Thank you Mark, I have been doing as many virtual coffee chats as possible and it has really helped me to narrow my focus. 

Most states that require license and NMLS registration for 1 to 4 unit loans no matter on the purpose of the loans ( and there are 12 states currently that I know of that require this thats why there really is NO national HML virtually none are licensed in all 50 states even though they advertise that way).

because I have never used an online background check service like smart move I assumed that the process online would be virtually identical to the paper process that typical tenant would go through when renting any property.

the necessary repairs are as follows:  water heater missing, furnace looks old. paint all rooms, new flooring needed in most rooms, ( something i can do myself), recondition kitchen, replace entry doors. the house already has a newer roof and newer vinyl siding, virtually no work necessary on the outside. given my rehab skills, nothing will need to be contracted out, so i am able to save a tremendous amount of money on the rehab, which is why the following rehab number is so low.

@Stephanie Younger I am a national development director and have interviewed and screened literally hundreds of contractors for virtually any and all trades that you could possibly imagine.  

Our total out-of-pocket costs will therefore be around $7,700 ($3,700 down + $4000 rehab).The numbers look like this: Rent $650 Loan payment $345 4 years @ 5% HOA $130 Insurance $13 Property taxes $67 Maintenance + CapEx $80 For new windows and HVAC Cash flow $15 During land contract Cash flow $361 After land contract Cash on Cash 56% After land contract ROI 48% During land contractAs the numbers show, there is virtually no cash flow during the 4 years the loan is being paid off, but the return on investment from principal pay down is almost 50% PER YEAR.  

I have virtually no issues with my tenants.

Miami is a tough market and virtually impossible to compete against cash buyers.

You get a lot more bang for your buck in the Philippines or another country for good virtual assistants.

I do admit your entry point finance wise would be a significant challenge but there are virtually zero markets that have a better ROI than San Diego for buy and hold purchasers.