I could use a little help and motivation with keeping on track as well since this is a side venture and is not replacing my main source of income at the moment. :)If you are interested, PM me and I'll share my contact info. 

You can request additional security deposit but new laws affect how long you can keep that, I believe only one year but you will need to independently verify this.

Additionally, I reside in the Doylestown area, and would not be opposed to forming relationships with other investors in the tri-state market. 

So, I think there has to be some motivating forces for the seller to accept and for the selling agent to council that this is a fair offer.

However, we needed to dig deeper to understand the motivation of the seller.

I am an international investor making my first investment in upstate NY.I need help from an accountant that is familiar with international investors.Happy to share additional details if required, let me know.Thanks!

The high density polyurethane as mentioned in the other posts is much lighter than a cement/mud mixture making it less likely to cause additional settlement due to the weight, another benefit is that it expands and compresses the soil underneath it to a certain degree.

Of course, these VAs aren't licensed agents so the extent to their conversations is pretty much a survey to identify their motivation, where I (or ISA) would reach out to start the conversation.

The hard money lenders I have contacted are charging almost $5K in fees that are due upfront which is in addition to 10% interest.

I'm happy to provide any additional insight as you search for a property manager in the area.