My plan is to use a low down payment conventional loan, and with the factors you mentioned, it’ll likely be tough to find a property that breaks even.

During the renovation, I faced several challenges due to the home’s age and hidden damages, including ruptured plumbing, termite infestation, rotted wood, and lack of insulation.

Here are a few lessons I learned during the renovation, many of which stemmed from the age of the house and unexpected hidden damages:1.Damaged Plumbing: Several plumbing pipes were ruptured or severely damaged, requiring replacement.2.Termite Infestation: I discovered termites, which led to additional costs for treatment and repairs.3.Rotted Wood: Significant sections of wood in the structure were rotted and had to be replaced.4.Lack of Insulation: There was no insulation in the att Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

@Chad Urbshott Correct, Olympia Trust is one of three places mentioned to set up a trust.

They even added a small “welcome basket” with loccal treats, and guests loved the personal touch.. it became one of their most mentioned features in reviews!

The resources and books you mentioned, like the BiggerPockets Ultimate Beginners Guide and The Book On Rental Property Investing, sound like excellent starting points.Prioritizing financial stability and eliminating debt is crucial, and I agree that a solid financial foundation is key to successful investing.

Quote from @Shayan Sameer: Quote from @Zachary Deal: As several folks have mentioned leveraging equity in current property you owned is a great tool but still comes with the some of risks as you had before using hard money debt as there is never a guarantee your new project will be a success (there will always be risks with real estate investing).Leveraging your investment property would probably be the first step I would take. 

Here are a few lessons I learned during the renovation, many of which stemmed from the age of the house and unexpected hidden damages:1.Damaged Plumbing: Several plumbing pipes were ruptured or severely damaged, requiring replacement.2.Termite Infestation: I discovered termites, which led to additional costs for treatment and repairs.3.Rotted Wood: Significant sections of wood in the structure were rotted and had to be replaced.4.Lack of Insulation: There was no insulation in the att Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

When you mentioned you did your homework on the turnkey property, if that were the case you would have had a really good idea what the property was worth before you offered on it (of course sparing the occasional rogue appraiser, which may be what happened to you... idk) and certainly before the appraisal.

In this day and age of zoom meetings and working from home, I don't believe there is much of a difference between investing in the US vs Australia if one is based in China.