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.

My goal is to get started in REI, but I really wanted to know what would be the best way to do this while I am out of the country?

its this country man.  

It is also a safety issue for me as the property would be easy to break in (country) so I wouldn't want to have a showing and then have someone come back to help themselves.