I'm from SE Houston, and a newbie. 

@Alan Berlin, It's really not even a 1031 question per se.  

I was wondering if anybody has done this before or has any advice or contacts for Vietnam, Thailand or SE Asia.Thanks for any help you can provide.

When I got my license and check around, ReMax was the only one that had desk fees per se (Each month you pay a flat fee to have your license/desk at the brokerage-the monthly flat fee was revolutionary business model that propelled them to success.

Jacob, I recently worked with a client and he bought a property on SE 84th and lafayette that had an 800 sq ft detached garage.

I'm checking out the viability of tearing down a dilapidated SFR on a lot zoned R1 in SE Portland (Oregon) and am wondering how to estimate the costs of 1.) the demolition, and 1.) the construction of a new fourplex.I'm aware of system development charges and have found documentation online to tally up those costs (including permits), but I'm not sure how to estimate construction materials and labor.

Not saying that it's an incorrect view per se but rather an incomplete one...and one that doesn't exactly pertain to my situation.  

I can see us consolidating our investments in various cities in FL and SE US once we move down there, and managing them ourselves some day. 

I really don't recommend doing "The Infinite Banking Concept" per se if you plan to leverage the cash value for investing in real estate.

In addition to @Russell Brazil's list, SW waterfront and SE/Anacostia has been popular among my friends who are purchasing.