I want to be able to know that if something happens to me, my children and wife will not have to worry or have a lifestyle change for the worse....

I think this depends on your lifestyle and family.

Two full months of vacation, great hours, awesome lifestyle, you name it!

Budgeting: I definitely need to improve on these skills, but typically spend $600/mo. on all food & beverage and $500/mo. on lifestyle (travel, fun, other)I'm open to house-hacking but I can't afford anything in my area, nor the areas I was considering Western Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana.

Go somewhere that works with your lifestyle.

In my opinion it’s a lifestyle decision and depreciation play.

In a hard market, rates/premiums go up significantly, higher deductibles may be forced on policy holders, and policies may include more exclusions or provide less coverage enhancements than seen in prior years.

To enhance our understanding, we are seeking connections with local brokers, lawyers, contractors, and professionals experienced in working with foreign investors.

Lifestyle decisions also play a role (obviously), but to the extent you can utilize the cash flow to improve your property to a reasonable level (you do not want to overdo it) and park some into the business account for future expenses, this could be a piece of financing that you can use to creatively finance your next property.

I got my license at 18 and my brokers at 20 personally.. and never looked back.. industry has treated me well 93.7% of the time I have been in it.. and lifestyle has been awesome etc.