Hello there, how are you?

I was having a look on the Internet in case there was something super interesting that I should be mentioning about Greece, and I felt my old malaise coming on. By that I mean my total aversion to ever reading a newspaper or looking at the news on telly. I mean…why don’t they ever give the good news? There MUST be some…but no, always the bad.

If you had to believe the newspapers, the world is coming to an end within the next few days. I think that, like me, people are getting fed up of all the doom and gloom and are now focusing on positive plans going forward. The thing to remember is this: if prices have gone down in terms of selling YOUR property, they have also gone down when you come to buy…makes sense doesn’t it?

Anyway, for me it’s all just good memories of Greece and I am already planning my next holiday! Talking of that, I wrote a piece on ‘Close to Nature in Greece awhile back’, highlighting all the truly lovely places to be visited in Greece specifically for the nature lovers among Greece Buying Guide readers, and guess what? I received the most adorable email back from Irene, telling me that she had long held a dream to live in Greece, a dream she has now realised.

She runs a B & B on the lovely island of Aegina – and invited me to visit them there. Funnily enough, on one of my trips to Greece, I visited Aegina and was blown away by this island, especially the delightful old village of Palea Chora, which has many tiny old Byzantine churches. I was only there for a very short time and vowed to revisit the island - the Gods must have been listening! I plan to do just that and I will tell you all about it once back…

Right – here we go: I am continuing on the out of season visit to Greece (what about with a loved one in this Valentine’s month?) - Athens this time. There is Charles Purdy’s monthly currency update, a frequently asked question answered, and a really good connection if you are planning on visiting Greece for a ‘look-see’ before we part for another month. Enjoy it all and remember, I just love to hear your views/comments/stories so if you have anything to say, email or call me on 0207 898 0549. Better still, if you find yourself in the Hammersmith area, just pop in and meet the team: the coffee is always brewing!

Right…let’s go.

Kind regards,


Carol

Carol Dunning
Greece Buying Guide Advisor
The Overseas Guides Company Limited.
mailto:carol@OverseasGuidesCompany.com
Phone 0207 898 0549
1, Lyric Square,
LondonW6 0NB

Athens out of Season…in the month of love!

I think this is the BEST time to visit Athens, out of season and without millions of tourists, whether to sight-see or to buy property. The days are far warmer and clearer than the UK and I love Athens – there is so much to see. Property in Athens will always be a good investment if carefully chosen, as both local people and visitors are always on the look out for good apartments in the city. The last time I visited I saw a few really lovely smallish flats with distant views of the Acropolis – magical.

Incidentally, I have a wonderful hotel to recommend in Athens. I have had a love affair with Athens since I first visited in the 60’s. Many people I know don’t care for the city, but I think the secret is that you just have to stay near the Plaka, or you could be downtown just about any grey concrete city. ‘My’ hotel is at the entrance to the Plaka – it’s very simple but clean, nice and very near all the delights both cultural and gastronomic that the area has to offer - it’s called the Acropolis House. Go to:
http://www.acropolishouse.gr

Here are a few suggestions for you to wander past in Athens - tell me if you have seen them or not:

Syntagma Square is now the heart of the city but used to be on the outskirts of town. It was created in 1834 by Ludwig I, to create a worthy capital for newly independent Greece.

Across the busy street at the top of Syntagma Square is the imposing Parliament Building. In front of the Parliament buildings is the grave of the Unknown Warrior, guarded by the much-photographed Evzones, a special infantry unit of the Greek army. The Evzones change guard every hour on the hour, with a full changing-of-the-guard ceremony, complete with marching band, at 11:00 on Sundays. I love to watch them stomping up and down!

Then head towards the Plaka, past the Acropolis House Hotel and towards the Acropolis. It can be reached by magical paths through old houses that look like a small town on one of the islands. This whole area used to be very run down when I first knew it (in the 60’s) but has now become very desirable and chic – it is called Anafiotika. In this delightful spot, nestled beneath the walls of the Acropolis, the city seems miles away. Wander through narrow paths dotted with the usual cats dozing peacefully or slinking around in search of a meal! While ancestors of the original islanders still live here, Anafiotika is slowly becoming a place for wealthy locals to have an "island cottage" in the city...it's like a Cycladic island village all of its own.

Follow signs to the Acropolis until you emerge on a concrete ramp at the edge of the houses. This part of the walk circles the Acropolis. You can either head upwards towards the Acropolis or down towards the Agora.

For the Agora, turn right and head downhill back into the Plaka. At the traffic street, head left on the path leading to the Acropolis. After about 30 yards, just before the souvenir shack, turn right. Follow a series of stairs until they dead-end at a black iron fence overlooking the. Agora and The Tower of the Winds.

Apart from the Temple of Hephaestus, little survives from the classical Agora, but it remains a wonderful place to get a feel for the ancient city, nestled in the shadow of the Acropolis.

The Temple of Hephaestus is the only temple anywhere in the ancient Greek world with a completely intact roof, and was built in 449 B.C. There's an exit behind the Temple of Hephaestus for those wanting the smooth, paved walkway up to the Acropolis.

On your way up to the Acropolis again you will see Theatre of Herodes Atticus on the right of the Acropolis. This theatre was built in A.D. 161 and is still used as a spectacular venue for the annual Hellenic Festival of dance, music, and theatre performed beneath the stars.

It's hard to overstate the historic and artistic importance of the Acropolis. It must be the most important ancient sight in the Western world. Crowned by the mighty Parthenon, the Acropolis (literally, "high city") rises gleaming like a beacon above modern Athens, a lasting testament to ancient Greece's glorious Golden Age in the fifth century B.C.

The Parthenon is the finest temple in the ancient world. Completed nearly 2,500 years ago, it rises above the city on the highest point of the Acropolis, about 500 feet above sea level. The Parthenon was decorated with carved scenes of epic tales from Greek mythology created by master sculptors Agoracritos and Alcamenes. The best known of these sculptures are the controversial Elgin Marbles, which now reside in London's British Museum, despite repeated requests for their return.

The Erechtheion, with its much-loved Porch of the Caryatids, was the most important religious building on the Acropolis and was built in 406 B.C.

Back in the centre of town, the National Archaeological Museum is the best ancient Greek art collection anywhere. There you will find, among other treasures, the famous gold Mask of Agamemnon, finely decorated weapons, and jewellery.

I have also been to both the Museum of Cycladic Art - the largest collection of Cycladic art anywhere, collected by one of Greece's richest shipping families - and the Benaki Museum of Greek History and Culture. They are both utterly wonderful and well worth a visit.

The Museum of Greek Folk Art is near the Plaka – it is a great little museum offering a change from the folk kitsch on sale throughout the neighbourhood. Four small floors display four centuries (17th–20th) of embroidery, traditional costumes, carvings, and shadow-theatre puppets, all described in English.
So…that is your out-of-season trip to Athens, to be combined with your property search! And we can assist you with all aspects of that if you need our help. Just phone us on 0207 898 0549 or go to:
http://www.GreeceBuyingGuide.com/property.htm
or:
http://www.GreeceBuyingGuide.com/resources.htm and we will immediately get in touch with you to see how we can get someone to help you.

Stop the Value of your Pension from Decreasing!

by Smart Currency’s Charles Purdy.

Many Brits abroad unknowingly lose money when receiving their monthly pension payment. Often a pension is paid in sterling at a UK (or off-shore) bank, exchanged to Euros and then sent to the pension holder’s overseas bank account. Alternatively, pensions are paid into a Sterling account in their overseas bank account and then exchanged into Euros for use.

By using the standard banking system, money saving options are overlooked, unnecessary charges are made and poor currency conversion rates are applied. In the end, the pension holder loses around £50 - £100 unnecessarily on every transfer. In some cases, the pension holder can lose much more. The solution is to use an international payment specialist rather than a bank.

The money saving option – fix the currency exchange rate
Mr Benson retired overseas at the end of 2007. In January 2008, he contacted a payment specialist, explained that his monthly pension amounted to £1,134 and wanted to know what options were available. After a chat with the specialist, he decided to set up a regular payment with a fixed exchange rate of 1.33 for the full year. In January, he received €1,508.22 in his overseas bank account and continued to do so every month for the full year. To set up this facility, Mr Benson set a standing order from his bank to the payment specialist and paid a small administration fee.

If Mr Benson had decided against fixing a currency exchange rate, his monthly amount would have decreased along with the weakening sterling rate and by December his payment would have fallen to €1190.70 - a 21% drop in value. Banks often fail to offer or even to mention the option of fixing a currency exchange rate for use in the future.

Avoid Charges
Banks in the UK and overseas seem to charge for anything they can get away with. When working with an international payment specialist they will help to reduce and often eliminate most bank sending and receiving charges. Why pay a fee if you don’t have to?

Get good exchange rates
International payment specialists offer exchange rates that are guaranteed to beat the rates provided by the bank. Banks often set their buying and selling rates for currency in the morning – when you visit a branch, you’ll see them hanging on the wall. Specialists, however, don’t set the rates in advance but call into the market floor to get you the best rate possible at the time of transaction.

Watching the value of your pension depreciate can be soul-destroying. Receiving €900 rather than €950 can cause great anxiety. Both situations can be avoided when discussing matters with an international payment specialist.

Charles Purdy is a Director at Smart Currency Exchange Limited – the only international payment specialists in the UK that work specifically to help people moving money for property purchases or for regular payments such as mortgage or pension payments. To move money to Cyprus or repatriate back to the UK go to www.SmartCurrencyExchange.com for further information.

To read the latest on Serling and the Euro go to: http://www.GreeceBuyingGuide.com/Currency270209.htm

Why overseas property buyers lose money...
...and how you can avoid it!

This 10-page educational report outlines:

• Case Study: When Property Buyer, Mr Reed, Purchased an Overseas Property, he Made Three Mistakes that Cost Him £10,256...learn how you can avoid them...
  
  
• How the Banks make HUGE profits from their long-standing unsuspecting customers
  
  
• Ways to safeguard yourself against adverse fluctuations in exchange rates (or in other words, helping you to keep your money in your pocket)
  
  
• The entire process of moving money from the UK to any overseas location, so that you're armed with all the knowledge you need to make intelligent decisions about your money
  
  
• How you can ultimately save £100’s and £1000’s so that you have ample money to buy furniture and white goods…
  
  
• More case studies of people that lost money due to foreign currency strengthening against the pound, so that you learn from other peoples mistakes rather than your own!
  

And just a couple remarks about the report from our readers...

" We have found your free report to be extremely helpful... Wendy Watson"

"I have read and absorbed the information in the stories outlining the mistakes which the uninitiated can make when transferring currency. It is very illuminating and essential that any one,like myself, who is in the process of buying an overseas property should be aware of. I would go so far as to say that every agent selling overseas properties should be compelled to advise their prospective purchasers that it is paramount that they use a currency expert such as yourselves. Regards, Eric Thomas"

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
or call Carl on 08081 630 102 freephone.

Property of the Month

Prices from €80,250 - 8 of 11 properties available

Is it just me or is this property EXACTLY what a Greek property should look like? Here you can enjoy the home of your dreams in the centre of the Aegean – in Paros no less. I love the island – it is very much at the crossroads of the Cycladic group of islands and thus very well placed. In fact I visited it when underway to Santorini on a ferry and I found it so enchanting that I stayed a while.

The location of this beautiful project is set away from the tourist centres and offers tranquillity amidst lovely surrounding natural beauty of the kind only Greece can offer. It is only 10 minutes drive to Parikia and 20 minutes drive to Naousa, making cosmopolitan life easily accessible should you so desire. A meal out surrounded by smiling faces is always great, especially when you can return to peace and quiet – the best of both worlds.

There are 11 apartments and maisonettes to choose from, starting from 25 up to 65 square metres.

First Floor

4 one-bedroom flats from 33 up to 36 square metres.
4 two-bedroom maisonettes from 63 up to 65 square metres.

Second Floor

2 one-bedroom flats from 31 up to 36 square metres.
1 two-bedroom flat of 64 square metres.

All flats are provided with:

Spacious balconies.
Air Conditioning.

Give me a call if you are interested: 0207 898 0549 or go to:
http://www.GreeceBuyingGuide.com/property.htm
and fill in the short form - for this or any other Greek property you may be looking for.

We have some really great people out there, waiting to assist you and make your dreams come true!

Burning Question

I am often asked the same questions by Greece Buying Guide readers, so I thought that I would pop one each month – one that has been asked more than once. That way it may help a few readers and you are always welcome to phone us for more information on 0207 898 0549.

This month’s question, from Esther Fhima, is as follows:

Q: Is Kefalonia situated on any of the tectonic plates or faults? We have fallen in love with the Island.

A: Kefalonia is indeed situated in the heart of an earthquake zone, and dozens of minor or unrecorded tremors occur each year. In 1953, a massive earthquake almost destroyed every settlement on the island, leaving only Fiscardo in the north untouched. This was written about in the book Captain Corelli’s Mandolin.

However, the earthquake was a warning and now building on Kefalonia is very strictly regulated to ensure safety. I was on the island during an earth tremour which previously would have caused enormous damage – no problem. I am not surprised you have fallen in love with the island – it is indeed lovely and I cannot tell you how many people write and tell me how they love it!

I do have a great property person on the island so if you need any help at all with your purchase there – or indeed anywhere in Greece, please go to the following link:

http://www.GreeceBuyingGuide.com/property.htm
and we will contact you with a view to putting you in touch with someone who can help. Or, as ever, just pick up the phone: 0207 898 0549 for a chat.

Off Plan Property

We all know that the property market is not as healthy as it was a couple of years ago – BUT there are those that say that NOW is the time to buy as prices are very tempting… and that buying off plan property is the way to go.

Why? Well, many developments take months or years to complete, giving you instant equity from capital growth before you even been handed the keys. Also, many property developers accept small deposits which can be as low as 5% of the properties value – this means that you need only hand over a relatively small sum of money initially.

I found a great site where you can have a look at property investment opportunities worldwide. Whatever you are looking for - from ski lodges to beach retreats for relaxing holidays, or a place in the city for weekend shopping, you'll find a house, home, apartment or condo that hits the spot.

And if you are a ‘greeny’, then most new houses are being built to energy efficient specs – add to that the fact that build quality is guaranteed - if anything goes wrong, the builder will put it right – and I think it is worth looking into. Want to have a look? Then go to:
Worldwide Property Investments

James Villa Holidays

We at the Guides Company have often talked about holidaying or renting a property near your dream location before actually buying abroad and now I think I have found the perfect solution for you in the shape of James Villa Holidays.

James, the original founder in 1984, is still running the show – always a good sign. The accommodation they offer is reasonably priced and personally checked out by the same people that do your bookings. Nothing like personal experience is there? Needless to say, the property checks include health and safety aspects too.

They offer properties across the Mediterranean and beyond, so they will almost certainly have something at your destination. I went into the website it was all I could do to tear myself away – a holiday in itself just looking at some of the lovely homes on offer!

They also offer a one-stop shop for the essential elements of your holiday, with great prices on flights, ferry crossings, car hire, and travel insurance – what a wonderful time saver.
Why not click on:
James Villas

and have a look? Incidentally - and importantly - James Villa Holidays have ATOL protection, which means that, in the event of any problems, your payments are protected. I don’t know about you, but that is one thing I am making sure of lately!

Just go to:
James Villas
and see what you think.

Greece Property Buying & Investment Guide

If you haven't already purchased our excellent FULL Guide why not get a copy today?

Years of investing in property abroad and talking to readers who have either bought or plan to buy property overseas means that we are really up to date on the whole property buying process. We are able to give you step by step guidance on exactly how to go about this sometimes scary process.

The media is filled with doom and gloom, but just because the economic outlook is a little on the gloomy side it does not mean you have to postpone your property plans. On the contrary, it actually couldn’t be a better time to buy, providing you do your sums correctly, buy in the right place and use reliable, professional people to help you.

Let the Guide help you with all this – and more. Every step is clearly and simply outlined, starting with the initial idea to buy all the way through to areas, how to buy land, investment options and many top tips. What is more, there’s a money-back guarantee if you don’t like the Guide so you have nothing to lose! For more information go to: http://www.GreeceBuyingGuide.com/Guide.htm

Goodbye for now

That’s it for this month – I hope it has been useful to you.

I am compiling a few case studies in order to show people the advantage of using the Greece Buying Guide and the recommended services we offer to help people save money and reduce risks. I would love any contribution you would like to make – please just email me and say that you are happy to do this and I will give you a call at the earliest opportunity.

Many thanks – hoping to chat to you soon and all the best until next month.

Carol

Carol Dunning
Greece Buying Guide Advisor
The Overseas Guides Company Limited.
mailto:carol@OverseasGuidesCompany.com
Phone 0207 898 0549
1, Lyric Square,
LondonW6 0NB