For this plan I followed the outline in The Ultimate Beginner's Guide here on the site.  

I'm in the retail sector, primarily value-add product with a great location but poorer performance than the market average.

It produces useful reports for various properties.Cons:   They over promise and under perform on virtually everything.  

House hacking is a fantastic strategy, especially for beginners.

In previous crashes, the market out performed class a whereas now, it is initially out performing A, but many economists are for casting a quick recovery for A while B and C take a few years to rebound fully. i think new buyers have to require a higher going in cap to protect themselves.

Rehab: Coordinate with local contractors to perform quality, cost-effective renovations to increase property value and rental potential.3.

Are there specific countries or regions that offer good opportunities for beginners?

Here is the breakdown (for beginners) -  You can pay "Points" to reduce your interest rate.

A professional can also ensure that you perform the proper tax reporting and record keeping on the transactions.

@Faris WrightTo succeed in real estate investing, consider online seminars and meet-ups like BiggerPockets, Udemy's Real Estate Investing for Beginners, Meetup.com, and REI Mastermind Network.