Michael Cash wrote:
> On Mon, 14 Nov 2005 21:58:29 +0900, Graham Bell
> <grabelly@netscape.net.dumb.spam> brought down from the Mount tablets
> inscribed:
> 
> 
>>Ken Yasumoto-Nicolson wrote:
>>
>>>dr wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>Hello,
>>>>
>>>>Does anyone have experience/opinion regarding Shinsei Bank Home
>>>>Mortgage?   They say that "non-permanent residents in Japan are also
>>>>available to apply".
>>>
>>>
>>>With applications to be deposited in the round file?
>>>
>>>I shouldn't be so harsh - I got my mortgage from Tokyo Mitsubishi by
>>>saying my PR application was in the post, which was true, but they
>>>never bothered checking and I've never told them I've been approved.
>>>
>>>At a rough guess, if you're a non-PR gaigin without tenure or
>>>sei-shain-ness, or not got a BYJW with rich parents, then forget it. No
>>>harm in enquiring further though, even if just for the sake of
>>>collecting the freebies.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>http://www.shinseibank.com/english/housing/index.html
>>>>
>>>>Many thanks,
>>>>
>>>>DR
>>>
>>>
>>>Ken
>>>
>>
>>Must be the season for house buying. 
> 
> 
> That Shinsei post has certainly got my hopes up. I've just spent the
> evening doing online house hunting. If one isn't horribly particular,
> there are quite serviceable houses, with land, for 8 million (or
> less). I've been using online loan calculators to show my wife how we
> can pay back a house loan cheaper than we can pay rent.
> 

We found that there are lots of bargains to be had - once you get about 
2 hours outside of Tokyo..

Sadly, a 3 hour or so commute doesn't thrill me, so we ended up paying 
about twice what we had hoped to pay for about half as much land as we'd 
originally wanted, in Tokyo-to.