A wise man once told me this. So how does it relate to you owning a home in Hokkaido? Well all good house deals in Hokkaido are usually gone within an hour or less because there are so many people hunting for a house. To increase your chances of finding a good deal, you must know the market to recognize a good deal. The blue house on the left was a bargain for $73K USD! It had 5 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2 kitchens, a 2-car garage, only 15 minutes to the Niseko United ski lift and it was gone before I could make an offer! People have many stories like this, but there are also many times where deals were had with some diligent research and knowledge of the market!