She scaled back from her peak so she can have more balance.

Then do cash out refis on them later on to scale up.

I think you can continue scaling up and maybe focus on getting rid of certain parts of the responsibility? 

I should be able to add new properties as I scale my portfolio).

Then, you can determine how much you need to allocate each month to budget for potential repairs.With apartments, you have economies of scale.  

No gifts allowed on investment properties, generally.If the funds have been seasoned in a plain boring checking/savings account in your name for >2 bank statement cycles, the lender isn't going to ask, and you aren't going to lie, and it will not be called a gift, saving the deal.Post-closing, the lender isn't going to be tracking your checking/savings accounts, so again no one will ask why you're sending this money to the UK, and thus you will not need to lie.If you haven't deposited and seasoned those funds yet, you need to find a local non-big-bank lender that'll do a verbal wink wink nudge nudge with you - or wait >2 bank statement cycles to talk to any lender.Don't bother writing offers until those funds have been seasoned for >2 bank statement cycles, or you're going to find yourself tempted to commit some variety of mortgage fraud.On the sneakyness scale of 1-10, this is like a 1... we're setting it up so that no one's going to ask, and thus you will not have to lie.

While there is no possibility that I or my father, that are not quite literally family members, can share in the pain that is felt by a daughter, on the spectrum from sympathy to empathy, we absolutely fall on the scale with a greater blend of empathy.

Let's not forget some of the the things not mentioned...the pay scales here are "generally" lower than mainland pay scales of more "comparable" cities...we get taxed on EVERYTHING...and because we're separated by a lot of water from the mainland...things tend to be a little more expensive since it all has to be shipped here.There are many folks that come and go...for one reason or another...many leave (locals included) because they want to "live" and not just survive, which many folks soon realize when they move here.

Like when you tie up a house in a contract intending to wholesale it, and fail to find a buyer.Residential real estate at a small to medium scale ain't rocket science.  

If it doesn't, you're not ready ... if it does, then REI is also just managing income & expenses, just on a bigger scale and with leverage.Don't focus on how long it will take, like there is a magic time number ... focus on the learning and growing process and slowly, surely, and systematically building your knowledge and skills without trying to shortcut around those critical first steps.