i wish i could go back in time and start over, but hey we ll start somewhere. in a years time i have learned several things things:1.

Cash hoaarders are not investing they are parking money they have no use for.There is nothing wrong with that, it is always reassuring to know that you have reached the point in time where you have all the money you will ever want or need in life.

In difficult times my real estate portfolio will support itself and if not I have saved my cash reserve outside of real estate to call upon in times of need. 

The great thing about BP is you can go back in time and if memory serves me correctly this question has been asked before and people were a lot more positive.

I wrote a BiggerPockets blog post outlining common projects and their average costs here: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blogs/8814/72452-how-to-estimate-construction-costs-for-these-29-common-rehab-projectsAs far as analyzing deals, this post explains how to find comps and calculate ARV: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blogs/8814/68395-how-to-find-real-estate-comps-and-calculate-after-repair-valueFinding comps for multi-family properties is slightly different than finding them for SFR, generally in that you often have to widen your area and go back farther in time to find them as they are not sold as often, nor are they as common as SFR.Happy investing and feel free to reach out if I can help.

The economy is to blame but local politics have played a role in the demise of Arecibo as well.I'm not sure how long your most recent visit was or when you are planning your next trip, but I do hope you get a chance to view some of the other " non tourist" areas as you may be pleasantly surprised at the resurgence (albeit gradual) of some of the surrounding towns.I've been a resident here now for the past 4 years and I currently work as  a lender at a local mortgage bank and also am now getting more involved with RE investing here.

You should send the security deposit refund notice (not sure exact name but that is really close) along with their refund to their last known address - which might be the property address - if it gets forwarded great - if it doesn't you can grab it from that property and keep it until you hear from him - it can be used to prove you did mail it it in time.  

Some pros:-unlimited potential income-income is directly correlated with the amount of work I put in-time freedom (I make it a point to have breakfast with my 1 year old son every morning)-exciting, dynamic. 

Lets face it, flying is not a pleasant experience most of the time.

If you're planning to invest in the same market that you would be working as an agent then yes it would be helpful as you'll have more intimate knowledge of that market (prices, local trades, buyer and tenant profiles) and you could potentially save on in and out transaction costs, but there's a reason most beginner investors look outside of NYC.