I prefer the "Private Money" equity lending book reveiwed previously, but this one turned out to be informative too. I had originally cancelled my order, but got it anyway. Good information on originating and purchasing real estate notes (discount notes from lenders/banks), and great if you are looking to find an alternative to the stock/bond market funds that most people have their IRAs invested in.

Loved this book, it helps when dealing with your IRA and 401K rollovers and envestments.

This book is a great guide to the concept of self-directed IRAs. Everyone with an IRA or 401K over $50,000 should be considering this option. There is no limit on the returns you can realise in your IRA account. Take this authors advise and go for mazimun returns on investment you control. It's legal and it makes sense. This is one of the stategies every women needs to understand to gain financial independence. Knowledge and a wealthy mindset as recommended in "A Man Is Not A Financial Plan!" helpA Man Is Not A Financial Plan! make women wealthy and wise.

This book got me started asking my financial advisor and the local bank financial advisors questions. I had been told I could not use any of my retirement funds to invest in real estate. I know better now and so do they.
Good book, this type of investing comes with risks and it is expensive because an intermediary has to be used (just a couple of things to weigh into the decision to or not to use). Not something to jump into lightly, good beginning book but recommend getting additional information on the subject and discussing it with your accountant prior to attempting it. If you do decide to plung in, do extensive research on the intermediary companies - be sure they are legit, have bullet proof references and actually ask to talk to current clients. Compare costs, services and reputation - cheapest could cost you dearly in the long run.

A good read, with lots of helpful information. Frankly, I wish there were MORE books on the subject of self directed IRA's, particularly real estate investing via self-directed IRA's. That being said, I'm convinced this is one of the best books you'll find on the subject.

If you're looking to pump up your IRA with smart real estate investments, this is a good book to have on hand. Highly recommended.

This book is a good general overview of the structure for investing self-directed IRA funds in real estate, as well as the major busines, tax and legal concerns involved. It is not overly general nor overly technical and is an easy read. It's a good roadmap for the first-timer.

Very basic guide to IRA conversion/self-directed IRAs. Probably helpful to a novice, especially someone nervous about taking control of their own fund. For someone who is an experienced real estate investor, used to considering (eg) tax consequences, depreciation issues, leverage issues, etc., not very helpful at all. I was especially disappointed that there was not more specific information about what was actually necessary to convert 401Ks to self directed funds, and more analysis of what to look for in a fund administrator.

Just finished Pat Rice's book IRA WEALTH. I've been in investment real estate for 42 years and know Pat Rice. This book is easy to read, easy to understand. No investments are 100% guaranteed, but in this period of low interest rates, the yields that Pat can secure are authentic and just, given the various scenarios he works out.
Real estate is very unlikely to be wiped out, like various stocks in the stock market, or even groups of stocks in mutual funds. Also, you can trust the accounting. Diversify, which is what Pat is saying in here, don't put it all in one real estate loan or one stock deal. To know that you CAN invest in real estate is a great comfort not to mention the higher yield.

Just finished Pat Rice's book IRA WEALTH. I've been in investment real estate for 42 years and know Pat Rice. This book is easy to read, easy to understand. No investments are 100% guaranteed, but in this period of low interest rates, the yields that Pat can secure are authentic and just, given the various scenarios he works out.
Real estate is very unlikely to be wiped out, like various stocks in the stock market, or even groups of stocks in mutual funds. Also, you can trust the accounting. Diversify, which is what Pat is saying in here, don't put it all in one real estate loan or one stock deal. To know that you CAN invest in real estate is a great comfort not to mention the higher yield.

I first hear about alternative IRA investments through a real estate class I took to become a broker. I picked up this book because I wanted to learn more about the subject. As I have read extensively in the subject of investments, the fact that I didn't learn much from this book doesn't necessary mean it's not a good read for some people.

My problem with this book is that it holds real estate investments in IRA (specifically Roth IRA) out to be one-size fits all solution to retirement riches for everyone. It claims a minimum 12% annual return with zero chance of going wrong. It claims RE IRAs has a lower cost (including fees to trustee, financial advisor, attorney, accountant, and real estate broker) compared to brokerage IRAs which supposedly cost 3-6% a year. As with all comparison the author makes in this book, real estate IRA is better in all respects to everything else.

Most Americans have high percentage of their net worth tied up in their residence; does it make sense from a diversification point of view to put their IRA in real estate as well? Is a loan to someone who couldn't get a loan from the banks really an investment with zero chance of going wrong?

The author claims to have many years of experience, which I wish could have translated to more examples of what could go wrong so the reader can learn from others' mistakes. I learn absolutely nothing from scenarios after scenarios of perfectly constructed examples that produces double or triple digit returns.

There are several calculation errors and mistaken use of financial terms but in general the book is easy to read. My favorite quote from the book, which comes after a paragraph describing which relatives are not prohibited from transacting with your IRA: "For some of you, this information alone is worth the price of this book."

I think I will be going back to my local book store.

IRA Wealth: Revolutionary Strategies For Real Estate Investment is the collaborative effort of Patrick W. Rice (investment columnist and the owner of IRA Resource Associates -- offering expertise in investment real estate for self-directed retirement accounts) and Jennifer Dirks (personal finance and real estate issues staff, and winner of the U.S. Small Business Administration's 2002 "Journalist of the Year award for the Pacific Northwest), diverges sharply from the common understanding that IRA holdings can only be invested in stocks and certificates of deposit. In response to the decline of the stock market, IRA Wealth presents real estate as a profitable and worthy investment venture, and one that is perfectly legal to hold in any personal IRA account. Examining both low-risk and high-return real estate ventures, IRA Wealth is a superbly presented, "reader friendly", informational presentation for anyone seeking to diversify their IRA account holdings into property as a hedge against the volatility of the stock and bond markets.

IRA Wealth provides a series of alternatives to the traditional IRA Stock Market investment opportunities. The book is organized to first dispel the myth that investing in real estate with your IRA is illegal and second to explain how to structure your IRA investments with a "self-directed" IRA. The following chapters identify IRA real estate investments based on the level of risk associated with that particular type of real estate investment. The final chapters discuss some of the nuances of liquidating your real estate investments upon the time of your mandatory IRA distributions. Finally, IRA Wealth provides several appendices to help you start your own due diligence with regard to IRA investing in real estate.
Overall, I enjoyed reading IRA Wealth and found that it opened my mind to new ideas on IRA investments. Most of us have probably felt the sting of lackluster stock market returns during the past few years. So the prospect of low to moderate risk real estate investments is clearly of interest. I found the organization of the book to be well thought-out and comprehensive. If you have already read several books on real estate investing, you will realize that several investment methods continue to pop-up. IRA Wealth takes those methods and ties them to your IRA.
Regardless of your level of experience with regard to real estate investing, I believe you will find IRA Wealth a worthwhile read and well worth your time.

I have just begun to read your book and it is perfect timing as my husband and I have a sum saved in our IRA. We plan to read the book together and investigate the investment strategies suggested. Thank you. The book is an easy and inspirational read on a complex subject.

Despite having been a real estate investor for over 30 years, 18 of which participated in this well kept secret of self-directed IRA investing, I was stimulated by the straightforward explanation of the basics coupled with the many creative, profitable examples taken from the author's real life experience. There is something for everyone here, whether novice or seasoned real estate investor, conservative or high risk. Rice and Dirks use a nautical journey to give us an enjoyable reading style while keeping us aligned with the real world. A must read for anyone looking for fresh investment ideas.

As the CEO of an IRA custodial firm, PENSCO Trust Company, I had the honor of assisting with the editing of this book. Pat Rice and Jennifer Dirks have managed to take a generally unknown and complex area of IRA investing and develop an easily digestible and interesting book that will help millions of Americans restore wealth to their retirement accounts. While there are no guarantees in the world of investing, this book lays out very practical and varied methods of real investing through self-directed IRAs that should assist thousands to add value to their retirement savings. It just amazes me that someone like Pat can write this well, yet cannot catch a fish in a fish hatchery! Seriously, buy the book if you want to us an IRA to buy real estate. Tom Anderson.

As someone who was hit particularly hard financially from the fallout from the Enron debacle, I've been actively seeking alternative methods to protect future wealth. This book provides a straight forward and practical guide providing insight into a viable option that most people never hear about. I particularly liked the easy reading style, as well as the thorough presentation of the material. Resources are carefully documented, adding credibility. The information is presented so that someone like me--whose only real estate investment to date has been my personal home--has enough information after reading this book to undertake this investment strategy. I've given out five copies to family and friends who also have interest in investing in real estate, but felt it was not going to be financially possible. To the writers, kudos!