Hi Charles,This is probably the fastest way to the poor house, mainly because, in Japan, houses are like cars as in their market value depreciates and goes to 0 over time.

Every state or pert near every state has sellers disclosure docs that must be signed in a real estate transaction.. this to give the buyer any advance notice of issues they should address.. so short of this because we know these are very poor houses in horrid conditions the disclosures would or should say dilapidated etc etc.. then you have a SOW that is promised.. it is this scope that was either never done or done so poorly as to be totally inept..

The turnover was driving me into the poor house.

There is a lot of really poor housing stock out there so you have to keep to your principles and be patient.

http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-lopez-equity-wealth-20171126-story.html

They will be the first to decline rapidly in a poor housing market.

I personally buy poor houses in great neighborhoods not great houses in poor neighborhoods.

Originally posted by "REI":You know the quote about not being able to see the trees vs. the forest.John CoreyThe same could be said from the other side of the fence.There are just as many (IMO even more) media talking heads saying the subprime mess is overblown and ignoring poor housing numbers that keep coming out month after month, day after day.How many car salesman have you ever heard saying it's a bad time to buy a car?

This, too, leads to poor housing value growth. 

Bikes in the way ,Poor house cleaning Random junk in the yard and trash unkept is really just minor stuff .