If you are risk adverse real estate, (especially out of state) is not for you.

When they do, adapt and over come.

@Mike PaisleyFirst, congrats on overcoming such a large hurdle!

Also down payments for these properties are min of 25% but closer to 30% (250-400k for your scenario) so these are tough to over come.

We are not risk adverse, but once again mitigating as much risk as possible.

They can barely afford to pay their mortgages and taxes there and live in perpetual fear that they'll have to downgrade or move their kids out of the school system they're in, an unthinkable loss of social status.As their kids grow, they unthinkingly strengthen then strong and weaken the weak, culminating in too many avoidable instances of weak, brittle, fearful young people of privilege who are unable to deal with any sort of real adversity and only really do anything when faced with the possibility that inaction might significantly damage their own precious social status, documented daily on Instagram, Facebook, etc.So in my private life of old friends and family, I find myself somewhat hemmed in by incredibly hard-working people who care a great deal about social status and constantly make utterly inane excuses about why they're all so damned broke as they drive massively depreciating cars and live in houses that are dumpster fires of various expenses.

Due diligence and preparation are your ways to overcome the fear.

They may not realize she is living there.Additionally , depending on the circumstances you may want to check your local laws on adverse possession.

Those of us in the southern part of the state have different obstacles but they can be overcome.

There's almost nothing so bad you can't overcome.