Sachie Inabata
My encounter with real estate began in 2014 when my husband and I purchased our first home. As our family grew and we began to feel the constraints of space, we moved several times to accommodate our family’s needs, such as school commutes for the children and work commutes for the adults. However, we have always carefully balanced the idea of the “ideal home” with the property’s investment value.
We moved to Yokohama in 2020 during pandemic and lived in the condominium where I met many expat families as well as the international families who live in Japan for a longer term.
Some of them wanted to move to a bigger house and started to do some research on their own, but soon they faced difficulty especially when they did not have an ability to read or speak Japanese.
I totally understood how difficult it was for them because most of the real estate websites are written in Japanese and the communication with real estate agencies/ward office is most likely in Japanese.
When you buy a home, it is important to consider factors such as the surrounding environment, safety, school district, and of course the information about potential risks such as floods, landslides and even a mortgage comparison. But you could barely access this kind of information in English.
Right now, there are very few real estate agencies who are able to communicate in English. Also, it is hard to find a reliable real estate agency who knows the area well and openly communicates any pros and cons.
I started thinking there may be something I can help.
As a local expert with in-depth knowledge of the area, I can share valuable insights to help you find truly valuable real estate that meets your needs!