My investor clients are typically happy with a small return right now but are buying on the idea of refinancing and getting future higher cashflow, principal paydown, and appreciation. 

Here are a couple of developers you should take a look at Trion Properties, their principal Max Sharkansky posts here on BP, https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/top-5-markets-multifamily-rentals-2019and Feldman Equities out of Tampa (3rd generation real estate family famous for having built the terminals at Chicago O'Hare) who are among the only ones opening up downtown skyrise office buildings to accredited investors.

If you've already reached that end - ie if $4 million is enough principal to create residual income that you won't outlive - then I don't see any good reason to be buying out-of-town properties that then have to be managed properly to preserve your investment. 

I can't remember, but it turned out that since I kept paying my broker 1%+ every time I re-financed my principal never decreased.

Also, how does one assess whether or not one can turn a profit after paying principal/interest, insurance, and taxes each month?

He told me they don't care if the houses make money, only that they more or less hold their principal because what we think of here in the US as volatility is laughable to most of the rest of the world. 

Maybe have the principal bedroom with their own bath at 1500 per month and two other bedrooms that share a bath at 1300 per month each.

Once its approved it will be worth about 100 million. and the 10k a month is all principal there is no interest carry.. so been it it 15 years already..

.: Massive loss of accrued interest and principal????

In 2023 before I invested any funds, each and every time that I spoke with their representatives, I asked as my FIRST question if Norada Capital Management had ever missed any interest or principal payments, and was always told the same thing by their representatives, that Norada had a perfect payment/reimbursement history.