The measure of one's worth: real estate: Japan has always been heavily populated and short of land. Only about 28 percent of Japan's land mass is inhabitable, so it's no surprise that one of Japan's most precious commodities today is real estate.IT COMES AS SOMEWHAT of a surprise that such a precious resource could devalue so drastically in just 12 years. From a peak in 1990, property prices in Japan have plummeted over 60 percent on average, and have dropped almost 80 percent in Tokyo. Given these precipitous declines, we wondered if real estate prices in Japan have hit bottom and whether it is once again safe to think of investing in a Real Estate investment trust (REIT REIT See: Real Estate Investment Trust REIT See real estate investment trust (REIT). ) or an office--or even to buy a house. Stabilization Experts in the Japanese real estate market agree that the rapid rate of decline in land values is flattening
The flattening, ellipticity, or oblateness of an oblate spheroid is the "squashing" of the spheroid's pole, down towards its equator. out. Koji Takeda of Yamate Homes, a local real estate agent, tells us, "The price of real estate has dropped every year for 13 years due to the recession and delayed disposal of Non Performing Loans (NPLs) held by major banks. Now that land prices are at a 20-year low, investment yields from real estate leasing have become quite attractive, even compared to yields from other cities around the world." In fact, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the Tokyo Government, nationwide commercial land prices were down 7.4 percent over last year and residential land was down 4.8 percent, so it depends where you are looking before one can say that the price drops are over. In Tokyo at least, the decline seems to be easing. Residential pricing was down just 1.8 percent and commercial properties down 3.1 percent. TP Publishing's Steve Mansfield confirms the bottoming out: "The market appears to be bouncing along the bottom. There may be further dips but these will most likely be short lived, also there is little to suggest there will be significant price appreciation of Japanese real estate over the next few years." Specialty values While the bottoming out may be true for real estate in general, there is still scope to improve property investment returns by applying some thought to investment. For example, the apartment conversion business in Tokyo is undergoing a renaissance. Space Design's Haruka Yamaji tells us: "There are some real estate investors A real estate investor is someone who actively or passively invests in real estate. An active investor may buy a property, make repairs and/or improvements to the property, and sell it later for a profit. who are doing well, such as those providing serviced apartments, and those involved in apartment conversions [from office space to apartments] and refurbishment re·fur·bish tr.v. re·fur·bished, re·fur·bish·ing, re·fur·bish·es To make clean, bright, or fresh again; renovate. re·fur . We expect that the demand for such value-added properties will peak in a few years' time. But right now demand remains ahead of supply." One company that knows all about serviced offices is Servcorp, a leading serviced office company with operations in 11 countries. Servcorp is bullish on Japan and already has nine building locations at present, with another two--one in Tokyo and one in Osaka--opening up in the next few months. Servcorp's General Manager, Susie Martin, says: "We are experiencing increased demand from foreign companies entering the Japanese market and expect that external demand for Japanese real estate will increase." The typical profile for a Servcorp client is a small advance group that comes to Japan to develop its business and finds within two years that it has grown to 10 to 15 people--at which point it starts to think about branching out on its own. This prompts an expanding demand for office space. Should you bug a house? It has been well publicized pub·li·cize tr.v. pub·li·cized, pub·li·ciz·ing, pub·li·ciz·es To give publicity to. Adj. 1. publicized - made known; especially made widely known publicised that a whole generation of home buyers (and 60.3 percent of Japanese do own their own homes) has been sucked into debt and a downward spiral by falling house prices. There are numerous cases (including the wife of this writer) of people buying very average houses in the early 90s for [yen] 50 million and seeing their properties today worth less than [yen 30 million. Meanwhile, their 30-year bank mortgages are still up in the [yen] 35 to [yen] 40 million range--meaning the investment is under water. The pressure of falling prices on existing domestic housing stock appears to be ongoing, especially at the higher end Coordinates: For other places with the same name, see Billinge. Higher End or Billinge Higher End is a district of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. of the market. Century 21 Sky Realty's Ken Arbour tells us: "Rental prices on higher end apartments are still dropping, as much as 10 percent this year, so we assume that the value for such property is still declining as well--although not as much as last year. We think that the correction still has a little way to go, and we're not optimistic op·ti·mist n. 1. One who usually expects a favorable outcome. 2. A believer in philosophical optimism. op that it's over." He goes on to say: "If you are a prospective tenant, take advantage of the situation by asking your landlord to do proper renovations. We're seeing a lot more extensive work--not just wallpaper and carpeting--being done these days. Some landlords of more expensive properties will even pay for your move-in costs and other related fees. It pays to ask." New housing stock in downtown areas, however, seems to be enjoying somewhat of a renaissance, as Coyo CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. Yoichi Mizukami comments: "The trend is for retired couples to sell up the family home out in the suburbs and move back into the center of Tokyo. They want the convenience and entertainment that the city can offer. This has fueled the demand for office conversions to apartments and new condominiums." A recent Forbes article confirms this: "Behind the slowing decline in central Tokyo residential land prices is continued demand for condominiums and other dwellings in the city center, with prices now at more affordable levels and convenience increased by redevelopment projects." So it appears that those developers willing to invest time and creativity in making homes more livable liv·a·ble also live·a·ble adj. 1. Suitable to live in; habitable: a livable dwelling. 2. Possible to bear; endurable: livable trials and tribulations. are being rewarded. It also implies that demand is stable for downtown convenience. For this market segment at least, buying property could well make sense. Yamate Home's Takeda makes an interesting side comment. She says that they are getting inquiries from foreigners Foreigners alienage the condition of being an alien. androlepsy Law. the seizure of foreign subjects to enforce a claim for justice or other right against their nation. gypsyologist, gipsyologist Rare. overseas who are interested in buying a residence in Tokyo--something that didn't happen much in the past. Certainly, as more and more Asian families in particular discover the joys of shopping, and entertainment such as Disneyland, in Japan, the attraction of being able to come back on repeat visits increases--almost like keeping a condo in Hawaii. Although one imagines the sunset in Hamamatsucho is not quite the same as the one in Honolulu. Commercial sense As a March 2003 article in J@pan Inc revealed, Tokyo is the largest commercial office market in the world, with over 840 million square feet of office space in its 23 wards, according to a Morgan Stanley  To comply with Wikipedia's , the introduction of this article needs a complete rewrite. strategy report. So there can be little doubt that at a macro level demand will continue, especially since the demographic trend of people migrating from the countryside to the cities is continuing. On a micro level, however, the glut glut pronounced as rut, slut Vox populi An excess of a service or skilled labor in a particular area. See Physician glut. of new office space, coupled with the continued slow economy, has meant that the vacancy rate for offices is at an almost record high and rents are still dropping. According to local realtor Miki Shoji shoji In Japanese architecture, sliding partition doors and windows made of a latticework wooden frame and covered with a tough, translucent white paper. When closed, they softly diffuse light throughout the house. , the office vacancy rate in Tokyo's Central Business District (CBD (Component Based Development) Building applications with components (objects). See component software. CBD - component based development ) is 8.4 percent. But the future looks better than it has for a while. Space Design's Yamaji says of the commercial property market: "2003 has been a watershed year for property development in Tokyo. One big factor has been the redevelopment of JR East's Shiodome property. Where four years ago there were just some vacant railway marshalling yards marshalling yard Noun Railways a place where railway wagons are shunted and made up into trains Noun 1. marshalling yard - a railway yard in which trains are assembled and goods are loaded , now Shiodome boasts some of Japan's most modern and attractive office buildings. This major project offers everyone hope about urban renewal in the near future." TP Publishing's Mansfield notes that "prices have dropped to a point where, with good management, real estate can generate sufficient cash flow for investors to receive a good risk adjusted return." A recent Miki Shoji (www.e-miki.com) Tokyo real estate report says that in September 2003 in Tokyo there were 529,039 tsubo tsubo (tsōō·bō), n.pl mapped points on the body that correspond to and influence certain organs. Also called acupoints. (1.7 million square meters Noun 1. square meter - a centare is 1/100th of an are centare, square metre area unit, square measure - a system of units used to measure areas , or 18.8 million square feet) of vacant office space, an actual decrease of 6,054 tsubo over August. According to Miki, the demand for newly completed large buildings is excellent, and at least six major projects with floor space of more than 7,000 tsubo were able to achieve full or almost full occupancy when they opened. Further-more, Miki predicts that with a marked decrease in scheduled building completions in 2004, there should be a steady recovery of the Tokyo office market. Buying an office Just how feasible and beneficial is it for a foreign company to purchase its own real estate, versus simply renting office space or getting a serviced office? According to TP Publishing's Mansfield, the answer is simple: "Possible, but difficult." Part of the consideration is of course whether or not the company is really committed to staying in Japan for the 10 or more years it would take to make a return on the initial capital investment. And also whether the amount of space needed now will be the same amount required in l0 years time--probably an unlikely scenario. It appears that most foreign corporate real estate purchasing falls into two categories: investment and trophy buildings. The latter category includes a number of French designer brands enjoying buoyant demand for their high-end bags and other products. These companies are creating some quite unique fashion statements in Tokyo's Omotesando district, drawing hordes Hordes may refer to:
Apart from financial returns, a major consideration for investors buying a building in Japan is the laws concerning investment products and taxation on real estate investment. TP Publishing actually has a book on the subject, called The Real Estate Securitization Securitization The process of creating a financial instrument by combining other financial assets and then marketing them to investors. Notes: Mortgage backed securities are a perfect example of securitization. May also be spelled as "securitisation. Handbook, which can be found at their web site: www.transpacific trans·pa·cif·ic adj. 1. Situated on or coming from the other side of the Pacific Ocean. 2. Spanning or crossing the Pacific Ocean. .jp/p ublishing/eng/books/2002cres.html. If you're not into investment, then you are probably considering whether to rent or move to a serviced office. We asked both Space Design and Servcorp for comments on the economics of taking a serviced office. Servcorp's Martin comments: "Servcorp creates an environment where companies can focus on the core elements of their business. We ensure that valuable time is not wasted on searching for real estate, negotiating a long term lease with complex documentation, hiring and training secretarial staff, or setting up a communications system In telecommunication, a communications system is a collection of individual communications networks, transmission systems, relay stations, tributary stations, and data terminal equipment (DTE) usually capable of interconnection and interoperation to form an integrated whole. and IT. Furthermore, we can have you up and running within 24 hours." Space Design's Yamaji says: "Flexibility is a key point for companies considering a serviced office in Tokyo, and that's something we can provide. "Our office spaces come in varying sizes and degrees of accommodation. Some function almost like hotel rooms, with appropriate levels of service and hospitality, and others are more like conventional office spaces. Each BUREX office is intelligent and ready for use." Wrap up It appears that the general consensus is that the Tokyo real estate market at least has bottomed out and that prices will start to slowly recover from next year. None of our experts seem to think that we'll see a return to the overheated o·ver·heat v. o·ver·heat·ed, o·ver·heat·ing, o·ver·heats v.tr. 1. To heat too much. 2. To cause to become excited, agitated, or overstimulated. v.intr. prices of the 80[degrees]s, but they all agree that the level of vacancies will start to drop and thus slowly push up prices again. If you are a non-Japanese and are intending to buy, the view seems to be that you will need to hold the investment for a few years. If you're ready to do that, now is as good a time as any to make your move. However, before considering a purchase (an office or a house) for non-investment reasons, it is worth considering your own priorities and long-term view of staying in Japan--because Japanese real estate requires a long-term view. As we have seen, there are now a wide range of options for securing space in Tokyo, including rentals, refurbishments, conversions, serviced offices and apartments. The last word comes from Century 21 Sky Realty's Ken Arbour: "There are probably 10,000 foreign households in Tokyo. It is hard to think of any sector that is hiring a substantial number of people. Given the resulting lack of demand in the high-end sector, many upscale buildings are now being refurbished or redeveloped." For those seeking a deeper and more thorough analysis of the Tokyo real estate market, Information Management Network (IMN IMN Iraqi Media Network IMN Indicated Mach Number IMN Inter Member Network IMN Infectious Mononucleosis IMN Invisible Moose Network (website) IMN Illegal Macro Name IMN Internet Marketing Newsletter ), established in 1994 in New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. , will hold its Sixth Annual Summit on Real Estate Finance and Securitization in Japan on December 15 and 16 at the Hotel Okura. The summit promises to showcase the very latest industry developments via structured presentations, panel discussions and interactive audience participation sessions. We highly recommend this event to real estate fund managers, investors, property owners, top-level executives and entrepreneurs seeking Japanese market opportunities. Bring your questions and curiosity and be prepared to learn loads. Finally, while the investors are putting cash back into their asssets, it seems that tenants in this country truly have a buyer's market A Buyer's Market is the second novel in Anthony Powell's twelve-novel series, A Dance to the Music of Time. Published in 1952, it continues the story of narrator Nick Jenkins with his introduction into society after boarding school and university. . In short: It is a good time to be a property-seeking foreigner Foreigner All institutions and individuals living outside the United States, including US citizens living abroad, and branches, subsidiaries, and other affiliates abroad of US banks and business concerns; also central governments, central banks, and other official institutions of in Japan. BRICKS AND MORTAR A store (shop, supermarket, department store, etc.) in the real world. Contrast with clicks and mortar. INVESTING Real Estate in America: By Ray Klein, American Life Inc. www.amlife.us "ISN'T THERE A REAL estate bubble This article is about the general phenomenon of housing bubbles. For housing bubbles in various countries, see below. A real estate bubble or property bubble (or housing bubble in the US right now?" It's a question I'm asked often these days,, and it's an interesting question, because the real estate market in the US is so developed. and very specialized now, there is no simple yes/no answer. Yes, some areas, particularly residential property in major metropolitan areas, are expensive. And not Just in the US. I hear property owners in places as far as Sydney and Auckland talk about local housing bubbles. Others, like our investment area in downtown Seattle Downtown is the central business district of Seattle, Washington. It is fairly compact compared to other city centers on the West Coast because of its geographical situation: hemmed in on the north and east by hills, on the west by Elliott Bay, and on the south by reclaimed land , are still reasonably priced. Our category is commercial/ industrial, and our area has always had very low turnover. Warehouses are not sexy, but over the years have grown steadily. To get an idea of the breadth of the market Breadth of the market In the context of general equities, percentage of stocks participating in a particular market move. Technical analysts say there was significant breadth if two-thirds of the stocks listed on an exchange move in the same direction during a trading session. , take a look at only publicly traded real estate in the US: There are over 300 publicly listed REITs with over 20 specialties, and all levels of risk. Specialty can be by region, or by category. There are real estate companies that focus only on investing in mortgages, retail, warehouses, hospitals, residential, et cetera ET CETERA. A Latin phrase, which has been adopted into English; it signifies. "and the others, and so of the rest," it is commonly abbreviated, &c. 2. Formerly the pleader was required to be very particular in making his defence. (q.v. . Privately-owned investment real estate, however, vastly exceeds the value of the publicly held market. American Life's investments are private limited partnerships. Limited partnerships are the most common structure for multiple parties investing in US real estate. (Interestingly, it was the financing of the Empire State Building in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of that created the first limited partnership in the US.) In addition to specialization by industry category, real estate investments vary according to the financing model. This really boils down to the level of debt they incur. Some are highly leveraged, some less so. The tendency is to have some level of debt, often between 40 to 60 percent of asset value in the portfolio. Again, American Life has a conservative strategy, since we minimize and on most properties completely eliminate the debt. For long term investors, though, the reason for investing in real estate is for the income it produces. Of course, it's also important to be in a desirable area. Our property is located in a neighborhood undergoing gentrification gentrification, the rehabilitation and settlement of decaying urban areas by middle- and high-income people. Beginning in the 1970s and 80s, higher-income professionals, drawn by low-cost housing and easier access to downtown business areas, renovated deteriorating , which always enhances returns. As markets in paper-based investments like stocks and bonds become less certain, more investors are looking to the safety that hard assets like real estate provide. Real estate often makes sense as a component of one's investment portfolio. DIRECTORY American Life Inc. + 1-206-381-1690 3223 Third Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98134 USA 03-5575-5005 Fax: 03-5575-0877 TI Akasaka Bldg. 3F, 6-19-46 Akasaka Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052 www.amlife.us Contact person(s): Ray Klein Ray@americanlifeinc.com American Life Inc. invests in US real estate in prime locations in downtown Seattle, Washington. Our investment limited partnerships ore debt-free and produce immediate income to investors with potential for capitol gains Capitol Gains was a program focusing on political issues in Washington as they impact the economy, the business community and financial markets, aired weekdays from 8 to 8:30 AM ET on CNBC. Hosted by Peter Barnes. . American Life Inc. manages real estate limited partnerships that offer qualifed investors secure monthly income with excellent capital gain potential. The investment is secure because it is debt-free property in a high-demand region. The investment yields immediate income to investors, currently in excess of 6 percent per annum Per annum Yearly. . The properties are in a prime downtown location, Seattle, Washington  This page is protected from moves until disputes have been resolved on the .The reason for its protection is listed on the protection policy page. , home of the Mariners. Seattle is a growing city with a diverse economy, offering investors capital gain potential. Century 21 SKY Realty, Inc. 03-3585-0021 Fax: 03-3585-0399 Yatsuka Bldg. 1 F, 3-8, 1-Chome Higashi-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 106-0044 www.century21japan.com Contact person(s): Kenneth F. Arbour k.arbour@eentury21.ne.jp Century 21 Sky Realty Inc. is one of the major real estate companies in Tokyo serving the needs of the expatriate community. It is a company that not only provides apartments or houses or offices, but in our ability to consult expertly with our clients we are able to help them choose which neighborhoods in Tokyo may be best suited to them, and then which type of residence may be best suited to their needs and their budget. Our ability to listen to our clients is our talent. Information Management Network (IMN) +1-212-768-2800 ext. 353 Fax: + 1-212-768-2484 25 West 45th Street, 6F, New York, NY 10036 www.imn.org Contact person(s): David Gleyzer DGLEYZER@imn.org Market leader in organizing finance and investment Conferences. Based in New York City, the company is in its ninth year of operations with correspondent offices in London and Hang Kong. Space Design 03-3502-7777 Fax: 03-6215-8865 Nippon Television Tower 20F, 1-6-1 Higashishinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 105-7420 www.bureau.co.jp/1/content/11166.html Contact person(s): Ruth Jarman-Shiraishi bureau@space-d.co.jp Space Design is a leading serviced apartment hotel company. The company provides professionally designed furnished and unfurnished unfurnished Adjective not containing any furniture Adj. 1. unfurnished - not equipped with what is needed especially furniture; "an unfurnished apartment" apartments for short and mid-term stays in Tokyo. Facilities not found at regular apartments include: free always-on Internet, a 24-hour "virtual concierge" English-language hotline, all-inclusive rates, daytime concierge service and tourist information tourist information - Information in an on-line display that is not immediately useful, but contributes to a viewer's gestalt of what's going on with the software or hardware behind it. , and at the new Bureau Shinagawa building, a gym, restaurant and Japanese bath/sauna on the top floor. Servcorp K.K. 03-5288-5100 Fax: 03-5288-5111 AIG AIG addressee indicator group (US DoD) AIG American International Group, Inc AiG Answers in Genesis (religious group in defense of Scripture) AIG Artificial Intelligence Group AIG Australian Industry Group Bldg. 9F, 1-1-3 Marunouchi, Chiyodo-ku, Tokyo 163-0533 www.servcorp.net Contact person(s): Susie Martin offices@servcorp.co.jp The world's finest World's Finest may refer to:
TP Publishing 042-528-8283 Fax: 042-529-3350 Asunaro Bldg. 3F, 2-2-5 Shibazaki-cho, Tachikawa-shi, Tokyo 190-0023 www.transpacific.jp/publishing Contact person(s): Stephen Mansfield, Mike Mansfield, (Michael Joseph) Mike (1903– ) educator, U.S. representative/senator, diplomat; born in New York City. Raised in Montana, he dropped out of school at age 14 and served with the U.S. military from 1917 to 1922. He earned a B.A. and an M.A. Owen publishing@transpacific.jp TP Publishing translates and publishes business books and manuals, either from Japanese to English or vice versa VICE VERSA. On the contrary; on opposite sides. , that are relevant to doing business in Japan, or for Japanese to do business in the English speaking world. Yamate Homes Corporation 03-5766-7850 Fax: 03-5766-7851 Senkai Bldg. 1 F, 2-3-3, Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0002 www.yamate-homes.co.jp/english/ Contact person(s): Masami Kohara info@yamate-homes.co.jp Our agency provides superior real estate rental and purchasing consultation throughout the Tokyo metropolitan region. With over 10 years of experience assisting the employees of foreign companies, we know how to point you in the right direction and get you settled in the right place. |
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