But, unfortunately, most people ordering appraisals these days (typically AMCs - appraisal management companies) don't pay enough for good appraisers to accept their assignments, and therefore, many appraisal reports lack good results.

I listened to a few podcasts from Advanta on how to invest in tax liens in a self-directed IRA, however the management fees charged by Advanta are rather large compared to other retirement fund options...I also found a few audiobooks from the library and listened to them:Brian Mahoney - Tax Lien Certificates Property Investing.C.R.

There are some other strategies where you can collateralize equity with a portfolio loan or use a private lender, but typically these are better suited to portfolios of several properties.Charleston has a very active investor community - several meetups for different groups each month and active social media groups/pages.

If you go forward, make sure they handle all maintenance & repairs on the property too because these organizations typically have in-house staff..Snaking toilets, repairs, grass cut, snow removal, paint...Make sure you're covered with insurance as well. 

Leasing it out via Airbnb or Vrbo is an option if available and demand is there.No creative buying strategies needed.

I offered one tenant $50 for the truth, and he told me that the options were to pay $900 per month with a check or $600 per month in cash.

That would be typical and I'd always do my own calculations.As you mentioned, these rules are similar in most Asian countries and that's one reason enough for investors like me to stay away.

Hello Hunt Van Winkle,Banks typically lend with a maximum LTV ratio of 75% for several reasons related to risk management, regulatory requirements, and financial stability.

Are they able to do that and what are my options.

One other thing is that I paid a lot in points to buy down my rate which made the mortgage initially expensive… It will also take a while to refinance (a couple years) so I don't want to wait fully for that option eitherIf my tax rate is 30%, is it right for me to think that the cost of paying interest is ~5% instead of 7%?