He told me that given that I was still fairly new to investing (5 years) that I should consider the benefits of having the extra cash on hand either for emergencies or for future down payments on additional properties.

The property is collateral for your investment.

About four years ago, I transitioned all my long-term rentals to short-term and vacation rentals, and it has proven to be the best investment decision I've made.

A lot of CPAs, tax preparers, etc don't really understand property investing.

Syracuse is in desperate need of more investment agents who are familiar with running numbers and getting accurate financials, so I’m excited to run into you out there! 

Hello Cory, my name is Don and I am thinking of buying investment properties in Panama.

You're likely better off hiring a discount broker to list the properties on the MLS for greater marketing exposure to bring in a bigger buyer pool. 

The state fund pulls a certain amount of premium from all "admitted" carriers and the policies they bind, and puts that little bit of money back in a state fund / pool. 

Was looking at a few deals in Waukegan. Looking at redfin history the prices have been going up rapidly 10-15%+ a year as well as rents up 50% from a few years ago. How is the tenant base from your experience owning r...

It would be worth speaking to a tax professional especially when you are getting into real estate investing.