I tried to purchase houses for investment but when I saw house prices rapidly increasing like crazy ( I feel artificially ) I felt it wouldn't last and I didn't want to get stuck with an over leveraged property so continued with my remodeling business in Virginia Beach.

That's right, they can artificially drive up price to get what they want. 

We're dealing with artificially uptrending prices thanks to low inventory, low interest rates, high demand (hedgefund money, typical and growing re investors, and the conventional home buyer).

You're also artificially narrowing your area to a very limited neighborhood area, which is fine for your primary property, but expect to pay a premium for that privilege.

(sorry for those caps, I may be channeling James for a minute :lol: ) The runup from 2000 to 2006 was artificial and unsustainable.

Even if it's artificially high at first, it shows your intent.

There is a high probability that any house you buy will reflect market value and hence current taxes that are too low.Most houses will have the Homestead exemption or other exemptions that have artificially capped property taxes.

Moreover, you'd need to make money in the US first and it's no secret that, in many places (including many of the most visited places by STR renters), real estate prices have been propped up to unsustainable by artificially low interest rates.

They may have even been burned bad during the crisis, so they are sitting on artificially high prices, and they aren't getting the demand, because the numbers don't work.If the numbers work, then you know something everyone else doesn't, or the areas may be rougher than you think.

The Federal Reserve has been keeping the rates artificially low.