Tag Archive for Tokyo

Japanese real estate essentials: What is the Building Standards Law?

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What is the purpose of the mission of the Building Standards Law?

The Building Standards Law （建築基準法）was created for the MLIT to provide basic rules for construction during a building and the stipulates minimum engineering safety requirements concerning fire earthquake and other natural disasters.

It also stipulates the types of buildings we can build according to each zoning district(用途地域)

under the city planning law.

A building not contracted to meet this requirement is regarded as an illegal building however a building previously constructed in compliance with a standard existing at the time of the construction but which no longer meet current construction standards is not considered as an illegal building but rather called non-conforming building. (既存不適格）

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When you find the cheap property, please make sure if it is a non-conforming building or not. It is not a fatal mistake to buy such a property, but you have to understand what you are running into beforehand. 

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Japanese real estate essentials: What kind of laws do you need to understand before you buy a property in Japan ?

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Here is  how it works : Japanese real estate essentials.

What kind of laws are protecting rights of your real estate in Japan ?

The civil law describes the general rules for the purchase and sales (and lease) of the property.

The civil law regulates ownership and superficies and also provide the definition of rights such as pledge and mortgage.

As a conventional individual, I think you only need to know how the mortgage works in Japan.

The land lease and building lease law, which is special law of civil law, provides

the general rules of land lease and building lease.

The act on sectional ownership of buildings provides the general rules on sectional ownership, meaning

the law is for the condominiums.

The real estate registration law is for the real estate registration system.

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Real estate investment in Japan : Beautiful Stories, Hard Realities

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Beautiful Stories, Hard Realities

Real estate agents/realtors are always holding seminars in Tokyo, Osaka and elsewhere, luring in amateur investors (for Japanese investors so far)

and telling them beautiful stories of how this person or that person got rich in the property market.

I never exaggerate such successes in my seminars, although of course they do exist.

Instead, I always tell the audience true stories from my experience and those of other clients and inexperienced investors, and in particular about the mistakes made.

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Despite the turbulence in the residential market segment, office buildings are in shortage

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The vacancy rate is historically low in almost two decades since January 2002.

The vacancy rate of office buildings  in May in the five central wards, Tokyo (business districts, Chiyoda, Chuo, Minato, Shinjuku, Shibuya)

was announced recently by office building brokerage firm Miki Shoji in Tokyo.

The vacancy rate dropped by 0.06 points to 1.64%. 

Vacancy rate is the lowest since 2002.

Office buildings in central Tokyo continue to have very few vacancies.

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HARUMI FLAG project in Tokyo : Biggest condominium development in the history : Will it fail or succeed ?

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When the key project takes a tumble ?

The Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics will be held in 2020 summer.

The athlete’s village will be actually renovated and sold as condominiums, rental apartments, and commercial facilities after the Olympics approximately four years after the games.

The development project after the Olympics was named “HARUMI FLAG”.

It is a massive project.

In light of very defensive movement of the new condos in last several months,

many industry figures are bracing for the outcome of the sales.  

Total of 4145 condos units will be for sale and 1487 units of rental property (rental units) will be entering the rental market.

It is the biggest condominium development project by far in the industry history.

By the way, the consortium already announced that two high rise condo buildings will be also built in the site but the details are not

released yet. (the above 4145 units do not include two high rises) 

The development area (Harumi Flag) will be accommodating about 12,000 residents.

The development is a very rare joint project by the consortium of Mitsui Fudosan Residential, Mitsubishi Jisho Residence, Nomura Real Estate, Sumitomo Real Estate,

and other 10 major developers will be engaged. 

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Can foreigners get a MORTGAGE LOAN for home in Japan ? : Key Factors

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Are you curious about the mortgage loan in Japan ?

Few individuals have enough savings or liquid funds to enable them to purchase property outright.

It is normal for home purchases to be funded by a mortgage loan.

A mortgage loan is used either by purchasers of real property to raise funds to buy real estate, or alternatively by existing property owners to raise funds

for any purpose, while putting a lien on the property being mortgaged.

The home mortgage loan is widely available in Japan, too.

The best referral source for obtaining a foreign national mortgage loan is a local real estate broker that works in Japan.

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Japan’s green card by the real estate investment ? : How long does it take and how ?　（YouTube Part-1)

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Part-1

Japan dramatically relaxed the green card regulations a few years ago.
Now you could get the green card by investing in Japan with 1 year stay (earliest)
The government is not selling the green card but you can
intelligently leverage the real estate investment for the preferential treatment.

How ?

Again Japan is not selling the green card.

However the real estate investment (or any other type of business

by establishing your entity here) should work if you are willing to invest and create your start up in Japan.

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Where is the most expensive location in Tokyo ?：Latest PER report by Tokyo kantei

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Where is the most expensive location in Tokyo ?

Ginza in Chuo-ku.

You are right. In terms of face value, Ginza is the most expensive location in Japan and those expensive

locations are commercial areas.

What about the condos relative to the ratio of rent ?

With the rise in land prices, real estate has become difficult to buy year after year.

Where is the area which is relatively cheaper than other areas in terms of the payback period using

the rent you have to pay ?

Real estate research firm Tokyo Kantei announces “Condominium PER” every year for new condos

as one of the judgment criteria.

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