Recent article from the Daily Express

Daily Express | Property | Turkish delights | Turkish delights

apart from the comment about Expats in this area the rest is true.

Because the Fethiye area has about 5000 ex pats living here most of them permanantly, the British bit is bound to rub off. But, it is still easy to escape.

Fethiye, Large town, 55,000 population in the winter, International Banking facilities, Shopping centres open all year round, fantastic views.


Worth a visit at any time of the year, Ski in the morning swim in the afternoon is possible during the winter

You're right, mortgages are available only for completed properties. The title and habitation certificate are required by the banks during mortgage application.

Buying off the plan is a different story.

You can either get into a cooperative which may -in some cases- take ages to complete, while you're making payments every month. Cooperatives are slowly disappearing as people prefer to get a mortgage and move in immediately, instead of taking risk. Cooperatives usually do not get completed on time. In some cases, they may delay several years if many of the cooperative members fail to make their monthly payments.

Or you can buy directly from the developer while making 2-3 payments during the construction, and final amount at the end. When the project is completed, you can get a mortgage for your final payment, which is usually larger than the intermediate payments.

Hi i live in alanya and have been her nearly 4 years now and i love it wished i had done it years ago. For last 15 years had always had holiday in Turkey followed the coast down agean to the Med. Was taken with Marmaris ole deniz but then discovered Alanya. You need to pop over different areas of Turkey to see what suits you best. İ love this side because of the weather and easy flights ın winter.
Good hunting if you need any help Alanya area always willing to help and guide you.

Lisa


QUOTE=lane;826]Hi all,
We have decided we would like to purchase a property in Turkey.
Is there anyone that has first hand knowledge that can recommend credible estate agents and solicitors who are extremely good to work with and will guide us through the process. I have read too many horror stories of people getting ripped off by unscrupulous agents/builders. What we are looking for is an apartment to be used purely as an investment, taking advantage of capital growth and rental income. As yet we have no plans to move out there. I would also welcome suggestions on best area/s to invest in. Having researched Dubai as a possible location I feel Turkey has more to offer and is a 'safer' bet long term. I may of course be wrong. Any useful website suggestions would be welcome also. I don?t want to go plundering into anything without doing a great deal of research and hearing from people who have experienced the process first hand.
Bye
Lane[/quote]

If you are considering Turkey as the place to buy an investment property - capital appreciation and holiday let income - then it is probably a good idea to research which area of the country will most likely achieve your financial ambition... and if you are considering retirement here, then which area will give you the lifestyle that suits you.

My wife and I left England to live in Turkey six years ago. We didn't know exactly where in Turkey we would settle. We travelled the coast from Bodrum all the way down to the Mersin in the Eastern part of the Mediterranean looking at all areas hoping to find 'home'. We found it in the small human scale town of Kas, Antalya. We fell in love with it at once - and it has been our home since. We found a place that is naturally very beautiful and has a sense of integrity and intimacy - it is well known as a Bohemian paradise with its cafe society and early retired professionals growing their hair long and running bars and restaurants or playing guitars in bars.... The place suits us.

My advice is not to fret over being ripped off by estate agents or lawyers. Find where you want to buy first. Then figure out if you want to buy new, 'off plan' or resale. Resale is often overlooked - and yet if you are patient you will find a property closer to the sea, better views and better value in the resale market - and it physically exists.

Find an English speaking lawyer in the locality that interests you (the local ex-pat. population will recommend the best lawyer). The lawyer's job is to check the property deed (Tapu) is in order - that the owner is correct, there are no debts associated with the property etc. and to draw up a purchase contract on your behalf that is acceptable to both parties.

The transaction of the property going into your name is done at the Tapu office (a government office). They will only put your name on the title deeds when you have received military clearance. It is worth noting that the Tapu office will not transfer a deed to another name if there are any debts associated with the property... i.e. bank loan and property used as security.

The procedure is simple and safe. However, there is a lot of property on the market that do not have registered Tapus (deeds) - my advice is if you don't have a lot of experience in Turkey, don't think about buying such a property.

As far as Estate agents are concerned, there are good and bad. But it depends on what you mean by being afraid of being ripped off - paying too much, no Tapu, exorbitant commissions, poor after sales service...? An agent selling you a new development property and certainly 'off-plan' may not charge you a commission at all - however, he may be getting between 10% and 15% commission of your money from the property developer... put that in context of your 'investment' ambition.... hmmmm.

On resale property, if you look at an area like Kas for instance, you will see the same properties advertised on various websites - at different prices. You may be forgiven for thinking that someone is trying to pull a 'fast one' here and which agent should you trust.. Having lived here I know that a property owner will put his property on the market with one agent at a certain price... and then 3 weeks later put it on the market with another agent at a different price - one in Euros, the other in UKP.... then watch the confusion.. and it's not the agent being dodgy at all.

The best policy is to always take the lowest advertised price as a starting point. Talk or email a selection of agents who have the type of property you desire and see and feel the kind of responses you get - too gushy, uninterested, business like, sensible, responsive etc... You will know who you want to deal with (again ex-pats can recommend). At some point you will have to put some trust in someone, otherwise nothing happens.

As long as you understand the process of buying property in Turkey, then your best strategy is using common sense in all dealings.

If I can be of any further assistance, I would be pleased to help.

The old grey wolf

Probably the soundest advice I have seen for a long time.

I am certainly pleased to see that you have found your dream in what is a wonderful part of Turkey.

Dear Lane,

Thanks for your request and honesty about the horror stories, hence why we are happy here in our offices, as here at MoveToTurkey our aim is to build long-term relationships with all our clients and partners and we believe in the mouth to mouth referrals. Plus as we are based here in the UK, you would know where to come and find us …

Our aim at MoveToTurkey is prioritising and creating a life long relationship with all our clients and investors. Therefore we are only working in partnership with developers and construction companies in Turkey who have a very reliable, honest and high level of standard of properties.

Our sales philosophy is based on the initial viewing trip, which is only an opportunity to view the property bearing in mind we absolutely do not believe in hard sales, they are not and never will be a part of our sales philosophy.

We do have clients who would be more than to give reference, this can be both in written and verbally, however you wish.

We always recommend an independent lawyer where a sales agreement is prepared and signed, by both parties. Under no circumstances should you hand over any money without having a legal agreement in place, not just in Turkish but also in English. You should not sign any documents in Turkish if you do not speak Turkish. Once decided on a property, make sure that your solicitor …



- conducts a search at the registry office to confirm that the property belongs to the seller

- makes sure that they, the seller have the authority to sell it on behalf of someone else

- checks that there are no outstanding debts, charges, restrictive covenants or pre-emption rights against the property

- ensures that all the planning regulations were followed and building permission was granted on new and re-sale properties

- and checks that the property is not in a military restricted zone or in an area forbidden to buy for foreigners.

We would be more than happy to meet you face-to-face or on the phone whenever it suits you. please find us at info (at) movetoturkey / co / uk


Regards

Ayse Alice Aslan




We have decided we would like to purchase a property in Turkey.
Is there anyone that has first hand knowledge that can recommend credible estate agents and solicitors who are extremely good to work with and will guide us through the process. I have read too many horror stories of people getting ripped off by unscrupulous agents/builders. What we are looking for is an apartment to be used purely as an investment, taking advantage of capital growth and rental income. As yet we have no plans to move out there. I would also welcome suggestions on best area/s to invest in. Having researched Dubai as a possible location I feel Turkey has more to offer and is a 'safer' bet long term. I may of course be wrong. Any useful website suggestions would be welcome also. I don?t want to go plundering into anything without doing a great deal of research and hearing from people who have experienced the process first hand.
Bye
Lane[/quote]

I think your best to be cautious and would recommend contacting Love Turkish Property as we have an English a turkish team based in the UK that are happy to answer any questions or concerns you have. We provide a one stop shop from arranging inspections trips, managing the sales process and even providing assistance with buying furniture for your property. Take a look at our site and then feel free to call one of our team for a face to face meeting.

Hello,
You have came to the right person I have lived here 5 years and can advise you but I need you to pm me as I can not advertise on the forum. I live in Hisaronu Ovacik 5 minutes from the famous Blue Lagoon Oludeniz the beach to die for high in rental income great investment.

Hi Lane,

Obviously you are going to get a lot of conflicting advice because most replies are going to come from agents who are likely to promote their own areas.

The best advice I can give for an investment property is to look at Istanbul. There are some fantastic new developments going up there and capital gains and rental potential are excellent.

I live in Bodrum which offers something for everyone, but in town is quite expensive and the investment potential is not so good. Tuzla, further up the penninsular will give good returns as there are plans for 6 golf courses. The first was completed last November, the second has just started and all 6 should be complete by 2010. It is also a beautiful area, and only 10 minutes from the airport. Prices are still relatively cheap so it is a good time to buy there.

A couple of examples can be seen on the links below:
Istanbul - Larasu >>

Tuzla - Dream Village >>

The best thing to do is carry on with your research, then visit a couple of the areas that you feel will suit your needs. Although there is much bad publicity about inspection trips, in a country like Turkey where there is so much so see and learn about the culture etc. a trip with an agent who will show you around is really not a bad thing - as long as you choose your agent well. If you need any help, please let me know.

All the best with your search, Debbie
Hot Property Turkey

Hi Lane

Just saw your post. If you want to buy in Turkey before you do anything have a look at Kalkan. Just gorgous and not a fish n chips resort unlike many others.
Kalkan is a hilltop small town set in a bay just 90 mins from Dalaman. It is the Monte Carlo of Southern Turkey. Depends on your investment capability but even if you do not / cannot buy there take a trip and have a look. You will fall in love.

We have good contacts with an English resident who has apartments with fantastic views over Kalkan. if you need let me know and I will forward details + a discount password.

Useful website: EnjoyKalkan dot com

The Kalkan Turkey Forum. Used and run by English residents.

Regards
Jex