Recently I have had 2 different people kinda proposing the same thing: they want to sign a year lease with me not to live there but to then in turn rent it out short term to others. 

The Mexican government has been a genius at bringing tourism to the country and there's no sign of that changing any time soon.

When a self-directed IRA borrows money, the IRA account owner can't sign a personal guarantee.

If she wants to protect herself, tell her she can record the inspection with pictures, and you will give her a signed copy of the inspection sheet.Honestly, if you anticipate the charges to be less than $500, I would refund the deposit and be done with her.

I’m still in the learning process of what avenue of investing I want to venture down, and about a year ago I signed up for a course to become a realtor but then backed out as it wasn’t the right time to devote that kind of studying.

Always ask for references and examples of similar projects (pictures)The Red Flags you have to Avoid:Lowball bids (too good to be true often is).Poor communication or delays in responding.Hesitation to provide references or sign a detailed contract.Cash-only deals or pushy behavior to secure the job.

I’m sure she would need to sign something for the loan. 

And still have them sign a lease like you would everyone else, so it's all clear up front.

Land has been for sale 100 years with no for sale sign and you drive by it every day.

If they close and sign up with us then we do a site walk etc and begin onboarding.I am also a broker who assists in finding the property, doing walkthroughs etc and I get paid a commission at closing from seller.Long story short I would expect them to give you an analysis of properties you are interested in for free based on the hopes of future business, if you want them to go above and beyond and attend showings etc then ask them if they are interested and offer them compensation for their time :)