My team hasn't set up any STRs in the Dominican Republic but we had acquired some STRs in Costa Rica which we had thought we're going to turn out well but we had a few issues to note:- Cashflow issues: Since we are basing our reservations on another currency we couldn't charge as much as we were hoping for. - Finding a Good Team: Since there is a language barrier in place it was much harder to communicate with any cleaning companies/property managers we found. 

Despite my reservations, I moved forward with the purchase but rent to retirement said good things about her from supposed past clients of theirs.

I'm thinking I should sell and reserve those funds for investments in stocks or even gold or a small business I can buy.

This is is a very good area and would actually live in 1 unit, so 3-4k negative cash flow for living expenses is ok, as any house w mortgage would cost that.https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tfbjOlyVsGW3nHLVPk_R...Key questions/assumptions:- Total for this deal in cash is 300k, anything else (reserves, renovation loan etc) would need to be a bridge loan or hard money- 1 unit is vacant and current rents are VERY under market, projected rent is what seller gave as realistic.

Minimum credit score, down payment, closing costs, reserves? 

Face it, it costs money to run a government and provide services, and have reserve capacities on standby to do things.

If you're unsure about the shut-off process, contacting the city of Chicago for assistance or confirmation is a good idea.Has anyone here used a professional service to winterize their property, and if so, was it worth it?

I've included an example below to help illustrate this.So different lenders have different rates (which do vary even for DSCR loans) but these are factors they all consider.See example below:DSCR < 1Principal + Interest = $1,700Taxes = $350, Insurance = $100, Association Dues = $50Total PITIA = $2200Rent = $2000DSCR = Rent/PITIA = 2000/2200 = 0.91Since the DSCR is 0.91, we know the expenses are greater than the income of the property.DSCR >1Principal + Interest = $1,500Taxes = $250, Insurance = $100, Association Dues = $25Total PITIA = $1875 Rent = $2300DSCR = Rent/PITIA = 2300/1875 = 1.23If a purchase, you also generally need reserves / savings to show you have 3-6 month payments of PITIA (principal / interest (mortgage payment), property taxes and insurance and HOA (if applicable).

The response was always "its company policy not to provide feedback or recommendations and just confirm they worked here from X to Y"

If you want to proceed, please gather these few documents, and email them over to me.Photo ID: Please provide a clear copy of your valid photo identification.Proof of Social Security Number: Documentation confirming your Social Security Number.Homeowner Insurance Declaration Page: Is the cover letter with your policy number and coverage amounts.