It’s awesome that you’re taking steps toward buying in an area you love and planning for the future—whether it’s as a second home or a long-term investment for your kids, this is a meaningful goal.

Glad there is a venting board for this!

The kids have to park on the lawn, so it looks like the ghetto and you can't even get out of your driveway, to much traffic.

There are a high number of CPA firms that do not want to get involved outside of the FYI to their clients, and some state boards are saying that a CPA advising related to this registration is an "unlicensed practice of law" given it is not under Title 26 - income taxes - the only place where CPAs and EAs are specifically authorized to interpret law. 

Most folks I know that raise money for deals are oversubscribed and it is by relationship only to invest.Regardless, I'd have discussions with trusted advisors in your inner circle to see what they recommend.Feel free to reach out if you need a sounding board - happy to help however I can

Not kidding. 

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.

Typically on old houses it's cheaper for a seller to put vinyl siding over old asbestos boards then replace and ripoff.

If able, speak to them face-to-face at their work, your kids soccer game, church, whatever.

It might be broken intermittently, I have had that happen on a zone heating system that used little computer boards and relays.And as @James Wise said, You need to think about protecting your investment from freezing because broken pipes which can be very expensive to have remediated.Good Luck!