Although I know most sec 8 landlords use it because of the perception of guaranteed rents.As a small home builder I really dont know how they are going to lower the cost of new construction housing unless the govmit subsidizes it somehow.. basically the price of home components are very sticky they only go up. with the xception of lumber that will go  up and down through out the year..

So you have to create that balance for yourself.I don't think your goals are bad, you are basically living below your means (in an RV) and buying rental properties.

That gets worse as you get farther out of the cityTLDR: values depreciate, inflation has gone basically nowhere in Japan for a long time, the supply of housing is pretty good compared to demand (unlike the US) and that's because of flexibility with rezoning and development, taxes on rental income are high. 

Basically, two choices on the market:1) All-in-one units, typically used in apartments2) Separate units that are stackable - usually higher quality than #1

Start with the basics, don’t be afraid to ask questions, and take it one step at a time.

For instance, said property manager manages maintenance issues, problems that arise during bookings, basically anything that needs a physical person at the property, while I manage the rest?

It is basically like a wiki page for our company.

That is the basic run down, I would suggest syncing up with a real estate knowledge accountant for your specific situation! 

Being 30, 60, 90 mins away ensures you can touch your property basically whenever you want. 

But unless you take a chance you'll never know.Some basics on the home.