I mean I highly doubt( but sure there will be other who say otherwise just because) you will find a very good investment property listed on MLS or other publically available service.On a side note if I did have aprroximatley 400k equity in two of my homes could I use any of that to invest in another property?

Hard to say which way this could go, just keep good notes, records and photos, dates, times etc… maybe this could possibly go under their previous policy?

NOTE: I'm in contact with a reputable broker and the numbers they're claiming for repairs and ARV are SO MUCH better than what I'm using here, but I thought it's fair to pad the suggested numbers as I have done with the above also.  

(note that inflation is close to zero in Japan)The Japanese depreciated properties are flogged for investment for good cashflows.

Take notes, review, ask yourself.

I've been doing this for years.After a particularly nice conversation with someone, make notes on the back of their business card and when you get home, email that it was nice to meet them.

As others have noted above, you could easily get overwhelmed if you try to self-manage.

A few quick notes before I go into more detail on how I approach situations like this:- As mentioned in other replies, a 401(k) match should (almost) always be taken advantage of.

@Joshua Kavadi, you noted "Investor Fixflip Apartments" above.

If you do go the seller finance route, consider asking for a right of first refusal option in the event the seller ever decides to sell the note.