I read online that an American can buy property there.

These mentorship programs are as much about access to resources (capital, loan qualification, vendors) as they are about education. 

Although I am a Realtor and have access to the MLS and can see old listings, I have seen that Redfin has been pretty reliable as a #2 option.All in all, you want to compare properties with as many similar features as possible and be aware of the obvious outliers, with the main culprit being size difference (You really don't want to compare a 3000 sq. ft. house with 3 bedrooms to a 900 sq. ft. house with 3 bedrooms).

. $1200/mo. market value (based on onlIne ads), which is conservative for a 4 BR house in St.

I'm using various books, online resources and the Bigger Pockets podcast (half way done!) 

This might still be a lot for applicants in a C-class neighborhood, but it will be much less work for both of you if they can do it online (again, assuming they have access to a computer and a debit or credit card).

i've been trying to decide what online tenant check service to use. but i've been reading that some of these services dont give you the info they entered, such as social security number, etc. 

Get used to detecting when the answers are not quite adding up and then get used to verifying the data online.  5. 

I have been doing a LOT of research, visiting various sites online.

You can also check their reviews online at Google, Facebook, or Yelp.