I am going to start wholesaling and when I emailed the Real Estate Commission in NC they said I would need to do a double close with a lender and title company.

Hey Jimmy, congrats on starting out on your investment journey!

The U.S. market can indeed be complex, especially when considering international factors like taxation and financing.While I'm not based in Germany, I do work with a number of out-of-state and international investors who are interested in the Indianapolis market, which offers strong returns and more approachable entry points compared to coastal U.S. cities.

With respect to how much it costs for a buyout, the City of San Francisco required the collection of this data starting almost 10 years ago back in 2015. 

Your immediate circle and Facebook group are a place to start.

Maybe the current tenants don't care, but if they are also below market rents and you start bumping their rents, will it be opening the door for more complaints or increased likelihood of them leaving because they are being impacted by the smoker.  

Start by reading the Ultimate Real Estate Investing Guide: https://www.biggerpockets.com/guides/ultimate-real-estate-investing-guide/introduction2.

I plan on starting to attend some here as I am sure many local SoCal people invest out of state.

I'm just getting started and putting things together.

Track record goes a long way and if you are just getting started it's easiest to begin with your "friends and family" network.