If you hire someone typically they are the ones providing this information, but if someone is paying you, then yes they need this information for tax purposes.BTW - I would say your SS# has been hacked so many times and is on the black market already this is why we monitor ours through other parties or just lock it down at experian and other agencies if you are concerned about it.

I don't want him to be my brokerage sponsor because he will want me to look at MF deals, which has extremely slowed down in the past few years.

Set clear goals, save for a down payment, and practice analyzing deals to build your confidence.

I'm headed to Portugal in July and will be there for a couple months to scout some properties.

We fully remodeled two of them, taking them down to the studs.

I do have reserves to cover contingencies.Let's just say, I'm satisfied with those numbers.Had I had to use a bank, I would have had to put down 20% for $33,000, plus closing and my payment on the remaining would be $1400 PITI including HOA. 

The only interpretation of what the Federal Reserve Bank (the head bank) is saying, is that "banks credit depositor accounts and lend the deposits".

Until recently, I never really sat down and seriously committed myself to it, but now I'm all in, dedicated to learning everything possible before taking the plunge.

Thanks to my attorney’s efforts, the seller has backed down and has now agreed to proceed with the sale.Congratulations, I'm glad it's working out for you. 

You could get most of your down payment back, or be able to pay off investors quickly.