Yes, the contractors were bad people, but there were hundreds of red flags waving in your face and you ignored them all. 

I’d love to hear from you about any questions, concerns, or challenges you’ve encountered (or anticipate) when considering property investments in Mexico.

Challenges?

On the other hand, keeping the house could allow us to maintain an appreciating asset in a desirable location.I’d love to hear from others who’ve faced similar decisions.

NC is a great market for your goals, however it will be challenging to find inventory that has much cash flow; many people who toss money into multifamily here do it to avoid the tax bill + take the 10 year runway of growth.How much SHF RE do you currently have?

Challenges?

Then progress to permits and then building.You could also just do it and hope the city doesn't notice, which they probably won't.Your challenge will be getting Certificates of Compliance on the units!

Many tenants will cut their nose off to spite their face and move, rather than accepting a fair increase:(What does Zillow say the rent should be?

It does not take that many hours to look at a property, sign a contract or even manage tenants.If you are bored in your 9-5 it's time to move on to a job where you learn and get challenged so you can grow.

Challenges?