Through experience, and depending on the municipality, you will learn to determine what you will need to pull permits and what work you can get away with without permits. also for us that understand how it work :quality permitted work = quality of unpermitted worksubcons are happier doing more unpermitted work because they got more moneythe lesser number of generalist in fixing home, the cheaper the project would be , no need to rush a project.when specialist is needed, that's usually needed in more 'advance' case (like removing the entire plumbing).so in reality , permitted work is just giving more commision dollar the gov and to the GC (that actually only inspecting the work and may design the work, but not really do the actual project) , so easy project unless it's an addition, getting permitted work almost doesn't make sense especially in the country where local gov does not care about it so much. 

Former Physical Therapist Assistant for 14 years and changed careers to driving a semi truck for the past 3 years in the Eastern region.   

i meant to say, if i'm young guy or new immigrant to this country, i would move to milwaukee or birmingham instantly, it's incredible what you can buy with 150k in milwaukee or birmingham, it's equivalent to 1 mil SF in california. look at the beautiful home that I sent few days ago, the intrinsic value of that house is 120k, land value is 20k, with possibility of all remote job that's available in USA, that's crazy, think about it for a sec.US is really great because of wisconsin and alabama, in thailand you can't get similar opportunity like his.

I keep comparing to Aussie and other countries world wide.Buyers agents pretty much don't exist and only listing agents do.They list the home and homebuyers inquire and then the listing agent shows the property, etc...Homebuyers rarely if ever have a buyers agent negotiating or representing them and homebuyers just do it all themselves...

Because you can build a house with an attached guest house, then just seal off the door and have 2 houses.3) If you have to have chickens then you need to move on because they ain't gonna change that easily4) If the random crap bothers you, also move on5) You have your extra structure already in the old cabin so that's a bonus. re they making you tear it down.Sounds like way too many restrictions for me, especially out in the country on a 5 acre lot.

As mentioned each country is different.  

My parents live on the other side of the country and we've agreed that I will manage the property on behalf of all of us and I will be the public face for the tenants.

I can’t sign the closing document while I am traveling from country to country.What can I do?

For me, as I've moved around the country and assess the buy vs. rent question, I had to determine how much risk I was willing to take in that particular market. 

I suppose I could find something out there for less that needs more work but I’m afraid anything much less than 200k in or near Tampa area is a total tear-down kind of job, which I don’t want to do from across the country for my first investment.