Since you have work history, if you get a job with salary income and a credit score above 640 (680 realistically), a conventional cashout refi is within reach as soon as you reach those metrics.

Cleaner is paid a fixed rate for a specific job, you are paid a % of revenue.

Where I have a Handyman Business that I started when I retired from a Government job after 30 years.   

are areas worth looking into if you want a balance of family living and business opportunity.Texas PerspectiveTexas is a great market for long-term rentals, especially in cities like Austin, Dallas, or Houston, where population and job growth are booming.

A client of mine recently invested there and raves aboutt the ease of finding solid contractors who stick to the budget.One piece of advice: before jumping into any market, spend time understanding the local economy, demand drivers (like job growth and population trends), and the landloard laws.

Since you're a citizen but you live and work abroad you'd still qualify mostly for second homes occupancy or investor non owner occupancy (primary is hard to claim if your job requires you to be physically next to the office as an example so an underwriter isnt going to readily believe you unless you can get HR to write you a letter to state you're remotely capable of earning this income/job duties anywhere).Hopefully that helps let me know if you have further questions into mortgage planning.

Your job is in Dallas, you are owner occupied?

Also, focus on 2 years of job/income stability.Class D Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, all cashflow with little, maybe even negative, relative rent & value appreciationVacancy Est: 20%+ should be used to cover nonpayment, evictions & damages.Tenant Pool: majority will have FICO scores under 560 (almost 30% probability of default), little to no good tradelines, lots of collections & chargeoffs, recent evictions.

Also, focus on 2 years of job/income stability.Class D Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, all cashflow with little, maybe even negative, relative rent & value appreciationVacancy Est: 20%+ should be used to cover nonpayment, evictions & damages.Tenant Pool: majority will have FICO scores under 560 (almost 30% probability of default), little to no good tradelines, lots of collections & chargeoffs, recent evictions.

I think it does a good job of introducing different strategies and lingo of investing in a  digestible way and allows someone to find what they may find interesting and then learn more about that.