Moving to Japan, sell house or not?

[Yosh]

In approximately 1 years time my wife, child and I will be moving to Japan - most likely duration between five and ten years. One major detail I'm trying to sort out is what to do with our house when we're gone. The way I see it I'm looking at two options; sell the house and liquidate our assets, make a clean break as an expat and leave our liability behind - or keep the house and rent it out, have an agency deal with tenants and manage the finances from overseas.

Looking to benefit from a little experienced advice.

General bullshit responses also welcome.

[yanpa]

Which country is your house in, and is it the same country you plan to return to?

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

Which country is your house in, and is it the same country you plan to return to?

Could only possibly be Merkin...

Mate...I would not sell a house if it's at all avoidable, except perhaps if you're from Down Under, which I still think is undergoing something of a real estate bubble.

Oh yeah, do NOT take economic advice from me.

[Taro Toporific]

...leave our liability behind - or keep the house and rent it out, have an agency deal with tenants and manage the finances from overseas.

In the US, I've relocated and rented out several times. Your experience may differ wildly from mine depending on your rental market conditions and country---In the US, being a landlord on mortgaged property almost always results in negative cash flow in the increasing vain hope of appreciation on the price of the property.
Experience 1
The least satisfactory situation was renting out a house with a mortgage and having a rental management service handle the renters. Most (if not all) rental management services are crooks that take a 15-25% charge off the monthly rent, which results in negative cash flow. I say "crooks" because rental managers never check out a maintenance problem reported by the renters themselves and do absurd things like send out a union electrician (at $100/hr) to fix the "problems" like a burnt out porch light bulb.
Experience 2
After accepting a 1-year foreign research grant, I rented out my condo in Chicago. The building had a service staff that handled maintenance problems as part of the monthy condominium fee. Therefore, I didn't need pay for ass-reaming rental management fee or surprise maintenance charges. The rent I collected just about covered my costs.
Experience 3
Right now I own my house in the US free-and-clear and it is rented by one of my relatives at below market cost. This arrangement "works" but things get strained when I want to go back for a month's vacation---I feel like a lodger in my own house.

[McTojo]

I see. You'd be wise to cut your losses now since you'll be living here for 5 or more years. Maintaining the property as a rental sounds like a pain in the ass to me. Reconsolidate all of your assets, or, at least reassess your financial obligations would be the best thing.

[IparryU]

I see. You'd be wise to cut your losses now since you'll be living here for 5 or more years. Maintaining the property as a rental sounds like a pain in the ass to me. Reconsolidate all of your assets, or, at least reassess your financial obligations would be the best thing.

it is a pain in the ass unless you can have someone you trust do it, there is enough cashflow on the property to get a property manager, or you are shooting for the stars and hope all goes well.

i would just get my brother or dad to manage the property... repairs are free and they might even end up renting it to people they know so shit dont get fucked up..

but ya OP, where is the property located?

[Samurai_Jerk]

General bullshit responses also welcome.

You've come to the right place!

My advice is if you don't absolutely have to move to Japan, don't.

[cstaylor]

My advice is if you don't absolutely have to move to Japan, don't.

+1 to this under the current economic conditions, but if you have medical issues, Japan is financially a better country for circling the drain.

[IparryU]

General bullshit responses also welcome.

You've come to the right place!

My advice is if you don't absolutely have to move to Japan, don't.

I would vote for this too...

[Yosh]

In response the house is in Canada - and thank you for the good points - I dont want to use a property management company, but my J-W's health is the major reason we're making the move. Maybe I can find one of my deadbeat friends to look after the place...

[Yosh]

General bullshit responses also welcome.

You've come to the right place!

My advice is if you don't absolutely have to move to Japan, don't.

uggghh ... im trying to stay positive about this whole debacle...

[Mike Oxlong]

In response the house is in Canada - and thank you for the good points - I dont want to use a property management company, but my J-W's mental health is the major reason we're making the move. Maybe I can find one of my deadbeat friends to look after the place...

FTFY

[IparryU]

In response the house is in Canada - and thank you for the good points - I dont want to use a property management company, but my J-W's mental health is the major reason we're making the move. Maybe I can find one of my deadbeat friends to look after the place...

FTFY

ya... if it is a health related problem, you are fucking your self by coming here... insurance in Canada is like nil right? now you are going to come here, have no job, you need to find a place to stay, and for fuck sake, if she is from some bumfuck area, tell her that you guys need to live nearby Tokyo so you have much better chances getting a job.

a swedish friend of mine moved here for the same reason with his j-wife... she just could not stand Sweden. So he went from firefighter to house husband... his wife is loaded, but her dad is making her work at the city office so she can get nenkin and health coverage. but lucky for him, he just goes to the gym and gets buff...

so unless you are one of the lucky guys (Coligny) who struck oil and does not have to work, i would suggest that you point out that medical coverage cots money and you wont be making good money out here.

not that she will change her mind or anything... but if you do not have kids, i would just keep your house just so you can return should she have a complete mental change when she comes back here... if you got kids, she will prolly abduct them anyway so you might as well move with them so you can see them.

[cstaylor]

so unless you are one of the lucky guys (Coligny) who struck oil and does not have to work

From his constant complaining, it sounds more like a gilded cage than striking oil.

[IparryU]

I will take a gilded cage...

[McTojo]

The OP's wife is J? Don't bring her back here. Stay there. She'll be happier.

[IparryU]

The OP's wife is J? Don't bring her back here. Stay there. She'll be happier.

as much as i hate your dumb ass... i agree.

but i would like to add that the OP's mental state would be much worse here should she convert back to being a Jap. 2 of my friends got divorced after coming to japan with their wife... they are free outside of japan but when they get back, they change so much to "fit back in" with their fellow japs.

key thing to note, where is your wife planning to return to? If not Tokyo, I would seriously reconsider.

Kids?

[McTojo]

The OP's wife is J? Don't bring her back here. Stay there. She'll be happier.

as much as i hate your dumb ass... i agree.

but i would like to add that the OP's mental state would be much worse here should she convert back to being a Jap. 2 of my friends got divorced after coming to japan with their wife... they are free outside of japan but when they get back, they change so much to "fit back in" with their fellow japs.

key thing to note, where is your wife planning to return to? If not Tokyo, I would seriously reconsider.

Kids?

When you say health related issues, do you mean emotional problems related to stress? True, as much as Iparryu loves me, he is right. When they come back to Japan they become brain dead again, and start reverting back to their original self. Here, she has a strong support network, something she missed when she was living with you overseas. Once back here, you will become more and more irrelevant and in a few years time she will see the marriage as more and more troublesome and unnecessary. Tokyo is for single people, not a place to nurture cute little half babies and former student brides. That's why most families leave Japan.

[cstaylor]

Why not let her move back to Japan first without you, and see if she misses you or not after a few months?

[IparryU]

The OP's wife is J? Don't bring her back here. Stay there. She'll be happier.

as much as i hate your dumb ass... i agree.

but i would like to add that the OP's mental state would be much worse here should she convert back to being a Jap. 2 of my friends got divorced after coming to japan with their wife... they are free outside of japan but when they get back, they change so much to "fit back in" with their fellow japs.

key thing to note, where is your wife planning to return to? If not Tokyo, I would seriously reconsider.

Kids?

When you say health related issues, do you mean emotional problems related to stress? True, as much as Iparryu loves me, he is right. When they come back to Japan they become brain dead again, and start reverting back to their original self. Here, she has a strong support network, something she missed when she was living with you overseas. Once back here, you will become more and more irrelevant and in a few years time she will see the marriage as more and more troublesome and unnecessary. Tokyo is for single people, not a place to nurture cute little half babies and former student brides. That's why most families leave Japan.

Are you or are you not on drugs most of the time?

You sometimes post some real shit... but than the other 99% kicks in and you go retarded...

... you still owe us a physical appearance with your 50cc. We had a short conversation about you and how we could get you to roll your fat ass over to the FG lunch we had...

That option is not on the table anymore since I don't got the connects with the restaurant anymore... but i am still down to see you your fat ass on a 50cc with jap flags on it... don't forget your stunna shades either fatbody.

[IparryU]

Why not let her move back to Japan first without you, and see if she misses you or not after a few months?

he has a kid i think. i wouldn't advise to do that purely because she probably doesn't care about the marriage anymore and just wants to go back to Japan.

I could be wrong, but so many stories of Japanese women abducting their child back to Japan (or "returning home") sorta proves what I am trying to say.

Jokes aside and no hate on your personal situation Yosh, just some honest feedback on what your worst-case options could be.

[cstaylor]

he has a kid i think.

You're right. Yes, that does change things. I wonder how old the kid is, and if his wife is an only child?

[McTojo]

The OP's wife is J? Don't bring her back here. Stay there. She'll be happier.

as much as i hate your dumb ass... i agree.

but i would like to add that the OP's mental state would be much worse here should she convert back to being a Jap. 2 of my friends got divorced after coming to japan with their wife... they are free outside of japan but when they get back, they change so much to "fit back in" with their fellow japs.

key thing to note, where is your wife planning to return to? If not Tokyo, I would seriously reconsider.

Kids?

When you say health related issues, do you mean emotional problems related to stress? True, as much as Iparryu loves me, he is right. When they come back to Japan they become brain dead again, and start reverting back to their original self. Here, she has a strong support network, something she missed when she was living with you overseas. Once back here, you will become more and more irrelevant and in a few years time she will see the marriage as more and more troublesome and unnecessary. Tokyo is for single people, not a place to nurture cute little half babies and former student brides. That's why most families leave Japan.

Are you or are you not on drugs most of the time?

You sometimes post some real shit... but than the other 99% kicks in and you go retarded...

... you still owe us a physical appearance with your 50cc. We had a short conversation about you and how we could get you to roll your fat ass over to the FG lunch we had...

That option is not on the table anymore since I don't got the connects with the restaurant anymore... but i am still down to see you your fat ass on a 50cc with jap flags on it... don't forget your stunna shades either fatbody.

For your information, the bike is in the shop. My previous scooter - the uyoku bike - blew a piston ring on route 15. I wound up salvaging it. I bought a Kymco super 9 S, and I blog about it here at my new bike site here: http://www.thesoulofjapan.net/scooters/

[IparryU]

http://www.thesoulofjapan.net/scooters/ ... -on-bikes/

In America... you need a sign that says, "Wide Load" if you are going to have things sticking out of the vehicle... trust me... I worked at Home Depot.

images.jpg

[Coligny]

Sticker wyse, he's a beginner compare to the shame I inflict to my whip...

Meanwhile, gigantic props for the "jukujo" stamping...

[Coligny]

so unless you are one of the lucky guys (Coligny) who struck oil and does not have to work

From his constant complaining, it sounds more like a gilded cage than striking oil.

Dear ignoramus, French ALWAYS complain, that's how you spot them (*).

Find a new hobby...

hint:

I am not your hobby...


(*)this and Le Sexay of course...

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

Dear ignoramus, French ALWAYS complain, that's how you spot them (*).

Better chance with the dogshit for mine...Poms whine incessantly, too.

[Samurai_Jerk]

In response the house is in Canada - and thank you for the good points - I dont want to use a property management company, but my J-W's health is the major reason we're making the move. Maybe I can find one of my deadbeat friends to look after the place...

Dude, don't do it. You'll be fucked and any career you have will be over unless maybe you're a fully bilingual Japanese Canadian with a hard to find technical skill and previous experience working in Japan (and don't mean as an English teacher).

If you have a kid/kids, DO NOT LET YOUR WIFE TAKE THEM TO JAPAN. YOU MAY NEVER SEE THEM AGAIN.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Dear ignoramus, French ALWAYS complain, that's how you spot them (*).

Better chance with the dogshit for mine...Poms whine incessantly, too.

That's pretty rich coming from an Aussie.

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

Dear ignoramus, French ALWAYS complain, that's how you spot them (*).

Better chance with the dogshit for mine...Poms whine incessantly, too.

That's pretty rich coming from an Aussie.

You can't say that to me...you're an American!