You must have a self directed IRA, of which you are the custodian, in order to use in real estate investing. In addition, you can use this IRA for the following purchases, subject to some IRS regs.:
•Real Estate
•Hard money lending
•Precious Metals (Gold, Silver, Platinum)
•Private placements or offerings (oil & gas, real estate, etc)
•Foreign Real Estate
•Funding a business
•Trust deeds
It is suggested that you work professionals who have experience in dealing with self directed IRA custodians in establishing the proper entities necessary for a purchase to take place.
To answer your question, the amount of down payment needed depends upon the type of purchase, the amount and your credit history.
Jul 4, 2009