On the Crossing of Continents

Cyprus is situated in the north-east Mediterranean on the crossing of three continents - Europe, Asia and Africa. This strategic location ensured development of the island as an international business center with high-quality service, vast infrastructures and great deal of entertainment facilities. Living and business conditions there are more than comfortable. Cyprus differs from most developed countries by its minimal crime rate, high living standards and relatively low prices. That's why many tempted foreigners are buying real estate there.

For many years this island has been a second home for many people coming from all over the world. Those who've never been to Cyprus should really go and see what it's like. During 320 days in a year the island is cherished by caressing sun. Cyprus is washed by waves of Mediterranean Sea that gave life to gorgeous Aphrodite, according to ancient Greek myths.

Foreigners can by properties or land lots for construction activities on the invariable property right basis. Long-term rent is hardly ever practiced in Cyprus. After setting the sale agreement the buyer will face a simple formal procedure with the lawyer. All that is necessary is to hand in an application to the Council of Ministers that will approve the purchase.

Since the buyer pays the full price for the property he receives the paper on the transfer of ownership. What are the expenditures that a real estate buyer will face when purchasing a property in Cyprus?

Firstly, the transfer of ownership fee? It's a lump-sum paid to the Department for Estate Registration. It constitutes around 3.9 percent of the property price.

Secondly, the annual property tax? It's necessary to admit that real estate priced lower that 100,000 Cyprus Pounds (around $210,000) that belongs to a private person requires no annual property tax payments.

Stamp duty on sale agreement is estimated at 2.5 Cyprus Pounds per one thousand of value, while if the property costs more than 100,000 the buyer will pay 2 Cyprus Pounds per thousand.

The county tax ranges from 30 to 100 Cyprus Pounds depending on the property size. The tax covers expenses on garbage cleaning and street lighting.

The judicial system in Cyprus inherited the British one guaranteeing secure buyer's rights on different levels. Thus, the sale agreement cannot be breached by anyone except for the buyer himself. The seller is not allowed to sell, rent out or pawn the property since then.

Learn more about real estate in Cyprus by reading the articles below

Beware! Illegal real estate in Cyprus ( http://www.realestategates.com/Articles/20092004/Illegal_RealEstate_Cyprus0001.html ) Illicit regime implemented on the occupied territories allows and promotes illegitimate buying and selling

Beating carpets and hanging linens outdoors can now cost you about $100 in Cyprus ( http://www.realestategates.com/Articles/31082004/article98763.html ) New system of penalties will make Nicosia a beautiful European city.

Author: Cameron Lindblom, Real Estate Gates ( http://www.realestategates.com )

Also: David W. Higgins, David Bohnett and more.

Reality TV star and singer Heidi Montag has been hiding out by the beach this summer at a Malibu place she rented for $25,000 a month, according to the Multiple Listing Service. But she moved on in late August, and the gated contemporary is back on the market at $5.5 million.

A Long Beach couple struggling with mortgage payments find out their home's been auctioned off by Wells Fargo when the new owner's representative shows up on their doorstep.

Mike and Ellen Kahara knew times were tough. They'd run up about $30,000 in debt on their credit cards and had fallen about $8,000 behind on their mortgage payments.

The 1960s Buff & Hensman-designed Wong House has a pool, a walled garden and downtown and ocean views.

It seems as though actress Scarlett Johansson had no sooner sold her old place in the Hollywood Hills than she and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, closed on a house in Los Feliz for $2.9 million.

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Glen and Linda Keane felt guilty about tearing down the O'Melveny family home. After all, John O'Melveny was part of a group of Los Angeles businessmen who formed Lake Arrowhead Co. in the 1920s and oversaw the lake's development into a popular resort destination.

The mortgage giant quietly launches the HomePath program, which offers subprime-era terms for buyers: minimal down payments, no appraisals, no mortgage insurance and lower minimum credit scores.

If you're a buyer with little cash or a small-scale investor looking for a deal on a foreclosed house, a little-publicized national lending program could be just what you need this fall.

How some of our previously featured properties have fared in the sales market.

Buff & Hensman-designed beach house

Lenders lose an estimated $310 million annually in undervalued short-sale transactions, according to a study released in August.

Question: I am fed up with my homeowners association and successive boards for sabotaging owner requests for records and refusing to fix maintenance problems in common areas that directly affect individual units. I believe I have no other choice than to sue the association and the boards. What are the steps I have to take?

Keeping tenant out over concerns of illegal activities may be viewed as a 'constructive eviction.' Such moves as changing the locks to prevent access can bring significant penalties.

Question: I own a couple of houses that I rent out for extra income. Unfortunately, they are not in the best part of our town. I have a tenant living in one of them who may be dealing drugs or doing something else illegal because the police have arrested him several times. Every time he is arrested he makes bail and returns to the house in a day or so. Even though he pays the rent on time, I realize that I can't continue to allow him to live in my house. My plan is to change the locks the next time he is arrested, so he can't come back into the house. I know that I need to protect his property inside the house if I do this, but my plan is to move his belongings into a storage locker. I can't afford a lawyer to file an eviction case, so this is my only alternative. Will I be OK if I do this?

July's increase from June in the National Assn. of Realtors' gauge for previously owned residences follows two straight months of declines and a report that sales of such homes dived 27.2%.

An index of home purchase contracts for previously owned dwellings unexpectedly increased 5.2% in July over June, the National Assn. of Realtors said Thursday, a modest note of good news for the U.S. housing market.