Bank offers 40-year home loans to counteract rising house prices
Keiyo Bank, headquartered in Chiba City, is rolling out a home loan product with a maximum repayment term of up to 40 years. Up until now, the maximum loan term was 35 years. Although a longer loan term results in higher interest paid in total, the monthly repayments will be slightly less, lowering the bar for younger home buyers to qualify.
Debt relief for homeowners could arrive in December
The Financial Services Agency (FSA) is firming up plans that would reduce or exempt home loan repayments for struggling borrowers. These are extraordinary measures that would apply to those who have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic and its economic impact, and help to prevent home foreclosures and personal bankruptcies.
Bank to provide mortgage relief for new borrowers
In a tie-up with insurance company BNP Paribas Cardif, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank will soon start offering a mortgage payment exemption option for borrowers who have been fired or lost their job due to corporate bankruptcy.
Mortgage relief in the works for struggling homeowners
The Financial Services Agency (FSA) and the Japanese Banker’s Association are looking at introducing special measures to provide reductions or exemptions in home loan repayments to those struggling from a loss in income as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. This will provide a much-needed safety net for borrowers.
Agency to call in fraudulently obtained Flat35 home loans
The Japan Housing Finance Agency has begun calling in Flat35-type loans that were fraudulently obtained by investors. These home loans are designed for owner-occupiers, not investors, offering borrowers a low, fixed-rate mortgage over the duration of the loan.
Another real estate company facing mortgage fraud allegations
The Nikkei Shimbun newspaper broke the story of yet another real estate company that is alleged to have been signing up buyers for home loans on investment properties. The news caused the company's share price to plummet by as much as a third in the week following the news report.