Lease Options are great in NC and there is no need to work around those pesky regulations, better to do it correctly and comply.

Hello,I recently obtained my real estate license strictly for investment purposes.

I am sure it is because regulations require appraisals so we don't have another financial collapse.

Maybe you should look into buying a white elephant near you, and turning it into the lowest possible level group home or "rest home", the kind that is not regulated, where you house people who are on SSI. 

I sent my guest a message via the AirBnB app reminding them of our strict no smoking policy and telling him that it also included the balcony.

Other than that you really can't be too strict.

“The effective premium that tenants pay through late fees is a systematic penalty that the lightly regulated rental market inflicts on those who are economically fragile, not dissimilar from the interest rate penalties that subprime lenders inflict on those with previous credit challenges.”I love this.

Philly is at the lower end there, at 1.4% of value, but you also do have higher transfer taxes there, more rental regulations, and more tenant-friendly laws & courts.

Investing overseas seems a bit daunting, but like you mentioned,  it could be easier to find a great deal due to less competition -  you just know about the different rules and regulations of that geography.

When you compare the numbers on a flip vs a BRRRR, I have a hard time seeing why you would go the flip route unless you’re strictly looking to build capital as fast as possible.