Look out agents they are going to double down and they want to own the entire process [flipping business was a small hiccup enroute to their real estate domination] from brokerages, lending and various other affiliated services ie; title, warranties , insurance etc. make those higher margins more emphasized and more efficient they will be a force to reckon with.

I was just emphasizing than investing int Costa Rica isn't necessarily a slam dunk.

I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to do ALL of the due diligence that they listed.I'm a GC in DC and we also ask for a deposit but it varies based on the size of the job.

I just believe it's important to EMPHASIZE this rule strictly considers CASH FLOW and nothing else.It does bug me when somebody posts a potential deal here and the first thing they hear is the 50% rule.

Hello @William Roberts ,I worked for Hewlett-Packard and IBM for over twenty years and one thing they continuously emphasized was to set a clear goal and then measure everything you do by whether it gets you closer or further from your goal.

I went to college and got a business degree that emphasized real estate.  

I got a college degree in business that emphasized real estate as  well as a broker license in Texas in 1980.

You don't want to emphasize a repair, you want to emphasize features of the property. 

It seems like you are looking for single family deals so just be aware that 1 vacancy=100% vacancy.Lastly,  Please be careful with MLS listings and don't overpay; I can't emphasize that enough.

I am not sure where those Google Earth images are from but in California there are a lot of people in a little area so density is already high and while people say everyone is leaving California the population there is still growing and those people are willing to live in a smaller home to stay there and pay more.I do however think you are over emphasizing the risk of fire.