Dear Diary Series: What's the Catch?
Episode 74 of the Buying a House in Japan podcast, hosted by Take Kurosawa, titled "Dear Diary Series: What's the Catch?" was published on April 11, 2025 and runs 28 minutes.
April 11, 2025 ·28m · Buying a House in Japan
Summary
It's hard to ignore the headlines: An urban condo for under $9,000. A European style bed & breakfast for $5,000. A traditional home for free. Too good to be true, right? Well, it depends. Having purchased a home for $3,500, Joey and Take walk through their personal experience, set realistic expectations for lower-budget properties, and outline what it actually takes financially—and personally—to buy a cheap Japanese home. 00:00 Introduction - Hello from New Mexico + First-ever AkiyaMart data insights 01:27 The Akiyas we've bought thus far 02:09 Akiya #1 - An off-market ski cabin with brittle bones 09:50 Akiya #2 - A struggle to long-term rent 15:04 Akiya #3 - A gorgeous seaside getaway 20:43 For prospective buyers who've never been to Japan… 22:27 Cheap home seekers: What to expect & how to behave 25:38 Don't obsess over the lowest price!
Episode Description
It’s hard to ignore the headlines: An urban condo for under $9,000. A European style bed & breakfast for $5,000. A traditional home for free. Too good to be true, right?
Well, it depends. Having purchased a home for $3,500, Joey and Take walk through their personal experience, set realistic expectations for lower-budget properties, and outline what it actually takes financially—and personally—to buy a cheap Japanese home.
00:00 Introduction - Hello from New Mexico + First-ever AkiyaMart data insights
01:27 The Akiyas we’ve bought thus far
02:09 Akiya #1 - An off-market ski cabin with brittle bones
09:50 Akiya #2 - A struggle to long-term rent
15:04 Akiya #3 - A gorgeous seaside getaway
20:43 For prospective buyers who’ve never been to Japan…
22:27 Cheap home seekers: What to expect & how to behave
25:38 Don't obsess over the lowest price!