Hi @Paul Rook, I don't have any experience with the company you mentioned but a handy resource for homeowners to check ANY contractor or trades person is lni.wa.gov.

So make sure your uses of the refinance money conform to business  purposew if you want to write off the interest.This method is commonly used in a 1031 consolidation exchange. 

The whole reason FHA developed a short sale method is to reduce the loan balance down to reality, down to what the home is worth, down to the value of the collateral at the bank accepted. if they had the cash, they wouldn’t be behind on their monthly payments.You're right I overlooked that part.

The method of payment doesn't really matter - what's important is that it is tracked in Schedule K-1 and reported to IRS. ...

They are two different methods and there is a ton of content out there on both.Seller financing - the seller basically becomes the bank.

I'm particularly excited to learn more about mid term rentals, BRRR method, and any other strategies people find still work in our current economic climate.

These are fantastic methods that I never would have thought of, especially the hard money lender method.

DSCR is often selected for the BRRRR method because it flexible seasoning.

The biggest trade off I have heard from someone (also not a CPA/tax advisor) that qualifies as REPS is upon sale, you no longer have long term capital gains, but rather active income.  

You can't compete against the all-inclusives unless you offer complimentary food and booze or you're cheap, as you seem to be confirming.This being said:1) Properties in Mexico/Cancun trade in USD so you have no foreign exchange risk in Mexico while properties in Colombia are traded in COP, the Colombian peso, which has been tanking over the years, eliminating any hope for capital gains for American investors.2) You can get a mortgage in Mexico but you can't in Colombia so even with lower revenue, Cancun would likely still be more profitable, even if you don't take capital gains into account.3) The political risk is much higher in Colombia, especially at this present time.Is Cartagena a bad investment?