Invest in Kitakyushu Condominiums (Mansions)
It is our aim to help you better understand the real estate situation in the greater Kitakyushu area. Kitakyushu is Fukuoka Prefecture's second largest city. It is quite sprawled out and offers ample investment opportunities. The endless debate about whether it is a market for buyers or sellers rages on, and we can help you decide, but truthfully, it is a renter's market. We mean that whether you buy or sell a Japanese mansion type condominium, one of the largest factors will ultimately be the rental condition and trends.
Take a recently listed 2LDK condominium, for example. It is already 30 years old, but is a well built SRC (steel reinforced concrete) structure in a convenient location. Because of its location and appeal to new couples, those who may work in the nearby area, and even young families who might not be able to buy, it is very appealing. For these reasons, the rents still now command more than 60,000 Yen per month. Measure this against what the cost for such a 2LDK mansion would be and it becomes very appealing as an investment property. In fact, there are some units in this complex that are owned by real estate investors who rent the units out.
Have a look around at any real estate portal site and you'll see what condos go for in the greater Kitakyushu area. The sites are in Japanese but are pretty straightforward so you will get an idea of the cost in MAN units (10,000 Yen). For example a listing showing a price of 480 MAN YEN is 4,800,000 Yen, while a 1,950 Man Yen listing is priced at 19,500,000 Yen. The site also shows what a sample monthly mortgage payment would be. The mortgages are usually based on a flat 1.325% interest rate 35 year mortgage. Invariably, you'll notice the monthly payments of such properties are generally much less than the rents would be if they were rented out in the so-called "chintai" market. Rack the numbers and you can come up with your own GROR (gross rate of return).
Any ex-pats or investors from abroad who are interested in perhaps buying or renting in the greater Kitakyushu area are encouraged to get in touch with the Matt Rowles at Mikawa Real Estate.
Here is a link to his details: http://www.fudosan-mikawa.com/p/staff.html
He can help you with anything related to Kitakyushu real estate. A home is probably your biggest investment so be sure to do the due diligence. Mikawa can help you in that matter and expedite the process for you.
Happy home hunting!
