Investment Opportunities for your self directed IRA

Buying Probate Properties

Probate is the process by which the probate court distributes the assets of an individual in accordance with his or her will. In the event that a person dies intestate (without a will), the probate court distributes the assets in accordance with the law and with the intent of following the deceased's presumed wishes. The first step in probate is the settling of debts. This means assets will be sold to pay creditors before being distributed.

Settling with creditors often requires the quick sale of properties. Probate properties represent some of the best buys in real estate because they cannot wait around for years until they get the best price. There is often a high demand for probate properties because people watch such properties closely waiting for the property to become available in the probate process.

To be successful at buying probate properties, you must be able to move quickly. This means you may lose out on a hot property if your IRA custodian has to sign off on the deal before you can close it. With checkbook control of a self directed IRA you can make an offer and close the deal immediately giving you a much greater chance of success. With probate properties, timing is everything.

Probate properties can yield extraordinary returns if you are lucky enough to get the good ones. Sometimes you can find really great deals after the probate process. Inheritors often can make more use of the money from the sale of an inherited property than of the property itself. This means you may be able to purchase a great property below market value if you are able to close the deal quickly. When you have a self directed IRA checkbook you can immediately take advantage of these opportunities.