I agree with Joel. There is no right or wrong. Buying wholesale through MLS listings means the investor has to find the contractors to do the estimates and then running risks that there could be cost overruns. Then finding tenants and property managers etc…if there are delays it eats into the return. Don't get me wrong…it can be done if you have the right contacts….I have a realtor that I deal with myself and when her contractors do an estimate…if there are cost overruns then they wear it at their cost. But the odds of everyone having that same sort of deal is pretty rare. Like Joel I have had plenty of clients who had a choice and chose the turnkey path where they wanted it all done. Couldn't agree with Joel more about the turnkey company actually being the owner and as long as it's a transparent transaction you will do quite well. There's also the argument that the best deals don't make it to the MLS anyway.

No that isn't the case. US Bank accounts can be opened without a SSN. The issue most face is that unless you physically go to the US and have them sight your ID you won't be able to get a bank account opened. I can't say who's right and who's wrong. Nigel is correct to my understanding…under the Patriot Act you need to be physically present at a bank branch to open it. But….it can be done. I only got one opened for a client of mine from Japan but that was going through some attorneys so it cost the buyer $250-00 for them to do the into to the bank etc.