I wouldn't really mind buying in the states remotely as there are some protections and a basic assurance of quality.

Ah, loving this thread with all the speculation regarding the AU NZ and Canadian property market :)Having been a property investor and developer here in Australia for over 15 years, I can attest that the market is extremely expensive, mainly in the east coast capitals (Melbourne, Sydney particularly) and the rental returns on residential are quite low, I can also assure you there is no "imminent" collapse  just around the corner. 

As an appraiser, I can assure you, increases in actual value MUST be supportable.

However realized they just wanted to be assured I had the down payment and wasn’t getting that money from someone else.First time buyer for investments.

I spoke with a project manager who assures me that they do fix and flips all the time, and they are NOT worried about getting paid so long as there is a contract in place.2) Use the HML to finance the purchase ONLY ($43K), and work with a contractor that offers financing, preferably at a lower interest rate than you'd get from rolling the rehab into the HML.

A run down office building converted to bunk rooms has got to be better than a muddy tent city in the middle of the I-5/I-90 interchange.And unrelated to investing,  I assure prior poster that anybody who is a regular bicyclist is very aware of who will win in a bike/car collision.  

The Army, in an attempt to assure me a measure of success, will allow me to participate in an UNPAID internship of my choosing.

The Army, in an attempt to assure me a measure of success, will allow me to participate in an UNPAID internship of my choosing.

The only assurance are that 1. title company handles the transaction so it will be recorded 2.

My bank assures me their CD rates are really competitive right now...