To help absorb the carrying costs of financing flip properties, I agreed to remodel an unfinished basement in exchange for a lower-than-market rent for myself.

In fact, I believe only about 25-35% of the US money supply exists in the form of paper currency and loose change.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-21/brazilians-buy-miami-condos-at-bargain-prices-after-45-surge-in-currency.html

Foreign investors getting a leg up thanks to our country's endless money printing...The u.s. doll...

As our currency falls and erodes the purchasing power of a dollar, gold continues to rise.

If I found someone who was going to lose their house and I agreed to pay all the back payments in exchange for the title, would the bank really care if I started making the payments and that the title was transferred?

Hey Peter,I do not have any useful information to give to you on this, but want to say "hi" as I am also an out-of-country investor, investing in the Atlanta market (Dekalb country, particularly).May be we can exchange information sometimes.

Or should i either pay for teaching or offer services in exchange for mentor ship?

Maybe better for networking than a Q&A exchange

You can also do a 1031 exchange within an IRA and defer the UDFI tax that way as well, but I would rather wait and eliminate it completely.

I guess Zillow can now use its stock currency to make acquisitions in this space and increase its product offerings and audience.