Or an alternate strategy if your goal is to have a vacation rental paid for is to buy some sort of investment, STR, buy and hold, stocks, bonds whatever and just dedicate the cashflow from that to renting a place each year. 

I sort of like the 10 scale, people who give 4s for a less than perfect stay can now leave a 9 :)

I'm guessing the appraisers for the auction have some sort idea on the condition of the property?

Not everybody has read and hung out on Bigger Pockets reading how the similarity in this sort of scam has repeated itself.Please tell your friend. :-)

Nobody should ever sign up for anything that has these sort of "guarantees" or "promises" unless fully aware of this reality

., FFB too, to all sorts of guests.

I am seeing some delinquencies that show foreclosure, but the numbers don't make sense unless there is some sort of ground rent or non-mortgage loan tied up with the properties.

I can sort out the financing and willing to pay a commission or have some kind of agreement to pay this developer mentor for his semi-active guidance on my first (and if all goes well) subsequent projects. 

Then sort the search for cheapest.

What sort of loan are you looking for?