Want to invest in a single-family house, but your local market stinks? And you've always been told to buy nearby so you can manage the property yourself?

You could invest in rentals in some far-off -- but really hot -- location, but who in the world wants to deal with the hassle of being a landlord? Especially in a place you can't get to at a moment's notice.

A relatively new online real estate investment platform called HomeUnion solves these problems. Based in Irvine, California, it provides all the services necessary for individuals to invest remotely in single-family rentals.

HomeUnion's "cradle-to-grave," turnkey service spans the life of the investment, from finding decent properties in respectable neighborhoods that will offer an acceptable return, to advising you on buying the place, finding tenants, managing the property and even selling when the time comes.

HomeUnion "offers two major value propositions," says its CEO, Don Ganguly.

First, it allows investors to put their money in the places that offer the best deals in terms of return on capital. Typical returns run 6 percent to 8 percent for cash investments, after expenses, and 8 to 17.5 for leveraged -- or mortgaged -- investments (again, after expenses).

And that's just cash flow. Appreciation, while possible, is not figured into those figures, according to Ganguly. That's "way better than you can get with other fixed-income investments," he points out.

The company analyzes dozens of factors to identify markets where investments make sense, including housing prices, rental rates, vacancies, trends, employment and population growth. It also relies on input from local experts with a more intimate knowledge of a particular market.

Once the proprietary analytics are completed, it "puts boots on the ground" in the best places to identify and vet individual properties, according to Ganguly. It is currently putting money to work in 15 locations, including Austin, Chicago, Dallas and Houston, and will soon announce its entry into five more places. The goal is 25 markets by year's end.

Typically, the company looks for properties in the $80,000-$100,000 range in nice neighborhoods. It particularly disdains expensive communities where rents don't pencil out. The goal is to find houses in places where the monthly rent is about 1 percent of the cost of the house -- for instance, a $100,000 house that generates $1,000 in rent.

Next, HomeUnion puts together a management team to operate the house on the investor's behalf. The team makes sure the house is in showing condition, finds and vets tenant candidates, takes care of leases, collects the rent and is on-call during occupancy should a problem occur.

In other words, all the things you'd have to do to manage the property, but can't do from afar.

Management fees run between 7 percent and 10 percent of the monthly rent, or about what you'd pay if you dealt directly with managers.

On top of that, HomeUnion charges a 1 percent asset-management fee that covers, among other things, handling the logistics of money transfers, contract negotiations with vendors and managing expenses.

Ganguly stresses that his young company is not a listing site. Rather, it is a platform to help investors identify and purchase single-family homes to rent. It is "hands-free investing for individuals to invest remotely," he says.

Another thing HomeUnion is not is a flipping service, in which you buy and sell within six months. On the contrary, says Ganguly, "we're looking for folks who are looking for stable incomes for at least three to five years."

Of course, if you buy a place using HomeUnion's platform, you can hold it as long as you like or sell whenever you desire. That's completely up to each individual investor.

Realize, though, that while investing in single-family rental houses is more stable than the stock market, rentals are not exactly liquid assets.

There's also no guarantee on your returns. "We're buying a lot of data" in searching for strong markets, says the CEO, "but nothing is without risk."

Currently, the company has maybe a thousand clients who run the gamut from retired individuals to young folks who see rentals as a good way to generate income. But Ganguly says that if the platform attracts the interest of just 100,000 of the 8-10 million people who earn enough to dabble in the rental market, "we'll be in pretty good shape."

"For the past two years, we have been plotting our real estate investment management program in a limited number of markets, and fine-tuning our models and asset-management practices so investors can find and buy properties based upon their own preferences, without having to become hands-on landlords," says Ganguly.

"We can now offer individual investors the efficiency and simplicity enjoyed by institutional investors."

If you think the game's over when you accept a signed contract from a buyer, think again.

Realty transactions don't end until you get to the closing table and all the papers are signed, sealed and delivered. In the 30 to 60 days between contract and settlement, anything can go haywire, and it often does. Sometimes the contract never closes.

There are no specific, recent statistics on the percentage of contracts that don't close. The National Association of Realtors stopped asking its members questions to determine how many agents had dealt with failed transactions. But in a 2012 NAR member survey, one in three members said they had a deal that fell through.

"Bottom line is, we have too many transactions not making it to the closing table," said Lynn Madison of Lynn Madison Seminars, a training and development company based in Schaumburg, Illinois.

There's a litany of reasons deals fall through. The buyers can't secure financing; the inspection uncovers some hidden defect the buyer just cannot accept; maybe the buyer simply gets scared and changes their mind.

Usually, though, contracts fall apart because someone along the real estate food chain fails to do his or her job correctly -- or completely, said Adorna Carroll of Dynamic Directions, a real estate training firm in Berlin, Connecticut.

Carroll said that having a license does not guarantee the intelligence of your agent, the other guy's agent or any of the other professionals you deal with. Some are as "dumb as a bag of hammers," Carroll said at a NAR convention a couple of years back. "They don't know what they don't know."

Sometimes, the educator said, they let things fall through the cracks, they let their egos get in the way of good judgment, they don't play well with others or they simply expect someone else do their work for them.

This is not to besmirch the good name of hardworking realty professionals, just to warn buyers and sellers alike to stay on their toes. Follow up with the various professionals to be sure they do their jobs and do them on time -- lest the contract lapse.

Take the listing agent. Has the agent explained the process to you, completely and to your full understanding? There are lots of events that have to fall into place once you accept the contract.

Did the agent take the time to explain the differences between an appraisal and an inspection? The differences are huge. Did he or she attach a list of non-realty, personal property items that come with the house? If so, that was an error: Lenders don't want it and will ask that it be removed, which could delay the deal.

Ditto a copy of the inspection report: unnecessary.

It is your job as the buyer or seller to go over every word in the listing and contract to make sure the address is correct, the square footage is accurate and the condition of the property is not misrepresented. And you must make sure that your agent has his or her eyes on all the moving parts.

"Our job is not done when we get a contract," Madison reminded her audience at the NAR meeting. "As a matter of fact, it has only just begun."

"Every team needs a quarterback, and you're it," she said. "We have the ball and it's our job to get it in the end zone."

It's also smart to check the buyer's agent's work to make sure the agreed-upon price is written clearly. The same goes for all riders or anything that has to be written by hand on a preprinted document.

The contract is a legal document, and agents, as skilled as they might be, are not attorneys. The last thing you want is to have a disagreement later over what the buyer meant by this language or that phrase.

Sometimes, according to Carroll, buyer's agents don't have a good team of professionals working with them: personnel who chase down missing legal papers, for example, or keep the client abreast of what's going on with the sale. That means your agent will have to do double duty, or again, the deal could fail.

Remember, there are various moving parts in every transaction: the home inspection, the appraisal, the bank, the lender's underwriter, the title company and the settlement agent. Any one of them can forget, or lose, an important document. Even your lawyer can drop the ball.

Bottom line: Your agent has to know how to do his or her job, as well as the jobs of everyone else who is a part of your transaction.

The recent murder of Arkansas real estate agent Beverly Carter while showing a vacant, bank-owned property highlights the dangers of exhibiting houses to strangers -- not just to realty pros, but to homeowners themselves.

As crime victims go, agents don't hold a candle to taxi drivers, who suffer the highest rate of homicides of any particular occupation, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. But every so often, the headlines scream out about a real estate agent who is murdered, raped, robbed or beaten while showing a house for sale.

Some years back, Seattle agent Michael Emert was slain. And now Carter, an agent with Crye-Leike Realtors in Little Rock, is gone.

Many realty firms and their trade groups have made safety a top concern, but rarely do agents pass along safety tips to their clients. As a result, sellers often go forth totally oblivious to the dangers that lurk.

That's not to say you shouldn't hold an open house or allow someone to view your for-sale property. But to be safe -- and to keep from becoming a victim -- you should be aware of the risks.

Usually, miscreants are after whatever they can jam into their pockets as they roam from room to room. But sometimes they are there to case your place for a future burglary. And occasionally, they have worse things in mind.

Here are some precautions sellers should take to protect themselves and their property:

-- First and foremost, trust your instincts. Your intuition is your most powerful crime-fighting weapon. If something or someone makes you uncomfortable, be extra alert and extremely careful.

-- If a prospective buyer or unknown agent shows up at your door unannounced, have them call your agent to schedule an appointment. Don't open your door to strangers. No exceptions!

Call your agent. That's why you have one. One of the first things your agent should tell you is, "Always let me show your house for you."

-- If you fail to heed that warning, at the very least, you should never, ever let a stranger into your home when you are alone. There is safety in numbers.

Agents are advised not to show houses alone, and neither should you. If someone is insistent, ask a neighbor to come over while you show the visitor around. If no one is available to keep you company, tell the visitor to come back later or call your agent. It's better to lose a sale than your life.

-- Identify your visitors. Agents often insist that everyone sign a guest registry to show their professionalism. They also screen their clients by putting them through a prequalification process before they ever put them in their cars. At the very least, you should keep a visitor's log.

Since anyone can sign in under whatever name he wants, ask for a driver's license or other photo ID and make sure the picture matches the face of the person in front of you. Next, get their addresses, phone numbers and license plate and driver's license numbers. And while you are writing them down, also jot down a brief description of the visitor and her automobile.

Before you let anyone inside, call someone and pass along the security data you have collected. Be certain you do this within earshot of your visitor. That way, he'll know you are taking cautions to protect yourself, and maybe he'll move on.

This might seem like a cumbersome task, but security experts say you can never be too prudent. And anyone who finds this request unreasonable in this day and age is probably not someone you want to invite into your home anyway.

-- Identify unknown agents, too. It's too easy for someone to print up fake business cards, so call the agent's office to make sure the agent is who he says he is. Never let an agent directly into your house. Instead, make them open the lockbox your agent placed on your door to gain access. Non-agents won't be able to.

-- Don't make an appointment with potential buyers unless they give you their names and phone numbers and you have called them back to verify the number.

-- Beware of callers who knock on your door at strange hours, either late at night or early in the morning. Again, no matter who they say they are, ask them to make an appointment at a more reasonable time. If someone says he can only view your house at this particular moment, don't believe him.

-- Prior to letting anyone in, turn on all the lights and open all the blinds, shades and curtains. Dark rooms invite trouble, and homes are safer for showing when someone outside can see inside.

-- In advance of an open house, remove your valuables, including jewelry, artwork and electronic equipment. You're going to be packing them when you move anyway, so you might as well put them away for safekeeping now. Also, guns and other weapons should be locked up and separated from the keys and ammunition. Lock up your prescription drugs, too.

Never leave money, mail, bank statements, credit cards or your keys lying around. Keep them on your person, not in a drawer. It's too simple for a petty thief to open a drawer when no one is looking.

-- Pay attention to the way prospects view your house. Professional burglars often linger in rooms, looking for items they can dispose of quickly. They also search for ways to get in and out quickly, scouting possible escape routes and checking for security devices. Couples up to no good often split up so one can case the joint while the other keeps you occupied.

-- Be mindful of someone who is asking unusual questions that have nothing to do with the house, such as: Are you married or single? Do you live alone? What times does your spouse leave for work and return? What time do the kids come home from school? Have you had much interest in your house? When do you plan to show it again?

All these queries could be an attempt to determine how long you'll be alone, or when the house will be empty. Never let potential buyers know your schedule.

-- Some agents prefer to tour houses with their clients, while others allow them to wander from room to room on their own. If prospective buyers ask you to show them around, let your visitors enter each room first so you can't be attacked from behind. Don't turn your back on them or lead them around. In other words, direct them as opposed to letting them follow you.

Don't allow yourself to be trapped in a corner or behind a desk or other piece of furniture. And never go into a walk-in closet, laundry room, basement or storage area with someone you don't know. There's no escaping those spots.

-- If someone attempts to draw you into a lengthy conversation, steer him toward the front door. And plan your own escape route in case something goes wrong. Figure out in advance how you are going to get out of trouble if trouble presents itself.

Overly cautious? Probably so. But it's better to be safe than sorry.