Real Estate Information

Property Investment - Buying A Holiday Home in Cyprus


Cyprus is fast becoming a property hotspot for thousands of British holiday home hunters disillusioned with the overdeveloped and overpriced Costas. Famous for its spectacular beaches, a climate that gives more sunshine days than Spain and its rich and varied history, Cyprus offers a perfect mix of foreign and familiar.

Whether you're looking for a romantic mountain retreat or a villa by the sea, buying a property in Cyprus is a relatively uncomplicated process. Much of the paperwork involved in purchasing a property was simplified in the run up to EU membership and an English based financial and legal system means that the buying process is quite familiar to most British investors.

Many experts predict that the Cypriot pound's replacement with the Euro in 2007, will stimulate a 50% rise in property prices so now is an excellent time to jump on the property ladder in Cyprus. But where are the best places to buy and just what type of properties are available?

Paphos is one of Cyprus's most beautiful towns. Located on the south-western coast, the area is also one of the quietest and most peaceful coastal spots on the island. Though the last five years have seen more developers building in Paphos, the essence of the quaint fishing village that existed here before mass tourism remains in tact. Here you can expect to pay £59,000 for a one bedroom, fully furnished apartment. If you have £240,000 you could own your own villa on a 700 sqm plot with pool included. More and more golf developments are being built to cater to demand and a two-bedroom apartment on a golf complex is likely to cost in the region of £150,000 to £180,000.

Moving around the coast to Limassol, property can be picked up at prices 10-15% cheaper than in Paphos. This might be due to the fact that being the commercial and industrial centre of the South Coast, Limassol lacks much of the character and charm that small towns such as Paphos have. The missing seaside feel however doesn't deter the British. Employment opportunities are far more plentiful here and this may explain why 20% of the British expat community live in Limassol. A three-bedroom villa in Limassol comes in between £180,000 to £200,000.

For those who want to avoid the tourist and expat enclaves, a trip into the Troodos Mountains will yield surprising results. The lush green hills and stunning scenery hide hundreds of small villages where the real Cyprus can still be experienced. Renovation projects are plentiful and one of the best ways to find out what's on the market is to travel into the villages and ask the locals. Stone cottages in need of renovation sell for as little as £60,000 and can be restored for £30-40,000, meaning that a stunning mountain hideaway in Cyprus can cost as little as £100,000.

If you are the adventurous type, you might fancy building your own villa. While there will always be headaches where new builds are concerned, this approach can be significantly cheaper than buying off-plan. There is also much greater control over the type of property you end up living in and standards are likely to be higher. Designing and building your own villa means liasing with architects and builders. While your architect is likely to look after the administrative end with regard to permits and planning, it is always best to be close on hand during the building process. The alternative is to employ and individual or agent to look after this for you. Building your own villas is likely to be up to 40-50% cheaper than buying from property developers and you won't pay extra for the granite floor or air conditioning!

Cyprus is definitely the one to watch. With EU membership, the country is enjoying an influx of funds that are helping to further develop the infrastructure. It is now possible to obtain mortgages in Cypriot pounds and interest rates are already falling and are likely to drop further when the currency enters the Eurozone! All this bodes good news for the Cypriot property market and for those who missed the property boat to Spain, now is the time to jump on board and cash in on the property boom on beautiful Cyprus.

Tracey Meagher is a property advisor and journalist. She owns and maintains Property Newsdesk, an information website that reports property news from around the world. Email any property related questions to tracey@propertynewsdesk.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Globe and Mail

Bernanke Wants to Lend to Real Estate Investors
TheStreet.com
By Shanthi Bharatwaj 02/10/12 - 02:59 PM EST NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Friday that making loans more easily available to real estate investors for bulk purchases of homes would be an important step in resolving ...
Home builders and investors both see signs of a turnDetroit Free Press
Bernanke's speech to home buildersReuters
Bernanke Says Housing Holds Back Fed Efforts to Boost EconomyBloomberg

all 260 news articles »


Real-Estate Crash Aids the Green Movement
Wall Street Journal
By LAURA KUSISTO The real-estate crash left pockets of the region's rural areas littered with the remnants of would-be golf courses, shopping centers and luxury subdivisions that never got off the ground. But the market swoon has yielded an unexpected ...

and more »


Business Schools Teach Real Estate Despite Troubled Housing Market ...
Chicago Tribune
The housing market might be fragile at best, but some professors and MBA's say real estate is one area where business school students can find jobs. David Hartzell, a professor of real estate and finance at the University of North Carolina--Chapel ...

and more »


Top 10 U.S. Real Estate Sector ETFs
TheStreet.com
By Dave Fry 02/10/12 - 03:58 PM EST There is currently an expanding list of nearly 20 ETFs oriented to primarily REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts) with more on the way. The following analysis features a fair representation of ETFs available.
Trading the Run on Real Estate Investment TrustsSchaeffers Research

all 3 news articles »


RisMedia.com

Builders group sees pickup in housing this year
San Francisco Chronicle
By ALEX VEIGA, AP Real Estate Writer The US housing market will begin to mount a turnaround this year, building toward a solid recovery in 2013, according to a forecast issued Wednesday by the chief economist of a homebuilding industry trade group.
This week's Real Estate storiesMarketWatch
Menendez Bill Applauded by Home Builders for Restoring the Flow of Credit for ...LoanSafe

all 147 news articles »


Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers Names CEO of European Operations
Sacramento Bee
By Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers HARTFORD, Conn., Feb. 10, 2012 -- /PRNewswire/ -- Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers, one of the world's largest real estate investment advisers, has named Charles Weeks as chief executive officer of its European ...

and more »


Fort Worth Star Telegram

Evangelical real estate developer brought Santorum to North Texas
Fort Worth Star Telegram
By Bud Kennedy If Rick Santorum eventually wins Texas Republicans over, one of Texas' leading real estate developers should share credit. Last month, Jeff Blackard of the McKinney-based Blackard Group went undercover in South Carolina as a walk-in ...

and more »


Press-Enterprise

REAL ESTATE: California receives up to $18 billion in multistate settlement
Press-Enterprise
β€œIt is a good first step but only a step toward the solutions we need,” said Kevin Stein, associate director of the California Reinvestment Coalition, a real estate consumer advocacy group. In California, the banks have guaranteed more than $12 billion ...
Foreclosure settlement could actually hurt real estate marketThe Real Deal New York (blog)
Will bank settlement help Florida's real estate market?Palm Beach Post (blog)
Florida Gets $8.4 Billion Share of Foreclosure SettlementLoanSafe
Sacramento Bee -GlobeSt.com -Statesman Journal
all 3,611 news articles »


Florida Commercial Real Estate Market Looks Good for Recovery
LoanSafe
by Alex Ferreras on February 10, 2012 in Real Estate (Source: CB Richard Ellis) – The industry's leading commercial real estate professionals believe it is safe to say that as we head into 2012, the worst of the economic turmoil is behind us and ...
FLORIDA COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE MARKET ON TRACK FOR RECOVERYRealEstateRama (press release)

all 2 news articles »


New York Times

For Sellers, High End Is Hot
New York Times
WHILE the economy remains stubbornly sluggish and home sales nationwide continue to sag, Manhattan's real estate market has largely stabilized, with apartments in some neighborhoods selling for prices not seen since the headiest days of the boom.

and more »

Google News

home | site map
© 2006