What’s your CODE RED plan for when the market shifts from “full steam ahead” to full retreat mode?  It will happen for sure… and nobody knows when.  Whether you're using a self-directed IRA, a self-directed 401k, family funds or any other capital, here are some important things to consider for when the market invariably shifts against you.  I’m Bryan Ellis.  This is episode 167.----Hello, SDI Nation!  Welcome to the podcast of record for savvy, self-directed investors like you!The last 15 years or so have really been a financial roller coaster, haven’t they?  Right now, it’s easy for everyone to focus on the last 5 years, during which the stock market and the real estate market in America have both been screaming upwards, notwithstanding a bit of a slowdown this year in stocks. But that’s not all there is to the story, is it?Let’s look slightly more broadly… say… 15 years.  So, since December of 2000 to right now, December 2015, what’s REALLY happened?I think you’re going to be surprised.The S&P 500 has absolutely gone up… by a WHOPPING compounded annual growth rate of… drumroll please… 2.77%!On a nationwide basis, real estate hasn’t fared much better, increasing in the same period by a compounded annual growth rate of 3.23%.To be clear, neither of those numbers factor in the effect of cash flow – dividends for stocks or rents for real estate.  Furthermore, it’s not particularly accurate to compare the performance of ALL real estate to the stock market, since 100% of the people buying stocks are doing so with the expectation of profit whereas the commanding majority of people buying real estate do so to use it for living.  It would be far more accurate to compare all INVESTMENT real estate properties to the stock market rather than all real estate… but hey… I give you the data we have.I suspect those aren’t the numbers you expected to hear.  After all, in the last 5 YEARS, the S&P’s annual number is nearly 11% and the media is full of reports about the astounding real estate appreciation in places like Northern California, Denver, Dallas, Nashville and Detroit.The difference is, of course, that the last 5 years represent only the up-cycle and not the rest of the story.What happens when the market shifts course?  Maybe it will be a deep plunge.  Maybe it will be a  simple leveling off.  Whatever the case, do you have a plan?I was asked a question yesterday that really illustrates this point well.  One of your fellow listeners named Ted reached out to me.  Ted has a bankroll of about $1.1M and is interested in buying some of the high-yielding turnkey rental properties we have available in Northern California.  Ted’s side of the conversation went something like this:Bryan, I get it that it’s a great opportunity because I’m buying into a rapidly appreciating market, and because my property will actually yield very attractive rents, and because I’m paying a below-retail price.  All of that makes sense to me and I’m ready to sign on the dotted line.  But what happens if the economy in Northern California dries up?  What then?This is a fair question.  It’s absolutely possible that the economy could fall off… or a terrorist attack or anything else.  Neither Ted nor I have a crystal ball.  But what Ted has – what you have – is very powerful:  The power of intention.Here’s what I mean:  If Ted is clear about his intention for the investment, then that intention will guide him through changing market situations.In Ted’s case, he told me that he really likes the cash flow and tax benefits of rental property, and that’s why he’s bought a lot of other rental properties all over the country, mostly in lower-priced regions where his cash flow from rents is really strong.  He also really likes that he’ll be able to easily pass on his rental property when that time comes.  But what attracts him to THIS specific opportunity in Northern California versus buying more houses in other markets like Ohio or Indiana is the potential for real, near- AND