@John Halverson Deal Machine is amazing, depending on your marketing strategy.If you have a huge budget, by all means: go the Direct Mail route.But if you don't, you need to go the old fashioned route of just picking up the phone and calling people.

They do, however, have a partner insurance agency (American Modern Insurance) that will insure STRs.I am using Proper on one of my properties and have found them to be a headache. 

Scotia Bank is prevelant in Costa Rica and provides mortgages and loans to non-residents but don't typically lend to Americans. 

Even the immigrant central Americans (El Salvadoreans/Guatemalans) are buying new cars here they make so much cash!!

Then you go ahead and invest with that sponsor (which is where you spend 99% of your time).So, if people tell you their investment experience on investment XYZ they are 99% talking about their experience with the individual sponsor they happened to pick (as CrowdStreet is just a very temporary middleman at the beginning).To put it another way: crowdfunding is essentially the same as old-fashioned syndication...except it's done on the Internet.

We are also looking at setting a property up in some fashion like this in Hawaii.

First American Exchange recommends that taxpayers build in a “cushion” by identifying properties that are worth less than what is permitted, in case some properties are later determined to have a higher value than what was originally estimated.4. 95% Rule.

You will not be able to be a loan from an American Bank to buy down there - If I could get a loan I’d own 2-3 places down there! 

from what I heard from one of his vendors is that he does what everyone in his position does takes a fabulous vacation to Europe for the summer  LOL.... and like American greed he probably has a big house drives a benz or two  his wife probably has great cloths some nice jewelery etc etc.. it always cracks me up when they do that on those shows.. 

The contract for purchase or lease option is a great way for those who lack credit to buy in to the American Dream and if they use this initial option period to rebuild their credit then they can and should be able to refinance the property in to a traditional mortgage, if they don't take the opportunity to build credit then they have tossed away $5000 and are no worse for the wear compared to the rental market.The way I read this story is that someone paid money for the opportunity at home ownership, they do not want it anymore and want to move away.