I was nervous at this point, because I was starting to spend real money ($400) without any contract or assurance that the seller was going to follow through.

You will have to go and physically visit the property.

As you will see many members enjoy helping others out and provide quick tips to make your visits to BP easier.

You could buy a list of people with equity from listsource for your target zip codes, then try to call or visit those people.  

This is a GREAT way to preview a property prior to visiting.

I like this.However, is there a setting that I do not get 10 messages when 10 postings are done, but just one until I visit the page and then the next one after I visited?

Rest assure you can hire live in domestic help and terminate without eviction process in Cali.thanks,Matt

He also said that anyone could visit his companies website and view it there. 

And, brining in the agent into such matters, that judgment will be paid by the broker or errors and omissions insurance coverage, or from a bond, as brokerages are required to provide such financial assurances.

Lesson learned, I do more digging around than I used to and am not much assured by positive landlord references on their own or as mitigation for poor credit scores.