Here are a few lessons I learned during the renovation, many of which stemmed from the age of the house and unexpected hidden damages:1.Damaged Plumbing: Several plumbing pipes were ruptured or severely damaged, requiring replacement.2.Termite Infestation: I discovered termites, which led to additional costs for treatment and repairs.3.Rotted Wood: Significant sections of wood in the structure were rotted and had to be replaced.4.Lack of Insulation: There was no insulation in the att Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

People really value a spa type of treatment and depending on where you are, it could make a real difference. 

Information of the taxation treatment for foreign investors can be found herehttps://www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/International-t...4.

If real estate with proper fundamentals is purchased well and appreciates, there are a few avenues to pursue:  LTCG tax treatment on an eventual sale;  deferring taxes through a 1031; or a refinance where there are no tax consequences.

I remember back when I was ramping up my own rental portfolio in those early-2000s San Diego days, I learned the hard way that ignoring “little” costs..like that termite treatment or the property manager’s onboarding fee..can turn what looked like a sweet deal into something that barely breaks even.Let’s say you pick up a property in one of those under-the-radar neighborhoods in Omaha or maybe on the south side of Chicago..markets I’ve seen a few colleagues dabbling in lately..you’ve got to be ready to get real about the numbers.

The listing time seems like a big eye sore.

We own a complete eye sore in the middle of the CBD and he said if we can fix it up and make it glitzy and nice it would certainly help our case.

Taxes are calculated on the gain (e.g. sale price - purchase price + expenses, broken down fairly clearly by @Jake Baker) not just on the sale price.The tax treatment on sale of a Primary Residence vs.

A lot of section 8 renters go straight to their case workers with issues like this and it becomes a lot bigger deal than it needs to be.Just do the treatment, cover up the holes, and move on.

From talking to locals, there's a couple of issues than need to be addressed, some are the non-ecological practices that some of those developers have, unfortunately, our government profits from this investors and allows them to destroy manglers (which are the natural water purifying system of that area) dismantling hectares of mangroves and degraded the habitat of resident and migratory species burying animals alive.There's proof of fecal material floating beneath the city of Tulum, only 20% of the water is sent to the water treatment plant, there's no infrastructure for the exponential growth.The landfills in the middle of the jungle that is leaking hazardous pollutants into the freshwater system and that something that developers won't tell you.I love my country and it would be a disaster for everybody if this place ends up like some other great beaches around the world, that are completely ruined by greedy investors not following the rules.There's no urban or comprehensive master plan, and one of the risks is that Tulum will be like Playa del Carmen is today, overgrown and with environmental devastation.I will advise doing a lot of research before getting something in Tulum, different country, different rules, and practices.