I had a good experience with SMBC Prestia, their CitiBank division. They just asked for 2 years taxes and wanted me to have a house in mind before applying. They spoke English.
MUFJ on the other hand basically escorted me out of the building (at their main branch, at the Intl counter) because I don’t speak Japanese. Humiliating. Oof, that lady was so condescending despite me having 50% cash down and my taxes in order. I get angry every time I see their logo. Anyway, my house is paid. I won.
Generally you find the place then get the loan.
I am an American real estate agent in Shinjuku. Real estate agents like me keep constant tabs on what the banks are offering in terms of rates and fees, and we know from direct experience which banks are giving out loans and which are pulling back, becoming more reluctant to loan to foreigners. Another commenter here who bought a house three years ago can give you a general view of the process, and the specific benefits of working with a particular bank, but things change very quickly in the banking world, so you should also consult a professional.
Another thing. If you want to try to get a loan pre-approval it helps if you have a concrete example of a house or condo that you want to buy. What kind of loan you qualify is a function of your income and status together with the size and condition of the property itself. A pro real estate agent can show you properties that are easy to get a loan for, and explain why other properties may be impossible to finance.
The very first thing to do is set a budget. Then plan to pay 10 to 20% of that budget at the time of purchase.
Then find a house.
Then ask different banks, knowing that some will reject you while some others will give you very good conditions.
Then sign the contract for the house and only after that you sign the contract for the loan.
We literally went through the process and bought a house in May of this year.
You find a place you like and talk to the relator that is showing you the house. They will help navigate finding what bank will work with you. Be ready for a lot of refusals if you don’t have PR and/or a Japanese spouse.
It’s really a lot of paperwork. Get your hanko made and registered before you begin because you will need one. You’ll likely need to be able to at least write a little Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji but they should provide an application you can practice on/figure out what you need to write.
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I had a good experience with SMBC Prestia, their CitiBank division. They just asked for 2 years taxes and wanted me to have a house in mind before applying. They spoke English.
MUFJ on the other hand basically escorted me out of the building (at their main branch, at the Intl counter) because I don’t speak Japanese. Humiliating. Oof, that lady was so condescending despite me having 50% cash down and my taxes in order. I get angry every time I see their logo. Anyway, my house is paid. I won.
Generally you find the place then get the loan.
I am an American real estate agent in Shinjuku. Real estate agents like me keep constant tabs on what the banks are offering in terms of rates and fees, and we know from direct experience which banks are giving out loans and which are pulling back, becoming more reluctant to loan to foreigners. Another commenter here who bought a house three years ago can give you a general view of the process, and the specific benefits of working with a particular bank, but things change very quickly in the banking world, so you should also consult a professional.
Another thing. If you want to try to get a loan pre-approval it helps if you have a concrete example of a house or condo that you want to buy. What kind of loan you qualify is a function of your income and status together with the size and condition of the property itself. A pro real estate agent can show you properties that are easy to get a loan for, and explain why other properties may be impossible to finance.
The very first thing to do is set a budget. Then plan to pay 10 to 20% of that budget at the time of purchase.
Then find a house.
Then ask different banks, knowing that some will reject you while some others will give you very good conditions.
Then sign the contract for the house and only after that you sign the contract for the loan.
We literally went through the process and bought a house in May of this year.
You find a place you like and talk to the relator that is showing you the house. They will help navigate finding what bank will work with you. Be ready for a lot of refusals if you don’t have PR and/or a Japanese spouse.
It’s really a lot of paperwork. Get your hanko made and registered before you begin because you will need one. You’ll likely need to be able to at least write a little Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji but they should provide an application you can practice on/figure out what you need to write.