If you are not "in the business" but arrange any consumer or residential loan between a lender (even if that party is not in the lending business) for any borrower, for consideration, you are brokering a loan and will need a license.

I think prices in certain areas of this region are no doubt going to rise longterm, more than cash in a bank rises due to interest income.

During the Yeltsin years corruption ran amuck and we saw the rise of the Russian mafia.

So, that's the limit of my experience with REI in Florida, currently.With that said, it's my understanding that prices will probably continue to fall as the foreclosure rate either rises or stays at its current level.

The dollar is sure to eventually rise up again as it cycles all the time and then when I sell a foreign investment, I don't convert the same number of dollars back.Seems to me, this would be the time to be SELLING foreign investments to get the extra dollars.

To help you understand why paying off the mortgage is a bad idea, let’s explore my Ten Great Reasons Why You Should Carry a Big, Long Mortgage.Reason #1: Your mortgage doesn’t affect your home’s value.You’re buying your home because you think it will rise in value over time.

As an owner occupant, you would avoid some of them (property management in particular), but one way or the other, you're going to pay them all as the occupant.As an investor, vacancy is a key consideration.

After adjusting for these factors your calculation for Cap rate should look considerably different.

Also, does a lender take into consideration that a property is to be rented, as a factor of repayment?

Banks aren’t taking physical condition into consideration or adjusting to a softening market and discounting appropriately.