So, you have decided to give up your gypsy lifestyle as a renter and take the big plunge of becoming a homeowner—king or queen of your castle! However, you have never bought residential property, let alone in Japan. Read on to see the 7 steps involved in buying a condo or home in Japan for your residence. After an offer is made, a purchase agreement is usually signed within 1-2 weeks, with the closing occurring 3-4 weeks after that. Finding the Right House or Condo (and the Right Real Estate Agent!): Although you can search through ads and online listings, this can be very time-consuming and may not provide you …
Get Answers about Owning, Renting and Living in Greater Kobe. Please submit your comments to core8eight@gmail.com. Dear Rica, I am seriously thinking about buying a home in Japan—either a condo or a house. I have always been a renter, so buying my first home in a foreign country is a bit unnerving. What are some of the major differences between buying a home in Japan and elsewhere, say the U.S. Nervous Nellie Thanks for the great question! As the lead English-speaking real estate agency in the greater Kobe area, CoreEight is very aware of anxiety foreign buyers feel when buying a home in Japan, especially if this is your first time! …
If you have a bit of extra money on your hands and are looking for new investment possibilities, you should consider the possibility of real estate investment in the Kobe area. Now is a prime time to invest in the Kobe area where the prices are relatively low compared to real estate investment in other countries and the ROI can be relatively high. Foreign real estate investment in Japan has soared in the past few years. Real estate deals in Japan in 2014 totaled JPY 5.6 trillion, representing an increase of 16% over 2013. One reason for this unprecedented level of foreign investment was the 14% plunge of the value …
Get Answers about Owning, Renting and Living in Greater Kobe. Please submit your comments to core8eight@gmail.com. Dear Rica, I am a 50-something foreign professional and have lived in Japan for the past 20 years. I like it here and would like to retire here. I have a small nest egg that I would to invest, possibly in real estate investment. I have been warned by friends that there may be restrictions on foreigners’ owning or investing in real estate in Japan. Is this true? Todd S. Hi Todd, Now is the perfect time to join the wave of foreigners (mostly from China and other places in Asia) who are investing in …
Core Eight has more than 10 years’ experience managing investment properties of foreign nationals, ranging from whole-building investments to single unit investments. We are proud of our reputation as a reliable, hands-on property manager. As the top English-speaking real estate and property management company in the Kobe area, we have broad market knowledge of the real estate investment market and an extensive network of professionals to handle anything from locating tenants, repairs and renovations, to complete build outs. One of Core Eight’s unique strengths is its ability to put together a team of creative professionals (designers, architects, high end suppliers, and construction companies) to reform (or renovate) your investment property …
Kobe and Architectural Heritage Preservation Inspired by the cultural diversity of Kobe’s architectural treasures, which range from streamlined, modernistic Tadao Ando masterpieces to Meiji-era, Western-influenced residences and office buildings, Rica Bradshaw Otani, Core Eight’s founder, has become increasingly concerned about the fate of these legacy buildings and saddened by the increasing disappearance of these legacy buildings in the Kobe area. In her 15-years’ experience as the leading English-speaking real estate agent in the Kobe area, she has become keenly aware of the importance of these heritage buildings in attracting both foreign residents and tourists to Kobe. With a surge in the number of foreign tourists visiting Kobe each year, it …
Get Answers about Owning, Renting and Living in Greater Kobe. Please submit your comments to core8eight@gmail.com. Dear Rica, After living in a typical 2LDK in Osaka for close to ten years, we are a bit depressed by the cramped space and total lack of charm. We are ready for a move and are considering buying an affordable older home. Is an older Japanese house or a turn-of-the-century style home in Kobe an option? Jonathan P. Dear Jonathan, Great question! There are many options, each with benefits and drawbacks. Buying an older home can be a real bargain. However, it can be difficult to get a bank loan, so you should be …
Tadao Ando, a native of Osaka, is without doubt Japan’s most renowned architect. Largely self-taught, Ando was influenced by such celebrated architects as Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, and Louis Kahn. He was the 1995 recipient of the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize. Ando’s masterpieces ranged from apartment complexes to places of worship, public museums and commercial shopping centers. Although Ando-designed buildings can be found in many countries throughout the world (Spain, Germany, Italy, Taiwan, Nepal, and the U.S., to name a few), Kobe and surrounding areas are blessed with many Ando masterpieces, particularly from Ando’s early years as an architect. His architectural tours de force speak of the spirit of …
Kobe’s unique Earthquake Memorial Museum, which is part of the Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution opened in 2002, gives you a unique opportunity to experience what an earthquake feels like and how terrible the aftermath can be. The museum includes: A large-screen theater with a multi-media documentary of realistic images of the 1995 Kobe earthquake and recovery efforts Interactive games about disaster prevention Realistic reproductions of the city and surrounding areas after the quake. Visitors to the museum can absorb vital information about disaster-prevention—definitely worthwhile for anyone living in Japan, one of most earthquake-prone countries in the world! The exhibits are extremely child-friendly and the bi-lingual staff is very …
This month marks the 21st anniversary of the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake, in which 7,400 people died, prompting a nation-wide reassessment of building regulations. Since Japan is one of the world’s most seismically active countries, minor tremors can be felt an almost daily occurrence somewhere in Japan. Even more recently, Japan experienced significant earthquakes in Kumamoto in 2016 and in Fukushima in 2011. On the up side, the Great Hanshin earthquake was a wake-up call for Japan’s national preparedness authorities, and ever since Japan has been on a mission to improve building codes, earthquake preparedness, and disaster reduction. Structural Safety-Stringent Building Codes As a general rule, residential and commercial construction …
