I m in the same boat, doing some research and want to stay in Dubai with family, in near future. 

This vary heavily town to town. 20% down is great if buying strictly as investment but if you have a way of owner occupying I would explore that route and apply the 20% down to increasing value of property and instead using low money down loan. 

I see a lot of awesome amenity packed outdoor hang out spaces with outdoor pools posted on the many STR related social media accounts that I follow, but I don't really ever see any pool fences or other safety features highlighted. 

When I tried to get it when my side of the family found out and tried ti take over reverser mortgage payments to bank because she had died it was to late so they sold the house to Hud and then other reverse mortgage companies but a relative still lives there so they can't kick them out.

we are seeing more and more of this.

This is called underwriting.   

Appreciate this.

The executor of the estate also should have had some basis for that as well.Fair market value when your relative passe as @Jake Baker and @Cory Carlson said.

Of course have your costs researched first bc the buyer will want to know how much it will cost them to buy.

Or really they were ALL pre foreclosures when it was legal to do this in OR and WA laws changed in 08.