The tenant agreed to pay $10/mo for me to arrange for pest control, since it would be cheaper that way.

For example, a roughly 500K house could only make around 2500 in rental income.Even though the property taxes here are cheaper, its really hard to find a good deal, quality house with the same prices compared to TX or other states.In Hong Kong where I live in , the ratios are even crazier!

I am planning on going for a personal loan here in Dubai, (which is a lot cheaper than even home loan back home in India) and then use that cash to buy small commercial shops in Mumbai.

Do you think it'd be cheaper if I purchase materials and hire the labor separately?

It is cheaper to rent than own in Calgary.  

Regarding Uber, they were definitely less expensive in some markets but for a long time in major markets they certainly were not cheaper, they simply made it more convenient and added a level of consistently to a service very much operated by shady operators in many cases (least here in NYC).  

The construction costs are obviously a high estimate and if I shopped harder/negotiated with builder I could probably get cheaper.

My initial plan was to invest in a Wisconsin property, closer to home and presumably cheaper than a Chicago rental.

Hey @Steven Mitchell thanks for the advice are you suggesting wholesaling at a cheaper price and then not having any ties to the property, or selling it at a lower price and then working with the buyer on the buy and hold?

And it's usually way cheaper than buying a kit or paying a pro.