You are already paying rent, so pay it to yourself to increase cash flow and accelerate savings for the next investment. 

Do you save three months of vacancy for each unit and $50,000 for the roof replacement?

For each property, I have a few accounts including a high interest earning savings account for reserves within the platform.

Save...it takes a lot more money than most new investors believe (don't drink the Kool-aid that you can get in cheap) and residing outside the US will be seen as a substantial risk to most lenders which will limit your financing options. 

Thanks for saving me from getting scammed.

Going direct saves you and the seller money, giving you a lower cost to entry which helps all your numbers, but you have to put in the extra work to find that deal.

I find the savings from not needing to add chlorine is instead spent on chlorinators.I would not use salt for an only a spa because the chlorine use is so low.  

It’s a cleaner, more reliable solution, and while the higher subscription cost can feel like a drawback, it’ll save you a lot of headaches and time in the long run.

So I saved an additional $2500 in taxes after the fact.

there are ways to get around the highest and you also need to take into account the savings you will generally have on the purchase side when compared to other regions.