I funded the ~5k in closing costs and the float between the time I paid the contractors and the time I was reimbursed from the HML's escrow account.We replaced the windows, sliding glass door, demoed the "bar" in the basement, updated the bathrooms including tile surrounds in the shower and bath, and added new carpet.  

The real estate professional that you need to find can't be found by calling a real estate office or clickinc on banner ad somewhere.Agents or brokers you don't have a relationship with, who bring a property to you, are more than likely just trying to sell that property.  

Okay, I don't think I have the cash to float that anyway, but we can all dream right?

In two cases we were able to get virtually all of the money back out of the properties after around 60 days which was nice.To help pay for stuff we took out a HELOC on our primary residence and a personal line of credit that helps us with the float during the rehabs. 

Some great contributions floating around on this forum, can't wait to see some more.

Also the depreciation laws for tax savings have a couple of major loopholes which can save you a large amount on income tax.The negatives are close to zero capital appreciation, a declining population due to the lowest birthrate globally (currently dropping 250,000-300,000 people a year), floating rate on most all bank loans (although it's a near certainty these won't be going up anytime soon as its been said if interest rates in Japan hit 2.5% the government would currently go bankrupt), and the highest debt to GDP ratio of any country in the world putting a dampening on future economic outlook.For net yields you're looking at 3-6% in and around Tokyo, 6-8% in the other major cities, and closer to 8-10% outside of that, although there are always lots of exceptions.  

And I underestimated how much upper-body strength, patience, and experience you have to have to perform this kind of work, even things I thought were simple, like installing floating flooring and tiling a bathroom floor or backsplash.

Basically, the loan will float after 5 years. 

There are probably plenty of houses on the block with Steelers flags , rap artists banners , and beach towels as blinds !

I have been in float planes up in Canada and Alaska but never piloted one.. although its a bucket list item to get my water cert.. its very cool landing on water.. but you do need to be cautious flying low always has its challenges.Buckingham is the nicest part of the county..