Has anyone ever borrowed against their annuity to help purchase with real estate?

Don't go down like that.That was my annuity 8 years ago.

There's an education component to selling on installment sale that are free and clearPublication 537 from the IRS talks about installment salesUsing a private mortgage and turning your house into a cash flow stream like an annuity should be the focus of the conversationIf you rent out the house you have to deal with insurance and getting sued in case the tenant find some kind of reason to bring you to courtOwning  a private mortgage on the other hand reduces the risk of being suedMy advice to you is also compare it with a reverse mortgage which they get a lump sum but they have to surrender the house upon deathReally study reverse mortgages and understand the negatives of reverse mortgages, mostly the fees that are involvedThe eldercare population is a big market, so take a look at AARP's website and understand the basics of annuitiesThe conversation I have with free and clear houses is this"Mr. seller you've got a few optionsOne you could sell with an agent and pay the cost to sell which include real estate commission, closing costs, sellers concessions, and vacancy holding costs.  

Your interest rate is an annuity to a credit card company.  

Meaning you should get your retirement income from at least 3 different sources, such as Social Security, stocks, and annuities (or some other type, such as RE or pensions). 

It essentially turns a portion of her equity into an annuity that can pay her every month for many years or the rest of her life.

I know many people on this blog are diehard real estate investors and would not even consider investing in anything else...but what about different types of investments such as 529 plans, simple indexed annuities, The stock market, your employer's retirement plan, etc...would you ever invest in these things or is real estate just always the better solution and all your money should go towards that?

My father in law is nearing the end of his journey and has his wealth, including a house, many annuities, IRAs and Trusts all over the map.  

Valuing an income producing property is basically making assumptions and then treating the cash flows like an annuity.

First, in accordance with the gifting rules and depending on her assets still around, the power of attorney can transfer approximately half of her assets to someone, assuming those are her wishes, and the other half of the property will purchase a Medicaid compliant annuity to pay for the penalty period.