I know this topic has been discussed several times here, however, I am still confused about it. I am on the verge of buying a house in Japan. Location would be most probably Yokohama or somewhere nearby in Kanagawa. I have a budget of 40M-60M. I have already looked at few model houses of the apartments and liked them (not a lot though, they had their merits and demerits). However, friends suggest me to buy a standalone house instead.
Me and soon to be wife (both non-Japanese and different countries) have our own houses back home. We would be in Japan for next 20+ yrs. We both work at different locations in Tokyo.
My reasons for NOT considering a house are:
1. Standalone houses are good but maybe not very easy to commute everyday to work as they are mostly outside city.
2.Also they are not very safe or reliable in case of flood or earthquakes.
3. Maintenance is difficult over ling period of time.
4. Higher property taxes.
People who have gone through similar dilemma, please advise.