@Michele Broderick SDIRA I assume Self Directed IRA.  

How do I identify the right IRA custodian? 

My understanding is that you can hold the LLC anywhere regardless of where the money is made, but when my mother, who lives in California,  set up her LLC for her self-directed IRA (which requires an LLC for real estate) we found that it was a lot cheaper to do it in Mississippi. 

I had a corporate job and was contributing to an IRA to ensure that I had something to live off of but also saw significant losses during the crash a few years back.

Nichole Stohler I think risk to me means cashing out IRA accounts or investment accounts or liquidating assets to invest in an idea.

For those don't qualify for a Solo 401k an IRA can be used to invest in RE (and 401k funds can, likewise, be rolled-over tax-free). 

I invest on a 1:1 ratio ($1 to my 401k, IRA, brokerage account : $1 to down payments on RE).  

I will have roughly $20K cash and $20K in my Roth IRA (aggressive mutual fund).

I'm sure that you can't be in an LLC with your parents IRA.

We are maxing out his IRA and for a while, he's been putting about 10% in his 401(k) with a company match up to 2.5%.