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Home How to Tokyo Get a mortgage in Japan

How do I get a Japanese Mortgage?

Interested in a more permanent life in Japan? Want to get a mortgage? Already have a housing loan? How did you get it and what are the best ways to go about applying for one?

Comments (7)
7 Wednesday, 23 October 2013 16:30
As of October 2013, there NO banks that will offer loans to SOFA member Americans. They don't exist anymore no matter what anyone tells you. Suruga, Shinsei, Citibank, all Australian banks , UFJ, and Mryill Lynch Japan. We are on our own. You have to have your Japanese wife take out a loan, and you CANNOT have any rights to it, neight co owner or anything. My wife and I are constantly turned down even though were are offering to put 20 percent down on it. They don't want to lend to gaijins unless you have permanent residency which you won't get anyway because you are SOFA. Its hopeless trust me. I wouldn't have typed this for nothing.
6 Friday, 07 December 2012 14:53
Here is an announcement from the HSBC website regarding home loans for foreign residents in Japan. It seems that since April 2011, they have not been offering this service nor any other loan service to their cusomers in Japan.
Notification regarding loan services
This is to inform you that we will no longer offer new loan products (home mortgage loan,
investment mortgage loan, and cash secured overdraft) for HSBC Premier customers.
Existing mortgage loans and cash secured overdrafts are not impacted by this decision.
HSBC continues to provide a comprehensive range of property financing and certain real
estate-related services in Japan to corporate and private banking customers.
We apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause. Should you have any enquiries
regarding this, please do not hesitate to contact your Relationship Manager or the HSBC
Premier Call Centre (0120-777-268 24 hours 365 days, toll-free).
We look forward to continuing to support the banking and wealth management needs of
our customers in the future.
28th April 2011
5 Friday, 07 December 2012 14:45
Here is some more information about the Suruga Bank housing loans for foreign residents. It is up-to-date as of Dec 2012:

Persons able to use this loan

Foreign residents of Japan who meet the following conditions:

1. In principle, those who have received permission for permanent residence (including special permanent residence) and who have enough competence in Japanese (*)
* If the explanation of products and the provisions of the contract provided by the Bank cannot be understood, we may decline the loan.
2. The age at the time of making the loan is at least 20 years old but less than 65 years old, and the age at the time of the final repayment is less than 76 years old.
3. Those eligible to purchase a group credit life insurance
4. Those whose annual income is not less than 2 million yen including taxes and who have been continuously employed for not less than 3 years. (If self-employed, the business must have been in operation for not less than three years.)
5. Those who meet other conditions prescribed by the Bank

Use of loan

* The purchase of a house or a land for a house in which the applicant or the applicant's family will live
* Expenses for addition or betterment, remodeling or repair, etc of the house
* Roll over of a housing loan already in use
* Other expenses for new construction or change of residence, etc

Type of loan

Loan on deed
Amount of loan

Not less than 1 million yen and not more than 100 million yen
Term of loan

Not less than one year and not more than 35 years
Interest rate

1. Type of interest rate
Variable interest rate
2. Method of determining interest rate
The interest rate is determined every month for the period to which the variable interest rate is applied. The rate to be applied in the current month will be reported by the end of the previous month.
An existing interest rate already reported may be changed.
3. Review of interest rate after making the loan
The interest rate of the loan will be reviewed twice a year based on changes to the basic interest rate for variable interest rate housing loans set by the Bank.
4. Selection of interest rate
In principle, the interest rate at the time of application may not be changed before redemption.
5. Method of obtaining interest rate information
Please inquire at the loan counter for the interest rate

Repayment method

1. Repayment method
* Repayment of principal and interest in equal installments (a repayment method which makes the total repayment amount of principal and interest equal each time)
* Repayment of an additional amount at the same time as regular repayment is possible every six months up to a limit of 30% of the loan amount.
2. Review of repayment amount
* The new repayment amount will be determined by recalculating the amount on October 1 every five years after making the loan, as the base date for the review. Thereafter, the recalculation will be made on the review date for the loan interest rate after every ten years after making the loan as the base date.
* After making the loan (or after the base date) and until the next base date, the repayment amount for each month will not change. (The repayment amount will be adjusted based on the ratio of the repayment amount of principal and the amount of interest payment.)
* If the interest rate rises significantly, the new repayment amount will be adjusted up to a limit of 125% of the previous repayment amount. If the interest rate falls, the new repayment amount will be lower than the previous repayment amount.

Guarantor

In principle, a guarantor is not necessary.
Security

* The Bank will establish security on the real estate for which this loan will be used.
* The Bank will establish a right of pledge on the claim on insurance benefits of fire insurance for the building.

Group credit life insurance

The applicant will enter a group credit life insurance policy predetermined by the Bank.
(The Bank will pay the insurance premiums.)
Fee and guarantee charge, etc

1. Handling charge
105,000 yen(including taxes)
2. Prepayment charge
* Prepayment charges to be paid for a partial and full prepayment within five (5) years from the date of loan (*):2.1% (including taxes) of the prepaid amount
* at or before the end of the month in which the fifth anniversary date of this Agreement falls (or if such date falls on a bank holiday, the previous business day)
* The prepayment charge to be paid after the lapse of five years from the date of loan shall be a fixed amount as specified below:
1. For each partial prepayment: 6,300 yen (including taxes)
2. For full prepayment: 10,500 yen (including taxes)
3. Other expenses
* There are no other expenses.
4 Saturday, 28 May 2011 22:02
Smokyo
Apperently, I read somewhere that you can also get mortgages from Shinsei bank. I'm not sure of the details but many foreign friends have been to them when all else fails and other high street banks cant/ dont want to help you out. You will need to get permanent residency though and pay a hefty deposit but as the above poster commented it is a real money saver rather than give your cash away to unscrupulous apartment owers...
Just google shinsei bank. They pride themselves in their services to foreign residents and have a website in English.
3 Friday, 28 May 2010 22:14
Smokyo
Got a housing loan from Suruga Bank. I'm a permanent resident and it was easy as..

http://www.surugabank.co.jp/surugabank/common/english/homeloan.html
2 Tuesday, 09 February 2010 00:00
Smokyo
HSBC have offered mortgages to foreign residents in Japan but Im not sure if they are still offering this service..
http://www.hsbc.co.jp
1 Wednesday, 27 May 2009 09:57
although my attempts to get a credit card were limited ironically enough I was able to get a mortgage! I went through GE money in Ginza. I needed the help of my wife. She has a temp job. I m a part time freelance teacher but they still accepted out application! We could get a max of 20 million but needed a deposit of 20%. A big ask but we got it together and the deal was done. Interest rates are3% but float between 2.5% - 3.5%. Still we pay about 50000 a month for a 3DK- cheaper than most rents for 1Ks

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