All our deals go in to a centralized database where we can quickly analyze alternative exit strategies,  Flip, Buy & Hold, Lease Option, Rental.  

The tax rules have always allowed for alternative assets such as real estate, stock of privately held companies, etc.With a self directed IRA, it is not "you investing in real estate with IRA money", but rather "a different way of investing your tax-sheltered retirement plan".  

Rental income gets a favorable tax treatment anyway, so no need to jump through hoops on that. 

There may be ways to modify the terms of the sale (installment sale treatment, fractional sales, tax-deferred exchanges, and so forth) so that you can split or spread the gain over a period of time so that you can effectively eliminate the Medicare Surcharge by keeping your AGI under the $200K/$250 level.

I think a better term for these options would be more to "alternative financing" as creative is something that is unique, not often used, something developed to the circumstances that best use the assets you control or influence.Not saying that the proper use of retirement accounts isn't good cash management, a good way to fund operations, but as often as these funds are employed, I don't see them being creative financing.

Alternatively, you can go down to the courthouse and ask some of the people who are quietly doing research for others.

Suggesting you begin or continue your RE like most others do, set your RE business up to feed itself rather than shifting assets into that business.As to borrowing from life insurance, short term at 8% can get you one the way, consider flipping until you end up with a rental you want.The other alternative is biting the bullet tax wise from your accounts, that means your required after tax yield will need to be even greater to make up for that cost of money, a rate you may not make.I'd suggest too that you begin saving in other vehicles that don't restrict your funds.

They're a good alternative for anyone looking for SDIRA professionals.  

Let some of the chemicals and treatments dry out of the fresh lumber a couple of weeks before applying stain or sealant.

While that is an option, and if you are married you do have a partner to talk things over with, so it's not an outright lie, there is another alternative.