I don’t have a loan on the property and hold it cash, but, if I sell it would lend the profits as hard money and earn 10%+. 

Yes, Spain is one of the countries in which banks will lend to non-residents (they generally don't) but Spanish banks are much more conservative than US banks so it's more difficult to qualify, especially if you don't earn W2 income.

It is very easy to save money working in public accounting.I forgot what my dinner allowance was working at the big four 5 years ago in a major city(I think it was like $20?)

Going direct instead of having a GC do the work will save you money too since that GC will put a percentage on top of work. 

By managing yourself, you keep that money in your pocket.✅ Hands-On Experience – If you plan to grow your real estate portfolio, managing tenants yourself can teach you valuable lessons about leases, maintenance, and local rental laws.✅ More Control – You’ll personally handle tenant screening, rent collection, and property upkeep, ensuring everything is done to your standards.✅ Stronger Tenant Relationships – Being involved directly allows you to build rapport with your tenants, which can lead to better communication and longer leases.Cons of Self-Managing❌ Time-Consuming – Dealing with maintenance requests, late-night emergencies, and tenant disputes can quickly become a second job.❌ Legal Risks – Chicago has strict landlord-tenant laws.

Imagine making millions of dollars over the course of your career and then having to pay 30-50% every year to uncle sam instead of compounding that cash over time.This is exactly what real estate professionals have learned to mitigate.To reduce their taxable income, they just buy a building every year, do a cost seg, and use depreciation to reduce their tax liability dramatically.Their personal wealth snowball grows much larger and much faster than their W2 counterparts who give most of their money back to the government each year.Following this strategy as a real estate professional is one of best ways to end up with a much larger net worth at the end of your career.

My tenants just notified me that their unit got broken into and money was stolen.

Hard money loan that covered 100% of rehab and 90% of purchase.

We utilized the down payment program and use our own money to fix it up.

This would be a waste of everyone's time and money.