Land can be an excellent investment. You do not have to build, just holding onto it for a few years can see a great return. This land plot is in Mordogan Turkey, has permission to build a villa, has sea views and is close to the town centre and the harbour, all good reasons to buy but the best is the price - £7500.00 apx $15,000.
Details and photos at
http://www.turkeyrealestate.co.uk/Izmir_Property_For_Sale/Izmir_P032/izmir_p032.html

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New villa in the Abruzzo region of Italy, 200mts from the sea and close to Ski resort and airport.
This villa has been built to ecological design rules with Bio compatible materials and high energy saving water and electrical systems.
Details and photos at
http://www.propertyinitalyforsale.co.uk/8/ABTTIM01203/abttim01203.html

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10 things to consider before buying overseas property.

1.Your Goals
Decide from the beginning what you want from your property purchase
– pure capital growth or a place in the sun. These decisions should shape your purchase choice. Deciding on a fixed budget is also important.
2.Own Research
Take time at the preparation stage to do your homework.
Newspaper and magazine articles, television programmes and websites on overseas property investment can be invaluable in giving an insight and overview.
3.Expert Advice
Consult the experts as well as doing your own research, as they may be able to answer specific queries you have that articles do not address. Government websites and websites dealing particularly with global tax issues,for instance, can give hard facts you may need at this stage.
4.Areas
All countries have many differing areas offering an array of attractions. Once you have decided your goals for your purchase you can consider whether you need an area
perfect for regular holiday-makers, or something more remote and rich with cultural heritage. Again, research is key here.
5.Estate Agents
Being helped by a competent and well trained estate agent is important to making a safe and reliable purchase.
6.Considerations
There may be issues to take into consideration that are not issues in established markets such as the UK or France for example. It is vital that you have a basic understanding of the country you are investing in. You need to know about, the economy, the country’s political stability etc
7.Finances
A full understanding of costs is key to investment success, from entry to exit costs and covering financing and mortgages in between. Know how much you will have to incur and factor a little more into your budget to avoid any nasty surprises and to ensure your investment can become profitable.
8.Lawyers
Hiring an independent lawyer is vital. Using one on personal recommendation is  a good idea but failing that most British Embassies (and other countries too) keep a list of recommended lawyers.
9.Profit Margin
Ask yourself what levels of capital growth you can realistically gain on your property investment or how much rental income you can generate (your research will help you here, remember to take most rental projections with a pinch of salt). Working backwards from these to your initial budget will work out your potential profit margins. It is essential to keep objective at all times about whether your investment has good potential for profit.
10.Long Term View
Even if your plan is to purchase purely for investment and possibly even sell before completion, it is still important to take a long-term view. This is in the case of the property itself (will the surrounding areas around your property change, get built on etc.) and in the case of whichever country you are investing in as a whole (considering the country’s future tourism, stability etc.)

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Thisi property is ideal if you like outdoor sports and activities, fishing, sailing, surfing, golf, ATV tours, National Parks, turtle watching, volcanoes, diving, snorkeling, horseback riding, canopy tours, white water rafting, jungle boat rides.
 This quality Spanish style home features 3 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, living room, dining room, kitchen with granite countertops, large walk in master closet and large laundry room and pantry.
Extensive outdoor covered patios overlooking your private pool, treetops, mountains and fabulous sunsets.
Details and photos at
http://www.overseasrealestate.co.uk/Rest_of_world/costa_rica/Guanacaste-1/guanacaste-1.html

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Looking for a home and income. Take a look at this property in Italy.
Restored farmhouse and annexes making 5 apartments with pool, land and olive grove.
An old property recently perfectly renovated with a high standard restoration, situated in an idyllic spot near Umbertide.
The property actually comprises three buildings: the main house, disposed four levels and divided into 3 apartments; a restored barn of 35 square metres (376,74 square feet), which lies just in front of the house and consists in another independent apartment and, in front of the pool, the old tobacco drying-house of 60 square metres (645,83 square feet), which is completely restored and habitable.
Details and photos at
http://www.umbriarealestate.co.uk/restored-property.php?op=mi&id=25&pl=Umbria

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This is one of the last remaining corners of paradise,an area of outstanding beauty and of historic interest.Dalyan village is situated by the side of the river, surrounded by lush green fields breaking into spectacular mountain ranges.
Located on the opposite side of the river is the ancient city of Caunos, the second greatest archaelogical site in Turkey.
A 4 bedroom detached villa close to the centre of Dalyan being sold fully furnished has just ben reduced in price.
Details and photos
http://www.realestateoverseas.co.uk/1/Dalyan-Property-VA60/dalyan-property-va60.html

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The buying process for property in Greece is relatively straightforward but can be more expensive than most other countries.  There are few restrictions placed on foreign ownership of land and property in Greece except for certain areas where real estate is close to Greece’s borders with Turkey and near military bases. 

Prices for property can vary widely depending on where in Greece an investor chooses to buy - obviously the more touristic islands such as Rhodes, Crete and Corfu are more expensive for property and real estate compared with inland villages on the mainland, like anywhere else the more popular the area then the more expensive the property. 

An investor with a large budget might like to consider the fact that property priced over a certain threshold will attract an additional wealth tax annually for the owner.  This threshold and the rate of wealth tax levied changes each fiscal year but is usually between 1 and 2% of the property’s declared value (which is lower than the actual market price).

In Greece it’s usual for the vendor to pay the estate agent’s fees therefore you may as well make use of their local knowledge and involve them in the search for suitable property as it doesn’t cost you anything and will save you a lot of time.  A local lawyer with knowledge of land and property law will ensure that you have a safe transaction.  Title documents and all contracts and paperwork involved in the property buying process will be in Greek, so it is essential to have a local lawyer who can deal with the red tape and translate key pieces of information into English for the real estate buyer.

After you have located a property that you would like to buy, it’s usual for the buyer to sign a purchase agreement that is conditional to the satisfactory completion of searches and surveys and to pay a deposit of between 10 and 30% of the final property price.

As soon as the purchase contract has been signed in front of a notary the buyers lawyer can carry out title deed searches and ensure that everything is in order with the property being purchased.  Once all searches and surveys have been conducted satisfactorily it’s possible to proceed to contract closure and this takes place when the vendor and buyer sign the purchase deed - again in front of a public notary.

The additional fees, taxes and charges an investor needs to be aware of when buying investment property in Greece include: -

Notary fees of between 1 and 3% of the property’s price.

Lawyers fees which are usually 1% of the property’s price unless the real estate being bought exceeds a certain upper threshold limit at which point an additional fee will become payable.

Greek property purchase tax which ranges from 9 - 11% with an additional 2% chargeable on city based property.

Land registration fees which are in the region of 0.3% - 0.45% - and an additional small sum is payable for stamp duty.

Annual property taxes of around 0.25% of the property’s value and a yearly community tax is often levied which amounts to 3% of the real estate’s transfer tax.

When you decide to resell your property remember that you may become liable for capital gains tax which is levied at a rate of between 10 and 25% and which is calculated on a sliding scale based on the length of time the investor has owned the property and the property’s value.

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Beautiful restored Italian monastery in Perugia Umbria.
Old monastery dating back to the 13th century converted into a country house + land,
ten suites have been created for eleven  double bedrooms and  eleven bathrooms in all.Furthermore, there is the owner’s apartment with reception room, studio, kitchen and bathroom on the ground floor and two double bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor.Then, there is a charming old church with two ample internal spaces.
Details and pictures at
http://www.umbriarealestate.co.uk/property.php?op=mi&id=37&pl=Umbria

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This property sold within a couple of days of being on the blog. 

This excellent 5 bed 5 bath detached villa property has large terraces and balconies with sea and panoramic views.
This is just 5 minutes walk from the old harbour in Mordogan Izmir with its café bars and restaurants and barely 3 minutes from the new marina and beaches.
It is priced for a quick sale and all paper work is in order.
Details and photos at
http://www.turkeyrealestate.co.uk/Izmir_Property_For_Sale/Izmir_P036/izmir_p036.html

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Turkey has seen explosive growth in foreign property investment over the last 3 years which has led to property and land prices, especially in the coastal regions rising by up to 200% (and some areas more than this).
Many investors compare Turkey with how Spain was 20 years ago, and we all know about Spanish property prices now.
There are several reasons for this influx of foreign property buyers.
Prices - even with the large increases in price over the last few years, Turkey still has some of the lowest property prices in Europe.
You can still purchase a villa below £50,000 or an apartment for much less.
Climate - coastal Turkey offers an excellent year round climate. Mild winters, gorgeous spring and autumn and hot summers.
E.E.C. - Turkey has applied to become a member of the E.E.C.(if membership is granted, property prices will soar).
Infrastructure - Turkey is investing heavily in transport links and communications.
Economy - Over the last few years the economy has stabilised and Turkey is now (according to the World Trade Organisation) one of the 20 most dynamic countries in world trade.
Holiday Destination - Turkey is now a major European holiday destination, which gives an excellent opportunity to realise very good rental returns on property.
Local prices - for food and local services, prices are very low compared to the rest of Europe.Eating out is very inexpensive and the food is normally superb.
Remember that there are 3 great cuisines in the World.French, Chinese and Turkish.
Crime - One of the lowest crime rates in the World.
Lastly, the people. The friendliest and most hospitable people in the world.
All of the above make Turkey one of the best places to invest in property at this time.

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