Investing in Real Estate for Retirement

Over the last few years, the interest rates of various investments have fallen and despite all the attempts taken to make the economy stable, millions of people had to extend their work years just to maintain the minimum standard of living. Yes, everything lost has its value, but one asset has only risen in spite of this recession - real estate. Most people dream about spending their retirement period in a calm and quiet place. A place where the crime rate is low and the entire surrounding is filled with intelligent people who are just living the much-needed peaceful and retired life. However, all these dreams can only turn into reality if an individual makes intelligent decisions regarding his/her investments.

How to Invest in Real Estate for Retirement

There's no doubt that investing in real estate is a smart move, but it is advised to check out all the loopholes before putting money in a piece of property. Buying real estate is more than just living on a piece of land. The practice of property selling and buying has become a popular practice over the last few years, and more and more people are joining this bandwagon. Yes, the real estate market has plenty of lucrative opportunities for investors, but sometimes dealing in real estate can be more complicated than dealing in stocks and bonds. In this piece of information, we understand different and safer ways of investing money for real estate.

Giving on Rent
An vacant, habitable house can rented to a tenant for a considerable period of time. The owner pays for its maintenance, mortgage and various additional taxes. The rent on the property is usually decided on the basis of its location. The land owner earns a fixed income every month which is known as rent. In due course of time many landowners charge more rent in order to gain more profit. However, the best thing to do is to charge rent which would be enough to cover the mortgage payment. Plus the value of the property is likely to have appreciated with time. As soon as the tenant moves out due to various reasons, it is advised to put up the property on the market to earn additional profits.

Real Estate Trading
This is perhaps the fastest form of making money in the market of real estates. In real estate trading, the traders buy properties from owners with the motive of holding them temporarily and selling them for a better profit later. This practice is also called 'Flipping Properties' and traders who follow this usually purchase properties which are highly undervalued or are very high-priced. In some cases, when traders purchase a low priced property, they try to increase its value by doing some renovations on the property. This customization can actually result into a huge profit for the trader.

REITs
One of the most easiest ways of investing in real estate is putting money in the Real Estate Investment Fund (REIT's). A RIET is created when a trust or a corporation uses the investor's money to buy and operate properties. RIET's function just like stock trade. The trust or corporation has to pay out 90% of all its taxable profits in the form of dividends to its various investors. By paying the dividends, the REIT is exempted from paying corporate income tax. RIET is the perfect choice for people who want to earn regular income.

401 (k)
Most people believe that the money saved through the 401 (k) plan is simply for retirement. However, there are some smart investors who have figured out ways to invest in real estate without disturbing the money saved for retirement. 401 (k) account holders can take out a loan against their account. The money which comes from the loan can be used to buy real estate. However, there are some limitations which come with the loan. First and foremost, there's a cap on the amount which can be borrowed. Normally the cap is of $50,000 but it can be less depending on the money in the 401 (k) account of an individual. Another thing to remember is that real estate purchased through this method is not eligible for any tax benefits.

Roth IRA
Almost everyone in the US knows about the Roth IRA (Individual Retirement Account), it is a great form of investment and is non taxable. People who open an IRA account deposit some money from their salary in the IRA for retirement. In some companies the employer deducts some part of the salary and deposits it in the IRA of the employee. The good news here is people can use the IRA money to invest in real estate. Let's make it more simple; If you have $50,000 in your IRA account and you want to purchase a property which is priced at $100,000. You can put in $50,000 of your own money and put in more $50,000 from the IRA. This makes your IRA account nil but you can put back that $50,000 once you sell that property at a better rate.

For legal advice regarding these investments, it's necessary to get in touch with your attorney.

Investing money in real estate for retirement is a good idea if the investor keeps himself/herself updated with the latest regulations and strategies of the market. Real estate is perhaps the best way of earning easy money in retirement but before the game of investment begins it is a good idea to know all the rules.