Using self-directed IRA funds to purchase income-generating real estate is a profitable strategy an ever-growing number of investors are employing. These accounts (a.k.a. real estate IRAs) can buy rental property as an investment, just as they would buy stock market securities. This means real estate IRA holders can use their retirement funds to purchase real estate without incurring early distribution taxes or penalties and they can realize the rental payments as tax-deferred income within their IRA.
The challenge, however, is this: How do you purchase real estate that costs more than the money you’ve accumulated in your retirement account? Because the Internal Revenue Code prohibits account holders from extending credit (a personal guarantee) to their own accounts, personal loans can’t be mixed with IRA funds. So unless you have an IRA flush with funds, it would seem that your purchase options are slim to none.
Leveraging borrowed funds
There is a way out of this dilemma. Real estate IRA accounts can make use of borrowed money as long as the credit history, income and/or assets of the account holder are not used to acquire or guarantee repayment of the loan.
There is only one leverage option that meets these criteria: non-recourse loans.
