He can do 1 or 2 and argue he got it as an investor and changes his mind or something like that but not if he does it consistently.  

Hi Bob,The response depends on the interested party sitting on the other side of the table.

The agent "friend" can kick rocks, unless he is VA qualified and it would fully transfer into his name.

We love Shasta and I’ve been visiting there since I was a kid with my family so I figure if I’m going to add more work and responsibilities to our lives at least we can do it in a place we love to visit. 

Jeremy, Bryce and William,Thank you so much for your responses.

Thanks Yes, that response is definitely going to help you do well and learn.

Just a tip: make sure you go into it with an experienced brokerage who really know their way around.I’ve personally been helping international investors get into the Dubai scene and work with experienced local companies that handle everything from start to finish. 

I'd love to connect with anyone and would appreciate any tips, lessons learned, advice, or just a friendly conversation about our mutual interest-REI- you'd be willing to offer.

Brett is correct on his points.

Make sure the unit is in their name, so if they don't move their stuff out, they are responsible for the bill.