Self directed IRA real estate investment is not a new concept. What was once considered unconventional by many brokerage houses, banks and financial advisors is rapidly becoming common place. As these changes have taken place, however the concept of self directed has lost its true meaning. Individuals do not have the control over their retirement funds they think they have and this has led to frustrated investors.

IRA real estate investment is not allowed with traditional IRA accounts. Self directed IRA accounts were created to allow people more control over their funds. This helps open new doors to retirement investing, including commercial property investments, LLC’s, real estate contracts, and even residential rental properties. Many banks and brokerage firms that offer self directed IRAs do not allow their clients the freedom that these accounts imply. They limit investing to the stocks, mutual funds and CDs that were available for years due to the extra revenue they generate for their firms. This self-interest doesn’t benefit you or retirement accounts and defeats the purpose of a self directed account.

For those who understand the real estate market self directed IRA’s do not offer them enough control. They want control over their IRA’s funds and they want to avoid the hefty fees associated with self directed custodians. A more recent evolution in IRA real estate investment and self directed IRAs is the Checkbook IRA.

The checkbook IRA allows investor direct control over the finances in their IRA. If they see an investment opportunity and want to take advantage of it they do not have to contact their IRA custodian and deal with the company’s bureaucracy to receive the necessary funds. These investors can simply write the check themselves and sometimes even have debit cards tied to their IRA accounts.

Checkbook IRAs have the added benefit of being able to move quickly, an essential element in any investment opportunity. No one wants to find a prime real estate opportunity and lose out due to the volumes of paperwork necessary to liquidate their funds. This type of instant access to the IRA account increases profitability as well as control and opens new avenues of investment for retirement.

An IRA custodian is still necessary for your IRA account, however the IRA custodian of a checkbook IRA is honestly directed by you, because you handle more of the transactions the custodian’s fees are much lower.

Checkbook IRAs are the savvy investor’s best friend. By gaining more control over your investments you can control your profits and move the funds as you see fit. No more limited investments, no more paying custodian fees even when you lose money. Take control of your IRA real estate investments and you are only limited by your imagination.

IRA real estate investment has gained popularity with the decline in the stock market. Self directed IRA’s were the first step in allowing investors the opportunity to venture into the real estate market and diversify their portfolios. Checkbook IRA’s are the next step on this lucrative journey to allow you even more control in your retirement.

In the field of real estate, many agents find themselves so busy showing properties that they are unable to devote attention to the small details of their businesses.

While showing properties is the primary way of selling a property, all real estate agents know the need for high quality “behind the scenes” organization. Without this aspect of a real estate agent’s business, profits will not reach their full potential.

With a virtual real estate assistant, many of these smaller items are taken care of with efficient precision. Real estate agents can relax knowing that their businesses are running smoothly while they are away from their desks showing property.

In fact, with the help of a virtual real estate assistant, real estate agents will be able to show even more properties and generate more income.

A virtual real estate agent will promote one of the most important aspects of business: customer service. Many real estate agents intend to send thank you cards to customers, open house attendees, holiday cards and follow-up emails to potential clients. However, their busy schedules do not allow for such add-ons that make for a prosperous business.

Other customer and employee service needs that can be handled by a virtual real estate assistant are purchasing and sending closing gifts, creating and mailing Just Listed and Just Sold postcards, creating CD tours for listings and planning events for an office or team yearly meeting.

Virtual real estate assistants can also help with the organizational side of the real estate business. There are many tasks such as scheduling appointments and showings, general bookkeeping, transaction coordinating and creating an automated feedback system for showing agents that are crucial to a real estate agent.

More organizational tasks that can be handled by a virtual real estate agent are updating and making changes to web sites, creating monthly Market Absorption Reports for listing appointments and creating monthly CMAs on current listings.

If someone such as a qualified virtual real estate assistant is on staff, the real estate agent is free to build his or her business in other ways. Also, many real estate agents are not comfortable with the organizational side of their businesses and feel more relaxed knowing these important tasks are being attended to.

All of the above-mentioned tasks are indeed crucial to the success of a real estate agent. Therefore, a real estate agent must know that his or her virtual real estate assistant is qualified to handle these important duties.

When looking for a virtual real estate assistant, it is important to discover the number of years a potential assistant has worked for top producing real estate agents. Also, if a virtual real estate assistant is going to handle event planning, he or she needs to have expertise and experience in that area as well.

Virtual real estate assistants should also have multimedia experience and training, including a working knowledge of Microsoft Office software. Other computer skills should include Adobe Photo Shop, Paint Shop Pro and web site updating.

Of course, checking references is imperative when hiring a virtual real estate assistant. Knowing a real estate agent that a potential assistant has served is always a bonus. Knowing the person giving the reference can give a real estate agent peace of mind when hiring a virtual real estate assistant.

A virtual real estate assistant who is efficient and self-motivated is a priceless tool for a real estate agent. Knowing that customer service and organization are in top order allows a real estate agent to focus on selling properties rather than worrying about the condition of business while away from the office.