Property Investment Messinia – The Undiscovered Country

For many years, the extreme west of Messinia has been looked on with a little amusement and disdain. The rest of the Peloponnese make jokes about the south-west corner of the Peloponnese, naming it bandit country and making certain implications about goats. Personally, I find these allegations to be completely unfounded and the result of traditional inter-regional rivalry.

The region is certainly underdeveloped, due to its relative distance from civilization and the lack of a decent transport infrastructure. Despite containing Pylos, the ancient palace of Nestor, and some of the most beautiful scenery and nicest people in Greece, the inaccessibility has saved it from the developers. This corner of the Mediterranean is a haven, away from the hotels, condos and holiday villas.

As you can imagine from the title, this is going to change as the Greek government’s drive to modernize the Peloponnese gathers momentum. The road from Tripoli to Kalamata is nearly complete, and will cut down the journey time to Athens by 3 hours. Kalamata is well developed, and so you have little chance of finding a bargain. However, this new road will continue further on, to Methoni, and this opens up a wealth of opportunity for property investment Messinia.

Property Investment Messinia - A Sea View Without Breaking the Bank

Property Investment Messinia – Exploring Fresh Pastures

The area around Kalamata and the Messinian Mani is saturated with foreigners and property prices have remained buoyant, despite the economic crisis. Further along the coast, you are looking at an area so underexploited that even the estate agents have not caught up. They are busy extolling the virtues of golf courses and luxury condos around Kalamata, so you can sneak in under the radar and snag a real bargain.

Already, there are a few estate agents operating out of Methoni and I suspect that they are going to see some good times ahead. Of course, there is always the opportunity of making a private sale, although I strongly suggest that you look at our guide to buying property in Greece before venturing down that path, just to protect yourself. Certainly, there is no harm in making a few enquiries or even coming out to take a look.

Property Investment Messinia – Finding a Bargain

If you are looking for a property for less than €100 000, there are some great bargains in the area, if you are prepared to look at a little modernization. For those able to spend a little more, I have seen a three bedroom house in the area, with 3 bedrooms, two bathrooms, 2300 m² of land and a sea view for €245 000. Move a little closer to Kalamata and that price at least doubles, so this area does offer excellent value with the added attraction of enjoying summers well away from the hordes of tourists.

Apart from the beautiful sea views, you get to live in an area with ancient and modern history, nice people and the sure-fire knowledge that your house price will leap when the road is completed in 2 – 3 years.

When that happens, you owe me a couple of Ouzo’s.

Image of Pylos courtesy of Harald Rossa, distributed under a Creative Commons Sharealike 2.5 Licence.