I am open to any suggestions or advice, but please back your advice up with data like response rates etc. 

@Carlos CoronadoHandwritten should receive the highest rate of response.

This afternoon I went online and created a LLC. for this rental property and a side business that I started earlier this summer (the side business is totally unrelated to real estate).

You can't just read online forums and expect to do the same thing they do.

The market in the US is more transparent and open here than anywhere else in the world, and there are many services and online tools that will help you operate efficiently from oversea.

I'm committed to educating myself first as much as possible, and I'm hoping to get advice/comments prior to my first investment from the community (online and local) as I go thru this journey.

Or is there an online channel I would use to request this information.

I looked online and everybody acts like they do foreclosures, but they really only do bankruptcies once I called a number of them.

I've posted two deals that sold within 30 days (so I know they couldn't have been that bad of a deal) but got no response from posting it here.

The seller/optionor can easily verify monthly online that you've made the payment.