More importantly, Congrats for recognizing that as a Realtor®/Investor you have some seriously unfair advantages over people!  

Maybe others have better advice for you, but essentially it comes down to being able to recognize issues yourself and being liberal in repair estimates.

But as a property owner/landlord I can see the issue with ROI of the equipment and monthly monitoring.That said, I think the more you can use your security system to provide tenants more "home automation" features (i.e. controlling lights, thermostats, locks, etc.) from their smart phones, I think that is where you may be able to recognize some returns, especially in "A" and "B" class neighborhoods.Just my 2 cents.Lee

I personally want to keep my investments local though I recognize there's a cost for that. 

Has certification from a recognized training source such as AHIT.4.

Investors who recognize having you on their team would be very wise, simply from their enhanced ability to obtain financing.

Hi Account Closed While it is good that your friend recognizes that is best to hold the property other than in his personal name, which avoids 30% withholding taxes from gross rent, and 10% upon sale of the property, I strongly suggest your friend consult with an accountant and/or legal specialist who is experienced in cross border setups for Non US citizens.  

I thought I recognized your profile pic...

He must have a proven track record and do ALL ALL ALL the work/coordination.  

Those items are typically never represented in the financials and inflate the cap rate.As my dad likes to say, in business, assume that everyone is guilty until proven innocent.Cheers and best of luck on the deal!