
Technically, any Self Directed IRA can purchase an international property. There is nothing in ERISA which prevents a retirement account from investing in an overseas asset.


What kind of Self Directed IRA can purchase an international property? Depending on the structure of the Self Directed IRA, the plaintiff would very possibly have to travel to the foreign location in order to sue for that asset. Even in the rare case that a plaintiff was willing to travel, they would still have to prove their case in the foreign court. As this is unlikely to happen, the foreign property acts as a safety net for any deleterious legal actions. Legal protection – In the United States, a Self Directed IRA account holder could be sued and the judgement can be collected from their retirement assets. (The laws regarding these transactions vary from state to state.) In the case of a foreign asset, this would be much harder to do.When you remove the limitations on asset choice by considering foreign real estate, those good deals may appear a lot more frequently. Timely investment – Sometimes an investor just happens to find a good deal.Then, when they reach retirement age, they can take the property for themselves as a distribution. They can accrue rental income from the property while it is owned by the IRA. Or they may just want a change of scenery for relaxation purposes. In any case, investing in an international property with a Self Directed IRA can help make that happen. The account holder has family internationally that they would like to be close to. Property prices or cost-of-living may be dramatically lower. Retirement destination – A small but growing number of Self Directed IRA investors wish to retire outside of the United States. This may be for any number of reasons.By placing your Self Directed IRA funds in different countries, you can help mitigate a loss if one of those countries fail. Nobody can really predict which country will have secure and stable real estate prices, especially twenty years down the road. Expanded diversification – As mentioned above, going international opens up new possibilities for your investing.Why would a Self Directed IRA invest in foreign real estate?Ī number of factors may push a self-directed retirement account into considering international property. Many Self Directed IRA accounts (including some of the nation’s biggest) have successfully placed retirement funds in foreign properties. If you have an interest in using your retirement funds to invest internationally, it pays to explore the option. The fundamentals of investing in a foreign property with a Self Directed IRA are the same as for local real estate. It’s true that you have to keep local regulations in mind, but these can be addressed fairly quickly with some on-the-ground contacts. However, this is one case where the bark may be worse than the bite. Domestic real estate already possesses a learning curve, and investing internationally comes with a whole new set of regulations. Truthfully, this sounds like a bit of a stretch for most Self Directed IRA investors. In a classic IRA, the account holder can diversify within the asset class of market products (e.g. mutual funds.) With a Self Directed IRA, the account holder can complement that diversification by expanding into non-market assets like real estate. If the account holder would like to diversify even further, they can expand their assets to include international properties. One of the key advantages of utilizing a Self Directed IRA is the ability to diversify better.

Why do investors choose international assets? Why do Self Directed IRA custodians not hold foreign properties? Thinking about international property
