They see foreigners as one-off buyers so they're not too much concerned about building a relationship or their reputation in the eyes of somebody who doesn't live there for that matter.

Because of the smell from his unit and general hygiene, we also lost a tenant who didn’t want to live next to him anymore.

Quote from @Erick Pena: A "good" rental property is one that covers all expenses (mortgage, taxes, insurance, maintenance, property management fees, and any other costs) and still leave a surplus (commonly referred to as cash flow).Calculate cash flow as: Cash Flow = Rental Income − Operating Expenses − DebtThere's much more to it, but that's the basic idea.

House Hacking using the VA loan to live on one side while renting the other is great.2.

I'm a guy approaching middle-age, living in Chicago.

Best of luck, and if I lived nearby I think I’d be bullish on, and potentially investing in the area as well! 

Upfront expenses and monthly payments must be considered when calculating the return on your investment.EXAMPLEYou cash out $100,000 of your equity and use this as a down payment on a $400,000 investment property.

You really should never leverage the home you live in.

@Heather Bailey while I live in my duplex, I have a standard Hazard insurance policy and I also carry an additional 500k umbrella policy (optional); both policies cover the entire building, but there's no separating it. 

Hiring a PM is more expensive than anticipated.