If you go this route, consider hiring a trusted property manager local to the area who knows the market well.I have personally owned and managed a multifamily property in Illinois and after selling it I said I would never invest in that state again.

That content and similar content out there sets unrealistic expectations that anyone can put together their "team" and invest in distant markets.

Our logical process:1) Use Neighborhood rankings to narrow down area of city you want to invest in2) Focus on getting to know that Neighborhood(s), so you know the good & bad streets, block-by-block.3) Be patient to acquire properties on good streets that meet your buying criteria.Our rankings are done with a "bell curve" approach.

For those more entrenched in the Denver development market than I am, is this a fair trade for the city and for the developers?

Find out the inventory of duplexes in your market.

With market conditions as they are I don't want to be too restrictive.  

I'd be happy to provide some recommendations and suggestions for your situation as a foreign citizen living in Miami.First, it's important to have a good understanding of the local real estate market, including pricing trends and neighborhood dynamics.

He took a 401(k) loan to fund the down payment on a four-unit building in a rapidly appreciating neighborhood.

Ideally I wanted to live in Lake View as that's my dream neighborhood, but I just didn't have the funds/income.

On the flip side, if you've got a bunch of Section 8 tenants living in a building that's in a neighborhood where a lot of the tenant base has good jobs, high credit scores, and are generally reliable people, you've got the most risky tenants in that tenant base and that ain't what ya want.