The dollar is fiat currency, but it is the best game on the planet.

You are now betting on the success of a fund manager who is competing with every other fund manager on the planet.      

It sounds like foreign buyers are having a toxic effect on your market, & corroding the ability of those tied to the local economy to purchase homes.

NONE ON THE PLANET!

For most of us we are only going to be investing for about 30 years on this planet from age 30 to 60. 

The overwhelming majority of profit produced on the planet is done legitimately, you don't need to break any rules to get ahead.In the army they would say "do the hard right, over the easy wrong" The stip is that you live in the house for a year, forgiving any unintended scenarios where you would have to move out early, that would be fine, but you're supposed to intend to move in.

For example, figure 1/3 of all online ad dollars on the planet go thru google with facebook climbing as well. 

There's no way on the planet that if I was serious that I wouldn't have driven by, alone, last night, with a camera, taken 10 pictures, and posted a few here. 

I can GUARANTEE every single house on planet earth has cosmetic issues like you described.

The owner of the hotel has been in the game for 65 years and has done more 1031's than I have years on the planet.