Abstract
The present paper examines the status quo of housing information in Japan by comparing it to the reliability of information on used housing made available to residents of the U. S.
The results are as follows:
Americans take for granted the idea of reselling a house, and as a consequence show strong interest in the commercial value of housing. From the time a person purchases a house he/she is already taking into account the future scenario of reselling it, which makes advance inspection of the item to be purchased a very common practice. In contrast, The Japanese are concerned about the safety and functionality and do not fully trust the assessment of a realtor in Japan, the more a person is prone to changing residences the less the interest he/she shows in making an advance inspection. There is a strong correlation between the care and maintenance put on one's present home and the asset value the dwellers think it is worth. In Japan, the longer the length of residence in a house the stronger the awareness of its value as an asset, and thus the higher the care given to its maintenance.
