Quote from @Brandon Croucier: Hi Kathy, at the end of the day the mortgage industry is so vast & wide it's essentially like trying to navigate the Sahara Desert.I highly recommend working with an experienced mortgage broker who knows the ins and outs of the industry to place you into the most competitive product for you.More times than not, people save money working with a small shop broker.Kathy,I wanted to revisit this to offer a a tad bit more and Brandon above is correct.

Networking with local investors through BiggerPockets, Facebook, and meetups can help you navigate the market, while avoiding common mistakes like underestimating expenses, poor tenant screening, and hiring the wrong property manager.Good luck!

At Rent to Retirement, we’ve been helping investors navigate these challenges for over a decade.

As a property management company in Washington, we help owners navigate these challenges and optimize profitability if they want assistance analyzing their property or planning future strategies.

As a Canadian i've had to navigate this along with finding the right market, property and financing. happy to introduce you to resources if you need.

If you have experience or resources to share for navigating deals like this, I’d love to hear from you!"

With the right mortgage broker by your side, you can navigate challenges confidently and focus on building your portfolio.

As far as whether to approach them with or without an agent - approaching them directly without an agent can save the seller probably 2.5-3% of fees, which give you some room to negotiate on the price, but you need to be confident that you are capable of evaluating the property value, estimating on the amount of work that is needed, knowing how to negotiate/ structure the deal, and navigating the closing process.

3.Any experiences or tips on navigating financing as a non-resident would be greatly appreciated!

As a new realtor (and student) you probably make below 80% median income which might help you qualify.I work with Finger Lakes Federal Credit Union (for my primary) and Lyons National Bank (for my investments), both will probably be able to help you navigating downpayment assistance and your situation.