So we restricted local landlords who rent to families, and soon the town will experience the very real repercussion of no one wanting to rent to families and professionals.

Other international markets may be too opaque for me, and I'm definitely going to invest in China as it's not possible to even have more than one property in your own name (to the best of my knowledge) and the local government can find many ways to screw you over if they wish to.

Hey John, welcome to Sac BP -- I'm a local broker and property manager, we manage 100+ Airbnb listings and generally recommend investing in Multifamily as opposed to Single-Family.

I'm looking to pickup some multifamily real estate but the barrier to entry is crazy in my local market.

We likely need to look for local lender that is keeping loan in house.  

I would check your state and local regulations. 

Nonetheless, If you’re short on time, hiring a local attorney who focuses on evictions is definitely a good idea, as the process can be quite tedious.

Our pet deposit is non-refundable which is what I generally would recommend (assuming your state and local laws allow that).

Would real estate prices in certain regions rise rapidly due to demand from both local and international buyers? 

Next piece of advice is shop this deal around with someone through the forums or local real estate groups (google for your area).