I'm looking at heloc, but also SD IRA & want to investigate creative financing options. 

I used a Self Directed IRA which I had built up over time through 401(k) contributions.

@Ira King Hi Ira, I am a real estate agent in the Worcester county area.

Has anyone taken their IRA to fund deals and offset the early distribution penalties (10% and tax bracket) with RE tax breaks?

Clean credit.My funds are coming from SD IRA money, so any loans secured must be non recourse, it's the nature of the beast.I too pay all my bills, held onto a property that I was upside down on that we could have walked away from when the market crashed.... 

@Morgan KleinHave you considered purchasing 1 or 2 properties with your IRA?

Even if husband is the only one earning a salary, you can still have a "spousal" IRA.

Ostensibly they are member-oriented.Another thought: Study and apply the art of raising private money from every IRA owner in your world.

Is there a way to put it into an IRA tax free to save it for retirement?

A lot of forum members are very knowledgeable in their respective fields related to real estate investing, whether that is real estate sales, wholesaling, flipping, rentals, lending, self-directed IRA and Solo 401k investing, or tax and legal guidance.Discounts on some products and services are offered to BP members: https://www.biggerpockets.com/perks/prUse the Bigger Pockets glossary to learn more about real estate terms that may be new to you: https://www.biggerpockets.com/rei/glossaryAlerts can be really helpful too: http://www.biggerpockets.com/alertsThere are a few self-contained guides that you can access here: https://www.biggerpockets.com/guides