I got incredibly lucky, and I couldn't replicate that same exact way of translating success. 

Hi there, you'll need a Spanish speaking friend to help you translate and have a phone call with them.

Most likely these are women raising children on what translates to $10 to $15 per hour.

So 30k in interest payments on a primary would only net most people an $800 tax deduction since they would have already got the standard deduction by default, where as 30k in rental interest would translate into 30k in deductions.This means that for an awful lot of people, they effectively don't get to deduct the interest on their primary.Keeping the loan on your rentals, while getting rid of the loan on your primary also helps from an asset protection side of things. 

Otherwise, it’s like buying a retail business and having to work it yourself to make a profit – that’s called buying yourself a job, not a business.Appreciation has historically been sluggish in DFW, the most recent uptick is somewhat of an anomaly and may be at a relative high point, or lower relative affordability at the moment, which typically translates into pressure on prices.

What I can assure you is that if you're using a broker, and not communicating directly with the lender, there's definitely a chance something will be lost in translation.  

If you are an out of town investor then I fear investments in this neighborhood (and those like it, Toledo has several) will result in an overall portfolio with higher-than expected wear-and-tear, lower resident financial stability directly translating to shorter times between re-leasing events, and I am curious how much higher the values can go (From $60k pre-2009 to $8k when I bough and I am now steadily see $60k listings again...even a $90k one!).

.- Yes to counter top upgrade although just switching out the counter top isn't going to translate into more rent.

Cash-on-cash return is a simplified calculation and translates across most properties and investorsI always keep track or mortgage paydown and annual tax savings separately from my cash-on-cash calculation.

If you don't have any skill sets that translate to being a real estate investor and you plan to "build a team" to do it all for you then you are also in for a rude awakening.