Yes you can buy real estate with your self-directed IRA (Individual Retirement Account).
Even on St. John. It has been done and it’s not as difficult as you might think.
If your IRA is with a brokerage firm you may need to transfer funds to be used for real estate to a qualified trustee or custodian that specializes in real estate.
If you want to do your own research first there is plenty of information available on the internet such as:
http://www.investopedia.com/articles/retirement/08/self-directed-real-estate-iras.asp
There are specific IRS rules and restrictions that apply. Your tax adviser should be consulted.
For information on property here contact me: marty@islandiarealestate.com
Happy investing!
