Management interest more aligned with investor interest (usually, for internally managed REITs)5.

Additionally, discussing their past success in quickly filling vacancies may offer some reassurance.If you’re not satisfied with their response or results, it could be worthwhile to explore other management options that align more closely with your expectations for property turnover and advertising.

Right now, I’m really weighing the pros and cons of seller financing with a longer-term payout versus doing a 1031 exchange—particularly when it comes to tax implications and overall lifestyle alignment.

A helpful way to break through is to pick one market that aligns with your goals (cash flow, appreciation, value-add, etc.) and then go deep instead of wide.

you're not going yo meaningfully reduce your W2 tax burden, so better that you focus your energy on increasing your income.let's hypothetically say you can find $50k/yr losses to offset W2 income. that ultimately becomes $25k/yr net savings, which isn't insignificant, but it's likely not going to be worth the effort. you'll need a fair amount of capital or effort to generate $50k/yr losses, and its better to focus ther effort/capital on somerthing that's aligned with your investment strategy anr interests. 

Some states also have restrictions or prohibitions on prepayment penalties for certain types or amounts of loans.Many investors choose the prepayment penalty structure that aligns with their investment strategy, for example

The percentage you get back in a cost seg depends on the mix of components in the property — some buildings just have more personal property and land improvements than others.

My goal is to build a sustainable, long term investment strategy that aligns with both lifestyle and financial growth.As someone new to the game, I’m currently exploring:- Buy-and-hold vs. short-term rental strategies- What works best for foreign investors in Cape Town- Legal, tax, and management considerations for non-residents- How to build a portfolio that supports remote work and global mobilityI’d love to hear from anyone with experience investing in South Africa especially in the Helderberg region or Gordon’s Bay.

It really comes down to your investment goals and what you feel aligns more closely with your life goals.

If all those infrastructure components are new then I would be more inclined to look at a renovated home that is very old.