International Property Investment » Overseas property investment Guides

Greece – Avoiding the Sharks

Martyn Shuttleworth — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 20:54:41 +0000

AVOIDING CROOKED LAWYERS

Buying in Greece can have its difficulties, especially in remoter areas, where nepotism and brown envelopes are common. Lawyers, vendor and estate agents have been known to deliberately mislead and misdirect foreign buyers. Whilst this practice is thankfully dying out, there is no guarantee that your lawyer is not conspiring with the vendor’s lawyer. In remote areas, they may well be related to each other, so there is no harm in protecting yourself.

Facts about real estates in Bulgaria – the latest European Union member

Mark Knowles — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 13:33:19 +0000

FACTS ABOUT BULGARIAN PROPERTIES

Two months after joining the European Union, Bulgaria began attracting increasing interest towards local real estates. Its strategic geographic location and the membership in EU and NATO turn it into an attractive destination for property buyers. For sure, you need to have more information before investing your money into a small country with a beautiful countryside and extremely low prices for Europe.

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Buying Property in The Dominican Republic

Mark Knowles — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 06:45:33 +0000

Panama Real Estate: One Big Hoax

Mark Knowles — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 00:19:06 +0000

The amount of speculation driving the real estate market in Panama City is breathtaking. Literally, I sometimes gag when I hear the kind of numbers floating around this place. The amount of money being spent is unfathomable, and for what? No one’s actually getting anything? These are all condos that won’t be built for months, sometimes even years! I can honestly say that I’ve never seen, maybe with exception of the Beanie Baby craze, so many people putting down money and reserving a product that doesn’t yet exist.

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Dominican Republic Buying Guide part 1, Taxes and fees

Mark Knowles — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 12:42:02 +0000

The costs of owning property in Spain

Mark Knowles — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 20:07:37 +0000

This is a guide to the ongoing costs involved in owning property in Spain.

Running Costs
All bills must be paid by Direct Debit from a Spanish bank account.

Electricity, Water and Gas:
The standing charges are € 15 per quarter for water, and € 15.84 every two months for a 3.3 1Kw electricity supply. On top of this there is, of course, the actual consumption.
As gas is supplied in bottles it is possible to contract for 1 or 2 bottles. The cost for 1 is approx. € 42, and for 2 apprpx. € 66 Euros. Exchange bottles cost approx. € 6, and can be obtained from Repsol Butano or delivered to the client’s property.

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Missing The Lone Star State – Life Overseas

Margaret — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 13:21:04 +0000

There are a lot of things you do on autopilot that are just tiny threads in the normal fabric of your life. Grabbing a quick burrito for lunch, buying a pair of shoes, popping into Kroger for a gallon of milk. These are the things that make up life on a normal day. When you move overseas, these things may not happen any more and suddenly you realize you don’t have “normal” anymore and that what was your normal life is maybe unravelling a bit. You crave what used to be normal to you, and when you’re a Texan, that’s probably not going to be found on the French Riviera.

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The cost of buying Property in Spain

Mark Knowles — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 20:51:10 +0000

The following are the costs you should include on top of the purchase price when buying property in Spain.

Lawyers/Solicitor’s Fee:
Although it is not compulsory to engage a solicitor, if you are not familiar with the procedure you can appoint your own solicitor. It is important to seek professional advice from a local solicitor (Abogado). Their standard fee for the purchase of a property is 1% of the purchase price plus VAT. Using a non-local solicitor will be more expensive. The Spanish legal system is very different from other European countries and, to avoid misunderstandings, disappointments and possible fraud, it is essential to seek expert professional advice from the beginning.
Notary Fee:
These are collected by the Notary after preparing the deed and presiding over it’s signing. This fee is fixed by law, on a set scale according to the property value, but is not usually more then 1% of the purchase price including VAT.

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Country Guide Morocco part 4 Residential Property Market

Mark Knowles — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 20:36:31 +0000

Country Guide Morocco part 3 Demographics and Economic Overview

Mark Knowles — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 20:23:43 +0000