"John W." <worthj1970@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1113589526.818129.35810@l41g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> kuri wrote:
> > "Ken Yasumoto-Nicolson" <ken_nicolson@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> >
> > > Given the current rates, there should really be no reason not to,
> and
> > > even if they don't live there, I'm sure they could rent it at a
> decent
> > > price.
> >
> > You're sure it's that easy ? The Japanese tend to prefer renting
> mansions.
> > I see only gaijins in rental houses (and they get them for quite
> cheap in
> > very convenient places, not in Himeji), probably because they cannot
> get
> > loans.
> >
> I've known Japanese who rent homes, and there must be a demand else
> there wouldn't be so many out there for rent. Mostly the people I've
> known are folks who take their families with them when the transfer to
> a new job. I've never really known any Japanese who go together to rent
> a house, which is really common in the US.

Of course, rental housing has a certain demand in Japan. The problem is that
there doesn't seem to be a big demand. That is why rents are so low.

When my house was being built, I rented a huge house for 50,000 a month. No
key deposit, but just the fifty grand a month. The problem was that the
owners weren't into maintenance. The idea seems to be that they let a house
fall apart, then they build a new one. It doesn't matter if the foundation
has disappeared, they don't do maintenance. No paint, no nails, no
nothing!!!!

As for buying a flat, congratulations! Buying into Japanese real estate has
more than its share of tribulations. The building is worth less than
nothing, the land is only worth something because the bank says it is worth
something, and nobody wants to buy any of it, regardless of what the banks
think it is worth.