jQuery: Performing synchronous AJAX requests

Question

As you're making a synchronous request, that should be

function getRemote() {
    return $.ajax({
        type: "GET",
        url: remote_url,
        async: false
    }).responseText;
}

Example - http://api.jquery.com/jQuery.ajax/#example-3

PLEASE NOTE: Setting async property to false is deprecated and in the process of being removed (link). Many browsers including Firefox and Chrome have already started to print a warning in the console if you use this:

Chrome:

Synchronous XMLHttpRequest on the main thread is deprecated because of its detrimental effects to the end user's experience. For more help, check https://xhr.spec.whatwg.org/.

Firefox:

Synchronous XMLHttpRequest on the main thread is deprecated because of its detrimental effects to the end user’s experience. For more help http://xhr.spec.whatwg.org/

You're using the ajax function incorrectly. Since it's synchronous it'll return the data inline like so:

var remote = $.ajax({
    type: "GET",
    url: remote_url,
    async: false
}).responseText;

how remote is that url ? is it from the same domain ? the code looks okay

try this

$.ajaxSetup({async:false});
$.get(remote_url, function(data) { remote = data; });
// or
remote = $.get(remote_url).responseText;

function getRemote() {
    return $.ajax({
        type: "GET",
        url: remote_url,
        async: false,
        success: function (result) {
            /* if result is a JSon object */
            if (result.valid)
                return true;
            else
                return false;
        }
    });
}