You just need to have a good foundation repair company and a good plumber (or multiples of each) on your team.Just watch out for the big ticket items:  foundation, plumbing, electrical, roof and AC - these can quickly bust your budget if you aren't planning to repair/replace them...Remember that the older you go in terms of build year, the more of the above issues you are likely to run into.

There are a ton of sub $75k options out there.

A lot of investor-friendly agents will give you first dibs on a property before they bring it to the MLS; it is a great way to get deals off the market.

If you need an investor-friendly lender intro to go over your financing options, feel free to send me a PM.

Although a bank or insurance company would fit nicely into Berkshire’s existing platform, Canada does have restrictions on foreign ownership of those assets – so my bet would be either an energy or utility-oriented opportunity (plenty of them in Alberta) or perhaps a significant stake in Alimentation Couche-Tard, which owns the Circle K brand and has a significant global presence, potentially meshing nicely with Berkshire’s recent purchase of Pilot Flying J.This year, I had the pleasure of travelling to Omaha with some friends from New York University’s Real Estate Development program and got to catch up with old friends from all over the world.Alas, my favorite Buffett-ism from the meeting was "Understand that the market is there to serve you, not instruct you".

How would I determine if a county/state was landlord or tenant-friendly?

I am trying to figure out what will be the best way to finance the renovation, which is budgeted at $70,000, without refinancing the entire property. 

How about if you buy the property for $500k and your “friend” gives you a $900k loan against it the next day.

In person would be preferred but a remote skillbridge is also an option.

Here is quoted VRBO policy:"Vrbo, another vacation rental company, states that it does not allow any form of surveillance device inside a property, with the exception of smart devices that are allowed "as long as you have been informed of their presence and given the option to deactivate them."