Pressure test is not on the table anymore, mainly due to lender's inability to communicate.My realtor is just trying to work with what we are getting from Chase and trust that the underwriter, appraiser, etc are competent enough to see that this is a good deal.

Obviously, the rules will differ from state to state.The most successful buyers have trusted bidders with cashier’s checks in multiple denominations (for cash sales) and the actual buyers have field runners and people to monitor multiple prospective properties at a given time and check sales status for postponements due to BK, etc.This is the case in larger metro markets where many properties could go to sale but few do so.There are often better ways to acquire properties then auctions.

Well, those are my thoughts, and above all, I trust God to guide as I continue in this lifelong journey 

I wouldn't trust it in the least and this is even what we do!

1. overestimate ARV2. underestimate repair costs3. trusting contractors4. doing anything DIY or without permits5. not counting holding costs, especially with hard moneyThose are five common ones.

I wouldn't trust the tenants "contractor".

He *seems* to be making an effort to square people away and talks all sincere, but everything we've seen to this point I won't trust a word of it until my balance in full is wired into our checking account.

So I trusted Rob and the realtor Charissa Napoles.

The website 51west.properties also scores low on scam advisor ("owner is using a service to hide their identity, high number of suspicious websites on the server, registrar has a high % of spammers and fraud sites, website is (very) young, website appears to be hosted by a company with a bad reputation", all according to https://www.scamadviser.com/check-website/51west.properties...)Trust your instincts. 

The downside is they usually come with higher interest rates and shorter loan terms.Partnerships or Co-signers: If your husband or a trusted partner has U.S. legal status and credit history, they might be able to co-sign or help with financing.Cash Purchases: Since you have savings in Canada, you might consider using that for your first property, especially for a smaller rehab project.Foreign National Loans: Some lenders specialize in providing loans for foreign nationals.