When starting out and doing most of the work yourself (or paying help in pizza and beer), remember perhaps the one most important phrase in this wonderful rental business:  "THE ONLY THING WORSE THAN A VACANT UNIT, IS A UNIT WITH A BAD TENANT IN IT."

"Best and easiest way to structure" brings up several points in my mind: deal structure + legal structure + tax implications (listed in the order in which I feel more versed, not necessarily their importance).

REI taught me what is important and how to build a life around that. 

So for me, while cash flow is important, especially to show banks that the properties are profitable in order to get loans on them, I think that an investor should look at the investment as a whole and not just invest solely for cash flow.I would love to get the opinion of the BiggerPockets community on how important cash flow is to them in determining which properties to invest in.

For example, high season is Costa Rica is great, but there are definitely a few slow months during the course of the year with less occupancy. 3 - competition can be fierce as some markets are saturated with rentals, and reviews are important to getting bookings and it takes time to build reviewsYou are definitely in the right place for learning more - good luck!

If they pass that portion, then you can confront them about the extra dogs and ask for more rent for the additional dogs and a higher security deposit because more pets = more property damage.If you do rent to them, an important note is that many insurance companies don't cover pets like pitbulls when it comes to lawsuits so make sure you are aware of the specific laws in your city/state when it comes to high risk pets. 

I do believe that investors do play an important role in rehabbing properties that have sat vacant for some time. 

THAT'S important to know!

So being able to spot the deal and give to the investor quickly is the most important aspect.Also, to reiterate - they should be investors themselves. 

It's important that you identify your rental criteria, put it in writing and stick to it no matter what.