A recent article in the Sarasota Post features the basics of investing in Florida properties using your Self-Directed Real Estate IRA. Of course, the principles are the same everywhere: The laws governing IRAs, including Self-Directed Real Estate IRAs and the broader category of Self-Directed IRAs, are federal. They are the same in every state. But there are a few considerations that make Florida unique.

Booms and Busts

Florida has been attracting real estate speculators for decades – and is famous for big Florida land booms followed by devastating busts. Many have gotten wealthy from Florida real estate investing, and if you time things well and get in while one of the great Florida land booms has some room to run, you can do extremely well indeed.

On the other hand, many have bought into Florida property at the top of the market and been devastated by one of the big real estate crashes that seem to happen in Florida from time to time.

Those who have been investing in real estate for a while will easily recall that Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach real estate investors were all seriously hurt by the 2008 market crash. But they have also done very well in the recovery.

Be Patient

So, Florida is a market that is best for Self-Directed Real Estate IRA investors who plan to buy and hold, or who have a number of years before they expect to need to cash out. Meanwhile, the great thing about real estate is that thanks to the generous and increasing rental income yields available on real estate, Self-Directed Real Estate IRA owners can get paid very handsomely to wait.

No State Income Taxes

Florida is an ideal home for Self-Directed Real Estate IRA investors because it is one of a handful of states that do not have a state income tax. This means that rental income from your Self-Directed Real Estate IRA is only taxed at the Federal level, and if you own the property in a Roth IRA, it is not taxed at the federal level, either.

The lack of state income tax goes a long way to helping make a Self-Directed Real Estate IRA a compelling value proposition, and it makes Florida a great destination for retirees who expect to rely on taxable income from an IRA, 401(K), or real estate portfolio.

Self-Directed Real Estate IRA financing

Because Florida real estate prices so historically volatile, lenders may be more careful about lending to Florida Self-Directed Real Estate IRA investors. For example, in most markets nationwide, it is pretty easy to find financing from a Self-Directed Real Estate IRA lending company for about 65 percent of the value of the property securing the loan. However, some of these Self-Directed Real Estate IRA lenders will not lend on Florida properties. The ones that do may require a 50 percent down payment rather than the 35 percent standard elsewhere in the country.

Interested in learning more about Self-Directed IRAs?  Contact American IRA, LLC at 866-7500-IRA (472) for a free consultation.  Download our free guides or visit us online at www.AmericanIRA.com.