Have we tried asking him if he is interested in steady monthly income backed by real estate?

The mountain house has taken almost 2 years of breaking even and using some of the income on improvements until we have been able to cash flow.

I’m not looking to retire early or replace my income through rentals—I just want to diversify our assets.

Given that I am self employed, a few personal loan options, did preliminary asking about my situation, and they got lost in the weeds with how my real estate income looks so dismal on tax returns.

I jumped into real estate doing the BRRRR method, understanding that holding property will allow me to build generational wealth, but then learning that landlord income is not the best way to feed your family.

STRs generally produce more income than LTRs, but they are more work.

I'm also working on a Google Data Analyst certification to bring in some extra income while I'm home with our 19-month-old daughter.I'm still pretty new to this, though, and I'm not sure where to start or if I'm on the right track.

Income vs Capital Gain.

Rental income and expenses, such as mortgage interest, property taxes, repairs, and depreciation, can be reported on Schedule E of your personal tax return, regardless of ownership structure. 

@Zach Howard there are a few loan types here in the states for foreign nationals, some that require personal income verification and others that do not.