Especially on small multi family buildings since most of them are in more urban areas. 

* Is this a single-family property or a duplex?

I’ve seen countless stories of families choosing between groceries and rent, or parents juggling eviction notices while trying to shield their children from the stress.

I feel a loss of direction and that makes it really hard for me to focus and build.Do we keep at building a portfolio of small multi family (very abundant in my market, very rare to find anything above a triplex for sale), with plans of selling the portfolio and 1031'ing into larger properties? 

Quote from @Zach Howard: Quote from @Jonathan Greene: If you are looking at properties in the US only on Zillow, and not seeing them in person (I know you are in Hong Kong), this is just an effort in futility because you can't underwrite single-family or small multifamily deals only online.

Hi Kmsuea, it all depends on your commitment to actively looking for and purchasing a property. 

The "big" firms like AA may get a lot of hype but they generally can't compete on the next level tax strategies (Family office type strategies) nor customer service as their employee turnover is quite high.  

My family has been investing for many years.I'm just always happy to help.

That might be one suggestion to get your feet wet - invest with a family member who has more experience.

For now, staying local allows me to leverage my property management experience—most of which came from working directly for family and close business associates who were property managers, contractors, and business owners.