True investors realise that the opportunity value of money far exceeds any savings generated by paying down a mortgage on a rental property.

The reality is that over a 15 year period well leveraged investments will pay dividends far beyond what can be realised by squirrelling cash away in a mattress, I mean a property.With interest rates as low as they are paying off a mortgage is returning almost nothing as a investment vehicle.

They quickly realise how big of a mistake they have made. 

I believe the majority expect to realise the American Dream when they get their hands on their inheritance and in the interim just enjoy life.. and complain about how hard done by they are. 

I am blessed with what we have, but we chose that life as we were living it was NOT what we wanted.The one downside I have developed as a result of the last 6 years is impatience with people who don't seem to realise that every day is one day less. 

I appreciate that the ‘cost of doing business’ will be higher as a non-American, any tips or directions to further resources how to reduce that and enable me to spread my cash around more opportunities, rather than forced to fewer properties initially are happily recieved.I have not yet decided on my market location yet, I realise is an important first step.

This will back-up the spidy sense that something is not quite level in the numbers provided  to you.In the end, you can only make an offer based upon the current performance of the business and not any future potential (if you will be the one doing the work to realise future potential, you do not want to pay the Vendor for your efforts).  

[Note: that by cost effective I do not imply simply cheap, but value for the money]You should also realise that project management is a tough business, with tight margins, this is where Rachel's advise comes to play.

In many cases you can realise the same profit margins in a much shorter time with less work and risk with a quicker cosmetic flip.Try to cut your rehab and holding costs in half, get in and out in 1/4 the time.

Yes most Kiwis don't realise how lucky we are!