Buying ski chalets in Japan
From Real Estate Without Borders by Real Estate Without Borders
January 7, 2026 · 39 min
About this episode
The episode discusses buying ski chalets in Japan with insights from real estate entrepreneurs.
In this episode of Real Estate Without Borders , Daniel Foch sits down with Nick McLoota and Derek Cirillo from YukiHomes, a company helping foreigners buy and manage property in Japan—especially ski homes. They break down how they went from casual travelers to real estate entrepreneurs, what makes the Japanese market unique, and why global demand for vacation rentals is accelerating. The conversation covers pricing, financing realities for foreigners, regulatory hurdles, and why understanding local culture is critical to investing successfully in Japan. “We bought our house for 25K.” “Japan is super safe.” “We charge anywhere from 10 to 20%.” 00:00 – Introduction to Real Estate in Japan 02:22 – Building a Business Around Ski Homes 05:30 – Understanding the Clientele and Demand 07:34 – Investment Costs and Revenue Potential 09:48 – Navigating the Lending Landscape 12:11 – Demographics and Migration Trends 13:51 – Platforms for Short-Term Rentals 16:34 – The Reality of Vacant Homes in Japan 17:38 – Choosing the Right Location for Investment 21:03 – Exploring Free Homes and Their Challenges 24:43 – Safety and Neighborhood Dynamics in Japan 28:49 – Cultural Differences in Safety…
People in this episode
Host: Daniel Foch
Guests: Nick McLoota, Derek Cirillo
Topics covered
- real estate
- ski homes
- foreign investment
- Japanese market
- vacation rentals
- cultural understanding
Keywords
- Japan real estate
- YukiHomes
- ski homes
- Airbnb
- investment
- foreign buyers
- regulatory hurdles
- cultural differences
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: YukiHomes
Places: Japan
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