Im sure there is something in the soil.

This 4th property was bought because I just had a baby, we have 3 dogs, and my spouse couldn’t do the commute from vancouver, WA so we bought a house in Beaverton, OR across from work.  9 months living here and it’s way too small and we need a real yard for the dogs- these homes are more like row houses with a small patch of gated soil in the front....We only put 5% down so we will sell at a loss and rentals here are so cheap, if we rent we will take about $400 a month loss....I now stay at home with the baby and manage our properties- I have a real estate broker license so I can claim the loss....Question is- would it be better to leverage the funding and keep this house even with the negative cash flow or just sell it?

Years ago I read Sandy Botkin's "Lower Your Taxes Big Time."

Are there a completely different set of rules or regulations once you step outside US soil?

I've got a rental that has some grade issues on the outside and I am going to add soil to help with drainage away from the house. 

Sandy

Apparently, the leak washed out the soil under the slab.I chatted with a tenant whose dad is a real estate investor, and he said that's why his dad avoids properties over 25 years old, which ties in with what my plumber advised.

@Scott Bowles agree with @Sandi Hague , it is a good area.

The answer to this question is dependent on a fair amount of factors: cost, performance, maintenance, soils, drainage, fill requirements, location, ect. ect.

Fishing in the bitterroot river and valley is something we do every year as well..these are totally different things than investing in low end rentals in the mid west.also in my mind Texas is appropriate if your going to live there.. to live in CA and pay high state tax on income derived from states with no income tax and UBER high property tax's defeats the purpose in my mind not to mention soil and storms.. but just my experience foundations are not if but when ( to correct them) and new roofs because of hail are about the same thing..