People will start to realize that a law designed to protect against criminal international money laundering captures more innocents than anything. 

The right idea is going to be the bread and butter.1) Ideal location2) Quality properties over quantity of properties3) 1.25x DSCR4) Intention to hold no less than 8, but ideally 12+ years.5) Sufficient cap reserves6) Mechanisms to enhance cash flow(via alt investing or house strategies).7) Liability protection through no PG loans(if possible), LLC formation, property management and being a diligent landlord.8) Invest deeper, before wider.Now if you're talking where to invest, different information.

You should try to talk to all tenants.A 10 unit retail property will likely require a full PCA from an engineering company, a ALTA survey and a Phase 1 environmental.  

A well written management contract should clearly spell out what is expected of both the PMC and the owner, to PROTECT both and avoid misunderstandings.

While state specific leases are simple and can work, spending the extra investment and having a real estate attorney help create one for you will likely create more value/protections and save you money in the long run

Then again, if you’re talking about a mortgage on your personal residence, and you live in a state with an unlimited homestead exemption for creditor attachment like Texas or Florida, there’s an asset protection consideration as well.   

A well written management contract should clearly spell out what is expected of both the PMC and the owner, to PROTECT both and avoid misunderstandings.

The networking and local market insights are invaluable.For retirement planning, focus on building steady cash flow and consider setting aside a healthy maintenance fund (I usually recommend 6 months of expenses) to protect against any surprises.If you're looking to expand your portfolio, Columbus is a great market where we still see positive cash flowing deals with lots of appreciation potential.

If it’s in an LLCs name it s protected if maintained correctly.  

Those pictures protected us when the guest contested the charges.