Location is key.

.- Focus on Key Military & Expat Cities: Target locations like Ramstein, Wiesbaden, Rota, Naples, Seoul, or Yokosuka, where thousands of U.S. personnel need housing.- Offer Fractional Ownership or Managed Rentals: Investors own a share of multiple properties while you handle property management.- Leverage Serviced Housing & Co-Living Models: High-end, furnished rentals for military professionals, digital nomads, and traveling contractors.Example Strategy- Raise $1M from 10-20 investors (military/gov personnel) to buy 3-5 properties in Germany or Spain.- Use seller financing & local bank loans to maximize purchasing power.- Rent properties to military families, U.S. contractors, or co-living tenants for stable cash flow.- Utilize local tax incentives and investment visas to increase ROI.Why This Could Be a Billion-Dollar Play- Solves a real problem for U.S. military/gov professionals looking to invest overseas.- Provides stable, built-in demand (military personnel have guaranteed salaries & housing stipends).- Creates an alternative wealth-building strategy for a niche group of investors.- More scalable than traditional rentals.

Financing:Learning about how financing works in real estate is key.

My spreadsheet is always the key deciding factor.

Consider cash-for-keys.

I used the radiator key to let the air out and 10 mins later the radiator was hot.

It only takes one rogue employee to run off with private keys.

What’s a key mistake you’ve learned from that could help others?

The key is to do what you are already doing - @Paloma Wodehouse - your research and find a good agent with 20+ years of experience and who really loves real estate.

Ideally they will have a pool of investors looking for a turn-key property.