Originally posted by @Efrain Ruiz:I am near the Newberry area and travel to Columbia, Spartanburg, and Greenwood regularly.

But if you plan to travel back and forth, just make sure you that the people you have working on your property are highly reputable and trustworthy. 

Did your borrowers mention securing your investment with a recorded mortgage or deed of trust, personal guarantees, lender’s title insurance, or anything else?

@Roger KimBe careful about gifting twice as well - if you own 50% of the home and give him the full 100% of the proceeds, perhaps it could be considered as a gift from you to him of your 50% of the equity (likely recorded by formal deed prior to the sale). 

I know many people have done it this way,  but two major parts I am concerned about are 1) how do you handle all the paperwork such as W2's, 1099's business records, etc. without meeting in person?

They said they'd accept a 6 month term instead, but they're not being very forthcoming about what their sales record has been (I asked for the last 12 months just to get an idea, but they ignored the question :( ) and I'm getting a not-so-great feeling about working with them....The home is 2-stories, attached garage, 4bd 3ba, 2269 sqft and sits on a corner lot with a huge backyard (lot is approx .13 acres or 5662.8 sqft).

Do you want to travel 2 days to the east coast, FL or something only a day away you can get to quickly like AZ or NV?

I’m also interested in the Louisville market - given the SF Bay Area (where I live) is too pricey for a newbie like me to start off in - and I travel to Louisville several times a year for work.

You might consider: Consulting a Real Estate Attorney – Your emails may possibly prove misrepresentation.Requesting Public Records – A FOIA request might reveal why the city denied you but later approved the duplex.Escalating to City Officials – Bringing this to local officials could expose inconsistencies.Exploring Tax Write-Offs – A CPA might help offset your financial loss, if it is possible.I’d definitely seek legal advice.

Below is the monthly average number of preforeclosure leads based on number of filed NOD, NOTS, LP occuring per month (from 10yr of data from recorders documents).