What if your retirement account could invest in real estate instead of just stocks and mutual funds?

In this episode of CRE Deep Dive, Dennis Bamford sits down with Lindsay Merino from Directed IRA to break down how self-directed IRAs actually work for real estate investors.

They cover rollover timelines, IRA LLC structures, checkbook control, prohibited transactions, property management logistics, fees, and the biggest mistakes investors make when using retirement funds for alternative investments.

If you’ve heard terms like “IRA LLC,” “checkbook IRA,” or “self-directed Roth IRA” but never fully understood how they work, this episode gives a practical beginner-friendly overview.

• How long IRA rollovers actually take
• The difference between an IRA and IRA LLC structure
• How rental income flows through a self-directed IRA
• What prohibited transactions are
• Which family members your IRA cannot transact with
• How investors use retirement accounts for real estate
• Why education is critical when self-directing retirement funds

[00:00] Intro to Self-Directed IRAs [00:42] Rollover Timelines Explained [03:02] IRA LLC vs Standard IRA Structure [05:12] How Rental Income Flows Through an IRA LLC [07:15] Directed IRA Fee Structure [10:08] Setting Up an IRA LLC [12:05] Foreign Investments & Cannabis Investments [14:03] Prohibited Transactions Explained [18:45] Directed IRA Education Resources [20:15] Final Thoughts & Wrap Up

Lindsay Merino at Directed IRA

Shoutout to Direct IRA for helping educate investors on self-directed retirement strategies.

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