Partnering IRA Funds: An Alternative Way to Fund Your Real Estate Investment

Did you know you can partner with other funding sources to increase your investment potential? Self-directed IRAs are the only retirement arrangements that allow individual investors the freedom to pursue alternative investments, such as real estate. Investing in real estate with a self-directed IRA offers many benefits to those who are looking for creative ways to save for the future. Investors have complete control over their investment choices. Unlike other IRAs, you’re not limited to stock, bonds or mutual funds. Self-directed IRAs provide the opportunity to save money for the future on a tax-deferred or tax-free basis. In addition, an IRA is considered a separate entity that can conduct business with others. This is a common strategy used in real estate investments. The process is fairly simple, but be sure to adhere to IRA regulations to avoid engaging in any prohibited transactions.

How do I partner with others to purchase real estate using a self-directed IRA?

1. Identify the partner you would like to invest with.
2. Perform your due diligence and confirm that the investment fits your strategy.
3. Combine your self-directed IRA fund with other funds to purchase the property.
4. Your IRA will own a percentage of the property and must be stated on the title when the transaction is recorded.
5. All income and expenses (on a proportionate basis) from the property flow in and out of your IRA and not your personal finances.
6. If the property is sold, your IRA receives the portion of the proceeds proportionate to the percentage of ownership.

A self-directed IRA can partner with anyone at the time of initial purchase, but after the transaction is complete, the IRA cannot conduct any business with a disqualified person. Doing this could lead to significant tax penalties.

The following people are considered disqualified persons:

• You
• Your spouse
• Your lineal ascendants and descendants, and their spouses
• Any person providing plan-related services (custodians, advisors, fiduciaries, administrators)
• Any entity (business, corporation, partnership) of which you own at least 50 percent, whether directly or indirectly

What are the ways in which I can take advantage of the partnering strategy to help me save for retirement?

1. Partner With Another Investor
   Investors are on the lookout for new opportunities, and networking with like-minded individuals can be a great way to find an investment partner. Partnering with a fellow investor offers the potential to learn from each other, as well as disperse risk between two people.
   

2. Partner With a Relative
   While you are not allowed to buy from/sell to relatives, as they are considered disqualified persons for these purposes, you do have the option of partnering with them to purchase a new investment. This can be a great way to save for retirement together with a loved one.

3. Partner With Yourself
   It is possible to partner your self-directed IRA funds with your personal savings for the purchase of a new asset, such as a real estate property.

4. Partner With Another Self-Directed IRA
   Partner your account funds with the funds in another IRA to maximize your purchasing power. Find another motivated retirement investor to explore your possibilities.

5. Partner With a Group
   Sometimes partnering with one account, one investor or only yourself will not provide enough funding for the investment you are interested in. In this case, you can partner with a group! Partnering can be a great tool for retirement investing, but it is important that you understand how to utilize this strategy for success.

It’s Easy to Get Started
All you have to do to get started is open an account and fund it. There are three ways to fund your self-directed IRA: transfer or rollover an existing retirement account, such as an employer’s 401(k), into a self-directed IRA; or make regular, annual contributions to your account. Once your account has cash in it, you can start investing immediately! As you read in this article, you can partner with other investors until you have enough cash to invest in real estate on your own. Download our free report about partnering your self-directed IRA with real estate here to learn more.