Legally, I just want to verify if there is any liability on my part as he didn’t supply the W9, yet I have his social security number.

Is keeping any eye on these same metrics the only way to indirectly monitor the supply-demand equation?

What buyers are willing to pay is all about supply and demand for the deals.  

What people don't talk about is that most markets where 2% is readily available, crime and vacancy are high and appreciation is zero.The only thing stopping unlimited appreciation in the Mountain West is water supply and air quality.Last year I spent some time playing with the House Price Index (HPI) and put together this chart for our metropolitan statistical area:In the last 20 years, neither our MSA, the state, or region has ever been at or below the national average.  

The cost of capital is determined by supply and demand and relationships. 

There are just so many variables and anything can go wrong at any given time.

However this may have variable interest rates, shorter terms, and interest only. 

@Kahntineta Ford  If by oversaturated you mean excess supply, then no, I do not believe so. 

I have a contact who could do property management in the area who tells me that massive amounts of tract homes are getting entitled there, so I am a little concerned about an impending flood of supply.

@DB BrooksWhile I am fairly well acquainted with older buildings - we have a couple from the latter half of the 19th century and more from the early 1900s - I do not know the particulars of being in that warm of a humid environment (it gets humid along the cost here, but only warm for half the year).You do want to look at the plumbing, though in a depression era house, I would suspect galvanized supply and drain lines to be more prevalent than lead (though they are possible).