Are your reasons more about you or are your, or do your reasons include those you serve, your customers, your clients, your community.RE is a people business, more so than most all other businesses.If you had a candy store, you'd be in business to make money, your product priced to what the market might bare.

Also it would depend on if I went in and fully rehabbed each unit instead of the bare essential repairs.

I've looked at probably a dozen areas and the closest I can seem to get is barely 1% with most areas in the .005-.008 range.

As such, if you buy at market value or make a decent deal (85%-95% of market value), your projected rental income barely even covers your monthly mortgage payment, let alone projected/unexpected costs (taxes, vacancy, maintenance, repairs, CAPEX, property management, etc.).Above, you've already mentioned valid reasons for the disparity between the US and the Belgian residential rental property market.

As for savings even with a full time job making $12/hr and living in the cheapest 2 bdrm apt. i can find (I have a wife and son) i barely am able to afford bills and food/necessities.  

@Jason Holden, upgrades to the kitchen and bathroom as you suggested are generally worthwhile, but what you upgrade things to depends on how long they plan to keep the property and where you believe the neighborhood is trending based on your time horizon for ownership.If they plan to keep the property long term, better quality upgrades make sense if the market can bare the premium being charged.I also agree with @Ryan Scott Isacksen, that nicer properties that are clean and have strong cosmetic appeal will attract better quality residents which has a significant impact on the bottom line over time.

I apologise for the very "bare bones" outline of the business plan I am putting together.

b.~ Are your property managers licensed?

I think this way can still be profitable and so far it has been.Since I’m young (barely 23) I have more time than say someone who’s 40 to get into bigger deals.

I'd had an agent sending me properties that came up on the MLS and a couple of months ago, these data sheets went from a detailed listing to a very slimmed down version recently, barely enough info for even a non-investor to determine interest in a property.