But if your budget is tight or your home only needs minor updates, your real estate agent can help you think outside of the box by suggesting simple DIY staging tips to help your home look its best.Bottom LineStaging your house properly can make it much more attractive to buyers, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution, and every home shines differently.

Any suggestions on what to update/populate in our "rules" section to help us make this clearer? 

I am a hard money lender and these suggestions are pretty spot on.

From there, I would like to consider a 1031 exchange in the future to acquire more units.My current property management company suggested that they could handle a mid sized apartment building but I would absolutely not consider them for it as I believe they have overextended themselves and communication is lacking.

I'd suggest not paying anyone for mentorship.

In short, having all the conversations and commitments in strategy, setting up LLC and all the fun docs of who's doing what, and I'd suggest even getting initial funding into account for at least EM. 

Isn't it like you're suggesting somebody to do something (investing in Costa Rica instead of the US) while you (the experienced investor in Costa Rica) does the exact opposite with your own money?

My suggestion is to simply file the BOI requirement.

Trust me, I have been there.I suggest you try to House hack in cities that you are already familiar with and have some connection with.Hire a great investor agent in that market and ask them all your questions and concerns.That I believe is the best way to get personalized advice tailored to your goals and lifestyle.You giving out Cleeveland and Toledo on your post will only attract biased opinions and advise.Only you know what you truly like, want, and can deal with.As Nicolas said, read this post and comments and hope that gives you a new perspective. https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/12/topics/1215726-break...https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/963/topics/1195280-expe...https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/48/topics/1137397-balti...Goodluck and keep us posted.

I recently watched a video of a social media guru suggesting in 30 days he could have a team in place in any market in the country and be up and running with a successful real estate business.