The limited liability company is another flexible option if your IRA does not provide sufficient funds for the purchase, and neither loans nor tenancy-in-common ownership provides a solution for which you are looking.
I am going to skip the long version of what an LLC is and leave that to your attorney, but, briefly defined, an LLC is a form of business entity that offers both limited liability for its owners and certain tax benefits.
When using LLCs, it is similar to investing in a real estate investment trust (REIT) in that your IRA may be invested in limited interests which is kind of like investing in shares of stock. The difference here is that LLCs are private, and there are usually only a few investors that are limited members and a developer that is the managing member.
Here is one way an LLC may be used.
You know a developer who is getting ready to start a new project in your local area. He has used $1,000,000 of his own money to purchase the land and now is trying to raise capital to develop the property. Once the project is finished and the condos are sold, he expects to realize a large profit. He is willing to give up some of his profit in exchange for the needed capital.
The name of his company is ABC Construction Company, LLC. After your attorney has reviewed the proper agreements and you have done your due diligence, you may instruct your self-directed IRA custodian to purchase the units of ABC Construction Company, LLC that have been agreed upon with the developer.
This is a simple version, and there are many more detailed points to be considered and understood when using LLCs, but I hope this provides some food for thought.
Now we are ready to talk about how to actually purchase the property. When using your IRA to purchase property, the steps in buying real estate are really no different than if you were not using your IRA. There are a few things to be aware of, and we will review them now.
The basic steps are:
1. The Purchase and Sales Agreement (the offer)
2. The Acceptance
3. The Inspection
4. The Closing
The purchase and sales agreement is where it all starts and is probably the most important. Each self-directed IRA custodian will have their own set of rules and procedures, so you need to review their real estate processing checklist well in advance of actually making an offer.
You need to make sure that the purchase is made by your IRA custodian and not you, personally. This means that you will need to set up your self-directed IRA prior to making an offer. If you are under the gun and did not have time to open your IRA, and if the person making the offer is not a disqualified person, you may make the offer in the following way: “John Doe and or assigns”. Adding the phrase “and or assigns” will allow you to assign the contract to the IRA custodian once the account opened.
In addition, if you put up earnest money with your personal funds, you will need to make sure you include that amount in the total due so that the title company can reimburse you upon closing.
Some IRA custodians will require that they hold the original recorded title to the property in safekeeping. The title should reflect the name of your IRA custodian for your benefit, such as, XYZ Trust Company, Custodian FBO John Smith IRA.
In conclusion, I hope you now realize there are some interesting and creative ways to invest in real estate and this can be done in your IRA or other types of retirement plans. This topic is very complex and, by no means, have all the elements of this opportunity been covered in the article, but I hope it was a good start for you.
Please remember that this type of investing is best performed when using a team of professionals that can help you navigate the potential hazards. Please seek the advice from the following professionals as needed: an attorney, CPA, IRA custodian, CFP, real estate professional, mortgage broker, registered investment advisor or other competent advisor.
We hope these four articles about using your IRA funds to invest in real estate were informative. Please contact us so we can review the possibilities for securing and increasing your personal wealth while enhancing your retirement.
Thank you!
Joseph M. Maas, CFA, CVA, ABAR, CM&AA, CFP®, ChFC, CLU®, MSFS, CCIM
Synergy Financial Management, LLC
701 Fifth Avenue Suite 3520
Seattle, Washington 98104
