thereby allowing these plumbing updates to pay for themselves).I've got the toilets and faucets all picked out (because I have personal experience with these and I know which ones are good) - but I'm not sure what to do about the shower heads...I know that shower heads are an item that can be the biggest money-saver (because these tend to consume more water than anything else).

Additionally, if you choose to occupy your rental property, and need to get tenants to move out, you'll likely need to Ellis Act the property which you'll need to pay tenants upwards of $35k+ per person to relocate and will eliminate your ability to use it as a rental for up to 10 years.

I guess the proxy might be what the person is paying now provided this isn't their first. 

Personally, I analyze the residential units as guaranteed income and don't look at the commercial space at all.

It can be challenging to oversee all of this, but it is a way to force equity.

Great question 1)  tenant is a serial killer (or similar 2) tenant is psycho and tries to sue me personally thinking I may settle and avoid litigation fees.

If the trust is what is called a "disregarded entity" (meaning it does not have it's own TIN and does not file a tax return) then the activity of that property is reported on your personal tax return. 

In my personal opinion this is a very small issue that can be easily handled in a Saturday afternoon Congrats on having 2 rentals in this market!

The Dominican Republic can be a great place to invest but, personally, Punta Cana would be the last place I'd invest in.Two years ago, during a meeting I had at the Ministry of Tourism in Santo Domingo, one of the head honchos there clearly told me "If I were you, I wouldn't invest in Punta Cana".

Rentredi is also a popular one (paid service) but I can't give my personal experience on that.