EDUCATE YOURSELF - yes, it will take time, but will lead to a selection that better meets your expectations & avoids potentially costly surprises!

So far, I'm leaning towards an underground pool since it can be used all year round, but if I find a property that has room for both, then I may try to incorporate both amenities since families and the older crowd are my preferred avatar.

EDUCATE YOURSELF - yes, it will take time, but will lead to a selection that better meets your expectations & avoids potentially costly surprises!

Also, as a real estate investor, can I write off 100% of the education travel for real estate, such as the Bigger Pockets Cancun conference?

You seem pretty educated in the field and can likely point out of a deal is good or not given the market conditions. 

Thanks for educating me.

If it wasn't fraud but simple incompetence (and he lost the money), then that isn't a crime and your options are more limited.Your legal contract (and/or the state laws the entity was incorporated in...depending on where) most likely requires the sponsor to share books and records with you (so you can at least know what happened).

FREEdM - Financial + Real Estate Education Meetup (biggerpockets.com)https://www.facebook.com/groups/freedmazI also would recommend HOTREI run by @Travis Shelton He also has his meetups posted here on BP and in his Facebook group.Helping Others Through Real Estate Investing (HOTREI) | FacebookLooking forward to connecting at a future event soon! 

Any advise on whether to or not to incorporate?

I was in property management in Jackson for about ten years before moving out of state for a career in education.