Foreclosed property opportunities in the USA

It is getting to the point where Australians and NZ'ers, indeed Canadians and South Africans, Chileans and Brazilians, indeed the people's from all commodity-producing countries might want to consider buying foreclosed property in the United States.

The reasons are clear in this article “Bank of America lifts foreclosure freeze in 23 states” by Charles Riley, staff reporter, Yahoo News, website, 19th Oct 2010:

"All told, 1.8 million loans are in foreclosure in the 23 so-called judicial states, while 1.3 million are pending elsewhere in the country, according to a Morgan Stanley analyst report".

The implication of this article is that there is a great deal of property in the United States, principally California, Florida, Nevada and Wisconsin from my understanding, which is offered at very low prices, at a time when the USD is very cheap. I believe the USD has bottomed against the Yen, so buying property makes even more sense for Japanese and European buyers, as I believe it will be the Europeans and Japanese which are going to see the greatest currency debasement moving forward. It is of course all good news for 'hard currency' commodity producers.

The other appealing market for foreclosed property is Japan. In fact, this market is more appealing because the yields on property are 13% now, whereas the US market will never be so attractive. One might wonder however....does one want to invest in debasing currencies? That need not concern you so long as you hold real assets like property. The question you need to ask is whether there will be an eventual market for your property, so this depends on questions like:

1. Is it imminent that Japan will open up to immigration?

2. Will US population (or immigration) growth absorb all the new property?

3. What is the base value of US property? Japan I would suggest has already bottomed.

4. How long will it take for the USA foreclosed properties to clear?

The other question is - do you want to invest, or is this purely a lifestyle property. I bought one of each in Japan...a dormitory 1hr from Tokyo, and a more distant investment property in a tourist area offering 13% yield. You can buy a house in rural Japan for as little as $US10,000. In the USA, you will pay from $US30,000. It is hard to imagine a place in Japan which would pose a threat. I don't even both insuring my property in Japan. Its so safe. Some properties are cheaper than land value if they burned down. In Japan, only foreigners with generous holidays can utilise these properties because the Japan Rail Pass is such a 'bonus' for foreign tourists. Japanese people pay $300 to go from Tokyo to Fukuoka...foreigners can travel in Japan for up to a week for that cost.....unlimited travel on Japan Rail lines...including the Shinkansen. A great country to holiday and visit. If you have not travelled up these remote river valleys by train, you have indeed missed an experience. I have acquired several JR Passes for this purpose...always returning to my Tokyo base most nights. i.e. I would board a JR Shinjuku train at 6AM to say Niiagata, then I would get there at 8AM, so I was free to explore the countryside in local trains for the day, before returning on the 'bullet train' at 4-5PM, so I'd be back in Tokyo for dinner.

There I would enjoy some jazz or blues in Nerima basement restaurant, or a beer in a izakaya, or the Hub English pub chain. I particularly like a bar in Nerima which serves Hoegarden beer on tap...its my favourite beer...aside from Londonite (India)....a place I'd never go back to enjoy it.

Yep... I love Japan. I'm going back this May 2011. Love it!

NZ Property Guide Philippine Real Estate Guide Japan Foreclosed Guide

Author Andrew Sheldon| Applied Critical Thinking | www.SheldonThinks.com

Japanese residents for Philippines property?

Anyone in Japan interested in taking advantage in the forthcoming weakness in the Yen. The Philippines just might be the place to buy an investment property. See my forex report, but consider that Philippine banks in Japan are offering loans to buy property in the Philippines. I'm not sure if this is just for expat Filipinos, but I see no reason why there would be such a restriction. Anyway, you can ask yourself. The Philippine banks in Japan are BPI, BDO, Metrobank, Union and Philippines National Bank (PNB). I note that PNB has an office in Tokyo - see here for details. They offer loans to Filipinos and foreigners, whether or not you are married to a Filipino.

I would be interested if lenders can avail of those low-interest Japanese funds in order to buy property abroad? Worth finding out. Actually the rates are on their website. I believe you can get rates of 10% in the Philippines for a 5 year term, compared to just 6.5% in Japan for loans on Philippine property. See here.

NZ Property Guide Philippine Real Estate Guide Japan Foreclosed Guide

Author Andrew Sheldon| Applied Critical Thinking | www.SheldonThinks.com

Australian dollar forex trade with property twist

I just noticed an increase in orders for my Japan Foreclosed Property Report. Interestingly I was just looking at the currency markets when an order came in...maybe some of you were struck by the same thought. I have made several posts about the impending realignment in currencies. The big news is that we about to see a collapsing Yen and a corresponding high Australian dollar. i.e. The Yen carry trade is about to have a 2nd breath of life. If you jump on this trade, you will be set to buy a foreclosed property in Japan at the end of it. Check out the chart on my forex blog.

My thoughts are that you could buy AUD:JPY as a CFD contract with a group like CMC Markets in Australia, then at the end of the trade, you liquidate and buy a property in Japan. See www.cmcmarkets.com.au.

NZ Property Guide Philippine Real Estate Guide Japan Foreclosed Guide

Author Andrew Sheldon| Applied Critical Thinking | www.SheldonThinks.com

The cost of living and property overseas

For those interested in buying (foreclosed) property in the Asia-Pacific region, we think value-wise, Japan and the Philippines make a lot of sense. Of course value is absolute as well as relative, and one needs to consider these values from your perspective of value. This I have done, and it has culminated in reports on the Philippines, New Zealand and Japan. If you like the Philippines, you might also like Thailand. Japan has a great appeal to many young and old because of its rich cultural experience, great services and infrastructure. Mind you a great many Westerners these days go to the Philippines for medical treatment on the cheap. I have used one of the private hospitals and they do have experiences, Western-educated doctors. Anyway, the property reports aside, if you are interested in the countries, then I have blogs pertaining to these countries where I explore more of the issues living in these countries.

1. Living in NZ - In this blog I also talk a lot about Australia - my home country - as they have similarities, and people interested in NZ are usually interested in Australia.

2. Living in Japan

3. Living in the Philippines

There are of course other countries where you can live and even buy property, however I find these countries the least restrictive in the Asia-Pacific. i.e. You can stay in the Philippines by extending your tourist visa for 18 months before you have to leave. But they don't mind if you come right back. Its just a question of paying around P1500 per month. You can stay in Japan for 3 months. They will let you extend, or you can leave & re-enter, in which case they will ask questions, unless you have a girlfriend who will sponsor you. I did, and was able to stay there over 2 years. I also worked these on another occasion. Teaching English is a great way to get sponsored to live in Japan...if you have a BSc/BA degree. NZ allows you to stay 3 months, but you can extend for 6 months (which is the mnimum property lease period), and its easy enough to go to Australia for another 6 months if you want to stick around the region. Many young and elderly people live from campervans in these countries.

NZ Property Guide Philippine Real Estate Guide Japan Foreclosed Guide

Author Andrew Sheldon| Applied Critical Thinking | www.SheldonThinks.com

The humble chopstick - money making miracle

Today I would like to pay homage to the chopstick. After purchasing a property several years ago I greatly profited from the humble chop stick. Far from being simply a eating implement, it is also a versatile cleaning tool. Upon purchasing a property in Japan, some of you will simply contract a local cleaner to clean your home. I did it myself and to good effect thanks to the chopstick. It is particularly useful for cleaning the grime around the bathroom and window frames. You simply break the sticks into 'edged' implements and you get considerable value from what is otherwise a free give-away from your local take-away store.

The other treasure when you are buying a home is the Cainz Home Hardware chain. If or when I buy my next foreclosed property, I will be sure to buy near a Cainz Home store because they simply make renovation very easy. Their products are very reasonably priced, and with so many staff, you are bound to find someone with some level of English skill. They are so helpful I was even able to work things out with sign language, as I have limited Japanese. Check out their website for a location guide to their stores.

Another treasure for me is the Hoka Hoka-tei take-away chain store. I swear you do not want to be located too far away from one of these chain stores. They offer a great array of healthy take away meals for very reasonable prices. I used to always get a salmon and rice dish for Y380 ($US5). Very good meals. Make sure you live near one of those...they are everywhere. You will find them overseas these days, but its not the same menu as in Japan. eg. I have seen them in Australia, the Philippines, but that is a Westernised menu, with a far smaller range of choices.

In Japan they have over 2,000 franchise outlets. Sadly their store locator is only in Japanese, and the Google translator will not work with the Flash software. However, if you click on any 'graphical' 'prefectural button on the map, you will have the option of a scroll-selection in English if you remain in Google Translator, so you can find your nearest store.

The implication is that buying, renovating and living in Japan can be VERY CHEAP. Yes, contrary to popular belief life in Japan is not always the rip-off you might have believed. Food is expensive, but you can eat at izakayas very reasonably. The cost of drinking these days is also very reasonable. I often go to The Hub as a drinking venue in Tokyo and other cities because they attract a lot of foreigners, or Japanese people who want to meet foreigners.

I don't drink much now but the roof-top bars are also good value in you like summer drinking on top of shopping malls. The utilities and eating out in Japan are still expensive, but there are work arounds....some of which are not available in other countries. I can keep my electricity connected for months on a basic monthly service fee in I email them. You can also get pre-paid internet services which make a lot of sense. House insurance is very cheap, as is local government rates. Public transport in Japan is very expensive for inter-city travel, but if you get a few Japan Rail Passes before you go....its exceptionally cheap.

NZ Property Guide Philippine Real Estate Guide Japan Foreclosed Guide

Author Andrew Sheldon| Applied Critical Thinking | www.SheldonThinks.com

Australian property - is it overpriced?

There is no question that Australian property is over-valued. But we need to acknowledge that it is for structural reasons, and just as the Chinese govt is keeping its currency artificially low, the Australian govt is keeping its property prices artificially high. The Chinese govt using currency regulation; and the Australian govt uses land use regulation. So much for the communist-democratic dichotomy. Near-perfect synergy if you ask me....so we will meet somewhere in the middle, but since we will end up selling our individualistic souls in the process...engaging in moral relativism or moral scepticism if you prefer...we will end up with global collectivism...with govts working in synergy to control your lives. This is probably reason enough to have property or other assets dispersed all around the world. You know about having a diversified asset portfolio...well this is reason enough to spread your exposure. Governments are playing lottery with your money...and lives. The reason they hardly persecute anyone anymore is because you are drowned out by PC-compliant media and organisations, and because they have your money. Is there a conspiracy...its not centralised....and certainly not so conceptually well-planned. Its an alignment of economically and politically compatible interests. They don’t even realise what they are doing to their national values.

So back to the Australian property market. The IMF says the Australian property market is overvalued....Duh! It has been for a decade. The issue is whether its going to fall. The answer is no...at least not nationwide. They might do a few ‘strategically’ placed land releases to the poor, but expect the Australian govt to control prices. You might think they cannot do this. They can so long as they control interest rates (and they do) and the China has a requirement for our commodities. This will be the case for 20 years so no problem. We cannot therefore expect huge increases in Australian property, but you can reasonably expect good growth. Probably bubble? Not likely...at least not for the next 10 years. Strong commodity prices are going to demand interest rate increases. Expect a strong currency too as property prices rise. The AUD is going to break parity with the USD, and do even better. Yep we are probably looking at 1.15. Why? Paradoxically because of high property debt which will give Australians some sensitivity towards excessive consumption. The problem of course is greater import penetration. In a weak global market foreign enterprises will be targeting Australia. So in the long term, we might expect import penetration to balance out those currency gains. Govt spending will also have an impact. The high prices can be expected to remain in the cities because of strong population growth and employment.

NZ Property Guide Philippine Real Estate Guide Japan Foreclosed Guide

Author Andrew Sheldon| Applied Critical Thinking | www.SheldonThinks.com

Dealing with overlapping foreclosed property boundaries

NZ Property Guide Philippine Real Estate Guide Japan Foreclosed Guide

Author Andrew Sheldon| Applied Critical Thinking | www.SheldonThinks.com

A person has asked me a question about foreclosed property. From the outset can I say, I love to help people. The problem is that I have the power to help a great many people through books and the internet, and would like to do so in the interests of the greatest number. I also have a personal interest:

1. Your best interests. I put a lot of thought into the book. Asking me questions on the fly is going to waste my time, and offer you a less than satisfying answer. If this person purchased the book, that is fine, but I believe I dealt with this question in the book. In any respect, the purpose of this website is to apply the principles of critical thinking to investment - that is 'your critical thinking'...not mine. Its ok to make a mistake, so long as you self-reflect, learn and improve. I cannot provide self-assurance through every real estate transaction, I can only offer a minimal service. Real estate agents charge huge fees for a customised service. Partly I want to offer a reply to this because he might have received bad advice...depending on his circumstances...only he should decide.

2. Sustaining myself. This is not a non-profit exercise. The less money I make from books, the more time I have to invest and trade stocks. The two do not go together very well, because there is a huge compulsion for me to watch the equity markets, which means researching stocks. This can involve researching entire industries. For this reason, in the long term writing has to be profitable.

I do answer questions when asked on most occasions, however I would hope you would just buy the book because that is why I wrote it, and I really want to finish other books....and of course I need to watch my gold stocks. :)

Now - problems with houses overlapping property boundaries

The writer asks....[I summarise for the sake of privacy]....

I have saved up about US$10,000, so I am aiming for a cheap rural property to start off with. I am looking at a place in a rural area with a minimum bid of about $8,000, the agent I am dealing with has told me to let it go and wait for another property because as it seems, part of the house (literally not even a foot of the corner) is technically on the neighbours property. The house is huge, with enough room for a garden in the back and is in a good location for what I need, so I really don't want to pass up a house in my price range just because the neighbours might try to muscle some cash from me.

I just thought maybe you could give me an opinion on what I should do because you actually know what you are talking about.I was thinking I should bid anyway, and hopefully get it for $9,000-10,000. Then try meeting the neighbours, explaining my situation, befriending them and hopefully they won't mind that a foot of my house goes into their massive block of land. If they were hostile, I could always just renovate the house, as the actual part that is on their property isn't part of the main house and I could either knock it down or hire someone in to renovate the corner off and keep the house within my limits. Or a third option, I thought I could offer the neighbours some cash for the 1-2m strip of land that borders our two properties. Those are just some thoughts I had to get around this obstacle, as I have definitely fallen for this property and really don't want to lose this chance.

My response is that if the property is perfect than you should buy it...but is it perfect. Identifying such 'hot opportunities' is what investment is all about. Japanese people don't like to deal with conflict. If you are a Westerner dealing with a foreigner, they might have contempt for you. Some are very friendly and accommodating though, so it can do either way. There is good news...they cannot demand that you destroy your home, and they cannot destroy it under some vexing threat. They could take you to court, but Japanese tend not to do that. In most cases a person will negotiate to swap some land, i.e. I had a house like that, and the counterpart gave me extra land, and I gave him extra carspace. Some might not want more land in this economy, and might want more money....and they might want excessive money, and treat you with disrespect, so this is the risk, and this is partly why the property is cheap...but its also cheap because its rural. For this reason, I think you could have a gem. Congrats on finding it! But don't jump yet...Why take risks you don't need to. Why not talk to the neighbour and get an agreement before you buy. There is of course the risk he might bid as well. Hmmm...Difficult issue...but not a lot of money to waste. The issue is I think awareness of costs. It might cost you Y50,000 for a surveyor to resurvey the land, and then you need to have the title transferred. I can't recall what I paid for that....maybe another Y50,000. Hopefully you will not have to pay for land, if you can swap. If he is extortive in buying off the 'offending land', it is his concern because you are using it rent free. He can only take you to court....but the issue is...he can make you pay 'psychologically', so you might need to have a stronger 'stoic' personality...and thus like stress. If its a rural person, they can get the community against you. I personally think its far easier if you have a Japanese wife to help negotiate a settlement. Foreigners smell like roses if there is a Japanese person involved. I would suggest that you try get an easement for the land, as well as the mere property boundaries...and I would suggest you ought to give him the better land in any swap, and pay for any surveying. So I think its a good deal for you..as its incremental expenditure....and it could go really well.

I also think a 'corner' of a property is easy for the neighbour to excise, but it will depend on the specifics...but its probably true he does not benefit from any of your land. This is a common problem in Japan. If you have a problem, maybe you can get a public notary, a local govt legal advisor or a person they respect to adjudicate. Or any children they have if they speak your language. Most Japanese children hate their parents, so you might have a real ally. :) joke lan.

I think you should not wait....and I'd just take the risk because if its so cheap, you are merely scaring the neighbour into buying it themselves, as they might not want to live near a foreigner....particularly as its so cheap. Even if they have no money, they may badger their kids in the city to buy it for them. I think its a prize - grab it if its a decent place to live...there are plenty of such houses in depopulating Japan.

Anyway, here is my answer! Bargain, but as a lifestyle block...hard to sell because of depopulation, and it might be hard to rent to Japanese, so try foreigners, as it sounds like you will be close to international airport. Personally, you might find the agent is your competition. Don't deal with agents...or maybe he is just not a critical thinker. I find asking uncritical thinkers can only cloud your good judgement. Be strong! Japanese are overtly 'too safe' so they don't work through problems readily if they can pay more to go around them.

Thank you for confirming 'independently' that there are real bargains in Japan....and so close to an international airport....for foreign buyers. Well done! Glad you asked the question. :) Frankly, you had me at hello! lol