When pockets of generational poverty exist within certain areas, its really hard to have assurances that there's not lots of risk to equity over time. 

Hi I am new here at bigger pockets.

Knowing I have to put forth some leg work will help me lay out a game plan and get going.

Welcome, @Chris Knes - I don't have any particular insights on the European market, but I've seen some posts on the topic - if you search by market, I'm sure you'll find some folks on BP with good insights.So happy you found Bigger Pockets, Chris - keep us posted on your journey!

So I am brand new to the whole investment game.

I thought that Poker and Real Estate Investing are very different things: poker is by nature a very unstable, zero-sum game.

You can get $25,000 to $30,000 down from a buyer on a Lease Option, with NO REALTOR FEES (so you are $25,000 down plus no $12,600 fees) so you are $37,600 ahead of the game, plus you can have a 6 month contract with the buyer which reduces your taxes from short term capital gains to long term capital gains and saves you a ton of money since you've already had the property for a while (far too long, by the way).

Hi BPers!I'm curious how you're finding and getting the most value out of the BP forums?There's tons of great material, case studies, and success stories to read.  I can search for most topics and find a good conversa...

Right now both countries sit a standstill in a game of chicken to see who blinks first.

there is a publication called Scottsman guide.. this will list a lot of the top lenders.keep in mind HML want to see some experience and skin in the game to get decent rates.