I have a lot of friends up there and like I said lived there myself, but no one I've ever known lives there by choice unless it is to save money by living cheaper than they can in LA (not a good sign).

I think trying to make the house as maintenance free as possible such as xeriscaping, solar panels etc as well as environmentally conscious fix up choices for materials you can appeal to a good market.

Would this be a good alternative to our first plan?

I have the means to finance it myself, so maybe I will get a pre approval to get it under contract and look for the alternative financing once it is secure.

It is not a good choice for a passive investor, but a wonderful investment for someone who's willing to exercise a little leadership.

Repair and remodeling choices are made with the entire investment picture in mind.

It doesn't seem that many people would accept such a small deposit, would the alternative be that I take out a line of credit for these deposits so I don't have working capital tied up for periods of 30 - 45 days?

But if someone did not want their ownership interest discovered, and went to 'reasonable' means to conceal that ownership interest, I think it is difficult to (using legal methods) find the owner.Using conventional means, the secretary of state filings are the obvious first choice for where to find owners.

I have a job that requires me to move somewhat regularly though so I don't have too much choice.

There will be positives and negatives to each choice.