My hesitation to a self-directed IRA is I don't know the different funds to move the money around in.

IRAs are different. 

She tells me she lost her job, they turned off her cable, maybe turning off electric soon, her boyfriends truck broke down so he had to drive her van to work, she pays 1000.00 a month in child support for a kid I had no idea she had, they can barely buy food, shes cashing in her IRA so 'Mays' rent should be on time.

Specifically, I am interested in converting a Roth into a checkbook self directed IRA. 

.- Buying assets does not necessarily allow you to offset your other income- If it does, it's for one year only- REPS and realtor license are unrelated- REPS is difficult, sometimes impossible, to qualify for when you have another business you manage- Managing the practice probably does not make your income "passive"- There're other potential tax strategies to explore- None of them are a magic bullet that suddenly erases your taxes, they can provide a partial relief onlyYou may find this long thread interesting (warning: like all public discussions, it has a lot of misconceptions): https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/51-tax-legal-issues-contracts-self-directed-ira/topics/942575-tax-benefits-from-re-investing-in-high-income-earners

Another idea to offset the taxes from the gain is to make a deductible contribution to a traditional IRA, if you are eligible.

I actually just had coffee with one of the executives from an IRA custodian that also happens to be an attorney.

So that in Texas and Florida, a person's residence of unlimited value, cash value of life insurance, annuities, and retirement funds, IRAs, etc, were protected and not subject to creditor attachment.  

The second Tax-free vehicle that we have in the US is with a Roth IRA and you can Buy houses within your Roth.

YOu might even be able to lend out of your self directed IRA.