We need to establish SOPs that can universally applied regardless of how stable the residents' relationship seems at the time of move-in.

The end buyer is taking over the purchase contract that you have established with seller.

- Should I use my own capital up front or try to partner with an established land flipping business to fund the deals? 

After establishing this, the next most important aspect of this land would be its zoning and restrictive covenants.

Also I would be curious to know if when franchising through and established brand if a business loan would be more suitable than a CRE loan.

I know that once I have more established relationships this side will probably get easier but it is painful at this stage haha.

talk to the dept of health first (records requirements etc), establish what upgrades/maintenance required, line up a reliable repair/handyman/type person, consult lawyer, and then make your offer, see if you can buy the land it's on via lot line adjustment (ideal scenario). a lot to be aware of, such as system upgrades or county code changes bringing in the requirement to add metered connections to an older small system, for just one example.Otherwise- owner doesn't want to manage, I doubt you really do either but could be wrong. 

Now, in a couple of years when you're established and have a good book of business, you could loosen up on the schedule and networking part, but these are good starting steps that helped me get to where I am. 

One must register the vacation rental unit, pay applicable fees, submit a current license as a Transient Public Lodging Establishment (“TPLE”), and provide other required information.

Of course I still need to decide which part of the country I plan on investing in (it's possible I'm moving around the country frequently in the first year, so that is making me think about the most ideal location for an initial investment).Once established and with a track record in Spain, I plan on making my first investment here in the US, most likely in the Boston/MA area.In any event, I'm excited to connect and learn from those in this group.If you know anyone with international investment properties or contacts abroad, especially in Spain, I would love to connect!