@Precious Thompson yup, you will need two years of stable income as a 1099 employee. 

You cannot buy property, do notes or mortgages, or buy precious metals.

What we call central Maine (Augusta / Waterville area).

I will definitely look up the forums you mentioned because I also hear being an agent will waste precious time although it has benefits.

You are taking a loan personally from your plan, and then you are investing in real estate.Truly self-directed IRA and Solo 401(k) plans are offered by specialty providers who can create a custom 401(k) for your business that is capable of investing in anything the IRS rules allow for - which includes a lot more that just stocks, such as real estate, private mortgage notes, cryptocurrencies, precious metals, venture capital ...   

Yes, during a recession many stocks will go down in value but other investments may increase as investors shift their investments to other things (bonds, precious medals, real estate, etc.).

The only stocks I've bought over the past 20 months are precious metal stocks and they're beginning to give me sweet returns.

Additionally, I would like to know if there are ways to buy real estate through precious metals (real money) with gold and silver. 

-Precious Metals-The current environment is well suited for precious metals to do well.

I have 3 buildings (10 units) in Augusta and do really well.