Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

It may be worth having an experienced professional helping you and you could always try to get the seller to pay your agent’s fees.

My day job is being a financial professional, so I have good experience with underwriting and sales that I believe can be translated to real estate.

Quote from @Andrea Lucarelli: I’m interested in beginning my REI career with purchasing a SFH or condo in Cleveland area (safe neighborhood) to list as a furnished rental for travel medical professionals, supply corporate housing needs, or house temporarily displaced families for insurance companies.  

These are professionals with additional training and a stricter code of ethics.

Here is an example of what it costs you to avoid professional advice.

See my video on this for more info.Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

It is important that you hire professionals who have experience working with foreign investors.

Unless you qualify as a Real Estate Professional (which has strict requirements), your rental losses can only offset passive income.

@Victor Yang To use the rental losses to offset any active income (W2), you'd have meet Real Estate Professional status (which would be difficult to do with a W2 job because you'd have to work more on real estate than any other job to qualify) OR have an AGI of $150K or less.