With this being a buy and hold I am tempted to go in and do the full gut and fix everything up to current standards even though it's not required.

I have a friend who works for a well-renowned construction company in our town who has offered to be our general contractor at a discount (only charging us 8% vs. the standard 15%) and "teach me the ropes"/make the right introductions so that I can repeat this on my own in the future. 

A combination of lack of infrastructure partnered with historic highs in population growth specifically in new international students pouring into the area to attend Cape Breton University, has presented less then a 1% vacancy rate on the island. 

@Stepan Fedetskiy section 8 can be good option if you have a good PM who maintains the property in good shape all the time as per the needed standards. best part is govt pays a portion of the rents so you dont have to chase tenants, downside the upkeep of the unit will eat up appx 20%. so its little tricky..sounds good on paper but when you go through one you will get an idea. i had 4-5 section 8's , 3 of them had no issues, but 1 of them had lot of issues and ate up all the profits.  

If you where going to be able to recreate the orginal layout, you would of been able to do so by the clues left behind by remaining framing, be it the "honey" holes where the toliets once where, the sizes of the holes in the joist would indicate what pipes ran where be it hot and cold supply, toliets, showers and other industry standard tell tale clues. 

I plan to acquire an STR property in West Africa. Will this property qualify for all the tax benefits of STR? What documentation will I need to provide to the IRS in the event there are any audits? 

After securing your spot at the 2024 BiggerPockets Conference, all you need to do is book your flight to Cancún International Airport (CUN) and your ride to Moon Palace and you’re all set for a fun-filled, educational getaway!

And that's even using the high rent estimate, a low vacancy rate (8% would be more realistic), and a very low property management expense (10% of rents is pretty standard), just for starters.If you personally were going to live in this property, it would likely be a slam-dunk...... but, as an investment, it's a money-loser!

However, this is less common for standard FHA loans.

*Lake Anna, Reston Virginia*Originating in 1990, The Reston Town Center is a major employment and entertainment hub in the area, with companies such as Google, Leidos, Facebook, Microsoft, General Dynamics, and Fannie Mae, to name a few, more than 50 retailers, including an 11 screen LOOK Dine-In Cinema, CitySwing (Golf Simulator), a seasonal ice rink, many well-renowned restaurants and bars, and other highly attractive amenities such as a full service 243 bed hospital, a new metro, and the Dulles International Airport that is receiving $700 million renovations by 2026*Reston Town Center*Source: Rediscovering Reston-- the First Planned Community in the USSource: Washington Dulles International Airport to Expand Passenger and Cargo OperationsOne of the biggest points of discussion over the last few years has been around the office market, and how the rising office vacancies due to the shift towards a work-from-home and hybrid work schedule have pushed many companies to downsize or relocate out of previously major employment centers.