As for other amenities, some crowd-pleasers that won't break the bank are coffee maker + starter pack of pods, basic workout equipment (yoga mat, resistance bands), phone charging stations by the beds, and basic kitchen essentials like olive oil, salt/pepper, coffee filters, etc.

Quote from @Andrew Steffens: I know you said not using HELOC on personal property, but there are banks who do HELOC on investment properties. 

Reward in RE prices for risk of course.As for horizontal I get mine from local community banks ..

The home was a bank foreclosure from a reverse mortgage.

The home was a bank foreclosure from a reverse mortgage.

If you arent laughing all the way to the bank then its not a good starter deal.

A lot of people who ask about international don't have cash so it's even less feasible to do as they don't understand banking in other countries.

You may have to put more money down (10-15%), but you can close, in a LLC, with no worries about banks.

Cody,If you want to work with a bank or lender to build on a piece of vacant land you will need to be on title of the land for at least 6 months.

You mention not a fan of landlording, great, the bank never get's involved in that stuff right.