Sunday, 19 January 2014

How to Buy Real-estate with Your IRA

By Marco Santarelli


Are you aware you can invest your IRA in real-estate? Like many of us you may have heard about this before but are not pretty sure how it can be done. I may steer you through the easy three-step process and how it functions.

The very good news is it's easy and simple. Following this process allows you to assume control over your retirement account and invest in assets you would like to make an investment in. Let's walk through each of the 3 steps one at a time.

STEP 1: You Want a Really Self-Directed IRA

First, you will need a self-directed IRA (SDIRA). If you were going to go down to your bank or brokerage and tell them you want a self-directed IRA they'd doubtless tell you that is what you've got. Nonetheless their definition of self-directed means you can make a choice from an inventory of limited investment options that they charge a fee or a commission on. If instead you ask them if you can take title to a particular 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 don't permit these types of investments.

What makes an IRA self-directed? The fast answer is, it depends wholly on the keeper or trust company who holds your IRA. Each IRA trustee is permitted to impose limitations on the sorts of investments they hold. Therefore , you need to choose a really self-directed IRA custodian, one that lets you choose your own investments, whatever they might be. There are many truly self-directed IRA custodians that we work with that are not commission-based institutions like your bank or brokerage. A self-directed IRA custodian will generally charge an annual charge for the IRA service and doesn't charge commissions or take any percentage of your profits. This gives you the freedom and flexibility to select your own investments.

Most IRA custodians are not self-directed so step one is to identify a very self-directed IRA keeper and open a self-directed IRA. Once you've identified your new custodian, it only takes 1 or 2 minutes to open a self-directed IRA account. The majority 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 alternative ways. First, you can make a contribution. Contributions come from your earned revenue and you can simply take money from your savings or checking account and deposit it into your new self-directed IRA. Second, if you have already started a retirement account through a previous 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) directly into your new self-directed IRA. 3rd, 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 fees associated 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 in the process , to make your first real-estate investment.

STEP 3: Make an Investment

This is the final step. You make an investment, in this case, an estate investment. If this is your very first time purchasing real-estate in your IRA it is generally judicious to call your custodian first to ask what forms you will need to submit. Usually there is a "Direction to Invest" form that you complete and indoctrinates 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 is going to have the real estate"? Since you are using your self-directed IRA, it isn't you but your IRA who is buying the asset. Therefore , when you write your offer to purchase , the purchasers name should read as:

XYZ Trust Company FBO Your Name IRA, 12345

Your steward will sign and process all of the recordable papers since it's the custodian essentially making the asset purchasing. Now your SDIRA owns the property. When your IRA owns the investment, all the expenses will be paid from your IRA. IRS rules don't allow you to pay costs personally. Paying bills for your SDIRA investments is as simple as indoctrinating your custodian to do it. Regarding the income your SDIRA makes, here's the best bit of all â€" all revenue and profits will return to your IRA, tax protected! No tax, no capital gains tax â€" no tax! By investing in a tax protected environment your new worth can grow exponentially quicker than if you are paying taxes as you go.

By following these three easy steps, you'll take control over your retirement account and become an expert SDIRA property investor in no time at all.




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