If this guy is a scammer, I worry that the "approval application" you filled out might have asked you for sensitive personal info (SSN, DOB, etc.) that could be used to commit identity theft or credit card fraud.

There will be forks in the road and decisions you will have to make, but stay committed to investing in real estate.

Owners title insurance is an option.However, since you'll be paying for a lenders policy in connection with your financed purchase, ask the title company for a copy of the title report and commitment.

I shared my plans to scale and when I asked for his commitment to a long term business relationship to accomplish this he obviously couldn’t refuse.

I'm making a commitment to go all in with real estate investment this coming year.

It's a great first investment property because we bought it with 25% down so the monthly mortgage payments are inexpensive, meaning it will cash flow well with market prices for rent.If you and your boyfriend are committed to investment properties, you could do something similar and use his house as a rental thereby avoiding any possible legal ramifications of misrepresenting a primary loan.

Those are indeed some troubling numbers for UK investors committed to remaining local.And, as you mention, the view gets even worse when you consider how much ground the GBP lost to the USD from 2014 to today (~20-30%!). 

you could but...you'd be committing fraud doing so.

Considering you're looking for passive income, the BRRRR strategy could be a great option...unless you can easily/quickly flip the house for a good profit.One thing I learned the hard way is, commit to a strategy before you start.

We are committed as a couple to invest in real estate for the future appreciation and cash flows whereby we hope to retire early, enjoy a nice lifestyle, and not be entirely dependent upon retirement accounts, etc if we stop working.