this one or two other ways. First, you can make a contribution. Contributions come from your earned income and you can simply take cash from your savings or checking account and deposit it into your new self-directed IRA. 2nd, if you have recently started a retirement account through a prior employer you can move that cash into a SDIRA. You can "roll over" an old 401 (k), 403 (b) or any other thrift savings plan (TSP) straight into your new self-directed IRA. Third, if you've an IRA already, you can transfer assets or money from an existing IRA at your bank or brokerage to your new self-directed IRA. When you do a rollover or transfer properly, there are no taxes, penalties or costs connected with moving your money from one custodian to another.

Now that you have a self-directed IRA set up and you have money in it, you are prepared for the third and final step during the process to make your first real-estate investment.

STEP 3: Make an Investment

This is the step. You make an investment, in this situation, a real estate investment. If this is your initial time buying property in your IRA it is always a good idea to reach out to your custodian first to ask what forms you will need to submit. Usually there's a "Direction to Invest" form that you complete and instructs the custodian on what you are buying in your IRA, how much the investment will cost and where you need to send funds for closing.

One of the main things to remember is, "Who's going to own the real estate"? Since you are using your SDIRA, it isn't you but your IRA who is buying the asset. when you write your offer to purchase , the patrons name should read as:

XYZ Trust Company FBO Your Name IRA, 12345

Your keeper will sign and process all of the recordable documents since it is the custodian basically making the asset purchasing. Now your SDIRA owns the property. When your IRA owns the investment, all of the costs will be paid from your IRA. IRS rules do not permit you to pay costs personally. Paying debts for your self-directed IRA investments is as simple as indoctrinating your custodian to do it. With regards to the revenue your SDIRA makes, here's the best bit of all â€" all income and profits will return to your IRA, tax protected! No income tax, no capital gains tax â€" no tax! By investing in a tax protected environment your new worth can grow dramatically faster than if you are paying taxes as you go.

By following these 3 straightforward steps, you may gain control over your retirement account and become an expert SDIRA property investor in little time.




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