April is a safe month to "play the market" if you will, because the market starts picking up as a whole then but, a good reliable tenant to me always seems better than making a few hundred more a month.

My “reasoning” is based on two points1- the current system of property records filing in a million different jurisdictions with expensive title searches necessary for almost every title transfer and mistakes still being made can be made much less expensive, much faster, and much more reliable through migration to some sort of “blockchain” National registry.2- Numerous investments have been divided into, and offered as tranches of the whole.  

After assessor comes out and consults with insurance company, they'll send demo guys out to come do demo work and remove wet drywall, insulation, etc. they'll usually put down dehumidifiers and let the place air out a bit to see what actually needs replacing and what was able to dry out.

A simple baseline plan might’ve steered him toward properties with more reliable maintenace histories or a stronger neighborhood profile, saving him a lot of sweat.

Since you plan to travel often, focusing on systems and building a reliable team: agent, lender, property manager, and contractor. 

For tourism you have several, including one (IFFRU) that can fund up to 100% of the renovation costs (no purchase).You can do your own research but you have companies / consultants who this job for you and charge a success rate (pay only if funding gets approved).

But the answer for everyone may differ.Here are the personal attributes I see in those able to achieve a higher than market ROI, enough higher to be able to “scale”.1- Knowledge of real estate principles, real estate law and real estate finance2- Minimum 3 -5 years full time, or near full time experience directly related to real estate investing3- Ability to utilize technology for increased efficiency, capacity, and accuracy4- Excellent hired legal counsel and excellent hired marketing help5- Established method(s) of obtaining consistently high QUALITY deal flow6- Ability to manage and choose people who are NOT employees: Attorneys, Appraisers, Mortgage Brokers, Real Estate Brokers, Title Companies, Surveyors, Marketing Specialists, Accountants, Contractors, Consultants, Property Managers7- A VERIFIABLE track record of success8- Ability to identify, analyze, and negotiate a deal that can be “worked” for “enhanced” ROI9- Some type of competitive advantage; for example for me it’s my ability to analyze and identify mortgage loans that are actually less risky than all other lenders believe (on the investing in debt side), and on the real property side it’s my ability to analyze”pull the trigger” with LESS information than other investors need,  combined with the ability to pay cash, or raise significant capital almost instantly as well as being able to obtain loans at the lowest prime customer bank rate with no recourse or personal liability.  

—and prioritize applicants who meet the criteria but also have a solid, reliable rental history.

I'd research Lease-Option and Seller Financing to get a better understanding.I may also consult a different realtor that's local to your market to see how to get this home off your books

Hey all,I have been listening to Bigger Pockets content for maybe 4 years and finally have removed myself from some side hustles, have the capital, and grew the...brains to start real estate investing.QUICK BIO:I am based in New Jersey, I work as a marketing/efficiency consultant, and have 2 avenues of real estate investing:Short-Term Rentals: I have 3 short-term rentals using my parents apts in NJ ( 1 of them just launched in Nov) for the past 2yrs near NYC (1 of them just launched in mid-Nov).