Hi i have lived in Dubai for 10 years and the benefit now is to buy in 5 areas being Dubai Marina which cant be replaced it is on the sea .Apartments in OLD TOWN this is right by the burj khalifa ,there cant be another burj khalifa.Palm Jumeirah there cant be another .

total return from an RE investment includes value added, appreciation, tax benefits, equity pay down, and the cash flow. 

We had to move fast and initially decided to sell it, the relator who was helping us somehow convinced us we should make it a rental property......... and let her be our tenant (insert face palm here) so since we had no real estate experience and we were already moved away, we agreed.

So I was hoping someone else could benefit from having the big pieces like couches and beds, nice TVs, etc. 

When you pay cash for a $400,000 home and rent it out, your rate of return will likely be less than 6%.You could invest in stocks and earn 7% or better.You could put the money in a high-interest savings account and earn up to 5%.I don't understand why anyone would pay cash for real estate, erasing many benefits that increase the rate of return, while exposing themselves to the risk of loss (turnover costs, bad tenants, capex, etc.). 

Do you have any relatives who could give a $50K gift?

You are (older/retired) and could benefit from house hacking and buying a duplex, or renting a room.

It will familiarize you with the basic terminology and benefits.

We are starting to get a clearer picture of the benefits and burdens of having an investment property, but we are still very new to this. 

Managing a rental yourself can be time-consuming, especially if you're handling maintenance, tenant relations, and lease enforcement.