Ask yourself: do I really have the knowledge of real estate principles, real estate law and real estate finance; the network of contacts; the experience both in business in general and real estate in particular; the time available; and the analytical ability to compete against FULL TIME EXPERIENCED PROFESSIONALS to be successful in a field where the failure rate is so astronomically high?  

Is there a limit to how high I can go? 

I am in Florida and that is exactly what I do..I help OOS investors find high profit investment properties. 

You have to have exit values of single family homes high enough where build cost can work.

We specialize in helping investors access opportunities in both residential and commercial markets, leveraging our network and industry knowledge to identify high-potential deals.

And you get feedback at a level high enough to determine how to proceed. 

I focus heavily on the sell side and on the buy side only work with high net worth individuals so the newbie wanting a 400k multifamily with an FHA loan probably isn't for me. 

So, even when the market is challenging, you can still see properties and stay current.Don't take a break when the rates are high.

Real estate agents are not highly regulated in Costa Rica as opposed to North America.  

Kudos to you for doing something to create a secondary income stream. there are 5 income streams in RE rentals, possibly six if you do things a certain way.The reality here is your model (buy box) is suffering from too high an entry and too high a cost of capital.