kenelwood

1. I haggled the original price of US$23,000 down to US$10,000, excluding tax, realtor and scrivener fees.
2. Zero.
3. If I stop paying annual land taxes, then yes to all possibilities.

It's nearly impossible to get a land or home-loan as a foreigner, but if you've got the cash and a descent command of Japanese, you are good to go.

• Premiums ?

1. 60,000 yen (US$600) to the agent
2. 140,000 yen (US$1,400) to the judicial scrivener
3. Tax(es)
4. Gasoline to go see the property x 2

Commercially, Alex Kerr (an American) has been buying land here for years, and more recently (last 10 years or so) Jacob Reiner {vid}. I believe both of their efforts helped spark a resurgence in salvaging old homes to sell back at a premium, especially in the greater Kyoto area.

• Long term goal(s) with the land

There are many --

1. Kominka restoration
2. Bug-out location
3. Investment in Location.
4. Slightly devious plan to taking over an entire mountain valley.
5. Small farm
   

Many unattractive things about this property (That I took full advantage of):

• 1. It's non-contiguous

Old rural Japanese properties are usually non-contiguous, as per that's how agriculture in Japan evolved post WWII. However, these days when a rural property is for sale, the bits registered as agricultural are usually shaved off and sold to local farmers or co-ops before selling to a home buyer, as a rural home buyer in Japan usually has zero interest in working the land, or at least working anything more than a few hundred square feet. This property was being sold on the market as non-contiguous with all its bits -- Mountain, field and paddock.

• 2. Abandoned lands and no neighbors

Most lands on either sides of my property are either no longer tilled or just abandoned all together with nobody paying property tax on them. Also, most of the other old kominkas in the hamlet are vacant.

• 3. It came as it was

The kominka came with a mix of junk and antiques that I had to clean out. On my contract it stated: 「2.建物内外の荷物は現況引き渡しとする。」 "The property is sold as is, which includes all the "stuff" both inside and outside the house."

To the first question, I can only say that I persevere. My wife being Japanese is an enormous help. She also helps me and I am grateful for it. To the last question, I'm not living at the property right now, but maybe one day. For now it’s like a dacha, a Russian word for a place in the country that supplements a main residence in the city.

Well hello there in Kyushu. I also wouldn't have paid 10k for that building alone (the one you shared pics of). Throw in an acre with a good view, maybe.

• How's the roof condition on your place?

The roof condition is OK. I didn't find any holes up top nor water damage inside the house.

• It's originally thatch, yeah?

Yeah. Here's a look up under an eave that reveals the thatch, preserved:

http://kenelwood.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/bearsden4.jpg {pic}

• do you have any plans on restoring the building?

Yes, but not to its original state.

I won't be putting a lot of expensive drywall and exterior insulation back into the place, in fact I'll be knocking down walls to open the place up. Kominkas can be very dark inside.

I think I'll just do one central space (12 tatami) for heating in the winter, with a strong framing for tatami as floor insulation. New tatami start from ¥10 thousand (US$100) per mat. For everywhere else, local timber for floor slats, and exposed beam and rafter overhead.

As mentioned somewhere else in this AMA, one of the reasons I have purchased this property is because of "Investment in Location". Welcome to the village: Upland Nagano {vid}