The lender wants to ensure that the title is clear to secure their position, so I can understand that but I thought title companies primarily look for liens against property.

I had to find a private lender to secure the additional financing which was a safe deal and it worked out but I'm always looking for experience to build off of.  

After months of searching and negotiation we were able to secured 3 townhouses next to each otherFinancingThe way i structure the deal is pretty simple. each of us would put in an email amount of money for the 25% down payment (yes, i put my own money into the deal as well) the the rest i financing it out through a Commercial bank that I has a relationship with.

Can I keep her security deposit for not allowing my entry to the property after I've given sufficient notice?

get references from the builder, ask for his last five jobs, talk to those people.Builders can be great sometimes, and bad at other times, it is almost what they can get away with.Don't pay until job is completed, do not pay up front, if the builder can't afford to buy material to start the job, you need to find a more secure builder.

I need to build my credit history starting with secured credit cards, work up to unsecured cards over the next few months before trying to qualify for mortgages with US banks later this year.  

I'm just securing the actual real estate for the deal w/ conv financing and I'm getting a 5yr NNN Lease w/ Purchase Option for my efforts. 

I'm a retired 72 year old operations manager...who has more bills to pay than retirement social security income....can't find decent work....friends told me to try real estate investing....don't know anything about it but willing to learn......I'm a country person not a city person.

Moreover, I need to pay 5K above LP to secure this property and with my very first deal, I'm not getting the warm and fuzzy feeling.

This ROI is less than I generally like to secure, but the timing of things makes this purchase beneficial in a number of ways.