We kept it as a possible landing spot when we return to the U.S.My area of interest for investing is single family, duplex or 3-4 unit apartments in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas area and San Antonio, Texas. 

Unless you are a builder who can do it at cost, it will take a while to see a return in most markets. 

found a guy that is refinishing about 500 sqft including blending in an old air return patch for about $750 total. 

Returns tend to be higher than most retail investments4.

Hey @Josh Oaten ,ROE (Return on Equity)It's the 1 - (total return / amount invested)

Hi folksI'm an investor up in the Washington DC area, where the returns on a holding strategy are small to nonexistent...

One recommendation would be to house hack a duplex or 4-plex on your return to the states.

That said, you can expect this property to have problems like: no functioning HVAC, electrical problems, old water heaters, low rent, old appliances, worn carpet/torn linoleum, leaks, etc.Sometimes the rents are not able to be raised for that block, or you may not be able to justify raising them enough for a good return after repairs.  

@Abel SanchezYes I recommend writing a letter providing them a notice of Non-Renewal of the lease agreement and sending it as certified mail with a return receipt.

Thanks to Jay Hinrichs I discovered the beauty of syndication deals for passive income, diversification, and heavy hitting returns.