Would the county have record of that, or a 3rd party website maybe?

G'Day Bob,Not many "true" turnkey companies around anymore and I've seen a trend where investors want to DIY out of state and country.Personally, I think this is an even bigger recipe for disaster than buying turnkey.bBut that's just my opinion.Back in the day you had many "turnkey" companies selling crappy properties in crappy areas for a lot more than market value.Then they pass you on to a 3rd party PM that nickel and dimes you to death.Granted, if you want to DIY I would always advise moving to the market that you want to invest in.Spending enough time with key people needed to make your venture a success.Yep, easier said than done 🤷‍♂️If you DIY from out of state, you will probably find an "investor friendly" agent that will flog you expensive property from the MLS, refer a "good" contractor and then you will most likely also get nickel and dimed by a referred "trustworthy" PM.IMO, you are safer finding a reputable turnkey provider in a market that you want to invest in and go from there.If $#%@ hit's the fan (Which it always does in real estate), at least you have everyone to blame under the same roof.A true turnkey provider will have everything an out of state investor would/want and need under the same roof.No finger pointing is allowed lolI'm bias as we offer turnkey so take my words with a grain of salt.Just happy to offer my 0.2 Aussie cents.Wishing you much success

depends on what the contract says if buyer or seller is paying it or split between the 2 parties

Your agent might be great but I would suggest a third-party.

I have 6 single and MF properties with a 7th under contract and have made some tax and business development missteps that they are helping us to manage, plus advising in setting up our entities and accounting based on a deep fact-finding inquiry on their part.    I

Are you really going to make investment decisions that involve legal documents and capital being invested by outside parties based on what someone writes in these forums? 

Are the new updates benefits for all parties, or are you frustrated with the outcome?  

We've come to a mutual understanding, and decided it was best for both parties to move forward.i appreciate both of their efforts to communicate with me directly to find closure. 

According to what I have found online that part is true.  

If you did win the bid and then defaulted, then your agent should have provided you with documentation where it specifies who received your earnest money deposit and why you were not entitled to it back, usually with all parties' signatures required.