Some investors think that just because they are section 8 they don’t care where they live, they just want a roof over their head.  

I've owned this house for 2 years.The Costa Rica attorney I've been using says that I need to get another Power of Attorney and is quoting me $600 to do the paperwork for a power of attorney.The price seems steep and I'm not certain when I need a new power of attorney when I paid for one last year.   

It isn't impossible but as @Jimmy Lieu mentioned, there is a steep learning curve.Depending on your liquidity, out-of-state buy & hold rentals could be your best bet if NYC investing is out of the picture.

A standard roof that use to cost $15,000 to replace, is now well over $30,000 to replace in many areas of the country. 

They will do a slap dash job on a house that still has a bad roof and foundation in a neighborhood that will see zero appreciation. 

Milwaukee inventory has just been so low, that even very distressed properties sell to first-time home buyers without a significant discount, so in the end it's cheaper for me to buy properties that already have a new roof, windows, kitchen, HVAC etc

I know I fund the deals and pay for the rehab . my clients put on brand new roofs  new panels all new wiring new plumbing windows siding cabinets etc etc..

I have done this and then we lost half of our W2 income, then a big HVAC repair, then the ELOC rate drifted up from 4% to 10%, then a storm forced a roof repair sooner than expected.

Kiavi’s fees feel pretty steep, and the process has been slow, but I also know there’s a chance I could end up in the same situation elsewhere.

If before getting a permit you have to dance around for Code Dept officials/ city gov and crime is thru the roof, investments will definitely be low whether real estate or other, but it should be benefiting the city officials to keep things that way.