I'm on Bigger Pockets to connect with all you awesome people, make friends, engage in discussions, share nuggets of wisdom and take life to the next level.

They say he is engaged and has a good job and will be out in 3 to 5 months. 

Regarding what Coach Houses look like, I think there are some lost opportunities for re-capturing and engaging/activating space.Check out the research proposal by Future Firm called Rebel Garages.

(Also an affiliation with local contractors and experience of my own in that arena and still actively engaged in remodeling, flips, upgrades, etc.) 

Engaged?

Unfortunately, I was unable to make it today due to previous engagements, but thank for the invite.

Show you're engaged in the conversation and truly looking to learn from him.

Just hope that the MD selling his interest doesn’t become disgruntled and engage an attorney.

I'm not sure what you mean by "outside the self-directed custodian's control"; the brokerage account custodian would have no more or less "control" than the self-directed IRA custodian.Your self-directed IRA custodian may charge fees for a partial transfer, so you would want to check their fee disclosure document.Also, I know that you are not really asking about checkbook IRAs, but you might want to consider separate IRA accounts for your brokerage activities and your self-directed activities.Note this from the IRS website:  "Generally, if an IRA owner or his or her beneficiaries engage in a prohibited transaction in connection with an IRA account at any time during the year, the account stops being an IRA as of the first day of that year.

Second, because you're here in Georgia, if you're planning to engage in any sophisticated self-directed retirement account efforts, you've got to get to know Dyches Boddiford and Pete Fortunato.