The main risk is the cost of foreclosure and what kind of legal tactics the buyer can use against you to block your actions.The way to safeguard yourself is to get financial statements and verify what they give you through credit reports and possibly proof of assets, plus enough of a down payment to pay for a foreclosure.

@Wilson Lau makes good points about the lighter wear-and-tear with short-term tenants, as does @David S. about arbitrage being a safeguard from the California laws which are less favorable to landlords.

If you live far away, professional property management is an extra expense you simply must incur to safeguard your investment.Experienced builder and property manager Rusty Meador notes, "No matter how good of a real estate deal you find, it is only as good as its ability to be managed well."

If you're in CA, please contact your Assembly member expressing your opposition.CRITICAL ALERT: Stand against SB 567 – Safeguard your ability to manage rental housing now!

I'm looking forward to choosing my next tenant and will of course put into place safeguards for the future.

Pre-order your copy of Money for Tomorrow by Whitney Elkins-Hutten to learn how to acquire and safeguard your wealth while building a plan to pass it on for generations to come.Whitney is the host of Passive Investing Made Simple podcast and is a parter in $800M+ of real estate assets.

It is a literal cost to the lender - and most of the loan documents I’ve seen (done professionally) say that a borrower will repay fees incurred by the lender to safeguard the property.

If the buyer in a subject to deal keeps up their end of the agreement paying the seller diligently, is there anyway to safeguard against the seller not making the mortgage payments? 

Secondly, If you are worried about the safeguarding of your trust assets, hire third party, professional trustee and administrators.

Are there any remedies or proactive measures the homeowner should take to safeguard his interest?