Gordon Berger, a 70 year old retired college professor living in California, decided to self-direct his IRA to buy distressed homes and apartment buildings, which he then fixes up and rents out. In an article published in the Wall Street Journal earlier this month, Mr. Berger explained how the rental income he receives, which accounts to roughly 8% a year after expenses, helps keep his retirement fund replenished even though he is now making withdrawals from his IRA for living expenses.
“I decided I didn’t want to leave myself vulnerable by having all my retirement in stocks and bonds,” Mr. Berger said regarding his decision to self-direct his IRA to purchase real estate. Stocks and bonds are often seen as too volatile and not worth the returns. Capitalizing on the housing market through a real estate IRA can yield potential returns much higher than many other traditional investments.
With a self-directed real estate IRA, investors like Mr. Berger can take advantage of the fact that housing prices are at record lows and rental rates are relatively high. According to research published by Reis, a respected resource for real estate trends, the average nation-wide monthly rent for an apartment was $1,048 in the fourth quarter of 2012, up 0.6% from the third quarter and up 3.8% from a year earlier. This is the largest year-over-year increase since 2007!
This Friday, February 22nd, NuView IRA is holding a 3 hour CE course of how to buy and sell real estate using an IRA. At this class, attendees will learn tools and tactics for buying and selling real estate in your IRA, IRS rules and regulations to keep it all legal, the advantages of tax-deferred investing, and much more. Admission is free, but you must register to attend. Call 407-367-3472 or register online here to take the first step towards taking control of your retirement!
