Hey @Helena GoyvaertsWe have several foreign investor clients. 

I'm in Phoenix as well, started out house hacking and have helped out a few other clients to do the same. 

If you anticipate further recoveries, you may need to adjust your claim accordingly.This post does not create a CPA-Client relationship.

I once made the mistake of chasing multiple listings at once, which turned into a disaster.When I shifted my focus to serving one client at a time with honesty, integrity, and accountability, referrals started coming in without any marketing.

You CAN limit that agreement to a specific property; but, as others have stated, agents are looking for a certain amount of loyalty from their clients.If an agent gets vibes from a prospective client that indicates that they want to cheapskate and not pay a professional for their service, they are not likely to waste their time with them.

I remember years ago our attorney reviewing one such issue for a client that was coming over to us. 

Bernie Madoff made guarantees to his clients, so did Charles Ponzi - the "inventor" of the Ponzi Scheme.How will the guarantees be guaranteed? 

I got her money back of course, I learned that being the nice guy (which I am known for) has to protect their clients interest at all costs and you have to really use your head and figure out how to get it done while staying the nice guy.  

I'm sure there will be others with their own (and possibly conflicting) opinions, but for question #1, I always advise my clients to focus on properties in areas that 1) they currently (or previous) live in/near, 2) they travel to frequently, or 3) they have family/friends in the area.For question #2, the answer is going to depend on what you do for #1.

So all of the gain and depreciation recapture are initially still tax deferred.However, like Joe said, the down side is later when sold  you lose the 1031 option. the client will pay tax on all gain and depreciation recaptured from before the 1031 also.