Great job with a very informative video. Keep doing more please! I have heard in other videos that sometimes a whole neighborhood can vote on accepting or rejecting a foreigner as a buyer of an Akiya home. I guess that is fine, people just want to keep the peace.
One big topic that still needs to be addressed is the "Differences between using the Akiya banks vs Local realtor when buying a property in the countryside". If anyone here knows someone who has purchased via the Akiya bank (managed by the cities/towns), I would love to do an interview with him/her for a new video regarding this topic.
Finally a RUclipsr in the Akiya world telling it like it is and not relying on spouting out fabricated numbers like 9 mil akiya homes for sale simply for more views. My wife and I spent the better part of two years scouring Gunma and Yamanashi before settling on a place which was reasonable but needed reforming. It turned into a labor of love and we now live in an amazing place. This journey is not for the faint of heart.
Thank you for the comment! I am curious but did you purchase your home via the Akiya bank or a local realtor? I have been wanting to make a video regarding the differences between buying via Akiya bank and a a local realtor, and would really love to have a chance to interview someone who has bought via Akiya banks.
The overwhelming number of empty houses are not listed. You need to talk to neighbours, family, locals, contact owners or their children, do groundwork in the local community etc
Yes of course. I would at least 80~90% of these abandoned homes are not accessible to the buyers. The grassroots approach you mentioned is ideal but only possible if you can really invest significant time and energy in a particular neighborhood (without even knowing if your dream house will become available in the future for purchase...). I think most of these unavailable "akiya" home owners aren't going to sell to a foreigner that just happened to be in town for a day or two...
Just found your channel recently, so glad I did because you have lots of useful information. Me and my friend are looking into getting an Akiya and this helps a lot. Thank you
I have a house in Saitama under contract right now (used house, not akiya), the close date will be sometime in January. I am hoping to eventually get property in Osaka by the end of 2025, your videos have been super helpeful
I think you mentioned this in you previous videos but it is very important to have the house inspected by a professional before going any further, especially to check for the presence of asbestos. If asbestos is present in the house, it may change the way you renovate the house and will be very costly if you have to remove it.
great video, I am surprised that you don't recommend using an English speaking lawyer , I used a firm in Koba when I brought my property , they were excellent . I think specially in the country side in Japan where things are more vague , you need them on your side ??
Hi Mark, thank you for the comment! Do you mean "Kobe" like Kobe city? Also was it a lawyer (弁護士) office or judicial scrivener office (司法書士)? It would be interesting to know how the lawyer helped with the purchase that couldn't be done by another English speaking judicial scrivener + realtor. In my opinion it's really all about the "cost-effectiveness" of having a lawyer's support in the purchase - I am sure the overall cost of having the lawyer's help all depends on the complexity of the purchase/property, but as many people nowadays wanting to buy in the Japanese countryside are looking for the "cheaper Akiya houses", I don't think the value provided by a lawyer for the additional cost will be that favorable. Also, when an ideal property comes up and there are other competing buyers, I am sure the seller/realtor will just favor to sell to a domestic buyer who doesn't need use a lawyer and will accept the house in the condition "as in". Sorry for writing so much but this is quite an interesting topic to elaborate on. I guess whether a lawyer will be needed or not all depends on the particular situation in the end.
Hi Steven. Love your website and need to watch more of your YT videos. In this latest video, you referenced a video that showed "5 Areas to Avoid." Which of your videos is that from? I looked through the library a couple of times but couldn't find it. My wife and I have looked online at many houses over the past 2-3 years, and every time we find one that we're excited about, we find out it's in a flood plain or mudslide zone. So discouraging. Would love to see where your video recommends looking and avoiding. Never mind. Just found it: ruclips.net/video/NU3Sczj2l0c/видео.htmlsi=d2i9gIWEBdxCbtW9
Great job with a very informative video. Keep doing more please! I have heard in other videos that sometimes a whole neighborhood can vote on accepting or rejecting a foreigner as a buyer of an Akiya home. I guess that is fine, people just want to keep the peace.
One big topic that still needs to be addressed is the "Differences between using the Akiya banks vs Local realtor when buying a property in the countryside". If anyone here knows someone who has purchased via the Akiya bank (managed by the cities/towns), I would love to do an interview with him/her for a new video regarding this topic.
Finally a RUclipsr in the Akiya world telling it like it is and not relying on spouting out fabricated numbers like 9 mil akiya homes for sale simply for more views.
My wife and I spent the better part of two years scouring Gunma and Yamanashi before settling on a place which was reasonable but needed reforming. It turned into a labor of love and we now live in an amazing place.
This journey is not for the faint of heart.
Or the empty wallet!
Thank you for the comment! I am curious but did you purchase your home via the Akiya bank or a local realtor? I have been wanting to make a video regarding the differences between buying via Akiya bank and a a local realtor, and would really love to have a chance to interview someone who has bought via Akiya banks.
Best akiya advice!
My favorite channel posted another video. Thank you. You never sugar coat it.
Thank you! Not even any background music this time 😂 and Never any Short videos!
The overwhelming number of empty houses are not listed. You need to talk to neighbours, family, locals, contact owners or their children, do groundwork in the local community etc
Yes of course. I would at least 80~90% of these abandoned homes are not accessible to the buyers. The grassroots approach you mentioned is ideal but only possible if you can really invest significant time and energy in a particular neighborhood (without even knowing if your dream house will become available in the future for purchase...). I think most of these unavailable "akiya" home owners aren't going to sell to a foreigner that just happened to be in town for a day or two...
Very good advice, thank you.
Just found your channel recently, so glad I did because you have lots of useful information.
Me and my friend are looking into getting an Akiya and this helps a lot. Thank you
No problem at all and glad you find the videos here helpful :)
I have your web site as one of my favourites and visit it every day. One dayt soon (hopefully) I will be buying a house in Japan as a holiday house.
I have a house in Saitama under contract right now (used house, not akiya), the close date will be sometime in January. I am hoping to eventually get property in Osaka by the end of 2025, your videos have been super helpeful
I think you mentioned this in you previous videos but it is very important to have the house inspected by a professional before going any further, especially to check for the presence of asbestos. If asbestos is present in the house, it may change the way you renovate the house and will be very costly if you have to remove it.
Thank you Japon! 🙏
Forgot to mentioned if the buyer cant be in Japan to close the property. What to do? Thanks.
great video, I am surprised that you don't recommend using an English speaking lawyer , I used a firm in Koba when I brought my property , they were excellent . I think specially in the country side in Japan where things are more vague , you need them on your side ??
Hi Mark, thank you for the comment! Do you mean "Kobe" like Kobe city? Also was it a lawyer (弁護士) office or judicial scrivener office (司法書士)? It would be interesting to know how the lawyer helped with the purchase that couldn't be done by another English speaking judicial scrivener + realtor. In my opinion it's really all about the "cost-effectiveness" of having a lawyer's support in the purchase - I am sure the overall cost of having the lawyer's help all depends on the complexity of the purchase/property, but as many people nowadays wanting to buy in the Japanese countryside are looking for the "cheaper Akiya houses", I don't think the value provided by a lawyer for the additional cost will be that favorable. Also, when an ideal property comes up and there are other competing buyers, I am sure the seller/realtor will just favor to sell to a domestic buyer who doesn't need use a lawyer and will accept the house in the condition "as in". Sorry for writing so much but this is quite an interesting topic to elaborate on. I guess whether a lawyer will be needed or not all depends on the particular situation in the end.
Hi Steven. Love your website and need to watch more of your YT videos. In this latest video, you referenced a video that showed "5 Areas to Avoid." Which of your videos is that from? I looked through the library a couple of times but couldn't find it. My wife and I have looked online at many houses over the past 2-3 years, and every time we find one that we're excited about, we find out it's in a flood plain or mudslide zone. So discouraging. Would love to see where your video recommends looking and avoiding.
Never mind. Just found it: ruclips.net/video/NU3Sczj2l0c/видео.htmlsi=d2i9gIWEBdxCbtW9
Im early!
Me too.😄
So encouraging to see the early bird comments after such a long absence 🥲 will be posting more frequently in 2025!