What Is A Self Directed IRA Real Estate Account and How Does It Work? A self-directed IRA real estate account is an account created with a bank or brokerage that allows investors to make investments in real estate using funds from a qualified retirement account. The accounts are known as self-directed IRAs, and there are two different types of them – traditional and Roth.
The most common type of self-directed IRA is the traditional one, which functions as a normal IRA but is funded by money from an existing qualified 401(k) or other retirement plans rather than cash contributions. Generally speaking, the investor has much greater flexibility regarding what investments he can choose for this type of IRA because it doesn’t come with the annual contribution limits that regular IRAs do. When you roll over the funds into either kind of self-directed IRA, you must transfer all of your existing holdings into it, but you don’t have to reinvest in any particular asset.
Using retirement funds to invest in property creates a highly tax-advantaged environment for investors because they borrow money and deduct the interest they pay on their loans just as if they were making ordinary mortgage payments. When the investments become profitable (which is likely during real estate booms), the profits can be withdrawn from a self directed IRA real estate account and used for any purpose without incurring taxes or penalties. Investors should keep in mind, though, that once they take out money from a traditional IRA, it becomes taxable income, even if it was made through capital gains like those earned by investing in real estate.