How much are the fixed management fees per year?

2bdrm – JPY 1.6m

1bdrm – JPY 1.26m

Includes: Garden Management, Building Management, Communal Area Management, Sinking Fund, Shuttle Bus, Communal Property Insurance, Snow Clearing for driveway, roof, and parking, Fire Drills, Legal Inspections, Common Area Utilities, Hotel License, Website costs, trust accounting etc

What are the rental management commissions?

Rental Management Company - Vacation Niseko - 10% Management Fee / 22.5% Lettings Commission (the % is taken from the income for your chosen apartment and if no bookings there is no % taken)

10% Management Fee is the payment made from each booking to Vacation Niseko which covers the staffing costs etc and where they earn their profit

22.5% Lettings Commission - this amount is split between the online booking OTAs such as booking.com etc, travel agents, partners, etc - also marketing via Facebook, Instagram, and other lead generation portals

What are the anticipated rental returns?

The expected rental returns are 3-4% net returns post covid as the pent-up demand continues to rise for Asia's only branded ski-resort Niseko. We are happy to give you more detailed information once you have chosen your preferred apartment.

What are the income tax levels in Japan?

In Japan the more you earn the more tax you pay. Also as they have a dual taxation treaty with many countries it means you do not pay tax twice - below are the rates. As we are not accountants this is for your reference and we advise if you need to know more details to take professional advice.

What are the acquisition costs when purchasing in Japan and at SnowDog Village?

If you calculate between 2-3% of the purchase price then you will be close to the figure (in reality the figure often turns out to be lower than this). This is very low compared to many countries.

What are the Capital Gains Taxes in Japan?

Capital Gains Tax is 30% for the first 5 years, and this reduces to 15% after 5 years

How do we block out time in the apartment for personal use and how far in advance would we need to do that? Is there a calendar that we can refer to to see the bookings for the apartment?

Once an owner there is a private link to your own calendar that shows bookings, who is booking and income levels. To block your apartment for personal use all you need to do is contact Vacation Niseko (all owners have direct contact with an owner's representative), obviously, the longer the notice the better however if no one has taken the apartment then it is possible to book on short notice. The issue may arise if it has already been booked and the rest of the hotel is fully booked and the booking can not be moved, this would only generally happen Dec, Jan, Feb and on Japanese holidays - so if these are the dates you require then a suggested 6months notice is advised.

Generally, how will Snowdog Village do financially if you don't sell more units and/or if bookings are slow to rebound this coming ski season?

Actually, SnowDog has always been financially healthy as a development. It is completed and has zero debt. We do not need to sell any apartments if we decided not to and we have worked hard through covid to build a successful rental management team and are now even stronger than pre covid times. Our bookings for this winter season although not quite back to normal are looking very good with prime weeks at 90% and the other weeks growing too! - the future is looking very bright for years to come.

 If there are repairs/improvements required, will there be assessments charged to us?

There is a sinking fund that is part of the yearly management charges which is designed to cover any emergencies 

Can we do the deal entirely remotely?

Yes, this is possible - we just need to be able to do a visual call when completing as the real estate agent in Japan will go through the contracts so you fully understand them and this needs to be done visually. We have completed many of our properties remotely. 

Can you explain the buying process?

1. Verbal reservation of your apartment

2. 5,000 USD reservation fee for 14 days - to take the property off the market and freeze the price

3. 10% of the purchase price at contract signing

4. 90% at handover within 4-6 weeks (we can be flexible with this to suit your needs)

What is the ownership structure for purchasing in Niseko and SnowDog Village, SnowDog Chalets or Raku Ichi Residences?

FREEHOLD - ownership is 100% in your name whether you are a local or foreigner and is freehold

I would like to purchase an apartment at

SnowDog Village

Licensed Japan Real Estate Agent

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