How come no one knows?

It's curious that so little is understood about “the real estate IRA.” Perhaps it's simply a lack of advertising. IRA accounts invested in stocks, bonds and other financial paper are very lucrative for banks, mutual funds, insurance companies and brokerage houses. These institutions will gladly act as your trustee (the middlemen in all IRAs) and sell you their wares. But they won't act as your trustee if you want to buy real estate with IRA money. Why? They're not in the real estate business. So you're pretty much on your own investing in a real estate IRA. You have to find your own property, trustee and perhaps a management company, to collect rents and maintain the property.

All your IRA money is in mutual funds and you’d like to diversify. One way is to buy raw land, a house or a building -- even your retirement condo on Siesta Key or Longboat Key beach. There it is, the retirement home of your dreams. The trouble is that you're at least a dozen or more years from retirement and most of your money is tied up in your IRA.

Too bad, because by the time you're ready to sell your current home, that oceanfront beauty could be way out of reach. If only you could access some of that IRA money without paying a penalty. If only you could rent the space and sock away the income, tax-deferred. Until you retire and enjoy it yourself.

All your IRA money doesn't have to be in paper (stocks, bonds, CD's). Most investors believe they cannot use IRA money to buy real estate. They are wrong. You can invest IRA money in a wide range of investments, including stocks, bonds, mutual funds, money market funds, saving certificates, U.S. Treasury securities, promissory notes secured by mortgages or deeds of trust, limited partnerships and … real estate. That includes houses, condos, office buildings -- even if located in another state or country.

You cannot use IRA money to buy your own residence, or any other property in which you live. It has to be investment property. But when you retire, you can direct your IRA to turn it over to you as a distribution, at the current market value.

After the closing, the IRA can make capital improvements in the property and rent it out for a nice income, all tax-deferred. (It could even be tax-free if the Roth IRA is used.)

Remember, you can always get out of your investment. Just direct your trustee to sell your property or interest, and have the funds reinvested elsewhere.

For a FREE REPORT detailing exactly how to purchase real estate with your IRA, just fill out the form below.