And newbies who don't have quarter million dollars in their checking accounts shouldn't compare themselves to big guys when they make their first steps and have much less to spend on marketing.You are right about tax advantages of selling the property as "lease option" versus cashing out your income as wholesaler and being taxed on it.

That advantage is gone. 

Factor in property taxes, insurance costs, and maintenance expenditures to ensure your investment aligns with your financial goals.Take Advantage of Financing Options: Explore FHA loans for owner-occupied properties or conventional financing options tailored to multifamily investments.

If you opt for a duplex however, you have a few advantages over the condo purchase. 1.

I'm willing to leave the property empty for a year to take advantage of owner occupied loans, if that's possible.Here are my estimates..Property: 1,355 sq ft, | 3br 2bath | 8,500 sq ft lotComps / ARV: 500-560k ~ 530kTotal Needed: 340-400k ~370kSale Price: 270-310k ~ 290kRenovations: 70-90k ~ 80kSevere cleaning needed (doing myself)Severe landscaping needed, it's a jungleI'd like to maximize potential value and be at the top of in-area comps, so would like to do a full gutCash on hand: 20k - 30k------------I'm considering,- Seller financing + separate renovation loan- FHA 203K (BRRR)- Fannie Mae Homestyle Renovation (if down payment is below 5%) (BRRR)------------Seller Financing + Separate Renovation LoanPros:Low down payment (via seller willingness) <= 3%Low interest rate (via seller willingness) <= 3%Cons:I'm unaware of how I can finance rehab without a personal loanMust cash-out refinance to obtain equity, conventional loan rate will not be as good------------FHA 203KPros:Low down paymentBundles rehab costsCons:Higher interest rate than the seller financed loanMust cash-out refinance in order to obtain equity and make an investment property------------Fannie Mae Homestyle RenovationPros:Bundles rehab costsCons:Higher interest rate than the seller financed loanMust cash-out refinance in order to obtain equity and make an investment property------------I may be totally off on what would be optimal here but wanted to provide my current thoughts.

My brother and I are starting to invest on the side ourselves, and from all the podcasts we've been listening to, we want to make sure we are doing things the right way to take advantage of any tax incentives.

-contacts in construction is fantastic - that could be a big advantage for you. 

This is a great place to learn and to connect with people so take advantage of all the great resources.

Being a Portuguese citizen doesn't give you any advantage whatsoever when it comes to buying and/or operating short-term rentals in Portugal.2.

Staggered refinancing, rather than refinancing all at once, allows you to take advantage of favorable terms as they become available.