INFORMATION
Beautiful Nature of Chiba
A Little Over an Hour Outside of Tokyo
It really can be hard to believe how quickly you can be surrounded by a completely different energy than the concrete forms of Tokyo. Riding the express or driving down just for an hour, you really have entered into natural beauty and a calm energy will welcome you.
A Great Place to Live
Let’s think of being alive and living well. We feel pretty confident to say that Chiba Prefecture’s Boso Peninsula is a wonderful place to live. Boso is a region with a mild climate and amazing greenery. Great beaches, fishing and golf, fresh seafood and produce and still affordable real estate all within 60-90 minutes from Tokyo Station. It makes hard to find a better place to enjoy your life while still being connected to Tokyo. We can help you to find your more laid back Boso lifestyle.
Telework or Weekend stay? Then Retirement Destination: Boso peninsula
For foreigners of Japan who is looking at reducing costs and increasing your quality of life, we invite you to consider retiring in Chiba and particularly in the Boso Peninsula. Boso is relaxed energy that is becoming more and more popular with Tokyo people young and old. And retirees both Japanese and foreign are leading a recent charge to cut living costs of Tokyo and start living in Boso. For retiring in Japan, yet still living close to Tokyo, call us to help you find the land or place that fits your dreams. It’s here. It waits for you.
Beach Areas
The Oceanside Communities is blessed with wonderful beaches, like well-known 2020 Olympic surfing spot, Tsurigasaki beach in Ichinomiya. Surfers, sun bathers, swimmers and wave listeners are never far away from the ocean beaches in Chiba. Ichinomiya, Taito, Ohara, Onjuku, Katusura, Kamogawa and so on. You just keep driving down the coast to see and experience these beautiful areas.
Golf
The golf courses of Chiba are well known throughout Japan. It’s even called “Golf Ginza”. Chiba is filled with more than ample golf courses with affordable prices and a welcoming attitude to foreigners. Your golf life can expand beyond driving ranges and short courses.
Fishing
There is no shortage of great fishing opportunities in the Boso region. From grabbing your pole and walking to a nearby pier or getting on to the charter fishing boat, it’s all possible. Not only the ocean, but Chiba has abundant rivers to fish too.
HOW TO BUY A PROPERTY IN JAPAN
Step 1
Develop a Sense of Your Own desire
Good for you, you have made up your mind to buy in the Boso area, we think it is a very good idea. Next, try to formulated a general idea of what your mind and heart wish for on location, setting, style, condition and budget; having ideas on these points smooths the process and helps us to find you a great spot.
Step 2
Research Properties and Think About Your Financing Options
Please look in our listing and let us know if you find a property you like. You can also tell us houses or properties you find in other websites. We will research the property and explain the ancillary equipment, regulations, limitations, and classifications of the property. These are very important things to know before buying any property in Japan.
While you are searching your desirable property, you may have to think of financing at the same time. If you are planning on getting a home loan, you might face a tough time finding banks that can lend to foreigners. Some Japanese banks offers home loans only if you have permanent residence status, are married to a Japanese citizen who has stable monthly income, or have long-term work experience in Japan and if your spouse has a permanent residence visa.
Step 3
Application to Purchase
In the purchasing application, please check the information of the property you would like to purchase, and write down your desired purchase price and conditions, like purchase with a loan or cash. The reason to use this application is to inform the seller that you are seriously considering purchasing the property.
Get Pre-Approval for Loan
If you are purchasing a property with loan, at the same time you are submitting your purchase application, you will need to begin the loan pre-approval (or pre-screening) process by talking with your lender.
At this point, you will be asked to submit copies of:
Identification documents, such as your passport and local driver’s license
Your annual tax receipts (源泉徴収票, Gensen choushu-hyou)
Step 4
Receive and Review Explanation of Important Matters
The Explanation of Important Matters (重要事項説明書, Jūyō jikō setsumeisho) is a legal disclosure document prepared by the seller’s agent that is supposed to contain all of the material information any buyer would need to make an informed purchase decision.
- Any existing mortgages registered on the property
- Boundary lines or encumbrances
- Boundary disputes with neighbors
- Broken items
- Management fee, if any
Step 5
Contract and Pay the Deposit (Earnest Money/手付金, Tetsukekin)
Once you are satisfied with the content of the Explanation of Important Matters, it is time to sign the Purchase Agreement. The buyer pays the deposit, known as Earnest Money (手付金, Tetsukekin) to the seller at that time. It usually accounts for 5-10% of the total purchase price and is calculated as part of the total purchase price when the deal is closed.
What you also need to bring:
- Identification documents, such as your passport and local driver’s license
- A copy of your Residential registration
- Value of the stamp duty
- A seal (印鑑, inkan)
Step 6
Final Settlement
When the buyer transfers the remaining balance to the seller’s account, then the title of the property will be transferred to the buyer. This ownership change is handled by a judicial scrivener (司法書士, Shiho shoshi). On completion, the seller hands over all the keys to the buyer, and the transfer of ownership is complete. CONGRATULATIONS!
FEES AND TAXES
The below describes property buying costs and taxes covering the stages of the purchase process from signing a contract to tax payment.
Step 1
When Signing a Contract
Stamp duty: Documentary stamp tax required for the sales contract.
Down payment: 10 to 20% of the sales price
Step 2
When Applying for a Housing Loan
Stamp duty: Documentary stamp tax required for the loan contract.
Step 3
When Settling the Remaining Payment
1.Costs for obtaining a loan
・Bank commission
・Guarantee commission
・Fire insurance premium
2.Property tax (prorated basis for the days of the ownership of the year)
3.Agent commission: 3% of the sales price + 60,000 yen + consumption tax
4.Registration tax: For registering ownership transfer and mortgage
5.Fee for the judicial scrivener: Fee for conducting ownership transfer and necessary related registration.
Step 4
Tax Payment after Buying a property
Real estate acquisition tax: Approximately 6 months to a year after buying a property, all necessary documents related to the tax are sent by the tax office