I have been listening to the podcasts for years and have finally gotten serious about making this move to better my families situation. 

If you are just getting started here in Chicago, house hacking is the ideal situation.

So...Assuming we're considering the advantages for American's to invest in Japan, I personally think it only makes sense in a select few situations. 

It’s a win-win situation for both parties.4o

Have the tenants take and send pictures of any maintenance items and video chat with the repair person as needed.If you ever get in a situation where you just feel like you can't do it or don't want to do it, you can always put a PM in place at any time. 

Im self employed, roughly make $130k gross anually, 1099 NEC , no debt at all, 740 credit score.  Want to get a loan for $250k in AZ

Then rent the bigger home out using a property manager, allowing her to possibly cash flow and maintain that asset and let it continue to grow in value.Encourage her to consult with a CPA or tax attorney to explore the best strategy tailored to her situation.

Sometimes the asking price does not reflect what's actually going on, there's a tenant, there's a change in the seller's situation, etc. 

I was in a similar situation in 2021 while living in San Francisco.

Just depends on the situation/scenario.