Brics has a sales pitch that's hard to deny "F-the US dictating how you exist" and to most countries in the world, that pitch sounds really nice.

Looking into the STR market, i would suggest a couple things to include into your property search. 1) the STR market is very saturated here so look for something unique or offer unique amenities to your guests, this will help your property stand out 2) different set of rules for properties located within city limits vs without i.e. outside city limits doesn’t require a permit which the city is cracking down on the amount of STRs on any given street or neighborhood 3) HOA is a big deterrence as a lot of HOAs don’t want any rentals of less than 30 days so an in depth search into covenants and by laws would be doing your due diligence.

Hopefully a) they meet/exceed my expectations over time and b) more auditable info/data comes into existence based on the experience of Flock shareholders, in contrast to the rather limited info/data that exists today. 

Be persistent with mail and try sending out volumes of mail every month and you could start with 1k and move slowly to 5k mailers.The mailer rate in the land space is getting saturated, so you may hit mailers of 5k and not get a single deal.

Zombie foreclosures came into existence because at the bottom of the downturn banks/lien holders faced a problem that they had never encountered before.

I also have lost out on a house because I was some dollars short of the 10%.I know the area and property quite well, and familiar with the foreclosure case for the particular property in question.The reason I ask is, because I am not physically in the area and wanted to see if any service exists, where they can bid on your behalf, when you tell them your maximum, and perhaps hook up with a HML, where the 10% down payment in certified funds is not a hinderance.

They also gave me a subject to option for all of them, where they take over the existing mortgages and provide cash upfront. 

That doesn't exist folks.

Tax Strategy: Making the 2017 tax cuts permanent to stimulate investment and consumptionMarket implications under Trump include potential for accelerated price growth in existing homes, increased private sector development opportunities, and more flexible lending standards through GSE privatization.Similarly, clever allocators of capital may want to focus on market rate housing and more aggressive development opportunities while considering GSE privatization impacts under a Trump administration.Regardless of who you support or which way you lean, both candidates acknowledge the need for increased housing supply.

A capital expenditure typically either increases the value of an existing asset or adds an entirely new asset.