Lenders that offer loans for foreign national buyers have access to financing up to 80% in some instances. 

@Greg Scott I'm not sure what you've been looking at abroad but, especially today, investing overseas is in many instances much more profitable and less risky than in the US, where you also run all the risks that you mentioned.If the profitability and the risks would be similar, it could be argued that it's better/easier to invest in your own backyard so I totally understand where you're coming from.

For instance in Arkansas and in a lot of states, if you make a claim as a third party on behalf of a "client" ie the owner of the surplus, the state may limit you to a finders fee of only 10%.

They have provided us with actual data quantifying how much a certain amenity adds to your short-term rental revenues.I tell all my STR investors/second-home buyers in Colorado to get a hot tub, for instance, but while I know you do better, it's been hard to put numbers to it.AirDNA's March report has tried to tell us how much more revenue a home with X amenity gets over a home without X amenity.

What I mean by that is for instance in a place like Newport Beach California where houses cost millions to buy there may be apartments available for 2000 a month, which is way less than the per square foot of a purchase.

I think you're saying you'd like to make a deal with the buyer to purchase the property, however, because they don't have title, it's not the buyer's property to sell.In that instance, what you could do is offer a four-year lease during which time you make payments that would cover their payments to the owner, and an option to purchase.

There maybe instances where you might do this for a short term, say allowing the buyer to file the next tax return to qualify.

For this instance, I already have a property in mind, I just need to know how to go about seeing if their loan is assumable or not. 

This is ingrained in us because the NAR Code of Ethics prohibits us from soliciting business from another realtor's clients, but there's also a certain protocol and level of professional courtesy involved, and listing agents expect to hear from the buyer's agent if the buyer is represented.I've also had instances where a seller inadvertently sent documents directly to the other agent before I reviewed them, and it ended up costing them time and money.

@Boris MordkovichThere are some instances you can purchase a second home in the city you live in or close to it.