Consider starting with house hacking to reduce housing costs while learning property management, or explore mid-term and short-term rentals for steady or higher income.

Freddie has a reno loan product that can be used for investment properties; this is only for first position, though.For the Heloc - it goes back to whether your mom wants to continue carrying the loan for income, and if so, how will you pay off the heloc once the rehab is complete?

An annual business tax as a hotel of $50 and collection and remittance of transient occupancy tax of 12% from renters is required of all short-term vacation rental operators.

. $102,000.00 in lost rental income; and f.

It does not include the rent income, just the appreciation, it is about 11%. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Recommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what quality of tenant will you get?

It seems there’s a common misconception largely influenced by social media, online courses, and influencers who oversimplify the process that real estate is an easy, passive way to generate income with minimal effort.

Do you have other ways to decrease your expenses or increase your income aside from real estate? 

An ITIN is often required for tax purposes when earning rental income in the US as a non-resident.Please feel free to PM me with any questions. 

@Apryl Skahill To get your risk-averse spouse on board with real estate investing, start by educating him with beginner-friendly resources that highlight the long-term stability, cash flow potential, and tax benefits of real estate, such as depreciation deductions and offsetting W-2 income.