Tokyo apartment resale values

According to Tokyo Kantei senior researcher Toshiro Nakayama, approximately 90% of an apartment's resale value will be determined by its location.

While there are many finer details of what makes a good location, the most important is how close it is to central Tokyo.

Tokyo Kantei have ranked the resale value of apartments in different areas across Tokyo. The area which is most likely to preserve or even increase the value of an apartment in Minato-ku, which is the highest ranked area for resale values in Tokyo.Read more

by Zoe Ward

Large-scale repairs may become a growing problem for new and old apartments

As many as 14 million people live in 6 million apartments across Japan. In Tokyo's central 3 wards, over 50% of the residents live in apartments. Of those 6 million apartments nationwide, 1 million are in buildings over 30 years old. In 10 years from now, a third of all apartments will be over 30 years old.

The main issue facing ageing buildings is maintenance and large-scale repairs. Read more

by Zoe Ward

Consumption tax and interest rates - how do they really affect your purchase?

Buyers have been out in force at home display centres and condominium sales galleries. The main drivers behind the increased activity is the planned increase in Japan's consumption tax and a fear of rising interest rates.

Should you buy now just because consumption taxes are going to increase?Read more

by Zoe Ward

How to preserve the value of your apartment? Buy and sell every 10 years

If you want to maintain the value of your real estate investment, Attractors Lab President Yujin Oki suggests that you should change apartments every 10 years.

Why 10 years?

One reason is that our lifestyles tend to change every decade or so. For example, your home requirements will be different as you move through different phases in life such as being single, getting married and having a two-income household, having children, retirement and old age. Read more

by Zoe Ward

Be wary of apartments advertised by celebs

One real estate expert is suggesting that buyers be cautious of buying into new developments that use actors, musicians and sports stars to advertise their apartments.

According to journalist Atsushi Sakaki, if a condominium is in a good location and priced in line with the market then it shouldn't need a fancy marketing campaign to appeal to buyers.

A glitzy and flash marketing campaign may sometimes be used to draw attention away from some of the drawbacks of the development. Eg. it may be in a less desirable area, priced too high or too large in scale to achieve strong sales. Read more

by Zoe Ward

Fixed or floating: Which type of home loan interest rate is right for you?

For many, buying a home is the largest purchase they will make in their lifetime, but it can also be one of the biggest debts they take on. Choosing the type of mortgage - fixed-rate or variable rate - can be a difficult decision to make.

Fixed-rate loans offer stability as the interest rate is fixed for the duration of the term. With variable-rate loans, however, there is a risk that you repayments may rise in the future. Variable-rates are typically reviewed twice a year.Read more

by Zoe Ward

Will the new mortgage tax benefits affect you in 2014?

To counter-act any potential slowdown in sales following the proposed hike in consumption taxes from 5% to 8% next year, the government will be increasing the maximum tax reduction for those who take out a mortgage to buy their own home.

Maximum deductions will increase from 200,000 Yen to 400,000 Yen per year for normal housing. Buyers of new homes and apartments that are certified as long-term superior housing will be eligible for a maximum annual deduction of 500,000 Yen.Read more

by Zoe Ward