I explained to them the nature of my business. 

Did you make them aware of the nature of those studies?

Real estate investing is a long-term game, and it may take several years to build up a portfolio that generates enough income to support your lifestyle.While it's natural to have concerns about starting real estate investing later in life, it's definitely possible to achieve your goals with the right plan and mindset.

Find Brandon's videos on YouTube for the "four square" method of analyzing homes and practice.

I think with time as a landlord, you will naturally become a little more tough-skinned.Has this unauthorized tenant been angry directly at you?

Real estate naturally lends itself to putting more money on the line because of entry prices, and that not only potentially benefits your compounding, but strategies like the 1031 and basic leverage help you maximize with pre-tax dollars.

Yes for sure - you should definitely check out hard money loans to assist with the purchase and then "DSCR Loans" for the cash-out refinance (DSCR Loans are made particularly for investors like you - no DTI or W2 considered at all)Published an article last year on BP on this exact topic (BRRRR method financing options) hope it helps!

Find Brandon's videos on YouTube for the "four square" method of analyzing homes and practice.

And once I get done with this issue, yeah, that's when you do annual lease review/renewal and move rents to market or near market and let the nature of it all work itself out. 

This could be an alternative method you use if you have trouble getting a HELOC on your property that a lot of investors who use the BRRRR method use.