You are correct… if a person has 600k and they can afford to risk it going alone in a new country and that’s what they want to do with the money then why not go it alone.

Are you building for pure investment purposes or are you looking to use some of the space for personal/personal business use?

I personally have no connections with anyone who is involved in this niche and I'm wondering how other people have started their journey.

Quote from @Allen Berrebbi: Quote from @Dominic Mazzarella: I have personally owned and managed a multifamily property in Illinois and after selling it I said I would never invest in that state again.

It's important to understand that a person can sue another person, but that doesn't constitute a judgment.

With regard to renovations, I always suggest taking incremental steps to bigger renovations or partnering with someone who has already done a renovation at that level.I've been known to just go for the big rehabs for my personal investments here in Chicago , and during that process, it's always more stressful than it needs to be...As far as navigating the competition, I've found the best thing I can do is get EXTREMELY CLEAR  on what I am looking for; then I am confident pulling the trigger quicky. 

It might because they don't want any random person just setup a property management software to make it look legit and using it to scam people (tenants)

I do have an agent I know personally but she's only in the area at certain times of the year.Section 8 would be better than nothing.

Any insights, advice, or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated!

Saying it wasn't in the lease or @Kevin Sobilo saying it just comes down to one person's word against another would negate virtually every crime.