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<channel>
	<title>The Japan Times &#187; HOME TRUTHS</title>
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	<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp</link>
	<description>News on Japan, Business News, Opinion, Sports, Entertainment and More</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Thu, 03 Oct 2013 01:51:17 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<item>
		<title>The build-up to get that housing loan</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/09/30/how-tos/the-build-up-to-get-that-housing-loan/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=the-build-up-to-get-that-housing-loan</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/09/30/how-tos/the-build-up-to-get-that-housing-loan/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 Sep 2013 14:00:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Philip Brasor  and Masako Tsubuku</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[housing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[property]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[real estate]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=461692</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Several years ago, we went to a bank in Tokyo that was advertising housing loans with easy terms. Though we weren&#8217;t shopping for a loan at the time we wanted to see what was needed in order to apply for one. The bank&#8217;s approval criteria seemed simple enough: If you made at least ¥3 million [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Housing loans: Nothing is 100 percent easy</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/09/02/how-tos/housing-loans-nothing-is-100-percent-easy/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=housing-loans-nothing-is-100-percent-easy</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/09/02/how-tos/housing-loans-nothing-is-100-percent-easy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 Sep 2013 14:00:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Philip Brasor  and Masako Tsubuku</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[housing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[housing loan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[property]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[real estate]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=436709</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The government has yet to confirm the timing of the approved consumption tax increase from 5 to 8 percent. It&#8217;s slated to take place next April but there is still fear that the economy is too frail to withstand the effect the added tax might have on actual consumption. Consequently, the government is thinking of [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/09/02/how-tos/housing-loans-nothing-is-100-percent-easy/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The aging issue of Chiba New Town</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/08/05/how-tos/the-aging-issue-of-chiba-new-town/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=the-aging-issue-of-chiba-new-town</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/08/05/how-tos/the-aging-issue-of-chiba-new-town/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 05 Aug 2013 14:00:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Philip Brasor  and Masako Tsubuku</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Chiba New Town]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[housing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[property]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[real estate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UR]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Urban Rennaissance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=423837</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Chiba New Town development project was begun in the late 1960s by the Chiba prefectural government, and a decade later, joined by the Land Development Corporation, the government housing organ that would morph into the Urban Renaissance (UR) Agency in 2004. It is located in the northern part of the prefecture and takes in [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/08/05/how-tos/the-aging-issue-of-chiba-new-town/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Moved by the benefits of mobile-home housing</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/07/02/how-tos/moved-by-the-benefits-of-mobile-home-housing/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=moved-by-the-benefits-of-mobile-home-housing</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/07/02/how-tos/moved-by-the-benefits-of-mobile-home-housing/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 01 Jul 2013 15:04:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Philip Brasor  and Masako Tsubuku</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[housing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[property]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[real estate]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=403697</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The model house sat on an empty patch of brown land along a commercial stretch of road in southern Ibaraki Prefecture. Few people would have identified it as a model house. It had a forlorn, out-of-place look to it. Technically, it was a mobile home &#8212; &#8220;trailer house,&#8221; in Japanese parlance &#8212; propped up on [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/07/02/how-tos/moved-by-the-benefits-of-mobile-home-housing/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Sometimes it pays to look on the bright side</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/06/04/how-tos/sometimes-it-pays-to-look-on-the-bright-side/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=sometimes-it-pays-to-look-on-the-bright-side</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/06/04/how-tos/sometimes-it-pays-to-look-on-the-bright-side/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 03 Jun 2013 15:00:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Philip Brasor  and Masako Tsubuku</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[housing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[property]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[real estate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[solar power]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=375590</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The flyers were provocative: New houses priced at more than ¥35 million, but the builder promised that the mortgage would amount to ¥0 a month. A free house is obviously too good to be true, but we decided to check out the merchandise to see what the story was. The houses had not yet been [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/06/04/how-tos/sometimes-it-pays-to-look-on-the-bright-side/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>On uneven ground: landfill property pitfalls</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/05/14/how-tos/on-uneven-ground-landfill-property-pitfalls/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=on-uneven-ground-landfill-property-pitfalls</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/05/14/how-tos/on-uneven-ground-landfill-property-pitfalls/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 13 May 2013 15:00:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Philip Brasor  and Masako Tsubuku</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[housing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[property]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[real estate]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=363094</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After the real estate agent unlocked the front door, the musty smell told us that the house had not been aired for some time. He laid out slippers for us and proceeded to raise the shutters and open the windows. Then, upon entering the kitchen he exclaimed, &#8220;Katamuite iru&#8221; (&#8220;It&#8217;s uneven&#8221;). We took out a [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/05/14/how-tos/on-uneven-ground-landfill-property-pitfalls/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>When remodeling isn&#8217;t quite a home improvement</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/04/02/how-tos/when-remodeling-isnt-quite-a-home-improvement/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=when-remodeling-isnt-quite-a-home-improvement</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/04/02/how-tos/when-remodeling-isnt-quite-a-home-improvement/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 01 Apr 2013 15:18:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Philip Brasor  and Masako Tsubuku</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[housing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[property]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[real estate]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=336458</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A year ago we looked at a 20-year-old apartment after it had just gone on sale in the city where we live, which is about an hour from Tokyo. It was large and sunny, but the walls needed to be re-papered and the floors replaced. The realtor told us that the ¥11.6 million asking price [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/04/02/how-tos/when-remodeling-isnt-quite-a-home-improvement/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Buying property in the age of Abenomics</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/03/05/how-tos/buying-property-in-the-age-of-abenomics/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=buying-property-in-the-age-of-abenomics</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/03/05/how-tos/buying-property-in-the-age-of-abenomics/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 04 Mar 2013 15:05:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Philip Brasor  and Masako Tsubuku</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Abenomics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[housing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[property]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[real estate]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=198341</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[According to most business media, now is the time to act if you are thinking about buying a home. Though the Liberal Democratic Party has yet to confirm that it will go ahead with the consumption tax increases the Democratic Party of Japan passed last year, it seems likely that the first hike to 8 [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/03/05/how-tos/buying-property-in-the-age-of-abenomics/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Building your home can come at quite a cost</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/02/04/how-tos/building-your-home-can-come-at-quite-a-cost/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=building-your-home-can-come-at-quite-a-cost</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/02/04/how-tos/building-your-home-can-come-at-quite-a-cost/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 04 Feb 2013 10:10:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Philip Brasor  and Masako Tsubuku</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[estate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[housing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[land]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lots]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[property]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[real]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vacant]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=125722</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[People in the market for new single-family houses usually don&#8217;t worry as much about the land those houses occupy because they tend to work with developers, who purchase huge tracts and then subdivide them. The customer buys the land and the house as a package, though the authorities see it as two purchases and assess [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/02/04/how-tos/building-your-home-can-come-at-quite-a-cost/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Checking out the real estate agents</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/01/01/how-tos/checking-out-the-real-estate-agents/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=checking-out-the-real-estate-agents</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/01/01/how-tos/checking-out-the-real-estate-agents/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Jan 2013 00:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Philip Brasor  and Masako Tsubuku</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Japan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[real estate agents]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/01/01/%community_category%/checking-out-the-real-estate-agents/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Several months ago we looked at a house that had been bought at auction by a housing company, fixed up and then put on the market. We found it among the listings on the home page of a realtor we&#8217;ve dealt with in the past, and he agreed to show it to us. It was [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/01/01/how-tos/checking-out-the-real-estate-agents/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Japan&#8217;s part-time landlords are overestimating single-tenant needs</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/12/04/how-tos/japans-part-time-landlords-are-overestimating-single-tenant-needs/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=japans-part-time-landlords-are-overestimating-single-tenant-needs</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/12/04/how-tos/japans-part-time-landlords-are-overestimating-single-tenant-needs/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 04 Dec 2012 00:00:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Philip Brasor  and Masako Tsubuku</dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://aws.japantimes.co.jp/life/2012/12/04/%life_category%/japans-part-time-landlords-are-overestimating-single-tenant-needs/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In an effort to cut costs, electronics maker Sharp has announced that it is transferring its struggling liquid crystal display business from factories in Kameyama, Mie Prefecture, to factories in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture. In 2004, the Kameyama facility started making large LCD screens for TVs and more workers were hired. Sales of TVs have since [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/12/04/how-tos/japans-part-time-landlords-are-overestimating-single-tenant-needs/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Japan&#8217;s part-time landowners are overestimating single-tenant needs</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/12/04/how-tos/japans-part-time-landowners-are-overestimating-single-tenant-needs/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=japans-part-time-landowners-are-overestimating-single-tenant-needs</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/12/04/how-tos/japans-part-time-landowners-are-overestimating-single-tenant-needs/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 04 Dec 2012 00:00:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Philip Brasor  and Masako Tsubuku</dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/12/04/%community_category%/japans-part-time-landowners-are-overestimating-single-tenant-needs/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In an effort to cut costs, electronics maker Sharp has announced that it is transferring its struggling liquid crystal display business from factories in Kameyama, Mie Prefecture, to factories in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture. In 2004, the Kameyama facility started making large LCD screens for TVs and more workers were hired. Sales of TVs have since [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/12/04/how-tos/japans-part-time-landowners-are-overestimating-single-tenant-needs/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Danchi housing lets you think outside the usual box</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/11/06/how-tos/danchi-housing-lets-you-think-outside-the-usual-box/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=danchi-housing-lets-you-think-outside-the-usual-box</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/11/06/how-tos/danchi-housing-lets-you-think-outside-the-usual-box/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 06 Nov 2012 00:00:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Philip Brasor  and Masako Tsubuku</dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/11/06/%community_category%/danchi-housing-lets-you-think-outside-the-usual-box/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Japanese housing experts have a list of casual terms to describe the layouts of apartments and condominiums: kamaboko (fish paste), yokan-giri (sliced bean jelly), ta no ji (rice paddy ideograph) and chocolate bars. What these terms have in common is geometrical utility. All are rectangles that can be easily divided into smaller rectangles, thus conveying [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Second homes may be cheap, but they are often in disrepair</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/10/02/how-tos/second-homes-may-be-cheap-but-they-are-often-in-disrepair/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=second-homes-may-be-cheap-but-they-are-often-in-disrepair</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/10/02/how-tos/second-homes-may-be-cheap-but-they-are-often-in-disrepair/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Oct 2012 00:01:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Philip Brasor  and Masako Tsubuku</dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/10/02/%community_category%/second-homes-may-be-cheap-but-they-are-often-in-disrepair/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Atami The ad said the property was 2 km from Ajiro Station on the Ito Line, but it was difficult to tell how far we were traveling in the agent&#8217;s car. Most of the trip was up a steep, winding road into the hills above Atami on the Izu Peninsula, an area developed in the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/10/02/how-tos/second-homes-may-be-cheap-but-they-are-often-in-disrepair/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The size of your dog could depend on your landlord</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/08/07/how-tos/the-size-of-your-dog-could-depend-on-your-landlord/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=the-size-of-your-dog-could-depend-on-your-landlord</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/08/07/how-tos/the-size-of-your-dog-could-depend-on-your-landlord/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 07 Aug 2012 00:00:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Philip Brasor  and Masako Tsubuku</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[A 53-year-old woman was recently arrested after she moved out of a 50-sq.-meter rental apartment in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, leaving behind 26 dogs. She hadn&#8217;t paid her rent for some time and went missing in early June. By the time someone entered her apartment on July 3, one of the dogs was already dead. She [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/08/07/how-tos/the-size-of-your-dog-could-depend-on-your-landlord/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Dip into the history of the Japanese &#8216;system bath&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/07/03/how-tos/dip-into-the-history-of-the-japanese-system-bath/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=dip-into-the-history-of-the-japanese-system-bath</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/07/03/how-tos/dip-into-the-history-of-the-japanese-system-bath/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Jul 2012 00:00:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Philip Brasor  and Masako Tsubuku</dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/07/03/%community_category%/dip-into-the-history-of-the-japanese-system-bath/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Japanese people love their evening bath, but tubs in private residences are a relatively recent development. By 1963, only 60 percent of Japanese homes had them. The small amount of living space necessitated by economic reality, not to mention the paucity of indoor plumbing, couldn&#8217;t accommodate bathrooms, and the sent&#333;, or public bath, provided enough [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/07/03/how-tos/dip-into-the-history-of-the-japanese-system-bath/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>At times, there&#8217;s no getting away from the neighbors</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/06/05/how-tos/at-times-theres-no-getting-away-from-the-neighbors/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=at-times-theres-no-getting-away-from-the-neighbors</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/06/05/how-tos/at-times-theres-no-getting-away-from-the-neighbors/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 05 Jun 2012 00:02:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Philip Brasor  and Masako Tsubuku</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[The house we were inspecting in Shiroi, Chiba Prefecture, looked better and larger in the photos that the realtor had posted on its website. Those pictures had been taken with a wide angle lens at the eastern side of the house, which bordered a leafy promenade. To the north and south of the house, however, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/06/05/how-tos/at-times-theres-no-getting-away-from-the-neighbors/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Who you buy a home from can make a big difference in price</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/05/01/how-tos/who-you-buy-a-home-from-can-make-a-big-difference-in-price/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=who-you-buy-a-home-from-can-make-a-big-difference-in-price</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/05/01/how-tos/who-you-buy-a-home-from-can-make-a-big-difference-in-price/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 May 2012 00:00:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Philip Brasor  and Masako Tsubuku</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[We met the real estate agent at Honda Station on the Sotobo Line in Chiba Prefecture. As we drove to the property we talked about the area. Though a typically cramped Japanese bedroom community, it&#8217;s a bit older than most, so the houses were more varied in shape and size, with wider spaces between them, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/05/01/how-tos/who-you-buy-a-home-from-can-make-a-big-difference-in-price/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Little houses crammed in a big city</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/04/03/how-tos/little-houses-crammed-in-a-big-city/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=little-houses-crammed-in-a-big-city</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/04/03/how-tos/little-houses-crammed-in-a-big-city/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:02:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Philip Brasor  and Masako Tsubuku</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[The neighborhood of Minami Senju in Tokyo&#8217;s Arakawa Ward is serviced by three train lines that provide easy, quick access to all parts of the city and beyond. East of these lines is an area called Shioiri, highlighted by a relatively new urban development complex centered around high-rise condominiums and rental apartments. To the west [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/04/03/how-tos/little-houses-crammed-in-a-big-city/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Don&#8217;t judge a house by its exterior</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/03/06/how-tos/dont-judge-a-house-by-its-exterior/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=dont-judge-a-house-by-its-exterior</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/03/06/how-tos/dont-judge-a-house-by-its-exterior/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 06 Mar 2012 00:01:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Philip Brasor  and Masako Tsubuku</dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/03/06/%community_category%/dont-judge-a-house-by-its-exterior/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The house stood out among its neighbors: not because of its box shape or the tall ham-radio tower planted in the parking space, but because of its bold two-tone exterior of wine red interrupted by sections of gray. The company that built it keeps costs down by not erecting model homes, so the salesman brought [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/03/06/how-tos/dont-judge-a-house-by-its-exterior/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The rise and fall of property taxes</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/01/03/how-tos/the-rise-and-fall-of-property-taxes/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=the-rise-and-fall-of-property-taxes</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/01/03/how-tos/the-rise-and-fall-of-property-taxes/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Jan 2012 00:01:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Philip Brasor  and Masako Tsubuku</dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/01/03/%community_category%/the-rise-and-fall-of-property-taxes/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There are many incentives for buying a home. One of them is to simply get out of paying rent &#8212; but that isn&#8217;t to say that once you own your residence there aren&#8217;t costs that have to be paid on a regular basis. If it&#8217;s a house it must be maintained, and if it&#8217;s a [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/01/03/how-tos/the-rise-and-fall-of-property-taxes/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>If you can&#8217;t afford the land, why not just buy the house?</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/12/06/how-tos/if-you-cant-afford-the-land-why-not-just-buy-the-house/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=if-you-cant-afford-the-land-why-not-just-buy-the-house</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/12/06/how-tos/if-you-cant-afford-the-land-why-not-just-buy-the-house/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:00:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Philip Brasor  and Masako Tsubuku</dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/12/06/%community_category%/if-you-cant-afford-the-land-why-not-just-buy-the-house/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The real estate agent picked us up in a company car at Takayanagi Station in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture, about an hour and 15 minutes commuting time north of central Tokyo. The car had long scratches on the side, probably incurred during attempts to park in unfamiliar spaces, and we drove to the property through dense [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/12/06/how-tos/if-you-cant-afford-the-land-why-not-just-buy-the-house/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Japan&#8217;s &#8216;new towns&#8217; are finally getting too old</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/11/01/how-tos/japans-new-towns-are-finally-getting-too-old/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=japans-new-towns-are-finally-getting-too-old</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/11/01/how-tos/japans-new-towns-are-finally-getting-too-old/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:02:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Philip Brasor  and Masako Tsubuku</dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/11/01/%community_category%/japans-new-towns-are-finally-getting-too-old/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In September, real estate developer Tokyo Tatemono started to demolish the Suwa Ni-chome apartments in the western Tokyo region of Tama. The Suwa danchi (housing development) was an integral part of Tama New Town, which opened in 1971. Of the various &#8220;new towns&#8221; built in the late 1960s and &#8217;70s by the government to create [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/11/01/how-tos/japans-new-towns-are-finally-getting-too-old/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Buying a brand new home: cookie cutter or order made?</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/10/04/how-tos/buying-a-brand-new-home-cookie-cutter-or-order-made/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=buying-a-brand-new-home-cookie-cutter-or-order-made</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/10/04/how-tos/buying-a-brand-new-home-cookie-cutter-or-order-made/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 04 Oct 2011 00:01:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Philip Brasor  and Masako Tsubuku</dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/10/04/%community_category%/buying-a-brand-new-home-cookie-cutter-or-order-made/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We went for the six-pack of beer, which the manufactured-housing company was giving away to the first 10 people who came to inspect its new model homes. Competition is fierce among Japan&#8217;s many manufactured home builders, and the one we were visiting is No. 10 in terms of units sold per year, though given the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/10/04/how-tos/buying-a-brand-new-home-cookie-cutter-or-order-made/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Once settled in, chances are you&#8217;ll have to pay to stay</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/08/02/how-tos/once-settled-in-chances-are-youll-have-to-pay-to-stay/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=once-settled-in-chances-are-youll-have-to-pay-to-stay</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/08/02/how-tos/once-settled-in-chances-are-youll-have-to-pay-to-stay/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Aug 2011 00:02:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Philip Brasor  and Masako Tsubuku</dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/08/02/%community_category%/once-settled-in-chances-are-youll-have-to-pay-to-stay/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In 1946, Japan was in ruins. The housing shortage was severe and inflation was high, so the government issued a directive to freeze rental fees. To make up for the perceived loss of income, property owners came up with supplemental fees &#8212; renewal fees, called koshinry&#333;, and &#8220;gift money&#8221; or reikin, a mandatory gratuity that [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Your dream home could become a quake nightmare</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/07/05/how-tos/your-dream-home-could-become-a-quake-nightmare/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=your-dream-home-could-become-a-quake-nightmare</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/07/05/how-tos/your-dream-home-could-become-a-quake-nightmare/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 05 Jul 2011 00:00:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Philip Brasor  and Masako Tsubuku</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[Like other people in the Tokyo metropolitan area who were living in a high-rise when the March 11 earthquake struck, we subsequently decided to move. The problem was not the structural integrity of our building, which was not damaged at all. According to a survey by the Condominium Management Companies Association, even high-rises in the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/07/05/how-tos/your-dream-home-could-become-a-quake-nightmare/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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