here is the situation. i left a really good paying job to take care of my 81 year old parents because my dad is chronically ill and my mom is almost there. i wont go into too much detail, but my sis doesnt help them. ill leave it at that. we have a person who comes twice a week to help with cleaning and other household tasks. i carry the bulk of the weight cooking their meals, running errands, grocery shopping, picking up meds, and taking them to dr appointments. its a full time job. i get a small salary of $1000 a month from a care giver sub contractor for the VA. ive been paying my bills with what savings ive had, but only have a few months of funds left. i own a duplex. i have over 200k in equity. i live in texas and texas has weird laws about refi and heloc/heloans when the property is 4 units or less and owner occupied. i would rather not sell, but if thats my only option i will have to at some point.does anyone have any advice or possibly be able to point me to lenders who might be able to work with my situation?

This first season is for you to gain hospitality and property management experience and reviews.

You can't compete against the all-inclusives unless you offer complimentary food and booze or you're cheap, as you seem to be confirming.This being said:1) Properties in Mexico/Cancun trade in USD so you have no foreign exchange risk in Mexico while properties in Colombia are traded in COP, the Colombian peso, which has been tanking over the years, eliminating any hope for capital gains for American investors.2) You can get a mortgage in Mexico but you can't in Colombia so even with lower revenue, Cancun would likely still be more profitable, even if you don't take capital gains into account.3) The political risk is much higher in Colombia, especially at this present time.Is Cartagena a bad investment?

It takes a lot of work to find a tenant, your commision gained from the income should only be for the services rendered while the tenant is in the home ( in my opinion ).Some additional fees I can think off, are maintenances fees, for larger projects that require a lot of management and research.

Even though you feel you don't reach the full cash flow potential, you gain on making the lives of those families more comfortable.

Even if it does appreciate, the only way you realize those gains is if you sell.  

I am going to get hit with capital gains and state taxes(Idaho 5.8%)..closing on cabin on the 18th of Nov.

How much and what would I do with the gain on sale, and how does that help or hurt my strategy? 

The plaster shows mildew, and because it holds so much moisture, he has recommended taking down the damp plaster before the weight of it collapses.  

only the appreciation gained during the leasing period?