Also buying a home "Lease to own" or "Lease Purchase" is a great method to controlling a property.

@Ben S.You have to find out exactly who controls the roads.

If I didn't want any control, I'd just invest in a mutual fund or REIT.

It is a sophisticated and powerful retirement plan that puts you directly in control of your retirement savings, and directly responsible for adhering to IRS rules.  

I like the idea of having some control over returns whenever possible.

(1) You cannot qualify for 1031 benefits if you sell the property under one name (even a pass-through entity controlled by you) and buy the replacement property(ies) under another name

Hello Liwen,In addition to custodial self-directed IRA and Checkbook IRA you may qualify for a truly self-directed Solo 401k plan, which does not require a custodian and you don't need an LLC to have the checkbook control.

I just don't like not having much control over the deal.  

I now am in the management consulting field and I am primarily working with banks on ensuring their compliance with lending regulations and internal controls.

Get a pest control company to tell you what kind of fly they are and what their likely source is.