It sounds like this is what he was told and he's just reiterating it.He just doesn't realize that the information he's been given (and paid for) is wrong...Where does the rational mind go at these events?  

It's a faceless boogeyman, an excuse that appears in the minds of everyone who consider real estate investment and need to find a rationalization for why they keep putting it off.

You might actually wind up increasing your net return by eliminating the middle man who is doing the least to maximize the value of your property.

People are weird and not always rational, you never know.

Your process is very rational and mitigates a lot of the initial risk.  

Hi Arron, I read some where i couldPlay basically middle man to get deals done and obtain a small profit as an assignment fee. example.

I have run into only one person that could rationally explain why the gyrations of the HELOC help.

If you like to bluff, rationalize and stay with losing hands, you won't be in the game very long.  

The opportunity cost of spending more time remodeling a rentals slows my growthIgnoring my degree in finance and my rational brain.

I also come from a project management background, so was well aware of the amazing feats that can be accomplished with a competent team.When it was time to invest, I scanned all markets I had any sort of access to, evaluated which other ones I could enter with reasonable safety by utilizing unfamiliar teams on the ground, then crossed that over with potential returns.I'm a pure cashflow investor, never like to speculate, so reliable monthly cashflow was criteria no. 1, followed closely by no. 2 - ease of management and low maintenance, then finally no. 3 - Affordability (which equals hedge and diversity), and last but not least, no. 4 - would I like to visit once or twice a year, at worst case, if things require my hands-on attendance.A combination of the four pointed at Japan, which is where I'm primarily invested (with smaller portions of our family portfolio in the US, Europe and Australia), although I'm only living there half the year at this point, thanks to good team utilization which means I don't need to go there unless I want to - this may change now that the yen's down and our son's nearing primary school age - which is the whole point of renting where you live and investing where the money and the environment works for you - to retain the flexibility and lifestyle benefits of being able to work and live anywhere we want at any given time.This is, of course, a long process of rationalization and calculation summarized in a nutshell - if I haven't bored you to death yet, and you want to hear more about the hows and whys of investing overseas, feel free to contact me. :)Best of luck in your chosen path, you seem to be considering all the right factors before embarking on it - I'm sure you'll enjoy the ride.