Hire an experienced and trustworthy Team.  

I think it is imperative to have trustworthy partnership/relationship(s) with "boots on the ground" to perform due diligence and close deals.  

What happens if he puts in $5000 worth of recessed lights in every room, and your expectation was to leave what was there...It's all things that you will learn as you go, but my suggestion is get some help from a trustworthy person on the first one.

I've never seen this happen, but it can, so you need to be cognizant of that.The big thing is getting someone to trust you enough (and being trustworthy enough) that they will allow you buy the house while leaving them on the mortgage.

Making the point that a lot of these work visa guys are trustworthy and I would certainly rent to THEM.And here is how to do due diligence if you want a trustworthy tenant who will pay top dollar......Ask about the visa status, ask who the employer is, many of them have official employment contracts with big U.S. corporations, so ask for a copy of the contractual offer of employment. 

The good news is that there are hundreds of highly motivated trustworthy people in your city just like you who would be glad to work with you on your investment deals and all you need to do is find them.

It would be MUCH harder to find a contractor willing to front rehab hard costs than find a reliable, trustworthy one.

-Talking to neighbors to keep an eye out (This is assuming they are trustworthy)Anyone else have tips or brands they recommend?

I'm looking for some advice on whether forming an LLC is the best way to go about it rather than buying personally, since I already have a bank account in the States, and if so, what might be the best way to find a trustworthy attorney, accountant, real estate agent and partner (I know...lots of steps to take!).

With the guy a local TV host, he might be more trustworthy.