I personally do not ever put earnest money up for the wholesale deals I am buying from non-represented sellers.

I can't tell you home many buyers I've lost this summer alone due to things such as illness, decided not to relocate, finances were a mess, changed their investment strategy, realized they needed cash down to cash flow, wanted to buy REO's and non REO's at 50% in a sellers market.

Hey, landlord took down the ivy, power sprayed the house and vowed to get better non criminal tenants.

There are a couple lenders that I know of that entertain working with foreign nationals or non perminant residents on loans like that.I'd love to hear about the investments you've done in France.

Earnest money in current contract law is used for a non-judicial remedy for breach of contract.

Stuff like:Are they an angry landlordAre they current in their billsJob transferDivorceDefaultugly housesYou know.... all of that motivated seller stuff that is listed in every book on real estate investing.Your job is to learn the art of what I call in my book "Verbal Judo" You have to skillfully develope a style that gets you the information that you need while putting the seller at ease.

I am looking to buy investment properties in WNY and finding it hard as a non resident alien to source a mortgage for several reasons:1 The amount I want to borrow at any one time is only around $30K-$50K - ie to a lender, not really enough to justify the extra exposure to a foreigner.2.

Just selling...but now it is gravitating to much heavier things....I gotta tell you though..Buyers are the easy part, finding the lists and non performing notes......I dunno a little disappointing.

Keep in mind that there are 1000s of properties out there and often each investor (Realtor and non-Realtor) are on different investing time tables.I would absolutely work with a guy that would buy the building himself as this tells me he really thinks it is a good buy.

Under present rapid acquisitions rules, new real estate investors (non-seasoned) may acquire two non-owner occupied (investment properties for each of the first two years using financing from one lender.