Permits are very difficult to obtain (we build homes in Chicago, so that may be a non-issue for us considering what we have to deal with here LOL :)4.

If you are continuing to pursue this, I’d suggest having an attorney experienced in environmental issues assist you in the negotiation and due diligence.

People who invest are prepared for those issues.

Additionally, consider using a secure payment method for the deposit to prevent issues.

If you were in fact a permanent resident alien, there are many programs that I utilize that do not haircut your eligibility.I believe a U.S. bank account is required as well - I haven't seen a client try to use a foreign bank account but once, but I do know that the particular lender we were utilizing took issue with that.

Also, you should only be looking for cash buyers so financing contingencies should not be an issue. 

There is NO 5% money unless its your relatives lending it to you.. that on its face is showing you they are frauds and fake lenders full stop. 

If you pre-plan it right and make 50% of it business related, you can write the trip off as a business trip. 

Appraisal Issues: -A separate issue is that there are two block garages on the property.

Hi Mitchell,From our experience we haven't had any issues renting out properties to different residents that have a single family home and a garage unit conversion on the property.