Looking to get into some smaller apartment buildings in the near future.As far as the difficulties of investing in Japan, I of course agree with everything said, but in my case I'm at near-native fluency and own and manage my own business separate from anything real estate related so even without permanent residency I've never had trouble getting a loan (except of course I can't get some govt backed ones like a primary residence mortgage) for business or investing.I'll try to get in touch with everyone local to よろしくお願いします。

-Primary Residence. 

The biggest challenge is a lack of quality homes and a rapidly increasing demand for vacation, second and primary homes.

My primary focus is on properties in Miami and the surrounding areas, including Homestead, as I’m familiar with the market here.

Lastly, you won't be able to HELOC (or any cash-out equity) and 2-4 unit property in TX while it is still your primary residence.

I think the real estate professional strategy works if it is your primary source of income.   

I often times bounce questions like this off my local RE attorney first and then move forward quickly.  

You should have a good idea of every expense you have in your primary home, then add the STR specific:  (These are rough estimate numbers, depending on various factors)STR insurance - a special insurance that covers both the property and your liability, could be $2~4k in areas without natural disasters, could be more than $10k in some other areas.cleaning fee - approx. $50 per bedroom, so a 4-bedroom house will cost you about $150~200consumables - bathroom supplies, kitchen supplies, beverage supplies: $20~30 per week, depending on how much you providewear and tear - towels, linen, kitchen utensils, some furniture: $1000~2000 per yearRepairs/replacement for things that guests break or steal:  $1000~2000 per yearAlso, if your personal use is less than 14 days a year, the entire property's expense is deductible against STR income, but if you use more than 14 days, then you will have to calculate the proportion of how many days it's rented out vs how many days you or your family uses. 

I double checked and these layouts do have two exit doors for both primary and the next gen suite as well.

I increased my Heloc on my primary.