I know it's been discussed here before, but for F2F transfers how do you verify the cash?
Any method in which the cash can be immediately withdrawn prior to the trade, or immediately deposited after the trade. For smaller amounts, the easiest way to do this is to meet at an ATM and for the party buying the bitcoin to withdraw the cash directly from the ATM and immediately hand it over. For larger amounts, you can either do the same thing but at a bank where you can withdraw more than at an ATM, or you can meet at a bank and have the bitcoin seller deposit the cash prior to releasing the bitcoin from escrow. I remember you mentioning a casino before, and it is a nice option. I do wonder if a casino would take issue if they discover what you are doing, though, so you are essentially converting currencies on their premises.
This is another bonus of what I was talking about above regarding trading with the same person dozens or even hundreds of times. At some point, you build enough trust to stop doing this.
But meeting in other public places just does not seem as secure to me.
Most banks have plenty of security and CCTV cameras, or you choose an ATM in the middle of a busy public mall in the middle of the day, or similar.
Was kind of bummed out that HodlHodl and Localbitcoins aren't available to usa residents.
Just don't use a US IP address. HodlHodl don't know otherwise since you don't have to register any information with them. I wouldn't touch LBCs though, since they are just another centralized KYC exchange.
so far i got bisq, agoradesk as ones that a usa person could use. and localmonero if you're into xmr.
Just to point out that LocalMonero and AgoraDesk are two fronts of the same service.