I know higher education gets your application to the top of the pile.. but I want more for my kids than that.. and of course feel real estate investing is the way to go..

@Ondrej Marimar You are correct in that you as a foreigner cannot get or apply for a SSN, however you can if you have a VISA that allows for it.You will not build credit with an ITIN, however you can build credit with an EIN for your business which is possible without a personal guaruntee linking back to your social but it's very time consuming and you will need to jump through many, many hurdles.I'm actually helping an Australian Citizen right now with a lot of this and in 2 years, he'll be ready to apply for US bank loans without being a US citizen, but the key factor will be, he needs a SSN.

you don't go through the same qualifying and loan application process.  

for now - what service provides a decent way to log in online and input the applicant's data and run the credit & background check together?

I had fewer applicants, but still enough to have multiple folks wanting to apply.  

Unfortunately, the US does not give out visas for that purpose.

FDirst step, find a good local mortgage broker and they can explain FHA, and get an application from you for a preapproval so you Know what you can qualify for.

Mike:CAP rate is really not applicable to residential properties (1-4 units) as they are not valued based upon fiscal performance.

@Troy S.This was new construction but the form I was referring to is applicable to renovations as well.Andresa LobraceRegarding who is responsible...I expect it comes down to the business relationship between you (the developer) and the builder you hired.

When you use any future value calculation, and the original note payment over any shorter term, understand that the application to payments change paying down the principal on a shorter amortization and it won't match the original amortization.