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Anyone own their own house in Japan?

19 May 2007
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Hey, just wanted to know those of you that own houses and property here in Japan? My wife and I own our own house and land here and it was a big step(as it is anywhere), but more so here b/c it is really cements the idea that you may not be going home for a while. For those of you who don't know houses over here depreciate in most cases so it is pretty risky to buy one as an investment.

I would love to hear anyone elses experiences they had with pruchasing a house. And I am open for questions if anyone wants to know anything.😌
 
No one own a house? :eek: oh,well... I just thought it would ba an interesting topic, thanks for reading those who did.
 
I have an apartment together with my wife, but we really hope to buy a house within the upcoming 5 years.

Do you have any tips for buying a house in Kobe FDave?
 
Is it all over Japan that houses depreciate or just where you live? I find that interesting since many people here (US) buy a house with the idea that it increase in value. Granted there is trouble right now with the whole mortgage issue, but for the most part, most houses go up in value and usually end up being a good investment...
 
Yes...we own our own house and land here in Nagano. Yes, the house was a good investment, but not because the original builders (my parents-in-laws) wanted to make money on it, but because they wanted to be out of the elements and have their own space...I guess.

And...yes, my house eats money. The dozo that sits very near my house eats money--but gives me lots of joy, and those who I invite here for parties that same joy too. Yeah, it's worth all the hard work and physical labor--to share with people.

And yes, insuring a house in Japan is also rather costly if you want to have good earthquake payback if it falls down or is heavily damaged.
 
Hey Goldiegirl I thought I heard something about a huge downturn in real estate values across America? Or real estate figures have been skyrocketing, and causing many many headaches in the process.

Here in NZ, 70% of Aucklanders can barely afford to own their own home. In a decade or so it will drop to barely 50%. Part of the problem is that a large part of the dwellings in NZ, especially Auckland, are owned by foreign investors (i.e. the owners don't even live here, some have never even set foot in this country) which has assisted in the huge growth. But will it last? That is the $540,000 question (the current median house price in Auckland).

Owning vs. renting is becoming an ever increasingly difficult decision.
 
Yeah, there is a downturn. It was caused by mortgage companies giving people "creative" loans because they didn't fit into a traditional fixed rate loan. So with their adjustable rate loans going higher, some on a monthly basis, people can no longer afford the home they bought. The problem is that they should never have been allowed to buy that home in the first place. As for building new homes, they are as popular as ever. For retail values of homes, it really is the old adage of location, location, location. I am shocked by the price of a home in NZ! Wow, Pepe I can see why it would be virtually impossible to own.
 
I purchased my own home March of last year in Ogoori between Kurume and Futsukaichi in Fukuoka-ken. It's quite spacious and despite all the pre-purchase hassles I went through, I would say it was worth it.
 
I have an apartment together with my wife, but we really hope to buy a house within the upcoming 5 years.

Do you have any tips for buying a house in Kobe FDave?
Getting credit can be very difficult for a foreigner, so you will need to get a garrentor. If you want to build your own home it will cost you a little bit more ,but you will be able to design a house that will accomodate most of your needs depending on how much you have to spend. If you don't mind buying a house that has already been buit, you will deffinate save some dollars b/c the building itself should have depreciated significantly, so my advise is don't let any realestate agent tell you otherwise.

Is it all over Japan that houses depreciate or just where you live? I find that interesting since many people here (US) buy a house with the idea that it increase in value. Granted there is trouble right now with the whole mortgage issue, but for the most part, most houses go up in value and usually end up being a good investment...
It certainly is. Land does usually increase in price, but if you compare the land prices today to 15 years ago in the bubble period you will see that prices have severly droped. However they hit rock bottom a few years ago and since then prices are steadily increasing again, but are still no where near the prices of 15 years ago and I believe it will take a long time to get there to. The house itself depreciates quite a bit and you would be lucky if you could get your money back in a 10 to 15 year span from now.


I purchased my own home March of last year in Ogoori between Kurume and Futsukaichi in Fukuoka-ken. It's quite spacious and despite all the pre-purchase hassles I went through, I would say it was worth it.

I would also say it would be worth buying your own home if you were going to live here for a long time. Either way you have to pay rent or downpayments on a loan which are usually comparable, so you get a nice house that is yours and most times is much bigger than an apparment too.

Yes...we own our own house and land here in Nagano. Yes, the house was a good investment, but not because the original builders (my parents-in-laws) wanted to make money on it, but because they wanted to be out of the elements and have their own space...I guess.
And...yes, my house eats money. The dozo that sits very near my house eats money--but gives me lots of joy, and those who I invite here for parties that same joy too. Yeah, it's worth all the hard work and physical labor--to share with people.
And yes, insuring a house in Japan is also rather costly if you want to have good earthquake payback if it falls down or is heavily damaged.
Ain't that the truth and I guess you would have just paid your ナ津??凖ィナス窶佛スYツ静??

Our house reinforced concrete so from what I am told it should be fine in the case of an earthquake. (I hope) 😌
 
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Why do the houses depreciate. Is it how or what they are built out of? What's happens do they age fast...too many earthquakes damge them? Maybe these are silly questions, but I really am surprised by that.
 
What about buying apartments for investments? Buy a couple and rent them out. Seems like it would be a good business. You could rent to Gaijin.
 
Why do the houses depreciate. Is it how or what they are built out of? What's happens do they age fast...too many earthquakes damge them? Maybe these are silly questions, but I really am surprised by that.

Yeah I want to know now too. *dashes off to Google*
 
Why do the houses depreciate. Is it how or what they are built out of? What's happens do they age fast...too many earthquakes damge them? Maybe these are silly questions, but I really am surprised by that.


Many homes where I am are made of concrete, which has a lifespan of around 50 years. Of course many homes will last longer than that.

Wooden homes deteriorate because of the lack of treated lumber, and stress due to the heat of summer and strong rainy seasons. Of course, if one wants to pour out the money needed to keep sealing the wood, painting, etc...then a wooden house could last quite long.

I know of a few log homes that have aged quite well, and many of the ancient Japanese homes age well, but then they are not set up for today's style of living. Meaning they are set up for natural air flow and not air conditioning.

Basically you are looking at spending $200,000 to $400,000 for 50 years. Which breaks down to $700/month. Which is actually cheaper than renting in many cases. So do the math yourself and see if it is worth it to you.
 
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