Author Archive for Self Directed IRA Advisor

How does Checkbook Control Expand Your Investment Options?

Published
by
Self Directed IRA Advisor
on July 3, 2008
in Real Estate
. 0 Comments
by Self Directed IRA Advisor

A checkbook IRA allows you to have checkbook control of your IRA retirement account.

If you’re a seasoned real estate investor, you know just how fast expenses can add up on a piece of property. A few trips to your local Lowes home improvement store, a number of calls to your contractor or a simple mistake made by an inexperienced handyman means you have to shell out money, money, money - right out of your pocket.

Now consider for a moment the thought of having to get approval from your IRA custodian every time you needed to pay an expense related to your investment. It can be time-consuming, expensive and downright annoying, especially if you are up against a deadline. This is no way to handle what is arguably the most important asset you have or is it? After all, sometimes the best opportunities are found “on the spot.”

Checkbook control means being able to buy supplies when you need them, not only after you have caught up with your custodian for an approval and a signature. As you probably already aware, some of the best investment opportunities are made light years before others find out about them. Without checkbook writing privileges, great investment opportunities could be lost forever. This issue alone could cost you potentially thousand of dollars.

What Does Checkbook Control Of Your IRA Mean?

Having checkbook control means you have the opportunity to self manage your IRA account to maximize your retirement investment without excess custodial intervention. You can invest in practically any way you want. The following is an abridged list of some of the items you can invest in with checkbook IRA: high yielding real estate notes, rental property, trust deeds, probate property, commercial real estate, foreign real estate, REO property, storage facilities, tax lien property.

As you can see, a Checkbook IRA gives you the ultimate ability to truly diversify your IRA funds. Explore more with a self directed IRA advisor. Call Truly Self Directed IRA (TSD-IRA) today to learn more at 877-339-4559.

About the Author:
Make sure you visit the IRA LLC Partner for more information and download a free Checkbook IRA ebook.

Self-Directed IRA LLC: Investing in Handyman Specials

Published
by
Self Directed IRA Advisor
on June 23, 2008
in Investing
. 0 Comments
by Self Directed IRA Advisor

One of the favored investments of Self Directed IRA account holders is buying and selling fixer uppers. Fixer uppers allow you to maximize your investment via property flipping. If you choose to flip properties via your Self Directed IRA account, following are three things to keep in mind.

3 Ways to Maximize Your Self Directed IRA Profits When Buying and Selling Fixer Uppers

For those who are patient, flipping fixer-uppers can provide a phenomenal return on for a Self Directed IRA portfolio. Careful research is required to make sound decisions when flipping properties, but, that is the case with any investment. If flipping properties is how you choose to maximize your retirement income via your Self Directed IRA account, keep the following in mind.

Location, location, location: Maximizing your Self Directed IRA investment begins with choosing the right location. In real estate, location is everything. As Realtors are fond of saying, you can fix the house, but you can’t fix the neighborhood. So, start your search by choosing a location with good schools, appreciating property values, a stable city government, etc.

Invest with the needs of the buyer in mind. This means good schools, properties that are appreciating in value, an active local government, etc…

Property Renovations: Buy properties that need cosmetic renovations only where possible. Many investors, especially novice investors, walk away from perfectly sound deals because they don’t have the foresight to see past the junk. Develop this skill, and you’ll be well on your way to a lifetime of “good real estate flipping deals,” growing your Self Directed IRA profits exponentially.

Call on a Rehab Specialist: Because it is your money coming out of your self-directed IRA LLC - Self Directed IRA account, you should team up with a rehab specialist to inspect properties before buying. They can assess the structure soundness and give you an idea on what it will really cost to fix it. If you truly want to grow your Self Directed IRA portfolio buying and selling fixer uppers, this is one of the most astute moves you can make.

About the Author:
Self Directed IRA Investing gives you true flexibility and the ability to truly diversify your retirement funds. Learn more about this special IRA or call Truly Self Directed IRA (TSD-IRA) to learn more at 877-339-4559. Download a free self-directed IRA ebook.

Self-Directed IRA: Use Your Funds to Invest in Foreclosures

Published
by
Self Directed IRA Advisor
on June 22, 2008
in Finance
. 0 Comments
by Self Directed IRA Advisor

Did you know that you can maximize your Self-Directed IRA LLC / Checkbook IRA Account funds by investing in foreclosures? If you have money sitting in your account, you could be missing out on one of the best returns you can get on your money - investing in foreclosures. Why is now a good time to invest in foreclosures. Actually, there are three reasons.

3 Reasons Now is a Great Time to Invest in the Foreclosure Market

Prices are Low Now: Every real estate investor will tell you that to make money investing in foreclosures, you need to find good deals. What is defined as a “good deal?” A simplistic answer is a good deal is one where you make money. Making money in real estate is all about equity; buying homes that have equity.

Presently, the market is being swamped with all kinds of properties that have lots of equity. Why? Two primary reasons can be cited. One, the economy is in a recession, which means many are losing their job. And two, Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARMs) are coming due, which means mortgage payments are going up. Job loss plus higher mortgage payments means more homeowners are willing to negotiate, that is, if they haven’t already been foreclosed on.

Banks Don’t Want to Be Landlords: Piggybacking off the aforementioned point, banks don’t want to be landlords or property managers. As the market is flooded with more and more properties, banks are trying to sell them off as fast as they can.

Why don’t banks want to be landlords. Quite frankly, because it costs them in two ways. To explain, when banks take over a property, they in essence become the homeowner. This means they have to cut the grass, make repairs made by vandals, winterize it, etc. They pay companies to do all of this. Secondly, no one is paying the mortgage, so they’re losing that income. Monies sitting in your Self-Directed IRA LLC account could easily be put to work to help you reap the rewards down the line.

Long-Term Gain: Using your Self-Directed IRA LLC / Checkbook IRA account funds to purchase foreclosures now will pay off in the long run. Especially if you buy and hold properties. Real estate is a cyclical market. Meaning, what goes down will eventually go up again. When the market starts to sizzle again, you’ll be perfectly situated to take advantage of the smart investments you make now.

About the Author:
By developing a full-fledged real estate investment strategy, you can use the funds from your Self-Directed IRA LLC account to retire in a manner you never thought possible. To learn more about using a Self Directed IRA and maximize your retirement investment.

Checkbook IRA: Establish a Real Estate Investment Strategy

Published
by
Self Directed IRA Advisor
on June 11, 2008
in Finance
. 0 Comments
by Self Directed IRA Advisor

Whether you call it a self-directed IRA account or a checkbook IRA account, what is means to you is options. As in, getting a bigger return on your retirement account dollars by investing in real estate.

But, for some, the more options that are presented, the more confusing it becomes. However, it shouldn’t be. Like any other investment account, all you have to do is ask yourself a series of questions to determine your real estate investment strategy.

3 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Delving into Your Self-Directed IRA Account

Investor Risk Compass: We all have an inherent risk compass, especially when it comes to money. Some of us are extremely conservative, some of us are avid risk takers and many of us fall somewhere in between. Knowing your risk compass before you begin investing your checkbook IRA funds into the real estate marketing will help you to make smarter decisions.

Is retirement looming, or in the distance? This question is designed to highlight which options you can safely take advantage of with your self-directed IRA account funds. Like any other type of investment, some real estate options are riskier than others. The closer retirement is, the less time you have to recover from mistakes. So, you may want to consider safer options like buying and holding property (eg, for rental income).

Retirement Income Needs: Most focus on the big number when they think about their self-directed IRA accounts. Eg, how much do I have/want to have in there? It’s important to break this down into monthly amounts. You should run projects for 20, 25 and 30 years. As in, will how much do I have to have in my account to sustain an income of $5,000/month over 20, 25 or 30 years (maybe even more).

These are just three of the questions you will need to ask and answer before settling on an investment strategy for your checkbook IRA account. Albeit, they are three of the most important.

About the Author:
Checkbook IRA accounts provide an excellent way to invest in real estate and maximize your portfolio’s investment. To learn more about investing in real estate via your Self-Directed IRA account, go to our self directed IRA - the IRA LLC Partner - and download a free self directed IRA ebook.