Overall, the idea is that you might be buying a building at a 6% cap rate (or less) but when you underwrite conservatively using market data that you know and are comfortable with, you can run the building better than the current owner, make the building cash flow and effectively making it maybe a 9 or 10 cap building.A good example.

"Fixers" in general aren't automatically priced well either due to the HGTV Effect -- everyone thinks they are going to be a flipper, including owner occupants, and supply/demand sets prices, not the home itself.

- Is there a way around the 30% withholding - I understand I can elect to pay at US personal income tax level if I can prove my business is "effectively connected with a US trade or business"?

Real estate + money + relatives + lack of communication = big badda booom.Would recommend next time get all this stuff down in writing up front AND I personally would not use a relative or close friend. 

If the raise is over $1mm then the $10k+ won't effect the bottom line much. 

These funds can give out their advertised dividends and simply drain the NAV (i.e. reduce the price per share) effectively negating your dividends.  

They have a network where all their VAs can communicate to assist each other in learning how to do tasks better. 

A few points: First, he has not responded to any communication and thus has never said "please stop contacting me."

Do they do an effective job troubleshooting over the phone?

Some are better at communicating in a timely manner than others.