I would be happy to go over some of the requirements for getting a mortgage in the US as an international investor. 

I’m trying to figure the best way to structure the deal (equity, yearly dividends on cash flow, etc).

When looking to structure a deal like this, look for a dated property in working condition. 

I'm still in the process of finding an alternative solution but I thought I'd leave this here as a warning for others looking to make a decision.For reference, I'll just post their email response to me here:As we review your inquiry, we would like to remind you of the following key points from our Terms of Use:In no instance shall ShinePay be liable for any of the following:"Lost revenue from service interruptions.Lost revenue stemming from delays, malfunctions of any product.unauthorized gains access to your account or due to shared passwords or if your password is hacked.Destruction to properly, places, or personal injury resulting from the installation, misinstalling, or misuse of any product.Lost revenue from entering the wrong account number for ACH or other bank transfer or money transfers or due to any delay in receiving funds.Damage to your structure, machines or car resulting from use or installation of our products.Any funds collected that are paid to a person that does not own the property.Any harm from defeating the lock and technology that controls the lock to a device.Failure to properly service any product or machine."

But ...The first thing I observed was the replacement cost portion of the quote, was, IMO, less than what it will actually cost to demolish the remains of the existing structure, pay for any hazardous waste removal following a catastrophic loss, and actually pay to replace the property in the event of a total loss, even though I used the quote feature to increase the replacement cost value by 20% (the maximum it would allow).

we did the first 3 in a 18 month period we used internal funds so no debt.. these were 350k to 400k all in projects.. so U need cash to be a spec builder or you need investors if you dont have cash..

They have an internalized system where instantly a person has thousands of potential end buyers for a "lead" coast to coast.

In your case, changing the property from a rental to your primary residence constitutes a change in use.The depreciation recapture will be calculated based on the fair market value of the building at the time of conversion, not including the land value.Since you're tearing down the existing structure, the entire amount of depreciation taken over the past two years will likely be recaptured, as the building's value at conversion will effectively be zero.The recaptured amount will be taxed as ordinary income, up to a maximum rate of 25% for residential rental property (Section 1250 property).

If your property management company is good and has built an internal maintenance team which has set rates and had strong relationship relationships with licensed contractor which should keep costs in control, you should never need to shop contractors on your own I wouldn't think.So in short, our policy is give us your preferred contractors upfront if you have them, but then we work all tickets to resolution including dispatch, and payment of invoices.This is of course for operational expenses.  

I was always hesitant about the upselling into various structures and services that are available for far less expense (e.g.