Retirement with Great Weather and Living Conditions

Many people all over Europe are interested to buy their own home in Cyprus. Cyprus makes an ideal place for retirement with the combination of the great weather and the great living conditions. However before someone buys a property in Cyprus must consider the following points.

Location

Perhaps the most important parameter since it is commonly accept that the the first thing a buyer sees is the location. Buyers should select purely residential areas and quiet neighborhood and stay away from busy streets. Other factors that can make a property attractive are dead-end streets, close to parks and close to supermarkets. Furthermore it is important to check the is the ease of access to main roads. Lastly, Cyprus is well known for its clean waters, so the proximity of the residence to the beach is very important. Especially if someone is looking for a villas, it is highly recommended to search for Pissouri villas or Paphos villas.

Size

The size of the land and the house is also very important. Certainly the choice of size should be taken according to the budget. Generally speaking the size should be kept in a ratio plot size in relation to area of ​​residence. A simple approach / recommendation is the ratio of house - Plot 1 to 2 the least. In other words, a house area of ​​200 square meters is built on a land area of ​​at least about 400 square meters.

Prospects

Buyers should also take account of the prospects of the area they choose. There are areas with quick upgrade and these are usually the areas with new developments such as roads, parks, malls and marinas.

Security

Finally the buyers should take into consideration the security of home. Houses with security system, fencing, cameras and automation in lighting / railings should be considered.

Price Reduction

After 2008 and following the economic crisis, prices for properties in Cyprus dropped. There is no indication that the prices will drop even further and so now it's a good time to invest on a property in Cyprus.
Most people have the idea of «wait and see policy». It is reasonable to expect buyers / investors to make an overview of the crisis before making purchases however the prices have dropped significantly over the last 3 years.

Author's Bio: Chrys is a freelancer that specializes in Cyprus SEOand writes regularly articles about Cyprus. 

Real Estate Career, overrated? Not!

By John Mangas, real estate broker, Toledo, Ohio

The experts at CNBC* posted a story to their website “12 Most Overrated jobs” on November 10^th.  

            I read the story and was surprised to see that among their top 12 list was being a Real Estate Agent. They reference CareerCast.com who describes being a Realtor as overrated “due to the decrease in activity since the housing crisis began.”

            Quiet honestly, I take great offense to their assertion which tells me that they have a fundamental lack of understanding when it comes to our industry. The need and opportunity for the real estate professional has never been greater, assuming that the Realtor has changed with the times.

            There is a learning curve that successful agents in today’s market must make. Distressed property sales are a large part of the marketplace and require skill that didn’t exist 5 years ago. Short sales, bank owned properties and HUD sales represent about 1/3 of our sales in Metro Toledo and track through to our own numbers at RE/MAX Preferred.

           

            Specialty buyer options like 203K loans, OFHA financing and rural loan programs plus the investor and rental markets also represent opportunities for Realtors. Many real estate professionals did not historically embrace these market segments, but in today’s world, they are very important to the overall business mix.

            Realtors play a more important role in the home buying and selling process than ever. In fact, what I am seeing is that while there are fewer agents licensed today than 5 years ago, our agents are closing more sales. The agents at RE/MAX Preferred in 2010 based on the REALTrends reports, ranked #31 nationally for per agent production which translated to just over 21 closing sides per associate.

There is more opportunity than ever for Agents who understand the demographics of our industry. NAR research tells us that the average Realtor is about 20 years older than the average buyer. That is a generational difference that translates well for agents who understand how to blend technology, relationship building and on line marketing opportunities to more effectively reach today’s buyers.

            I saw a presentation at the RE/MAX convention and the presenter asked the question, “are you learning as fast as the world is changing?” That really goes to the level of success that any Realtor can expect to enjoy. The learning curve that comes with changing marketplaces translates well to creating security and even growth for progressive agents and brokers.