Investing in real estate is complex enough from afar, but add in currency moves, political corruption, economies tied to vary narrow industries (export oriented / commodity based), language, unique laws, regulations, taxes, etc, why endure that headache.I've written about this before and won't go into a ton of details but I traveled to many LatAm countries working for Dell and like you, saw opportunities.  

I can't imagine enduring the death of a spouse and I am very sorry for your loss there.

They may provide a better way to grow from a beginner with little money to having enduring success.Ben, I am on a crusade to encourage opening up the mind to the limitless possibilities.Since the 1970s, there is a real estate market correction every 10 years.

We do enjoy the 4 seasons and by enjoy I can safely say "endure" them in a lot of cases!

If you are really savvy and can endure the pain read the intelligent investor by Ben Graham. 

I'd rather endure a loss on the front end taking extra time finding a good tenant than dealing with a loss and headaches on the backend getting rid of a bad tenant.If you decide to go forward, consider doing a six month or month to month lease so you can get rid of them if things get weird.

With these projects there is not telling how long they will take and what delays you will have to endure and experience.

We even added a 900sf clear retractible roof to conceal the lounge and pool area for inclement weather. 

Rental properties are an endurance run, not a sprint.I would never buy a property based on the results of the 50% rule.

Entrepreneurs are a very small part of any population and thus those that have been able to survive and endure are really the cream of the crop of their country, regardless of where they stem from.