@Samuel Pavlovcik has added a great deal of value in the past to folks looking to add units.

I work with a lot of foreign folks who invest in multiple countries or live abroad.

There has also been wide corruption discovered within the municipalities with several folks going to jail. 

You could benefit from meeting with folks that are actively applying theory into practice which could help clear up the mental fog you're experiencing. 

it does amaze me that this program still brings in folks.. 

You can usually live in a favorable location for your lifestyle and either commute to a property or hire folks to do all of the heavy lifting for you.

A huge part of being successful and scaling as a real estate investor is finding reliable, available, competent, hardworking help (handymen, electricians, HVAC folks, property managers). 

@Kenneth Soles  I have done this too many times to count.and after all the years of dealing with folks that lost their home be it tax foreclosure ( very very rare on the west coast by the way)  or Trustee or Sherrifs sale ( most common).Rent back can work but usually turns into an eviction shortly .Sell it back is another pipe dream.. unless your willing to owner finance it.. then you have the dodd frank stuff if you want to be letter of the law compliant.

I liked buydowns for folks who needed/wanted the lower monthly payments.

Most folks think that this is referring to a practice called basis shifting which would allow your moms estate to sell property to you at an inflated price in order to take advantage of the tax free step up in the estate.