From my understanding, you can subto the current mortgage and then the seller can create a seperate mortgage for you to put in the second position on the property…I could be mistaken but I believe that is what you mean

They can help you understand the market conditions better and get an idea of what rents may look like.

- Does anyone have experience working with a cross-border CPA/tax specialist who understands these issues and can advise me on how to manage US tax compliance for my Kenya Airbnb properties?

My understanding is DC is not worth doing.

I seriously don't understand something which I'm sure is very simple to everyone else, but in the real estate world, I often see people use the arithmetic annual average as above, but in all other investments, stocks/bonds/finance/banking, I see the geometric average annualized return which for above would be 16.9%, to go from 500k to 800k in 3 years.

To help you in your real estate journey, consider the following road map:Educate YourselfClarify Your GoalsEvaluate Your FinancesBuild a Solid Credit HistoryChoose Your Real Estate NicheNetwork with Experienced InvestorsCreate a Real Estate Business PlanStart SmallResearch and Understand the MarketStay Informed and AdaptiveConsult ProfessionalsIt is important to keep in mind that accumulating money through real estate is a path that calls for perseverance, patience, and a dedication to education.

Renting by the room is a great concept in theory, but nonetheless, you need to understand where you are looking geographically (how close is the property to the university), and second to that, you should consider -- do you need to get a duplex to make the deal cashflow? 

If you are looking at single family, there are still many places but understand they most likely are cash flow plays not appreciation plays.

I totally understand not using a script, you're a natural and have it down.

That's not synonymous with me saying cash flow is not important, it's just not as important.The thesis should be not to look at cash flow only and understand the quality of the property is arguably the most critical element in investing.