The e-mail basically says he's looking for a team of people across the country to help him find houses for a deal he has with a group of investors. 

I'm not thinking that real estate is the bay area is anywhere near its peak,  and even at our last crash it was still very expensive compared to the rest of the country.

While I certainly didn't plan on starting to self manage all over the country, I ended up realizing that I could do as good or better of a job self-managing so that part of our business plan is born. 

That is what every wage earner in this country pays.

My wife is a Romanian immigrant, and her brother (still in the old country) did well in Real Estate investing in Romania before the market crash in 2008.  

Interesting to know how loans work in different countries.  

That said, just to start the thread off, I thought I'd provide some general feedback...My observation has been that drywall costs -- labor and materials -- are tremendously consistent around much of the country (unlike a lot of trades). 

I'm heading out of the country for two weeks mid April, so will plan accordingly.

I specialize in green building and high performance homes, as well as utilizing the best state incentives and tax credit programs in the country to make these kinds of improvements cost-effective.

The credit scoring system in this country tags people who make minimal payments on large balances as good credit risks.