Basic advice for foreign investor

[Dragos Plopeanu]

Hello to all! I am really excited to be here, I've been listening to the podcasts and finally decided to take the leap and start writing. I am a junior real estate investor - I own 1 residential rental in Bucharest (Romania) and a small commercial space in Dambovita county (Romania). Took the leap in 2016 and now would like to grow. Because the Romanian market doesn't offer the same opportunities as the US one (and because it is a personal goal) I would love (and do anything) to learn of ways to invest in the US market from abroad (Romania). 

A little more info: I have around 10.000 dollars cash saved up and available for this objective and looking for ways to get a loan for acquisitions in the US. I have a good stable job, other moderate investments (stocks; commodities); equity in both rentals and rent revenue so I can offer collateral for a loan - but no US credit score. Seen as I would be on another continent, the easiest way for me "to pull the trigger" would be to work with a turnkey company, but seen as I also require a loan, I don't know how to do it. Also, reading around I found a lot of stories of not so serious turnkey companies - so again need help in choosing.

There are two ways that seem interesting for me to invest in real estate in your great country: notes or apartment buildings (3 to 15 units). Notes because I think they are the most hands free way of investing (maybe I'm mistaken) and small apartment buildings because the risk of 0% occupancy is very low so chances are better of never having 0 income.

Just to answer any potential first questions from some of you: 

1. Why not invest in Romania? - three main reasons: financial markets aren't as sophisticated as US ones (apart from a straight forward mortgage for personal use you can not obtain other loans for real estate investing as a small investor; and although interests are low right now, they are so only if you get a loan with adjustable interest at every 3 moths); rent to buy price ratio is very low (for 2017 with just one month of vacancy I had a 6,51% ROI on cash for the apartment - with 15% down - and that is because I got to keep the one month guaranty because the tenant broke the lease); fiscal laws keep changing with no tax advantages for real estate investors (just more tax burdens)

2. Is there anything that can help you in the USA? - I have a good friend in Michigan, that recently started investing also in real estate with moderate success (owns 2 SFR, in Ypsilanti NOT Detroit - I know some people like to give Detroit a hard time) with which I have already an agreement that if I can bring a cash down payment for a new acquisition, he would contract the loan, but I would like to hear from people that have a lot more experience then the two of us together.

Hope i didn't bore you to death and that you can help me steer in the right direction! Have a great, 10x better, 2018 then the previous year!