I have always been interested in home construction techniques that are different or older.Container homes, these sorts of shot-crete homes, bale homes etc.The biggest issue is not that fact that they will rent, for if they are in the right location, of course they will rent just fine.

Unless of course this person you lent money to divulged that the loans were junior position or if he said they would be recorded and were not.

This transaction is of course VERY unusual, but I have done similar deals for 20 - 50% real discount over the course of my investing career.2.

I am interested in purchasing the property and was wondering my best course of action at this time.

I used to think all realtors were more or less the same as well :)Of course there's good and bad and shades in between.  

Cash flow is important of course, but so is appreciation, so I want to ensure I have a balance of both.

You'd be surprised, sometimes there are buyers who just want to own a piece of land, even if it's not the most desirable and of course price is a factor.

There are so many websites and of course, most cost money to join.

@Tim Delaney That is really good advise, I do of course need practice analyzing deals, and I may find the on- market deal.

From my experience, success in real estate investing starts with clearly defining your goals and continuously educating yourself through podcasts, books, forums, and courses.