00:00:00: We just made a donation on your behalf to Japan's Bear Protection Society.

00:00:06: The bears, if you look at the media headlines... ...the bears are running amok and people thinking about how we can cull them get rid of them.

00:00:14: What they actually need is natural habitat and protection.

00:00:17: So yeah so we've made this small donation instead giving us a pen or coaster.

00:00:23: Please forgive us, but please scan the QR on that bear card if you want to find out more about what Japan's Bear Protection Society is doing for them.

00:00:32: Thank You!

00:00:33: And without further ado last Q&A panel of today I know we've collected some extra who wants hold a mic The one with the bomb.

00:01:10: Is that because I'm Iraqi?

00:01:17: All right, let's get into it.

00:01:35: so thank you.

00:01:39: Well, since we're near the end here and thank you everybody for amazing presentations.

00:01:43: And just amazing anecdotes in stories and broadening of what is possible as far as investment especially for non-native Japanese but including Japanese actually here it's been a wonderful experience.

00:01:58: Previously I heard from Ben about A particular experience or something that kind of led You into The reason your hear like why you got into investing.

00:02:09: And I was kind of curious if there's something, and this is for anybody a particular event?

00:02:14: A particular anecdote or experience that led you onto the path are some thing stands out in your mind like to share.

00:02:22: All right yeah I'm holding microphones so i will begin.

00:02:30: For me it was my first house when my first child was born You know, I thought that could do everything myself and did it.

00:02:41: But I can speak Japanese.

00:02:44: so made sense to me but then started telling my friends about the process.

00:02:50: you should buy a house because its great deal really need to do what?

00:02:54: And i was talking with many people.

00:02:55: they're like maybe do a little seminar and explain to larger audience.

00:03:01: So I start working on one of real estate agents in this process seminars in twenty fourteen.

00:03:10: So I've been doing this now for twelve years a version of this And yet and even out.

00:03:15: I do it because as I said my presentation Japanese home loans are special, and I think you can really change your life.

00:03:23: For a young family that want the foundation is stability to buy her own home.

00:03:28: You know there's a father-of-three.

00:03:30: Having that security instability is super important To enjoy your life and worry about not about safety and security in this foreign country, which right now with permanent residency we're still a bit unsure of that.

00:03:43: You know for a lot people.

00:03:45: so helping people achieve the level of safety net is important to me.

00:04:01: Pretty good with numbers.

00:04:02: That's very humble of you, Emil.

00:04:04: You are a walking calculator and so kind in generous With all your information.

00:04:10: So you're a very humble man.

00:04:13: Actually I love working with these wonderful people Being able to find the group who have deep integrity, have a deep love for Japan.

00:04:25: It's just like I'm saying guys it is real honour to be here so... Anyway enough of that.

00:04:32: my anecdote was well you know i had my child and then I couldn't have enough space in the little Tokyo apartment all family friends wanted come.

00:04:42: So started by accident rented second department And discovered really loved hospitality Loved being able show folks, my town the way I lived and it was a product that i felt really proud to deliver.

00:04:57: And people were happy to pay me lots of money for.

00:05:00: so two things can be true at once you make very good money then have business with full integrity.

00:05:07: yeah thats my little anecdote All right, so I'm really like the idea of being a passive investor.

00:05:15: So being passive means that have to leverage other people's money and other peoples time.

00:05:20: One thing they learned is i am a Lizzie Investor.

00:05:22: I'd like to copy Warren Buffett strategy Like I shared in my presentation if it can borrow at two percent I could still make five percent of cash flow.

00:05:30: then went out where you had three percent margin?

00:05:33: I think I'll comment on just where I am in the kind of startup journey.

00:05:45: So we have started this non-resident lending business and it was something that, you know its not an original idea and many people had thought about this.

00:05:56: And um...I wanted to put these together.

00:06:02: When i start talking with a lot of people like oh marthas isnt gonna work maybe they will try but really felt could use some connections.

00:06:09: ive had Frankly, everything he's taken longer than I would have liked and has cost significantly more.

00:06:17: But here we are and made our first loans.

00:06:20: And definitely feeling pressure to ramp up but also pretty good and proud excited for the future.

00:06:36: The question is how you got started right?

00:06:39: So this morning talked about rock-and-roll a little bit.

00:06:44: what's that?

00:06:45: okay So the rock and roll thing totally makes sense, is very much true.

00:06:49: But actually there's a bit of deeper story here.

00:06:51: that has everything to do with the March eleventh-two thousand eleven disaster because I lived on the coast of Iwate in a little town called Miyako where the wave reached thirty nine point three meters.

00:07:05: so got homeless.

00:07:06: There was whole story there In fact we'll be speaking about it this Thursday at the Nakamegaro tap room.

00:07:10: come on down Um, but very seriously after that.

00:07:14: So I was like a first responder homeless all this stuff.

00:07:17: and then for even now honestly speaking But for at least a good five years Everybody lived in emergency housing because they wouldn't build anything And they would leverage as existing assets.

00:07:29: That really rubbed me the wrong way?

00:07:32: so The rock-and-roll thing happened.

00:07:34: and Then the Akiya story started coming out and i Was thinking ah jeez Like that's maybe Like make it better for the people in the community that I was in.

00:07:46: so It's a multifaceted story and pretty deep one But really, it's matter of like humanity.

00:07:51: I think Of giving people the dignity to actually live at house instead of just renting or being In a bad situation.

00:07:58: So there is whole lot empowerment That goes into.

00:08:01: For me The end All right Um...So i talked about it A little bit earlier but I Was unemployed And that was horrible.

00:08:12: it was the worst thing ever.

00:08:14: And then I figured out that personal finance could give you kind of security and protect you from these kinds of problems, uh...and then i thought- I started feeling like a really religious person.

00:08:26: so..I have found the answer!

00:08:28: ..And I need to tell everyone else about the answer.

00:08:31: and why won't they listen too much?

00:08:32: They keep walking away!

00:08:35: Yeah So That's Why I Do What I do.

00:08:38: So for me its kinda like two side questions because bought my first house in two thousand three and that was just simply because I come from background where you know, i was always told like no matter what if you have a roof over your head.

00:08:52: Your own roof over-your-head!

00:08:54: You can always...you'll always be okay..You can figure something out.

00:08:56: so My soul kind of uh when i started making money it was like ok....I need to buy a house or an apartment.

00:09:04: So that's how I started to buy properties.

00:09:07: but the whole you know here real estate renovations.

00:09:12: it started over COVID for us because we were kind of bored with my husband and so we built a house on one of our properties where i was until then growing tomatoes, so we kind of build a house there.

00:09:26: uh.

00:09:26: and then right after that The issues like I mean dealing with Japanese builders and Japanese contractors was such a pain in the butt And i already saw, like jesus christ.

00:09:40: I can do this image better.

00:09:42: so That Was literally why?

00:09:45: And how we started our business?

00:09:47: because We saw Like if i'm going through This and i'm here to twenty two Twenty years at that point what are the other people Going Through?

00:09:54: So we Saw the.

00:09:55: we saw the hole In the market.

00:09:56: We saw the need that was there and that's Why we Started the renovations company.

00:10:03: I actually did the first talk at The Conference pretty much on this topic.

00:10:06: That was like most of what it was, but i'll say something a little different which is you know...I can't predict the future But I can absolutely see the trajectory that Japan and particularly real estate in Aki and everything are On.

00:10:18: And whenever I came here?

00:10:20: Did not plan to start a business from the Start!

00:10:23: I came Here buying my own house and learning about the process and realizing there Is a big hole-in-the-market for some Education and awareness building because you can't really solve a problem if no one knows about it.

00:10:35: So the very first thing is to, you know If you have an infection.

00:10:39: You need to put some disinfectant on.

00:10:40: in this case It's just Awareness and bringing light to the problem.

00:10:44: so I'm here for the long run And I want to see the problems Not solved?

00:10:48: I know that's not necessarily completely possible But i wanna See The trajectory shift and if anything That we're doing Here Can help.

00:10:55: that makes me Really happy.

00:10:57: I'm a very passionate traveler and traveled for about four years, seventy countries something like that.

00:11:06: So that was actually what led me going into the accommodation business And i remember when i set it up coming on to twelve years ago now.

00:11:15: some people told me you're too late.

00:11:18: so we were about ten million inbound tourists at that time.

00:11:21: We hit forty two point seven last year.

00:11:24: so uh...and i think been in business for longest of anyone here.

00:11:29: When people tell you are too late, you might actually be pretty early still.

00:11:33: So that we might take away.

00:11:34: so... Chikako and I when first wanted to invest in Japan firstly made every possible mistake of the book.

00:11:45: We bought it at wrong place didn't do any market research about rent amounts Didn't do a market research on location the worst possible properties that were available.

00:12:00: and like I was saying before, agents will not really tell you if they're making a mistake.

00:12:05: They'll be like yes!

00:12:05: The yield is good You are correct.

00:12:07: And when we figured out there would be people who could use help with... Just the process of purchasing here, let alone the professional advice then we thought would just act as their proxies and along The way.

00:12:24: We also educated ourselves so that we can avoid making those mistakes in the future And then we started providing the a professional consultation to people who need the help As well.

00:12:33: So it was very much scratchy wrong.

00:12:35: each kind of situation Okay?

00:12:39: We've got a slightly more specific question from online chat.

00:12:43: Actually he was about a meal but I'm sure most of you could answer.

00:12:46: So, you revealed in one of the recent podcasts that Japanese lenders are now pushing fifty-year terms to offset the surging Tokyo property prices and so they were just looking for some clarification on the eligibility for that.

00:12:59: can you be age thirty applicants only or does the eighty minus the age calculation apply?

00:13:06: Okay yeah very good question!

00:13:07: I don't know about pushing but really it's an option.

00:13:12: longer loan terms.

00:13:13: Traditionally, loan terms were thirty-five years and that was the max or paid off by your eightieth birthday.

00:13:18: so once you reach forty five years of age then a loan term gets thirty four years, thirty three, thirty two years um...and they've changed it now to still has to be payed off by an eightieth birth day but upto fifty years.

00:13:31: So if you're thirty is old than its a fifty year long term If you are forty years old You can get a forty year loan term or thirty nine year loanterm.

00:13:40: That's what That's about.

00:13:41: and what that really enables you to do is, You can either borrow more money or Borrow the same amount but they'll repayments are less Okay.

00:13:51: So if you keep the same repayment over for fifty years instead of thirty-five Then you can pay off more so you have larger mortgage Or just get a cheaper one.

00:14:02: Thank you All of your approach.

00:14:10: um well most of you approach real estate in different way right?

00:14:14: But What's missing?

00:14:18: And what kind of service do you need to patch the holes together, where is there?

00:14:23: a great demand but not enough people providing supply to foreign investors.

00:14:41: I know that we personally have been looking for commercial real estate experts who come and speak on the panel or provide information for it via traditional Japanese real estate brokers, but somebody who can speak fluently and eloquently with a lot of knowledge in English about commercial real-estate property in Japan is actually willing to appear publicly because there are people out there.

00:15:09: But their company policies don't allow them to speak publicly from one reason or another.

00:15:14: And if you know anyone like that we'd love to hear Home inspections.

00:15:29: That is a thing that exists and it's sorely, sorely underutilized.

00:15:34: So its right there in front of you And very rarely if ever does come up with normal conversation.

00:15:41: so basically served the information that happens to be on hand whenever was produced probably hasn't been vetted well might have been vented this year or maybe been veted thirty years ago something like Something like that.

00:15:54: It would be absolutely amazing.

00:15:56: That's I mean, I won't say I force but I highly recommend any client that I work with.

00:16:01: Like okay?

00:16:01: it's gonna Be an added cost probably around like ninety thousand yen depending on the size.

00:16:06: But number one we're talking about peace of mind.

00:16:08: so you don't buy a clunker when he thought You were buying a diamond.

00:16:11: number two i think more importantly is it sets A precedent for everybody else to do The same thing.

00:16:17: because if big price especially With regards to akia Big part Of that problem Is data and it doesn't exist, right?

00:16:24: And so if over the years or maybe even in decades we can somehow incentivize or get more people to do home inspections at probably five-to ten year clip something like that.

00:16:36: That would have a huge positive effect on the real estate market here—at least the home housing market I think.

00:16:46: From me —more English support banks.

00:16:50: So Shinsaibank and Prestia were the two main ones.

00:16:53: Shinsae stopped it, so now that's only Prestia?

00:16:55: Yeah, and yeah, Sony has stopped as well like this for the home loans rather And so for residents who don't speak great Japanese but have permanent residency.

00:17:05: That is an issue.

00:17:15: I need financing for the machio.

00:17:17: please guys over there Really you know we need a product.

00:17:22: Any more hands, any questions in the stream?

00:17:33: What was that?

00:17:38: Was there someone on your back?

00:17:41: Oh no!

00:17:41: That was Matt adjusting to camera.

00:17:52: So take about an hour for photo opportunities and tearful goodbyes as we normally... We have a survey to fill out.

00:18:05: I know everyone loves the survey.

00:18:09: This data is really, really important for us.

00:18:11: this is our seventh time that we've done it and if everybody's happy keep continuing then...we're happy to keep delivering content people are finding value in If hearing from what people are needing is really, really key for the planning of next rounds.

00:18:33: So we have a survey and to fill out which has an QR code that should go up on screen very soon.

00:18:42: but if you do feel it I know everyone hates Win a winner chicken dinner?

00:18:47: No, you will win potentially free tickets to the next survey.

00:18:53: Sorry!

00:18:56: It's late To The Next Summit.

00:19:05: Yes...to The Next Summits.

00:19:07: So Free Tickets to The Next summit.

00:19:09: Potentially You cannot exit the building.

00:19:19: But if it's up on a laptop, then we can put it here in this screen.

00:19:28: but that is just what coming.

00:19:30: so... So with that to our code guys at back are you going to display for us?

00:19:37: I see some head nodding.

00:19:51: After party, Izakaya after-party and drinks will be leaving the building at around five.

00:19:57: thirty quarter to six.

00:20:03: So anyone who wants to join, follow me.

00:20:05: We've got about thirty-five seats saved and maybe they'll let us in if there's more than that.

00:20:10: so don't be shy joining us.

00:20:12: Thank you very much!

00:20:13: Fantastic weekend.

00:20:19: Can we just get a quick little group photo of... Maybe the speakers can hang out here And basically everyone sit where you are Stand up stand up stand Yeah, and we'll get the photo.

00:20:34: come up here.

00:20:54: That's okay, yeah.