Investor · Willow Spring, NC · Member since 2009 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes
9y
I don't know... but from the title of you post, I think you need to realize that a SDIRA LLC isn't like having your own LLC where you can transfer money in and out w/o consideration to capital contributions/distributions... I know enough to know LLCs in a SDIRA aren't like a typical LLC.
Investor · Coppell, TX · Member since 2008 · 2k+ posts · 646 votes
9y
Hello and welcome to BP! I have not opened an account yet but I am in the learning mode of doing that but no one has figured out how to benefit from it be being "retirement" age. The best you can have is more money in it when you retire. It is my understanding that in that fund you cannot use depreciation to offset your income. The officials at the SD-IRA are only there to assist you on running the account and not to give you any advice. They might have a list of non-recourse lenders that are available to do your loan but that is as far as I have taken their expense or have found out if it costs you any more to use them but is reguires and usually takes a larger down payment to get a non-recourse loan. Their fees will probably go up. I will probably take their help but the company needs experience.
I also understanding that any profit incuding positive a cash flow has to back into that account. One of the benefits with a SD-IRA is that any income is tax deferred until you reach retirement age. You are using it mainly is to pay you more at retirement. You cannot have any personal benefits to use one. If you find anybody that passes all tests and is cheaper let me know about them.
Waukegan, IL · Member since 2016 · 6 posts · 1 vote
9y
Chris - yeah - the SD-IRA LLC is not like a regular LLC. This type to my understanding is best for flips rather than cash flow. There are several custodians out there that do this but like Michael mentioned, there are some really passive ones and others that are a bit more involved. This discussion has helped. I am going to read the link that Christ posted and the book that Dave recommended above. I have another book called The Self-Directed IRA Handbook. I have skimmed through it but havent finished. If I learn something, I will post here. Thanks everyone!!
Waukegan, IL · Member since 2016 · 6 posts · 1 vote
9y
Thanks Mark! I am gaining a wealth of information and am happy to know that this is a viable solution to funding RE from a personal investor perspective to increase my retirement fund.
There has been a good bit of information thrown around here, but nothing that strikes me as that concise, to your point (albeit quite broad) or really a good starting point.
Basically, a self-directed IRA is simply an IRA that can be invested differently. The tax code has always allowed retirement plans to invest in many more things that what Wall St sells, and it takes a different business model to diversify an IRA into things like real estate, private company stock, private mortgages, precious metals, and the like.
At the end of the day, an IRA is still an IRA, which is a tax-sheltered vehicle that allows you to compound your savings over time by removing the tax burden on the front end when you initially contribute and on the earnings. This allows you to grow your savings to a larger amount. As you withdrawal funds in retirement, you will pay tax on what you pull out. A self-directed IRA works the same way, just with different asset classes.
So, if you can get better returns investing your IRA in, say, real estate, then you are coming out ahead in your retirement years.
It is true that real estate investing in an IRA has a completely different tax profile, and is therefore not altogether similar to investing in real estate with after-tax funds. Since the income is not taxed, factors like depreciation and other deductions to not apply. You simply have capital deployed, expenses and earnings, and the difference between expenses and earnings is your return on investment.
There are two flavors of self-directed IRA plans.
Accounts held by a custodian as trustee function much like a brokerage, but with a different business model. You tell the custodian what to do and they handle the processing. This means that all interactions such as buying a property, paying for expenses and receiving income take paperwork, delay and processing fees.
The alternative, which is generally superior for a time-sensitive and transaction intensive asset such as rental property is the IRA LLC. In this case, a custodian held IRA such as above makes a single investment into a specially created LLC. You then can be the manager of the LLC and operate the investments directly out of the LLC bank account you will setup at the institution of your choosing. This is a much more nimble vehicle, adds a layer of asset protection and can reduce administrative fees over the long term.
There is much good information on these topics here on BP and a number of professionals offering these types of play services who participate in the forums. Do a bit of reading to set the framework and think of the questions you might ask, then reach out to one of us for a thorough analysis of your situation.
Waukegan, IL · Member since 2016 · 6 posts · 1 vote
9y
Brian, thanks for taking the time to explain this a bit deeper with a bit more clarity. I am new to all this and am learning as I go along and every bit of information I can get verified helps me gain more knowledge. Thanks again Brian!