However, I would like to avoid Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Mexico, but that doesn’t mean if presented with a fantastic opportunity, I wouldn’t look into it.

Most of my experience is US based, but I am active in several international markets, currently including China, Japan, the Dominican Republic and France.

When I was in the Dominican Republic bars were common and they were very decorative.

I live frugally and have travelled all over the country doing seasonal marine bio gigs, eventually leading me from Charleston, SC to the Dominican Republic to now, Alaska.  

They aren't really interested in writing loans for a single family home.But, most projects so far are commercial - a resort in the Dominican Republic, oil & gas deals in Oklahoma, commercial solar farms all over the place, parking facilities acquisitions, multi family buildings, a tire recycling facility in Cali.

However, I'm not Colombian so I don't have the same calling as you and so I gave the priority to other "similar" countries, like Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

If you're going to invest in SFL, Miami isn't great for cash flow. 3-4 years ago absolutely, but now even in a neighborhood like Allapattah (Lower-middle class Dominican area) where I grew up, you're looking at 300K+ for a 4 Bed- 2 bath duplex that will only gross $1800 per month.

It was like 90% Dominican. 

im new to rental property investment.. we own our home with approx. 65,000 in equity and would like to use some of it to buy our first rental property here in the states ( we have on STR in Dominican Republic).

(its not anywhere near as bad as what expats get in say Dominican Republic or Costa Rica, but it does happen often in PR)In my 30 years living in PR I have seen a lot of people from the states come thinking they found paradise and leave a couple years later pissed off.