Financing
For investment properties there is currently no reasonable financing except in some cases by the Bank of China. For primary residence it is only attractive for Japanese citizens or permanent residents.
Banks
Mizuho, MUFG, Resona, Sumitomi
If you have permanent residency or are a Japanese citizen these Japanese banks will lend over 90% for a primary residency at very favorable rates. Also it might be possible to get an 80% loan for a second home for very competitive interest rates. This may be an investment property. To apply for a loan with any of these major banks just walk into your branch. Some companies have referral programs, so inquire with your HR department before applying.
In some cases Shinsei bank might issue a mortgage to a non-permanent resident if they are married to a Japanese. For primary residence their interest rates and Loan-To-Value are competitive with the major Japanese banks
Orix will lend to residents of Hong Kong. Loan-to-value maximum 50%, interest rate Libor + 2.9%, only newer buildings and larger deals.
Prestia Formerly Citibank
SMBC Prestia will lend for about 2% interest rate for a primary residence with a maximum Loan-to-Value of 70%. This interest rate is almost twice what Japanese banks charge, but in some cases they can accept non-permanent residents. They can also offer loans for investment properties, but will only accept properties less up to 25 years old. These properties have lower rental yields and suffer from depreciation.
Suruga Bank will lend on investment properties to permanent residents. The interest rate in that case is 4.6% floating. For an appointment contact Mr Itou at the MidTown branch. Phone number: 03 5411 2361 Email: iin2155@surugabank.co.jp.
We heard some reports that their Shibuya branch offers over 100% mortgages on old apartment buildings outside Tokyo through an intermediary real estate firm and their associated financial advisers. However given the limited price information for such buildings and areas this might be done through inflated appraisals, duplicate contracts and false deposits. Given the management issues in areas where these buildings are located and the extremely limited price information available, not to mention the dubious origin of the deposit, extreme caution is advised before taking on such a mortgage.
We have not heard NAB approving any loans. It looks their mortgage product is not available anymore.
BoT lends primarily to Taiwanese citizens. Their interest rate is around 2.8 to 3.5% with a LTV of up to 70% for primary residence. For investment properties the maximum loan length is 10 years, although it will likely be shorter for older properties. As a result their loan product does not seem suitable.
BOC only lends to Chinese or Japanese speakers with the following conditions
- The Loan-to-Value is maximum 50%
- The minimum loan size is 20 million yen.
- Building age has to be less than 40 years.
- Loan duration is maximum 15 years.
- Need to submit 3 years proof of income. Minimum annual income has to be more than 3 million yen.
Contact Mr.Hang at +81 90-6750-0949 for details (Chinese/Japanese only)
Commonwealth Bank Of Australian
CBA stopped lending in October 2010
Lloyds TSB International Mortgages
Lloyds lends on properties in many countries, but not on properties located in Japan. They will not even lend to residents of Japan on properties outside Japan either. Look here for the countries and corresponding interest rates they do service.
HSBC never really issued mortgages as all applications we heard of were declined. Now they have made this policy formal by not accepting any new applications anymore. This will save everybody time and effort. Interest Rates. On February 22 2012 HSBC announced that they will close their retail operation in Japan completely.
