@Bryan Cavellier, You can 1031 with any US property including Guam, the USVI and ...drum roll- The Northern Marianas Islands (go figure but I actually had a realtor from there in a class of mine recently) into any other US or one of those territories.  1031 is a federal statute so it's applied the same in all locals with just a few variations state to state at the state level. 

I did a lot of repairs myself but also hired a few skilled contractors for things like electrical work and plumbing.

😂Plenty of lovely folks there, plus it's where Cannon Air Force Base is located, but we soon discovered that just having a base nearby didn't necessarily make for a lively real estate market.Shortly after that, we adopted our MUCHAS criteria:M - Near a military baseU - Has at least one college or universityC - Has a Costco or equivalentH - Has a hospital ranked at least as a Level II Trauma CenterA - Has a commercial airportS - Has a Sprouts (organic grocery) or equivalentThis has led us to look at often-overlooked markets like Lubbock, Texas and Augusta, Georgia.May be worth a look for you as well!

Where I would ultimately like to end up is with multiple properties that I rent out, even on an international level, as I love to travel.In order to achieve my goal: What strategies could you all recommend?

I am not trying to be negative or a Karen, but being real so you can analyze all your options on what course of action you should take for your business and what risk level you are comfortable with.

My recommendaiton would be to build the ground level as a "wet basement".

Granite or Quartz on all counter tops including bathrooms.. our up stairs is 9 foot.. and our single levels are 10 foot to 14 foot which NO other builder does in a subdivision type build only custom homes over 1 mil would have that.. flooring is engineered hard wood.. custom cabinets with soft close on all doors in the house..

When I was his age and even into my early 30's I had a fear of speaking to people or publicly and am comfortable doing it now, but we have felt this is a good skill to have.

This access allows them to match investors with the most appropriate lenders, often resulting in favorable loan terms that align with the investor’s financial capabilities and project timelines.Moreover, a skilled private money broker excels in navigating the complexities of securing financing.

An annuity is definitely a different level of risk exposure than this type of an alternative investment.