A New York Times correspondent and blogger is embarking on a tour of Europe this summer and sharing his exploits, experiences and discoveries via video download and also blog entry on the Travel pages of the leading American newspaper.
Visiting nations such as Malta, Poland, Lithuania and Romania on his travels, imagine North Cyprus’ surprise when he landed at Larnaca on his exploration of Cyprus and promptly headed North and only North to discover the best that Cyprus has to offer.
Unless you’re immune to the gloom, by now the lack of a British summer may well be getting to you! It’s the middle of July and apart from a couple of sunny days in May, the clouds have yet to lift and the temperatures have yet to rise in the UK. Apparently we may be on track for a glorious September, but if you don’t want to take the risk that the weatherman’s got it wrong again, may we make a suggestion?
In this article we look at escaping the British weather in search of North Cyprus sunshine, and we take you on a trip round the beautiful destination that is TRNC and inspire you to reserve your flights and book your villa accommodation now!
The British Independent newspaper has published a lengthy report on the property market in Northern Cyprus entitled ‘How the Other Half Lives.’ This report is a refreshingly open, honest, well researched and unbiased account of how the real estate landscape in the North makes for a worthwhile investment, and that the rustic charms of North Cyprus make the island a really decent alternative to other, more built up areas across the Mediterranean.
So, because the Independent backs investment property in North Cyprus, what might this mean for the future of the market? Well, because the report intelligently explores the land rights issues and lays out the ongoing improvements and developments that are occurring in the North, hopefully the report will allay many people’s concerns and draw greater levels of interest to the market.
A great deal of effort has been made on behalf of the British government to alert us all to the pension deficit that the majority of us are likely to face when we hit retirement. What’s more, the media is doing its bit to try and warn us all that the state pension is shrinking in relative terms and is unlikely to even exist for much longer as baby boomers swallow up what small pot there is available.
So the one thing on the majority of people’s minds when it comes to retirement is affordability – but not at any cost. After all, in retirement we want a good standard of living, quality healthcare and also a decent home to call our own which are all reasons why North Cyprus comes top for retirement abroad.
There was a mini-property boom in south Cyprus last year ahead of the country adopting the euro as its currency in January 2008 – buyers were well aware that the price of property would rise once the euro was in place. Well, not only did the prices in south Cyprus rise under the veil of the euro’s adoption, but the euro has since risen in value in relation to the pound and so British tourists are finding they are getting more for their money in North Cyprus!
In Northern Cyprus the currency for purchasing everything apart from real estate is the Turkish lira which has fared much better against the pound compared to the euro. And this summer those who are heading for Cyprus and hoping to enjoy an affordable holiday in the sun away from Britain and Europe’s credit crunch situation should ensure they are holidaying on the right side (i.e., the North side) of the Green Line!
There’s a new demographic in the UK – the FRED – an over fifty, pre-retiree who is Facing Retirement Earnings Deficits and who is seeking an affordable solution for retirement. This group is being impacted by the cost of living in the UK, high fuel prices and accommodation costs and also the fact that many of them are in part still supporting children and even grandchildren because the cost of living in the UK has risen so far so fast.
For those who want to find a solution to their retirement earnings deficit issues but who have no way of topping up their pension pot, what about planning an affordable retirement abroad in North Cyprus?
The Independent newspaper has really bucked a trend in praising property in North Cyprus for being good value and for increasing in value when other markets around the world are suffering.
And if that’s not good enough news for you, what about the fact that Joe Calzaghe the Welsh boxing hero has also bought a house on the island…not only is property in North Cyprus becoming famous for positive reasons, it is receiving positive promotion thanks to the famous people who are buying real estate in TRNC.
You’re probably well aware that getting TO North Cyprus is getting easier and cheaper all the time as more people realise that you can use the airports at Larnaca and Paphos in the south as well as at Ercan in the North for arrival flights, and that there are some cheap airlines offering more affordable deals to all of Cyprus’s airports if you just book far enough in advance.
But what about getting AROUND North Cyprus once you arrive? Well, there are many options open to you from car hire to mobility scooter hire, bicycle rental and even scooter rental. In this article we’ll give you the low down on what’s available as well as some useful links to businesses in North Cyprus who can help you explore the island and get the best out of your holiday.
Ledra Street, the main shopping district in the medieval heart of old Nicosia was divided back in 1964 when British peacekeepers erected what they foresaw as a temporary barbwire barricade between the street’s fighting Greek and Turkish shopkeepers.
Following the 1974 troubles in Cyprus, the barricade became permanent and it remained so until last Thursday. The 3rd of April 2008 should be seen as an historic day for Cyprus because it was on this day that the barricade on Ledra finally came down. But looking to the here and now, how does this historic event affect the way lives are led in North and South Cyprus? What does the future hold for Ledra shopping and duty restrictions for example?
Forbes magazine recently lumped the whole of Cyprus together in a report about the state of the property markets in Europe and had the nation lying in second place to Poland in terms of its positive real estate fortunes in 2007...but the image used to illustrate the allure of Cyprus was certainly one of the Northern third of the island!
So it seems that suddenly this beautiful part of the world is receiving stronger than usual attention. According to estate agents on the island this is also the case...they are reporting that Easter was busier than they had expected, and that now thanks to the positive political developments in Cyprus, the number of inspection trips booked for the rest of the year is well up on their 2007 figures. This means that North Cyprus could actually have one of the most dynamic real estate markets in Europe by the end of 2008.
As the weather warms up and the flowers bloom across the stunning Northern Cyprus coastline, so the island welcomes walkers in their droves who come to examine the rare orchids for which Northern Cyprus is famous and who also come to explore some of the dramatic landmarks for which the island is also well known.
If you’re considering taking a break in TRNC why not spend some time exploring North Cyprus’s ancient castles? Even if you aren’t a keen walker or you’re coming to the island in the heat of the summer sunshine when walking too far is pretty impossible, you can still get close enough to each magnificent castle to be impressed – we promise you!
There has been a wealth of good news to hit the headlines in Cyprus this month. Firstly the Republic of Cyprus voted in a new president who has committed to work with his counterpart in North Cyprus, Mehmet Ali Talat towards a solution to the ongoing division of the island, and now an Ireland based international mortgage brokerage is going to be offering mortgages for property holding pre 1974 title deeds in North Cyprus.
The brokerage has made it clear that it ultimately wants to be able to offer mortgages on all properties in North Cyprus, but that it is starting with pre ‘74 as it watches the political developments closely. If you’re thinking about making a move on the real estate market before prices rise once the news about the impending solution to the Cyprus Problem and the fact you can get mortgages spreads internationally, may now well be the time to buy!
Northern Cyprus is moving closer towards worldwide recognition and acceptance each month and as it moves closer, so the property market in North Cyprus develops, matures and heats up as confidence in it grows.The news announced today that President Papadopoulos has lost his re-election fight in south Cyprus is naturally bad news for him, but exceptionally good news for North Cyprus and all those with property assets and interests in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
Because politics are complicated at the best of times and even more so when it comes to Cyprus where there is partial EU entry, partial isolation, an armed border post and highly emotive issues involved, we thought we’d have a stab at explaining how the south Cyprus elections may have a profound and positive impact on those with property in North Cyprus in this article in order to assist you.
If you’ve never visited North Cyprus before I can appreciate that it is very difficult to get a clear perspective on what the island is really like. You have tales of it being unspoiled and of being able to spend lazy days in ancient villages surrounded by smiling locals and their donkeys (!) – you have negative propaganda telling you it has been ruined by concrete and an invasion of dodgy criminals because of the nation’s lack of an official extradition policy, and every time you look for information someone somewhere is actually trying to sell you a villa or an apartment.
Well, the truth about Northern Cyprus is that it is beautiful and the majority of people are trying to maintain its charm and tranquility – and if you want to visit or even set up home in a unique location where you can enjoy great freedom in a stunning setting whilst enjoying a seriously high quality, low cost of living, Northern Cyprus is going to appeal to you. And as if to embody this very fact, North Cyprus now sets new standards for luxury holidays with a handful of brand new and super five star hotels and vacation resorts.
On the first of January 2008, Cyprus – as in the Republic of (south) Cyprus - joined the euro. The country and its citizens are slowly getting used to the new currency and giving up their Cyprus pound with which they were always able to dupe Brits into thinking everything was a bit of a bargain when they went on holiday when in reality, the Cyprus pound was in the region of 20% more expensive that its British namesake!
So, now that the Greek side of the island has adopted the euro, where does this leave the Turkish Cypriots and the expats living on the north where the volatile Turkish lira is the official currency? In this article we look at North Cyprus, shopping and the euro as well as how the economies and people of Cyprus get along really!
Now that the silly season is over and North Cyprus has calmed down from the Bayram, Christmas and New Year celebrations, it’s time for many people to get back to work. As one of the largest employment sectors on the island, the property market in Northern Cyprus is one of the first sectors to call everyone back in to work.
January is one of the busiest months for estate agents in North Cyprus and property developers as well; this is because many would-be homebuyers from the UK and Northern Europe spend January making plans for inspection trips later in the year. And this year these home seekers are expected to be joined by fellow property hunters from Russia. Russian interest in Northern Cyprus is intensifying and so About North Cyprus goes Russian in response to this growing base of interest!
The thought of retiring abroad is increasingly on pre-retirees minds nowadays for a number of specific reasons. Firstly, as the state pension in the UK is eroded by ever higher costs of living in Britain it makes sense to examine whether other, overseas destinations can allow for the state or even a private pension to go that much further. Secondly, more and more people are retiring abroad and it is becoming easier to do so.
But with the decision to expatriate in retirement comes a number of issues, concerns and worries. In this article we’ll tackle retiring to Northern Cyprus and making new friends – because with a good network of familial and friendly support behind you, you can do anything!
I don’t know about you but I love a bit of market shopping! Just browsing stallholders’ wares or bargain hunting, haggling and finding unique items not for sale in any of your high street chains can be a lot of fun. If I’m on holiday and there’s a market I’m straight there! The good news for visitors and residents in TRNC is that there’s a whole host of opportunities for market shopping in North Cyprus.
Lapta, Guzelyurt, Karaoglanoglu, Lefkosia, Karsiyaka, Alsancak and Girne all have markets that take place weekly in the majority of cases, and which offer the buyer or the browser plenty of stalls to peruse.
Some of the most commonly asked questions on forums for would be expats thinking of moving to live in North Cyprus full time are all about what there is to do in terms of social entertainment for retirees, families and even children.
There are a whole host of social clubs in North Cyprus and it’s likely you’ll find something that appeals to you – but the good thing is, even if you don’t or you have a particular passion for a specific kind of social activity, you can always set up your own social gathering! In this article I’m going to give you a taster of what’s currently available and tell you how to find out more about what goes on on the expat scene in North Cyprus.
As is usual this time of the year, interest in the Northern Cyprus property market has intensified after a laid back summer and the number of arrivals to the island specifically in search of a real estate investment opportunity, a retirement property or even a second home is up.
While these people go in search of their ideal home, the North Cyprus property market receives some positive news from the construction industry and the government…
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