But the value here isn’t in quick gains—it’s in long-term, passive income.Here’s what investors typically gain:✅ Cash flow – Rent covers expenses and (ideally) leaves profit every month.✅ Appreciation – Over time, the property value increases, adding to your wealth.✅ Tax benefits – Depreciation, mortgage interest deductions, and write-offs help offset costs.✅ Leverage – Financing lets you acquire assets without tying up all your capital.Is It Worth It?

HELOCs are much tricker than a closed end second - they don't typically allow you to close in an LLC and they are full doc qualification, meaning your FICO, employment history, income, DTI etc all come into play.

Local banks typically offer lower interest rates but might require a solid track record and detailed financials.

@Jonathan Greene I'm not sure what you mean by "most will not cash flow as an out-of-country investor" as it might suggest that the cash-flow of a given property has something to do with the nationality or residence of the owner but, in any case, you're absolutely correct that, historically, the net rental yields of LTRs in US cash-flow markets like the Mid-West have been typically higher than in the average European market, although that wouldn't be the case for many other US markets like California or New York.

How do you typically handle this?

Project phases typically divide payments into an initial deposit and subsequent installments.Depending on the project scope, you can divide the payment into milestone payments.

I am grateful that you shared this, because I do think a lot of these gurus, while generally having good intentions, are typically very naive and lack experience to truly teach anything.  

Not sure what 3rd party they use, I typically use transunion smartmove. 

Will you explain how a typical extension would work, please?

PM fees typically run 8-10% of monthly rent for a duplex plus often a leasing fee of 50-100% of one month's rent when placing new tenants.