I agree that it looks like you need to refresh your tenants asap.

My realtor fed me information on the going rent rates for properties comparable to my target(s) so I'd have realistic expectations for what I could make in rent on each property I analyzed.After considering many properties and making a couple lowball offers on a couple houses that were in worse shape than I would have preferred, I found a real beauty (3/1/1) listed for $110k within 20 miles of me that had recently been refreshed but not completely remodeled.

Overall, the house is just outdated and needs refreshing. 

We will have light refreshments served and the meeting is being hosted through the Boston Wealth Builders. 

I've never been able to refresh a whole house for anything less than $10K, but you might be able to do lower, since I am getting social prices.

My wife is Japanese and has never lived in the US (so no SSN and no work history).

Their data is pulled and refreshed directly from MLS (MRIS in my DC/MD/VA region), so it's as accurate as the listing agent enters it in the multiple listing service. 

Option 1 is much more direct; however, if you decide to go this route, you'll end up with more properties and more cash flow as well as the responsibilities that come with that additional property.The refinance also has some risk, you'll be refreshing the loan there and basically starting over on that... however, if you're able to successfully re-fi that mortgage back to a conventional, and sustain the increase in the mortgage payment, while you apply for another FHA and hunt for another property to get into, then you should be fine.But that's what I think will be your biggest challenge, just making the jump from the current property to the multi.

He has rehabbed it and it is now totally redone...fresh paint, new kitchen, refreshed hardwoods, new linoleum in the kitchen, new heating/cooling sytem.

so im looking to learn more about the specifics of purchasing japanese real estate, more specifically single occupant units.