We met the real estate agent at Honda Station on the Sotobo Line in Chiba Prefecture. As we drove to the property we talked about the area. Though a typically cramped Japanese bedroom community, it's a bit older than most, so the houses were more varied in shape and size, with wider spaces between them, not to mention the extra public park space.

The house we were inspecting adjoined a large open tract of land, which is why we were interested, and when we arrived we discovered the land contained a cemetery. This surprised us because the price of the property, ¥11.8 million, didn't reflect the close proximity of a graveyard, which would normally be a disincentive. The house was built in 1980, so the price seemed high to us already and we assumed it was because of the size of the plot, which was large for the neighborhood but not particularly huge.

We didn't mind the cemetery since its presence meant the eastern side would remain open and undeveloped, but the house turned out to be a real mess. The owner, a middle-aged woman, was still living there and had not tidied up for our visit. Even if it had been cleaned, we realized the house would need a great deal of work to make it desirable. Out of earshot of the owner, we said as much to the agent, implying that the price was unreasonable. The agent didn't respond and quickly suggested visiting another property nearby, one that was newer and, obviously, more sellable.