Seus Land Exchange Inc.

Investing in land using a self-directed IRA is an interesting and effective way to leverage your assets.

What is a self-directed IRA?

A self-directed IRA is a retirement account that is controlled by the owner, and allows investment in nontraditional vehicles.

While you must be willing to do due diligence when looking for the land for sale, and have high risk tolerance (as the investment is not as liquid as stocks), a self-directed IRA is a great outlet to diversify your portfolio. 

How a self-directed IRA works:

• Establish a Self Directed IRA account with an independent IRA Custodian that permits truly self directed investments.
  
• Fund your new Self Directed IRA account or transfer funds from your existing retirement account to the new custodial account.
  
• Direct your new Self Directed IRA custodian to make an investment in your Self Directed IRA  LLC.
  
• Find a suitable investment vehicle in which you want to make your investment.  
  
• Purchase the new investment in the name of your Self Directed IRA  LLC.

An example or scenario of a self-directed IRA used in real estate:

For example, Patrick Rice, owner of IRA Resource Associates, and author of "IRA Wealth: Revolutionary IRA Strategies for Real Estate Investment," says, "Let's say I'm interested in a $250,000 vacant office building; I can use my IRA to option the property. I take $10,000 out of my IRA and say, 'I'll give you $10,000 for an option to buy this property for $250,000 within the next year.' Now, the reason I did this is because I know Joe Blow down the street needs an office building. So I say to Joe Blow, 'I'll sell this to you for $350,000.' I have only $10,000 wrapped up in the deal, but I'm making $90,000."

Obviously not all deals will go that smoothly, but it demonstrates that using your self-directed IRA to invest in land or real estate may be a great way to grow your wealth.

What else can I invest in using my self-directed IRA:

It is a common misconception among Americans that the only investments allowed in a retirement fund are stocks, CDs, and mutual funds. However, with a self-directed IRA you can make more diversified investments in real estate, LLCs, private stock, partnerships and joint ventures, secured and unsecured notes, and more.

Investments the IRS excludes from an IRA are collectibles (for example, art, antiques, jewelry, or coins other than U.S. gold coins), life insurance, and S corporations.

Bank rate advises, If you're going it alone, in addition to a custodian, you should have a financial planner who will help you set goals; a real estate broker who will find properties; an attorney who will draw up leases, purchase contracts and the like; an accountant who can review all the numbers, and a title company.

Labels: investing in land, investing in land using IRA, IRA and real estate, Land Investment, Land investment using self-directed IRA, self-directed IRA

Are you looking for a land parcel to use as "investment land"? Well whether you're looking for a Georgia land sale or an Alabama land sale one thing is the same. The only way to determine if the land is a good buy is to define your intended use for the land.

Many people are looking for cheap land or a good land deal, but how do you define a good buy when you haven't clearly laid out what that criteria really is.

When you are searching for investment land, work to have the following questions answered:

How much land do I need?
Once you know how much land you need it's easier to think through the other facts that play into the cost of land.

Where should my land investment be located?
Often more remote land is cheaper because it is further from shopping, recreation, and schools. Determine if the remote quality of the land will actually cost you more over the long haul.

Labels: buying land, finding cheap land, investing in land, Land Investment, tips for buying land for sale

I just invested in hunting land and recreational property in Georgia. I've never been to the exact spot, but it was a deal I could not refuse!


With the state of the economy, should you invest in land? If it's free you should!

Ok ok, this is sort of a joke.

I stumbled across the Own a Piece of America Web site today. The concept is an interesting one.

Through their Web site you can get land in any state of your choice. It's free and legal, and you don't have to pay taxes or maintain the land. You just can't develop or sell the land either. Through the site you can claim your ownership of one square inch lot. It's not really a land investment, but it's a lot of fun!

The owners have purchased all the land and it is fully legal for them to divvy it out an inch at a time.

You can buy framed deeds through the site to give family and friends as gifts, and your name goes on their list of owners.

Definitely borderline gimmicky, but I still think it's fun.

As always, if you actually want to buy land, check out Southern Land Exchange's land for sale. We have real lots with real value. :)

Labels: hunting land for sale, investing in land, land for sale, Land Investment

Whether you are looking into buying land for sale as a real estate investment or you're looking to find hunting land for sale there are several general things to consider.

As with any project large in scope, clearly define your goals and expectations. Having a clear understanding of why you want to buy land makes the process a little bit easier. This may seem like a "head-smacking tip," but you'll be glad you clearly outlined your purpose.

Determine what you want your land to be near.

Obviously land further from development is cheaper, but it will be more expensive if you intend to build on it. Builders often charge more the further they have to drive to the site. It can also be costly to dig a well or build a septic tank, and these things may have to be built the further you are from the city.

Determine if you can even build on the land.

According to a CNN Money article, the checklist below will help you determine if the land for sale can be built upon:

ZONING How the land is zoned determines what rises on it. Farmers across the country are subdividing their excess farmland into homesites and hanging FOR SALE signs -- but if the land is still zoned for agricultural use, the law may allow just one home for every, say, 40 acres. A five-acre parcel, therefore, isn't worth much.

Back at city hall, find out what your zoning designation means, whether a zoning change is planned and how to obtain a building permit. Ask what kind of setbacks from the property boundaries are required. Check flood maps to see if the property is in a flood zone. And if your land borders water, environmental regulations may limit your ability to develop the land as you'd like.

UTILITIES Are there hookups for water and sewer, electricity and telephone? If not, find out when the city plans to extend access. If there's no sewer, you'll need to order soil tests from the county health department or a local engineering firm to determine whether the land can support a septic system.

SOIL QUALITY Depending on the region, you may need soil borings to determine how far down builders must go to excavate for your foundation -- too much moisture can add tens of thousands of dollars to building costs. Also, if you need to dig a well for water, find out how deep you'll likely have to go; well digging can get expensive.

TOPOGRAPHY Hills or steep slopes will affect what you can build and how much it will cost. That woodsy tract also means you'll spend big bucks on tree removal in order to build.

ROAD ACCESS If your land isn't accessible by a public road, there should be a deeded right-of-way that gives you the right to access your land. That means you and your neighbors will be responsible for road upkeep, adding more costs to the project. Find out if the road floods during heavy rain or snow.

Finding the money to buy the land for sale is the next step in the whole land buying process. It is also a step that unfortunately can't be skipped.

Many lenders see vacant land as a risky investment so they require large down payments. If you finance the land locally, the lenders may be more familiar with the area, and therefore be more willing to take the risk.

Labels: hunting land for sale, investing in land, land for sale, Land Investment, tips for buying land for sale