Than why not just admit that? Hiding behind Julia makes no sense to me.
Perhaps this will make it a little more clear... Have you ever been skydiving or riden a roller coaster? Those things are fucking scary. But most people still do them. That's kind of the point.
There is a risk Ian will lose his home. I think he knows that and does not want that to happen. That said, given that risk, I think he would
still be willing to do it. The factor that makes his decision is not his fear, therefore he explains the factors that do. This is simply common sense, so I figure it doesn't need explanation. If something didn't pose some sort of risk, there would be very little gain once the investment matures.
It's well understood that Julia will not dematerialize the moment government people seize Ian's house, so it can be assumed that rather than "Julia" being the impetus, "my relationship with Julia" would be.