Okinawa apartment prices up 108% over past 12 years
According to the Ryugin Research Institute, the average price of a 70 sqm (753 sq.ft) second-hand apartment in Okinawa as of October 2020 was 2.1 times higher than it was back in 2008.
Quick real estate news summary for the week
Prices of investment-grade condos on the rise, time-share offices as an alternative to co-working spaces, Okinawa hotels hit with cancellations following State of Emergency declaration, and Suruga Bank sees more share house loan cancellation requests. Below is a quick weekly summary of some of the recent goings-on in the Japanese real estate market.
Okinawa’s military land attracting out-of-state investors
The percentage of land under Japanese and US military bases in Okinawa is increasingly being held by investors from outside the prefecture. As of 2018, 9% of the 44,523 landlords were located outside of Okinawa, a 3 point increase (or around 1.4 times the number of landlords) from 2012.
Okinawa’s housing starts drop for first time in 5 years
Housing starts in Okinawa in 2019 are likely to see the first decline in five years. Total starts between January and November 2019 dropped 9.4% from the same period in 2018 to 13,854 units. The biggest drop was seen in rental housing.
Okinawa real estate market outlook turns dim
The outlook for Okinawa’s real estate market has shifted negative.
Okinawa’s construction costs increase for 8th year in a row
According to Tokyo Shoko Research, the average construction cost in Okinawa Prefecture reached 224,800 Yen per square meter (approx. 193 USD/sq.ft) in 2018, up 0.6% from 2017 and the 8th year in a row to see an increase. Costs are approximately 36% higher than they were in 2010.
Miyakojima’s property boom
Land prices on this tropical island in Okinawa have increased by as much as 50,000% (no, that’s not a typo) over the past four years.