Once you get your process in place it becomes more manageable and can run fairly efficiently depending on your process. 

.-  The current tenant only pays $900 and can only increase a little because he pays with his SS income. - If I were to find some creative renter solution and low-ball the market rent at $1700, I could only put in about $180K total assuming a conventional mortgage to generate acceptable cash flow.So, apart from increasing rent and managing the property myself what are ways that I could make something like this work?

Down payment can be higher than primary, but the good thing is that you won't need that much income to qualify because lenders can you 75% of the market rents for the units of the property.

It's important to ensure that you can cover the HELOC payments from the income generated by the new property.

I'll shoot you a DM and we can keep in touch as we get closer! 

Hopefully an attorney I can hire to get more done as I have not been able to.  

Let me know how I can help you get started!

Private money lending typically comes from individual investors or friends and family, often based on personal relationships and trust, and can have more flexible terms.

You're absolutely right, creativity is essential to make deals work in this environment, and building from the ground up, especially in high-demand areas like Raleigh, can be a great solution.Your current project sounds like a smart move, particularly with the zoning for a duplex and ADUs.

Given your age and the time you have, building a stable cash flow can lead to significant wealth over time.Understanding Local Dynamics: You're spot on about the unique dynamics in Japanese real estate, especially with the aging population.