Now for the question...The basement is such that it can be made into a very functional space for an efficiency or just a nice laundry and rec room.

This is why cpa/jd is such a powerful combination.

@Steve Morris Are you having trouble with the quote function?

So you'd be looking at high potential rental income, cheap properties or, even better a combination of the two.That prime candidates would be:Mexico and the Dominican Republic: cheap properties, mass tourism, occupancy all year long, closeness to North America, direct flights from North America, the US and increasingly Asia, strong international and domestic tourism and tourists coming from diverse locations.Southern Europe (Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece): properties aren't necessarily that cheap (some are) but you have mass tourism there as well.Then you have secondary markets like Colombia or Brazil.

Even if you have some really sweet tools that could be really time consuming.For me, if it’s a multifamily, I use price per unit, combined with rent to value ratio.I know most MF I’d be willing to pay $30k-$50k max per unit.

As we both come from tech backgrounds, our core focus from Day 1 was to try to figure out how we can most effectively streamline the operations and automate as many of the functions as we can.

If you combine the consistent track record of growth and projected growth based on future developments in the area, Austin is a tough market to beat.  

I don't know what type of rentals you had, but the combination of a 'cheap' property and poor PM, is a recipe for a disaster. 

Once you have a short list, get an account with each one and run them through the wringer to see how they really function.

If you're at a family function or you're asleep or out on a fishing trip on the water or doing anything else that takes you away from your phone, these 3rd party options will allow you to have prepared messages to handle a multitude of inquiries or timed instructions to different steps in the renting process.