I suggest you build a good relationship with an appraiser that you trust.

The lenders will either pull an international credit report or use letters from banks in France that you have a relationship with.

They were effectively outbidding people with more experience like yourself.I for one am happy that the dumb money has largely left the market.

Check the state regulations concerning HOAs.I know that in one state where I purchased a new condo there is a law (about 5 years old now) that requires there to be a reserve fund set up and the costs of all items to be estimated over their effective life.

How many are effective is a different question.I have done an a lot of business without a website.

I've found that the decision is often based more on the availability of good, reliable, cost effective labor.

Look forward to working with you and building that Business Relationship here in the near future.

Something to the effect of "It depends on who initiated the contact" That is so true.

He's not really getting anything if I take it for the loan balance, so if the price dropped he'd effectively be paying me to take his house and equity.

certainly buying a property to live in and then moving from place to place is a solid way to build your real estate portfolio, but it takes time and discipline...if you're in a relationship with someone - that person has to be on board with what you're doing.i just recently met a couple, looking at homes in the 900k to 1.3million range.