Last week, I was in Indianapolis for the Midwest U.S.-Japan Association Conference.

With 12 hotels and approximately 4,700 rooms connected to the convention center by skywalks, Indianapolis is ranked among the top five convention cities in the U.S.

Now, let’s start another great day!

This Week’s Q&A

Q: “Why is there often a shortage of rental homes for expatriates in communities with a growing Japanese business presence?”

⭐️ Brain Teaser Time! How would you answer this question?
My answer is at the end (^_^)/
Try answering it as if you were already part of the XpatHomes team!
Nail it, and Akiko herself will personally set up a job interview with you 😆
We'd also love to hear your thoughts — or requests like "I'd love to know more about..." or "Can you cover this next?"
📩 info-xh@xpathomes.net

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Don't see the right home? Let us know what you're looking for. XpatHomes can help you explore rental homes and apartments listed by other real estate companies as well as our own listings.

In areas where rental inventory is limited, we also work with property owners and investors to convert move-in-ready homes for sale into rental homes, creating more housing options for international residents.

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□Ohio

#1 in Rental Listings in the City of Dublin
We offer rental homes in and around the Dublin school district — known for its top-rated schools and high quality of life.

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164 W. Pacemont Rd, Columbus, OH 43202

Two of the three rooms on the second floor of a duplex-style home are available for rent.
The second floor has its own entrance, and residents share the bathroom/toilet, kitchen (dishes and cookware included), dining/living room, and balcony. Rent includes utilities and WiFi. Washer and dryer are in the basement, accessible through the back door. Each room comes furnished with a bed, desk & chair, chest, and closet. Free street parking is available.

◎ Is Your Landlord Planning to Sell Your Home?

Contact XpatHomes before you start looking for another place to live.

Depending on the property and circumstances, we may be able to work with our investor network to purchase the home, allowing you to remain in the home as a tenant.

If staying isn't an option, we can also help you find your next home, including short-term housing when needed.　ー　Contact us

◎Why I Started XpatHomes

From Tokyo to Ohio, and from helping international students find housing to building a real estate company serving international communities — this is where XpatHomes started, and where it’s going. Catch up on the story so far here

Episode 40
------------------------------------------------- 

“OK! I will come to see you tomorrow at 2 p.m.”

I agreed to meet with Kurt for one simple reason: I figured that once I met with him, heard what he had to say, and politely declined to move to his Re/Max office, he would probably stop contacting me on a regular basis.

And then I discovered that his office was just around the corner from the Japanese tutoring school I was considering for Calder.

Before meeting Kurt, I had an appointment with the owner of the tutoring school, about 30 minutes from my office in downtown Columbus.

For now, Calder himself wanted to continue attending Japanese Saturday school. So what I needed was simply someone who could help him with his homework and keep him from falling behind in class.

But if the day came when he could no longer keep up, I wanted to ask them to start over and teach him Japanese again—this time at his own pace.

“Look! He escaped from the zoo!”

Three-and-a-half-year-old Calder, who had only recently arrived from Tokyo, spotted a squirrel playing in the park and excitedly said this to an American man standing nearby, pushing a little boy about Calder’s age on a swing.

The man smiled at him.

“Sorry, I only speak English. But wow, you sure can talk!”

Maybe Calder assumed that a man with a child his own age—someone just like his dad—would naturally understand what he was saying.

So he simply spoke to him in Japanese.

And the man kindly answered him anyway.

Calder had always been outgoing, the kind of child teachers described as “the life of the class.”

I wanted him to adjust to life in America as quickly as possible, so I encouraged his English.

Perhaps a little too much.

Children have an incredible ability to absorb language. Calder learned English astonishingly fast.

But in less than a year, Japanese—the language that had once been his first language—had almost completely disappeared.

If I gave up on Japanese Saturday school, there might be no path left for Calder to keep speaking Japanese.

And suddenly, something that had been weighing heavily on me finally lifted.

If Saturday school eventually became too difficult for him, this tutoring school could be another way forward.　                            

to be continued...

◎This Week’s Q&A

Q: “Why is there a shortage of rental homes for expatriates in areas with a strong Japanese business presence?”

1. There simply aren’t that many single-family homes for rent.

The Midwest, where many Japanese manufacturers have established operations, has historically had one of the highest homeownership rates in the United States. There may be plenty of single-family homes, but that doesn’t necessarily mean there are plenty of homes for rent that meet the needs of expatriates and their families.

After the 2008 financial crisis, home prices declined, and many Central Ohio homeowners who could not sell their homes chose to rent them instead. As a result, more single-family rental homes became available to expatriate families.

2. Economic and social changes can quickly change the rental supply.

As the economy recovered and home values increased, many of those rental properties were sold, once again reducing the supply of single-family rental homes in Central Ohio.

The Lafayette area of Indiana, home to Subaru’s manufacturing operations, was somewhat different. As a college community, it historically had a relatively strong supply of rental housing.

But during the COVID-19 pandemic, schools closed or shifted to remote learning. At the same time, home prices surged, prompting many landlords to sell their rental properties. Indiana soon faced the same problem: not necessarily a shortage of houses, but a shortage of houses available for rent.

3. If the rental homes don’t exist, we create them.

That is why XpatHomes developed a model that connects investors with homes listed for sale and converts those properties into rental homes for expatriate families.

Instead of simply searching the rental market and saying, “There are no homes available,” we create new rental inventory by bringing homes from the for-sale market into the rental market.

When companies expand into a community, employees follow—and their families need places to live.

Just like factories, roads, schools, and hospitals, housing is part of the infrastructure needed to support international business.

XpatHomes connects corporate housing demand, local real estate markets, and investors to help build the housing infrastructure communities need to welcome international companies and their employees.

What did you think? We’d also love to hear your questions.

Please contact me at akiko.m@xpathomes.net.

⭐️ How was this issue?
XpatHomes has 15 years of experience creating and managing homes for expats. We'd love to hear your questions and concerns anytime!
📩 info-xh@xpathomes.net

◎Join the XpatHomes Team

As XpatHomes continues to grow, we are looking for new team members to join us in the following two positions.

① Leasing Specialist

Employment Type: Full-time
Location: Dublin / Columbus, Ohio
Salary: $40,000–$42,000 per year, depending on experience and qualifications

The Leasing & Move-in Specialist coordinates the entire process from the initial inquiry about an XpatHomes-managed property through property tours, lease paperwork, utility setup, key handover, and move-in.

You will work closely with expatriates and individuals relocating to the U.S., as well as corporate clients and property owners, helping each client find the right home and ensuring a smooth and comfortable start to their new life.

Who We’re Looking For

We welcome candidates who enjoy working with people and are skilled at managing details, follow-ups, and schedules.

Experience in real estate, relocation, customer service, administration, or hospitality is a plus.

Candidates who can communicate in both Japanese and English are especially encouraged to apply.

Interested in joining XpatHomes?

We’d love to hear from you. To apply or learn more about the position, contact Akiko Miyamoto at akiko.m@xpathomes.net.

Know someone who might be a great fit? Please share this opportunity with them.

🏠 XpatHomes' expat housing is built in partnership with real estate investors.

If you're interested in real estate investing, check out the resource below⬇️
▶ Winning the Game of Capitalism – Building Assets and Passing Them Over (Tax-Free!) to the Next Generation

▶Winning the Game of Capitalism – Building Assets and Passing Them Over (Tax-Free!) to the Next Generation2

▶Winning the Game of Capitalism – Building Assets and Passing Them Over (Tax-Free!) to the Next Generation3

▶Winning the Game of Capitalism – Building Assets and Passing Them Over (Tax-Free!) to the Next Generation4

▶Winning the Game of Capitalism – Building Assets and Passing Them Over (Tax-Free!) to the Next Generation5

▶Winning the Game of Capitalism – Building Assets and Passing Them Over (Tax-Free!) to the Next Generation6

If you are ready to purchase an investment property, please contact us here

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Bonus Episode: An Expat's Home-Search Story in Dublin, Ohio

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◎Hands-On! American Real Estate Investment Course

We've put together a 12-part course to help you learn US real estate investing systematically, from the basics to practical application. Learn the secrets and know-how behind building $2.8M in net worth and $9,000/month in cash flow (passive income) over 12 years of US real estate investing. Optional one-on-one consultations (two 40-minute sessions) are available with Akiko Miyamoto, who has purchased 15 properties and has hands-on experience with both holding and flipping.

Course Content
1️⃣ In the era of 100-year lifespans, where will you secure your income?
2️⃣ Differences between the US and Japanese real estate markets, and US mortgage basics
3️⃣ Why own US real estate, and the right purchase strategy
4️⃣ What actually happens over 10 years of investing
5️⃣ Real investment case studies in OH, IN, AL, and KY
6️⃣ How to use rising property values to grow your portfolio
7️⃣ Preparing to buy (planning and loan approval) and the purchase process
8️⃣ Comparing ownership structures (individual, LLC, trust) [featuring attorney Ikuko Sano]
9️⃣ What property management covers and landlord responsibilities
🔟 Tips for selling, and deferring gains with a 1031 exchange
⑪ US real estate taxes (US tax filing) [featuring a tax specialist]
⑫ US real estate taxes (Japan tax filing) [featuring a tax specialist]

Pricing

• Course only: $250

• Course + private consultation (two 40-minute sessions): $400

Start with our free video:
▶ Real Stories: How US Real Estate Investing Built Wealth Over Time(Japanese)

Want to share this with family in English?
▶ Winning the Game of Capitalism – Building Assets and Passing Them Over (Tax-Free!) to the Next Generation

For details and registration, visit: https://xpat-homes.com/investment/seminar/

◎ Editor’s Note

Hello, this is Akiko Miyamoto, Founder & CEO of XpatHomes.

Last week, I attended the 56th Annual Joint Meeting of the Midwest U.S.-Japan Association and the Japan-Midwest U.S. Association in Indianapolis.

For several years, whenever I met companies interested in providing their services to Japanese businesses in Ohio and across the Midwest, I would tell them:

“Then you should come to the Midwest U.S.-Japan Conference.”

This year, I was delighted to see so many of them actually make the trip—from New York, Washington, D.C., North Carolina, and other parts of the country—and reconnect with them in Indianapolis.

I was also able to invite many of them to an informal gathering with representatives from the State of Ohio and economic development organizations.

I hope they had a chance to experience something I have come to appreciate deeply: Ohio works as one team, and there is a genuine openness here toward Japanese companies and the people and families who come with them.

Central Ohio is also home to an innovation ecosystem called the Beta District, connecting Columbus, Dublin, Marysville, and Union County.

Through resources such as the US 33 Smart Mobility Corridor and the Transportation Research Center (TRC), companies, governments, researchers, and other partners have opportunities to test emerging technologies in real-world environments.

You might call it a playground for building the future.

So what could happen if we brought together the technologies of Japanese companies and gave them a place to play?

Here is one idea:

“A home that gives families 20 more minutes together every day.”

Cooking. Laundry. Cleaning. Grocery shopping. Home maintenance. Energy management.

Every day, we spend countless minutes on the small tasks required simply to run our lives.

When I visited a smart city in Japan, I saw how technologies involving home systems, appliances, AI, robotics, sensors, energy, and mobility could be integrated into everyday life.

No single technology has to save us 20 minutes.

Save two minutes here, three minutes there, five minutes somewhere else—and give 20 minutes a day back to the family.

Twenty minutes is enough time to talk with your child.

It is enough time to sit down for dinner together, read a book, or take a walk.

And 20 minutes a day adds up to approximately 122 hours every year.

To me, a Smart Home is not simply “a house filled with the latest technology.”

It is a home where technology gives time back to people.

Imagine creating homes like this where people actually live, testing new technologies in real life, and allowing participating companies to use what they learn to develop their next products and services.

And around that technological playground, imagine another kind of ecosystem—one that supports Japanese companies and the people who work for them.

Housing. Education. Healthcare. Banking. Insurance. Legal and accounting services. Food. Culture. Community.

A playground for testing technology, together with the infrastructure that supports companies and people.

If we could bring those two things together in one place, Central Ohio could become an exciting place not only for Japanese companies, but also for the local communities that welcome them.

XpatHomes is evolving beyond simply being “a company that finds homes for expatriates.”

Our goal is to help build the infrastructure that enables international companies, their employees, and their families to put down roots and thrive in America.

That is the future I found myself thinking about on my way home from Indianapolis.

Thank you, as always, for reading to the end.

If you know someone who might enjoy or benefit from this newsletter, please feel free to forward it to them.

See you again in the next issue.

Akiko Miyamoto
Founder & CEO
XpatHomes