HI John, yes open to contracting work and opportunities

I appreciate the feedback and valuable words of caution.

However, I don't know from a practical point of view if it's doable 2) Condo vs townhouse vs cashflow: I noticed condos  and townhouses are way cheaper in fort myers FL ( however risk of hurricanes) and maybe more opportunity for cash flow.

So, threatening that means the tenant could lose something they waited years for and is very valuable too them.

We plan to stay in this house for more than 5 years unless another great opportunity arises, but maybe it is best to allocate a bigger portion of savings to our real estate investment savings account than our home improvement savings account for the first few years.

I’m drawn to the endless opportunities the Texas market offers and am committed to building my knowledge and skills to make smart, strategic investments.Right now, I’m focused on understanding the basics—everything from evaluating properties and navigating financing to learning about the unique aspects of the Texas real estate market.

@Travis HillAlso to your point on driving around I’m a big believer in grading the street within the neighborhood.The neighborhood may be an A but if the streets a C - it might not be a good flip opportunity but a good rental

If Costa Rica gives more capital gains like you suggest (which I doubt given how pricey it already is), he's going to get them with his own property and he'll ba able to take advantage of it without needing anybody's consent.I think the question is whether you can lure a lifestyle buyer into seeing it as a better opportunity than if he'd own his own property. 

By adopting the house-hacking method—living in one unit while renting out the others—we plan for the tenants to cover the mortgage and gain valuable property management experience.

. 😉  Lack of investment capital (money) ought never be the obstacle because if the deal is right, the money will always appear.Then, you’ll need great data sources both for identifying opportunities and confirming the facts.