Everyone comes here with perceptions of dealing in real estate as if it were a train load of shoes.

But not always and not in every case.The truly great investors resist the lemming like siren call of the "next great thing" and stay focused on the fundamentals of the deal at hand.

But bigotry does not make negative perceptions any less of a handicap in this world.And how bad is the dropout stereotype going to be in 2030, when our OP here is in his late 20s?

And note, I didn't say no "deals" are done, I am highlighting the reality of it, because I hear a lot of perception that one joins and "POW" there's deals left right and center flying around as though it's plugging oneself into a vibrant deal-flow, which is nothing at all what it is. 

The rest, as they say, is immaterial and perception, in my opinion.I've also been in the "professional working world" for 12 years, and I can honestly say that your college, to a recruiter, is like "oh, that's a good school" or "oh, i never heard of them" -- once you get the experience nobody gives a damn about your GPA or your school.

I wouldn't live in Trinidad because of the history of crime there as you mentioned, and my perception is that it hasn't gotten any better. 

Just my perception. 

And how does that perception get corrected? 

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blogs/9232/55313-intro-to-section-8---your-perceptions-vs-my-realities

Maintenance, oil filter leaks, oil tank deterioration, and tenant perception, plus the nuisance of running out of oil and having to go in and prime the system, all point to natural gas.