GRAB IRA OPPORTUNITIES

Benefit:

Cash is the only thing the IRSrules let you put directly into an IRA,but once it's there, you can use it tobuy just about anything, includinginvestment property. If yousell the property, any profit stays inthe IRA and isn't taxed until you takeit out. If you buy the property withmoney from a Roth IRA, you pay notax at all when you take the cash out,if you're over age 59 1/2. But don'tjump into the real estate marketwithout expert advice, say tax pros,since setting up a real estate deal foryour IRA can be expensive. And ifthe IRA doesn't have enough cash topay mortgage, taxes, and maintenance,you may need to put in morethan the $3000 annual limit to coverthe shortfall, triggering a 6% penaltyon your excess contributions.