Leeatra’s career has been one of growth, adaptation, and seizing new opportunities. She began her professional life in commercial banking in Birmingham, AL. However, when her husband’s career took them across the country and overseas, she made the decision to step back from banking to focus on raising their two children.
A Passion for Real Estate Ignited
As her children grew older, Leeatra felt the pull to return to work. Always drawn to real estate, she decided to focus on helping clients invest in the niche market of resort and second-home properties.
Motivated to perfect her craft, Leeatra attended an NAR Broker Conference and discovered the power of Self-Directed IRAs, realizing that real estate investing wasn’t just for wealthy investors—it was accessible to hardworking individuals like herself. She learned that she could transfer her existing retirement account into a Self-Directed IRA and use it to invest directly in real estate.
Taking Control of Retirement Wealth
Recognizing the great deals and inspired by the success of her clients, Leeatra’s passion for real estate investing grew, and she knew she wanted to be a part of it. Just two months after the conference, she purchased her first property. Her previous employer's Roth IRA had been sitting idle, accruing fees without much growth. Working with IRAR, she took control of her retirement, transferred her Roth IRA to a Self-Directed IRA, and reinvested her retirement dollars into investment properties. To date, she’s built a portfolio of five properties across key locations in the U.S., including Auburn, Gulf Shores, and Lake Martin.
"I wish I had known about Self-Directed IRAs sooner. You just have to find the right property. Do your homework, and make sure the numbers make sense. I’m a risk-taker, but with Self-Directed IRAs, the risks feel controlled. You can make it work for you if you know the numbers and stick to the plan." Leeatra Vaughn
More Than a Career—A Legacy
For Leeatra, her passion for real estate may have started as a second career, but it turned into her strategy to secure her financial future and leave a lasting legacy for her family.
A Word to Fellow Investors
She encourages other investors to consider Self-Directed IRAs as a tool to grow their wealth. “REALTORS® are helping clients make some of the biggest purchases of their lives,” she says. “But we need to be just as proactive about our own futures.” Whether you’re looking to buy a single property or build upon an existing larger portfolio, a Self-Directed IRA can be a powerful way to secure and grow retirement wealth.
Her advice for anyone starting their own journey is simple: Start early and educate yourself.
“It’s never too soon to start investing for retirement. If you’re in real estate, you can contribute more to your retirement faster while building equity along the way.”
How to Get Started:
- Open an IRAR Account: Begin by completing the online new account form on the IRAR website. This will initiate your Self-Directed IRA setup.
- Complete the Transfer Form: After your account is opened, fill out the Transfer Form provided by IRAR. This form authorizes the transfer of your existing IRA funds to your new Self-Directed IRA.
- Review and Authorization: IRAR will review your transfer form for accuracy. Once everything is in order, the paperwork will be sent to your current custodian (the institution holding your existing IRA) to initiate the transfer.
- Account Funded: Once your custodian processes the transfer, your Self-Directed IRA account will be funded with your IRA balance. This process typically takes a few weeks, depending on your custodian.
- Start Investing: With your Self-Directed IRA now funded, you can begin exploring investment opportunities beyond traditional assets like stocks and bonds. You can choose to invest in real estate, private equity, or other assets that align with your financial goals.
Living the Life They Planned For
When she’s not managing her properties, Leeatra enjoys traveling with her husband, who is also an independent contractor. Her proactive planning now makes traveling seamless, allowing them the flexibility to live life while the rental income grows their retirement for their future goals. Even their teenage children are beginning to get involved, with family conversations on how to use Self-Directed IRAs in the future.
For Leeatra, transferring her Roth IRA into a Self-Directed IRA was a pivotal decision. It’s a strategy she wishes she had discovered earlier, and one she believes is a game-changer for anyone serious about securing their financial future. “The key to making Self-Directed IRAs work is contributing consistently and diversifying. You’re growing your retirement and building equity in your properties,” she says. “I can’t recommend it enough.”
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