Beginning to look a bit more like a Villa !
1st December 2008 and counting !!
Weather in the UK is 6 below today with the promise of snow tomorrow. Whereas our friends in Northern Cyprus are basking in Temperatures in the early 20's and having lunch around the pool. The lira is constant again today. £0,.414. It has been that for several days.
Our house in the UK is up for sale and no takers, nor even enquiries. Very scary, seeing as we need to sell it before we go, if possible. Nobody could have envisaged 'the credit crunch' and the global financial damage that has followed in it's wake.
If you are thinking of purchasing property in North Cyprus, please make sure that the developer/builder has other properties to show you that he has completed, on time, that there are people living in the properties. with mains water and mains electric. Ensure that your developer is not struggling for cash and that there is no mortgage on the property. If you are interested in a resale, then make sure it has a damp course, that the deeds are in place and there is no mortgage against the property. Be wary of anybody offering a low price for a quick sale, they maybe genuine but there maybe an ulterior motive. This also applies to the South of Cyprus .
Also be very wary, if you are out in North Cyprus on an 'Inspection Trip' or even a property buying holiday. First of all, an 'Inspection Trip' is a huge carrot, that is dangled at the prospective housebuyer (This applies to any Inspection trip anywhere in the world). In most cases, a subsidised trip means that expectations of a sale will follow. No matter how much a Company will deny it Inspection Trips are high pressure under many guises.
If you are hell bent in purchasing a property that you have seen on the Internet, then an Inspection trip will work for you, but you have to be prepared to run the gauntlet of"'I have a friend, who knows someone... or my cousin has a beautiful house for sale etc; etc; and ignore them all for this to work.
However, don't expect the company that has subsidised your flight and accomodation to be very happy, if you go off with a string of other Estate Agents/ Developers at their expense and purchase elsewhere.To you it maybe just a free or cheap holiday, to them you are a major investment. It is really best to fund your own trip and come to an agreement with the vendor to re-emburse travel expenses should you purchase from them.
One other warning (again it happens everywhere, not just North Cyprus) just be careful of people already living in North Cyprus. It is a friendly place and the Turkish Cypriot people are naturally friendly, in fact everybody is friendly, beautiful place, fantastic weather, it is easy to be off-guard. Remember though, at this stage of the development of North Cyprus , it is obvious, that most people who just visit, are on a property buying mission and they usually have cash in the bank, because at the moment it is still really is a 'cash buyers' market.(a few mortgages about, ask us about them if you are interested). To be able to purchase a property, gives some people the impression that you are mega-rich, (even though this is your pension and your life-savings. ) Beware of over friendly people, whatever nationality, they may have hidden agenda's. Do not trust anybody with your life or lifesavings whom you have only known a very short time. It happens!!
North Cyprus is probably the only place left in the Mediterranean, where ordinary people can 'buy a lifestyle' that they could only dream about.If you are aware of all the problems, pitfalls etc; Northern Cyprus is a truly, beautiful place, nearly everyone who visits.....falls in love with it. We did !!!
