DT Long Beach: beachy urban setting with smaller units 1bdr; close to tourist attractions, and thinking I can STR one unit; BUT high crime rate (90 percentile); properties are older but more attractiveIs it better to go into a slightly better neighborhood in boring Riverside or a more crime ridden area of cool kid Long Beach?

My main concern with the Japanese market is that I really know nothing, and I find it a bit hard to find information about it, but I guess I also know "nothing" about property markets anywhere other than maybe Hong Kong. 800 square feet is not tiny by Hong Kong standards, you are absolutely correct, but just as you mentioned we have a live-in helper and are hoping to start having kids about 1.5 years later.

Current rates make the next home tough even at our income with two kids etc.

Eugene could be a great choice for STRs with the university driving consistent demand with college kids + family, and Portland offers year-round potential with its already strong market for both MTR and STR.

Other items, such as football equipment from the kids’ league, were destroyed in the flooding, he said.More leaks have come from the plumbing between his first and second floors, prompting him to leave his light fixtures hanging unmounted from their wires so they don’t fill with water, he said.Clusters of dead insects cling to one section of his ceiling.

For the folks north of 30% DTI, buyer expectation shifts are not meaningful because real qualifications just aren't there.The best case scenario folks-- dual income, no kids, no debt, have minimum 10% downpayment, sharing a 1br apartment under $2k in a average COL place looking for a $450-550k house is literally the only type of folk that is waiting for this "expectation" shift.

No kidding.. each Jurisdiction is unique..

We are looking to rent our primary house and move to a slightly bigger house in the same town because my kids do not want to leave their friends. 

The goal is to change careers to something that allows me to decide my hours (in the process of now), become a landlord, and finally spend more time with my kids and family. 

Long hours.With 3 young kids.