Typically when you see "cash only" the agent doesn't believe the property can pass a home inspection which isn't relevant for construction loans in most instances and there are plenty of banks, hard money lenders etc. who offer construction financing on distressed buildings.

If you decide to revisit STRs, you might want to explore properties where you can project expenses independently, such as using local STR forums or online tools to estimate maintenance, management, and occupancy costs.For networking and strategy-building, you might find local meetups or groups beneficial.

Lastly, they like building relationships.

In other news, it may be tempting to purchase a waterfront property at a deep discount along the Western Coast but beware, you might get flooded in the next hurricane unless you want to do a teardwon and build on stilts. 

Inspections are typically done by licensed professionals like structural engineers, architects, or certified building inspectors.

Best way to detect this is to observe them during the home inspection.

If you’ve yet to build up substantial credit in the U.S. you can apply for foreign national specific loans that don’t take credit history into consideration when qualifying as in some circumstances you can get better rates and terms applying as a FN when your U.S. based credit history is in it’s infancy.

That way, you can get your foot in the door, start building equity, and stay at home a bit longer to save more money.You could also consider the BRRRR method where you buy a fixer-upper, rehab it to add value, rent it out, and then refinance to pull your cash back out.

Ive been trying for years to use my home equity to start investing in other propeties or apt buildings.

They are tearing it down to build a logistics facility.