My question uses details about real estate investment in Japan, but I am looking for general advice based on, hopefully consistent, basic principles of investing in real estate.

Of course, let’s hope we are not the path of Japan where it’s low / negative interest rates for decades.....

It's based on cash.While most investors try to buy houses for zero down and get 100 year mortgages like they're in Japan, I like to pay everything down.

But, as a point of interest, right now many investors from Singapore are investing in properties in Japan for affordability and high yield. 

I don't know if there is a unified theory as to why Detroit ended up where it is now, but I would say it's a combination of (1) over-reliance on a single industry; (2) some epic battles between that single industry and the union; (3) emergence of the automobile industries in countries like Japan; and (4) terrible race relations.  

I was a long time runner, and the years that my training suffered were when I moved to Japan and lost my training partners.  

Specifically, I want to replace my W2 income so that my wife and I can split our time between Hawaii and Japan anytime we choose. 

@Charles Carillo I'm mainly looking into Tampa for an investor friend of mine in Japan.

I live in Japan and there are some great tax deductions for holding in your personal name.

If so that can be collateralizedThank you for your reply  I recently started investing in US real estate  from my understanding I’m waiting the 6-12 months to be able to use an updated value (according to my broker)  Unfortunately, definitely won’t give me the leverage I am looking for in Japan I can get  50% value loan with very cheap rates but hoping for better leverage even at higher rates  just makes sense  Was looking for some alternative options  If not why not get a loan from a Japanese bank?