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| Cyprus Buying Guide Newsletter |
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| Hello there. Happy winter time! How are you doing? How’s life in general? I’ve been a bit up and down lately – one moment I’m happy and excited to hear Christmas tunes and the next I’m down in the dumps thinking ‘what’s the point of life?’ Usually I can go for a few weeks on a high and then perhaps a day or two where I feel a bit low…but recently I have a few highs and lows all in one day. And speaking of low days… A couple weeks ago I was in Cyprus and it was an interesting trip I must say. Every time I go to Cyprus something magical happens – I conquered my fear of water and did a dive 30 meters to the Zenobia (a ship wreck rated in the top 10). I went on a 120km Harley bike rally through the foothills of the Trodos and along the cost. I’ve tried parasailing, skiing and have survived ‘the banana’ a long yellow tube pulled by a boat with several screaming people on it! The list goes on and on… During my last trip it wasn’t one event that stands out in my mind as magical – it was the entire trip. Yet it all started badly. In all honesty I didn’t want to be in Cyprus. I couldn’t be bothered to see the sun, eat good food or see my friends. The truth be known, I felt like crawling into bed in my PJ’s and just sleeping. You’ve guessed - it was a low period! After a day of peace and quiet, pretending to be happy, I asked myself why people did what they did. What provided them with drive, happiness and joy? To my surprise I actually received some amazing answers…from some amazing people. Actually, to be more accurate, some amazing and inspirational women. I didn’t seek anyone out or attempt to find answers – they all just appeared on my path and in my life. Perhaps this will all sound odd, but over the course of the week I must have met over 20 incredible women. I met a Cypriot woman (Andri) whose mother’s wish was to have a coffee shop for women only. After her mother passed, Andri lived out her Mum’s dream and now operates a very successful restaurant/coffee shop in Paphos - when you go there incidentally order their chicken speciality – it’s out of this world! I met a woman that has become a professional Cricket umpire and has been doing so for 20 years – not too many of those! And another that runs a few businesses and has successfully helped to start and star in a local net ball league. And then there was Ann Marie who started The Grapevine – an excellent publication that’s been going for over 10 years and is about to go country-wide. And Lucie – a great Cypriot woman that has started an Internet based news channel, reporting stories from Paphos. And Heidi and Cheryl – two of the most incredible ladies that started their own property company to prove to the world that buying a property in Cyprus can be a fun, ethical and professional experience. These two girls have become true friends and are an inspiration to all that meet them. And Fofo – a Cypriot Solicitor who is amazingly beautiful (inside and out)…during a meal with about 15 people all the girlies brainstormed a campaign for Fofo to run for President of Cyprus - I think we were all half joking and half serious! I also met Karen who runs Scoop – another outstanding publication - and Janice, who heads up Paphos News. When listening to their stories about working with charities, reporting information that truly helps people and their efforts to assist the community at large I felt in awe of them. I even met an ex-WAG; she is a lovely person– she left the UK for a new life in Cyprus and has so many wonderful things in her life. Lastly…the woman that provides me with incredible inspiration is Jackie Nicholls…my co-worker. Jackie moved to Cyprus to retire with her wonderful hubby John and for some reason our paths crossed. Jackie and I have been working together for about a year now and I am so grateful to know such a wonderful person. She is enthusiastic and so full of energy. During this past trip I was inspired by her belief in what we do…her drive to make sure everyone knows that we’re here to help. I’d love to carry on, but I fear I’d run out of space! So…the moral of the story? Well – I’ll leave that for you to decide. To me, Cyprus is magical…and it can be a place of inspiration. Although my week started out on a low, I left the island with a renewed sense of life, drive and happiness. Perhaps that’s the reason you fell in love with Cyprus? Okay – a bit of news: Construction on the Paphos to Polis Chrysochous Highway will finally start in mid-2009 (if you believe what the papers say). Money left over from projects that were budgeted for but didn't go ahead last year will be used to help fund this. The main highway will be 30.5 kilometres long and will include byroads for Polis Chrysochouse to Pomos and Latchi as well as a connection to Mesogi. All good news for buyers in this area! People have confirmed that the Golf course
near Larnaca has started…there are actually diggers digging! I
still won’t believe it until I see it myself! Yes…I’m sure you always wanted
to know the population of every city in Cyprus! Heh heh… Right – lets get on with it... Kim |
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Cassandra Hills...Cassandra Hills is situated in the lovely Lasa village. It is a 25-minute drive from the resort town of Polis on the E712 and is between Paphos and Polis. This area will become very sought after once the Paphos to Polis motorway is constructed, making this a very good area for future investment. The developers have worked with some of
the most creative architects, engineers and designers, all working to
create something well worth leaving to the next generation. The development
has only 9 houses, bungalows and villas of differing types all designed
to serve varied needs. Available are 2/3 bedroom bungalows and 3 /4bedroom
villas .Swimming pools are an optional extra as are fireplaces and air
conditioning. There are narrow, winding roads lined with traditional stone houses and a coffee shop at where the locals meet and watch the world go by. There is also a village post office that sells a few provisions and a village church. The friendly local residents total about 120 and include a number of ex-patriates. However, with new villas being built on the outskirts of the village and many of the old stone houses being renovated, these numbers are slowly increasing. At Cassandra Hills each property has views of the sea, mountains, the Cyprus forest and truly spectacular sunsets. Nearby is one of the most beautiful hiking trails on Cyprus, excellent for walking and excursions. There you can find the historical Scarfos Bridge and the Old Water Mills. Tsada golf course is 10 minutes away from
Cassandra Hills. It is a development of 8 properties, bungalows and
villas of different types all designed to serve everyone’s needs.
These properties will make excellent residential homes and prove a great
investment. |
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Is the world about to come to an end?by Smart Currency’s Charles Purdy.We live in interesting times. Banks are having to be rescued before they go under - taking the financial system as we know it down with them. Retail sales are plummeting, even as we approach the usually buoyant Christmas period, and it seems as if no one is quite sure if they will have a job next year. The UK government continues to be in denial, blaming our current woes and the weakness of sterling on the Americans. If only this was so. Perhaps if we focused on producing goods and services rather than believing that the City alone can make us all rich we may be in a better position to dig ourselves out of this hole. So where does all this leave you
and your overseas property? Why do I think this? 1. Sterling is unlikely to get better (strengthen) in the medium term and there are greater chances of it actually getting worse (weakening). Therefore to own an asset in another currency would make a lot of sense in diversifying your risk. In other words, if you own something in, say, Europe or America it will have a greater value than it would in sterling terms. 2. Property prices everywhere have fallen from unsustainable levels. Tough negotiation may well bring the price back to a more realistic level. This would offer real value for money, even given sterling’s current exchange rate. 3. Perhaps most importantly, it would allow you to "live your dream" and change your lifestyle. This factor is not to be underestimated, given the problems we are likely to encounter in the UK over the next few years. Where Smart Currency Exchange is best able to benefit you is when you budget for your overseas purchase. Thousands of our clients use our expertise to minimise the risk and remove the stress of wondering how much sterling they will need when they come to buy. It's better to know what the overall cost is upfront, on the day you decide to buy - say £150,000- rather than having to take a risk and ending up having to pay say £175,000 (another £25,000) on the day you actually pay for your property. We watch the market 12 hours a day, five
days a week and work with our clients to save them thousands of pounds.
Give us a call so that we can help you to “live your dream”
in the most cost-effective way possible! The euro also maintained its value in the markets and although marginally lower against sterling it remained relatively unchanged against the US$ from the previous week. The extent of the recession within the Eurozone was demonstrated by a survey showing that business activity has slowed to its lowest level in over ten years. This has, much like the BoE, left the onus on the ECB to lower the interest rates in hope of stimulating business growth. It could not be more important that you use the services of a currency expert at this time. Let’s face it, we all need all the help we can get in these trying times and it is imperative that you look closely at your currency strategy – every little bit helps ! Here is the sort of email continually received for Smart’s service: "Great service - quick, easy - everyone I spoke to and dealt with was very pleasant and helpful. Thanks.....Dave" Why
overseas property buyers lose money... To get a copy of the report at no charge go to: http://www.smartcurrencyexchange.com/freereport.htm To get a Better-than-Bank
rate go to: http://www.smartCurrencyExchange.com/smartsquotation.htm
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Time to get your running shoes on! (By Jackie Nicholls)Do you remember that a while ago I mentioned Cyprus had the most amazing running challenge each year - and that if any of you happen to enjoy running, then you should be making your way to Cyprus in November? Well, time flies and the experience is about to happen again! The Cyprus International 4-day Challenge is taking place for the 4th consecutive year from 27-30 November 2008 for runners of all levels wanting to test their strength in this daring event! Around 350 participants from the UK, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Ireland, Norway, Greece, Russia, Brazil and Cyprus are competing in 2008. So why is it so special? Well, four different races take place over four days. The first day starts with a time trial of 6-kilometres from Coral Beach and ends at Sea Caves. The second day is an 11-kilometre hill run, starting close to sea level in the Akamas Park and ends at Arodes Village. The third day is a multi terrain half marathon starting at the Smigies picnic area after Neo Chorio ending by the main coastal trail of the Akamas. The last race of the series, the 10-kilometre Paphos City Run starts and finishes by Paphos Harbour. This can be run as a race on its own so that supporters of runners, as well as everyone who is interested, can take part. Over half of the event is taking place in the absolutely stunning Akamas Reserve. Runners are guaranteed real challenges with adventurous on and off road running as well as hill climbing – not for the faint-hearted! Participants as young as 20 to the most mature competitor, who is a British lady aged 73, will again be enjoying this fantastic annual event. Most of the runners are also holidaying on this beautiful island – where the weather this time of the year is absolutely perfect for running. Why not visit www.cypruschallenge.com for further information? An event definitely not to be missed!
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Fireworks... going up in smokeIt’s that time of year – wood smoke, pyrotechnics and reams of autumn leaves… But just as every recreational explosive carries a health warning, there’s no point making sparks in life without taking sensible steps to protect yourself against the unforeseen. If we’re to plan effectively, we must think about the worst case scenario. The principle of insuring yourself against anything untoward is universally accepted, yet there is no other area in which people need more encouragement to take the necessary steps to address the shortfall. People don’t like thinking about misfortune, and very easily slip into an “I’ll-sort-it-out-tomorrow” mentality. Which is why we all need an expert to set up a package of policies, giving the appropriate cover for the cost of private medical care, incapacity, serious illness and death. There are three main reasons for sorting this out as soon as possible, rather than waiting till you’re buying property, starting a family or generally settling down: 1. Cost – the cost of insurance premiums vary with age, going up steeply in one’s late 20s and through your 30s. If you fix your premiums before you reach this bottleneck, you’re onto a guaranteed winner. 2. Cover – if a banger goes off in your hand, you need cover today to provide financial independence while you recover from your injury (or sufficient security if you don’t!). 3. Insurability – as time goes by all sorts of things can change which will affect your ability to take out cover, almost always for the worse. Not just your age, but your health, your weight, the health of your parents and siblings, how hazardous your pastimes are, and any number of other criteria which conspire to reduce the chance of being able to take out cover. Insurances are like safety goggles, they’re not going to be very entertaining, and they cost money that you’ll never see again, but once you have them in place you can light the blue touch paper and stand back… We have a brilliant insurance expert that would be very happy to discuss you particular circumstances with you. Please just call us on 0207 898 0549 or take a look at our website for them and get a quote:
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Will it work – or won’t it? (By Jackie Nicholls)The final road test of the new Paphos International Airport took place on Monday 28th October. Having been invited to the first trial, my expectations of the final trial were high – but sadly not matched. Some of you will remember from last month’s newsletter that the purpose of the trials were to iron out all the problems, culminating in a slick, fully operational airport ready for the opening on 17th November. I was disappointed. The final trial saw numerous coach-loads of people arriving, but everything was so orchestrated, not much could really go wrong! Prior to arriving, we were told we would be given no help; we had to find our own way to check-in and just carry on as though we were going on a normal holiday. This couldn’t have been further from the truth. Staff were everywhere to help, which just isn’t normal, as we all know! As soon as we arrived, we were told where our check-in desk was. So no chance to look for the screens, which is the usual procedure. As per the last “trip”, I was given an e-ticket for my flight – destination this time was Amsterdam. At check-in, I couldn’t believe that 5 – yes 5 – check-in desks were open for this flight! It was obviously just to clear passengers as quickly as possible and make things look good for the hierarchy who were in attendance. One improvement was that the security questions were finally asked – they weren’t last time, so this was good. However, the check-in girl was quite abrupt, she made me feel as though she just wanted to get the whole process over and done with as soon as possible! Not the friendly, smiling face I would expect in Cyprus, but she was trying very hard to reduce the queue as quickly as possible. I then went through to security. Again, this was very thorough. A gentleman in front of me had a very small penknife in his hand luggage and the screening operator located this immediately. The gentleman was taken to one side and dealt with appropriately. This was all very discreet and well managed. My passport was checked, but again, the biometric facility was still not working! I suppose it will be - eventually. The duty free shops and restaurants were coming along; progress had certainly been made here since the last visit. This area really will look pristine when it is finished – great news for everyone who loves shopping! Once in departures however, the same problem reared it’s ugly head again. The PR system was still absolutely terrible! The lounge was now full, and nothing could be heard. Everyone was complaining, but shoulders were just shrugged. I can’t believe this still isn’t sorted out. One of the most important things at an airport is to be able to hear the public address system – especially if there is an emergency! My “flight” was on time. Unfortunately, it was pouring with rain. Although we all welcome rain in Cyprus, the timing was awful. It’s quite simple. If you are exiting or boarding an aircraft at the new airport when it is raining there is only one thing going to happen – you will get soaked as there is no cover provided! At Arrivals, the biggest problem again was inadequate screens. One very small screen at the end of immigration showed the baggage reclaim details. Hermes did agree they need at least three screens at appropriate points. Baggage reclaim was fine, but when I went to use the ladies toilets, the faults I reported on my last trial still hadn’t been fixed. And these were simple things like the soap dispensers not working … On a very positive note though, as a reward for attending the airport trials, all participants were given the chance to enter a draw on the final day to win €5,000. The draw took place and a truly lovely retired lady called Molly won the draw. She was absolutely thrilled - so excited she couldn’t believe it! She received tumultuous applause and cheers from everyone in attendance; it was really lovely to watch! Well, to summarise, Hermes still have a long way to go. A few faults were rectified from the last trial, but the airport is by no means ready for passengers, yet Hermes still believes they will run the slickest regional airport in the Mediterranean. When I spoke to one of the senior managers pointing out that numerous faults were still outstanding, he said they were aware and were actively working to put them right. I did compliment him on the fact that the
airport was so much better than the old one – to which he gently
replied “well that wasn’t difficult, was it!” This
really made me smile!
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| Cyprus Property Buying & Investment Guide
I have had a wonderful idea, triggered by a chat I had with one of our readers. We all know that times are hard at the moment. Many readers are longing to move abroad yet have found that they are not able to sell their home in the UK and are having to put plans on hold. This is a great opportunity for readers to buy the guide in advance so they will be set and ready to roll when the good times come – and they always do! Furthermore, guides make a fabulous Christmas present… they make a wonderful addition to any coffee table… guides are great! So if a friend or relation is also thinking of moving…well, I have just solved your “what should I buy them for Christmas” problem, haven’t I? Go to: http://www.CyprusBuyingGuide.com/guide.htm and we will send it off to you immediately – or to your chosen recipient.
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Okay…that’s it for now. Have a great month and enjoy the lead up to Christmas. I’ll send you another newsletter before the end-of-year break. Give The Overseas Guides Company a ring any time if you’d like to discuss Cyprus – Kate, Elaine and Claire will be happy to point you in the right direction. Please note that we are getting quite a few calls these days, so if you don’t get through the first time, please try again! PS. I did meet a couple guys that were
awesome too! After I re-read my introduction I realised that I was a
bit OTT on the girl power. Anyway, I was fortunate to have the opportunity
to have lunch with Nigel Howarth. If you haven’t heard of him
you will eventually – he’s famous in Cyprus. He has published
an excellent guide to buying Cyprus and he writes for various publications.
Check him out at: Kind regards, Kim
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