How to invest in rental properties with a Roth IRA

[Dylan Mathias]

Hi all, 

While in college I worked fulled time at a fortune 500 company. I was able to put away a good amount in my 401k in the two years I have been at the company. I am now leaving the company and am going to roll my 401k into a tradition pre-tax IRA and then a self direct post tax Roth IRA.

I am moving most of my money into more conservative investments in the economical environment we are in. 

I am wondering if anyone has information on how to invest in real estate rental properties with a Roth IRA. I have heard you have to hold your money with a 3rd party and besides that you can pretty much just use the money to invest.

I wanted to get peoples thoughts and if anyone knows someone that specializes in this area. I live a little North of San Francisco so someone close to that area would be great.

[Steve Vaughan]

I would lend or flip in an IRA, but not hold. Holding can create great tax benefits for us with depreciation that IRAs can't utilize. They also appreciate tax-favored if held more than 365 days and your heirs inherit at a stepped up basis eventually and you can 1031 exchange along the way anyway.

Lending and flipping earn ordinary income, so definitely a benefit to having an IRA coat over, just like using IRAs to hold securities that create tax events for us like REITs and MLPs.

Hold long-term tax advantageous assets outside of your IRA. If that's the only place you have money, that's a symptom of larger things. Don't hold inside an IRA.