Orient ties up with banks on service to help purchases of empty houses

Japanese consumer credit company Orient Corp. will tie up with more than a dozen regional banks nationwide in October to expand its new loan business aimed at helping people buy empty houses, company officials said. The service, "Akikatsu Loan," is expected to help reduce the growing number of unoccupied houses in the country, driven by a falling population and a rapidly aging society. Banks are usually reluctant to offer loans to people wanting to buy empty homes due to their low value as collateral, but partnering with Orient will make it easier for them to approve such loans as they can cou...