| ign="center"> | | | | For the older person retiring there has not only the |
| There is certainly a spring in the step of the property | | | | bonus of their pension going further because of a |
| market in Crete, Oonagh karanjia of Crete Property | | | | lower cost of living, right now their savings also earn |
| Consultants writes. | | | | bank interest as ours no longer do in the UK. There |
| Crete's property allure now seems to be the low | | | | are all the other major bonuses of fantastic climate, |
| council/property tax! Just as much as the sandy | | | | beaches, mountains, a social life, the freedom to walk |
| beaches and mild climate. | | | | without fear of being attacked or mugged - except |
| At least 50% of the time when Crete Property | | | | unfortunately in the few very tourist spots where the |
| Consultants take a phone call or email nowadays the | | | | crime is tourist crime - there is a flourishing national |
| question is concerning the cost of living, starting with | | | | health system and the island has an abundance of |
| the annual property tax or council tax as we call it | | | | good hospitals in the towns and cities and many health |
| here, as opposed to the past when the enquiry was | | | | centres in the smaller places. |
| concerning sandy beaches or hospital facilities. True | | | | Think about two extremes - two holiday destinations |
| the pound is and has been weak against the Euro, but | | | | that could not be more different where it's possible to |
| this is counter balanced hugely by the other things that | | | | buy a home either for retirement or holiday, or just for |
| make the cost of living low compared to the UK. Much | | | | investment, two different places right now suffering |
| lower electric and heating bills for example because of | | | | from the global recession: |
| the mild climate and long sunshine hours, even in the | | | | Dubai, with its splendid hotels and buildings, fantastic |
| summer in the UK it is so often overcast and rainy | | | | beaches and shopping - its rather austere religious |
| that we need to have our lights on, even, sadly, in | | | | background, softened for financial reasons to lure |
| summer the heating is required. NOT in Crete. Added | | | | investment, but still dominating the place. Certainly it has |
| to this is the availability of fresh produce often given | | | | great flaws, but still a place for people to invest their |
| freely by kindly Cretan neighbours which grow so fast | | | | money in the right projects, but not a warm. friendly |
| and furiously in the this fertile island, grapes, olives, | | | | place once outside of the hotels with their superb 5 |
| vegetables, melons, lemons, oranges - all kinds of fruit, | | | | star service, and where the workers are imported |
| and if you are lucky enough to have a couple of olive | | | | from other countries and their passports held by the |
| trees even enough olive oil made by the local co-op to | | | | authorities during the terms of their contract. Certainly |
| provide a year's supply. Life in Crete is a very tempting | | | | low crime rate, as in Crete but more because of a |
| proposition for the Old Age Pensioner, treated here in | | | | fearful religious regime, not because of the family life |
| UK as a second class citizen, barely at subsistence | | | | style. On its plus side the buildings which are exciting in |
| level but in Crete as a respected Senior Citizen, invited | | | | architecture and concept, even if a bit too over the |
| and included in parties and events of which the | | | | top. Very exciting to be part of this property madness |
| Cretans are so fond. Of course there is a global | | | | if one can afford it. |
| recession and crisis in Crete, part of Greece, as there | | | | Crete, still partly in another century, still with little old |
| is world over and certainly in the UK, but this does not | | | | ladies in black riding up the mountains on a donkey, still |
| detract from the natural joyous nature of the Cretan | | | | in some ways deeply religious, but not in a fearful way. |
| mentality and their innate kindness and hospitality. | | | | A warm friendly place, where those who come to |
| Given the choice where would you choose to retire. In | | | | work, and to fit in with the society and contribute |
| a country where we are overtaxed and missing the | | | | something to society and enjoy it do not have their |
| warmth of the sun, with a crime rate so high that it is | | | | passports taken. Where there are still simple tavernas |
| more and more frightening for older people to step | | | | and hotels as well as the 5 star ones. Also Crete has |
| outdoors, or in a place where family values still exist, | | | | certainly got flaws, but most of them are completely |
| where parties are for all age groups and children are | | | | acceptable. Crete even has its architectural |
| loved and cared for by family and friends with no | | | | adventures even if does not break any boundaries in |
| worrying about political correctness? This is just the | | | | that direction, but the prices are still reasonable and |
| one almost forgotten aspect of Crete, yes there are | | | | anyone buying there to enjoy the lifestyle will still be |
| lovely beaches, there is an outdoor life and lively | | | | able to leave a legacy for their family should they |
| café society, fantastic and awesome views and | | | | wish.Few people realise that in Dubai it is not possible |
| gorgeous wild flowers, fantastic gorges where the | | | | for a non Muslim, or a non Emirati to leave their |
| birds can be seen swooping about in the crevices, but | | | | property to whom they wish - it has to be owned by |
| there is also the fact that if a footstep is heard behind | | | | a company or go through a complicated issue of |
| one in the dark there is no feeling of terror, only the | | | | escrow, otherwise on the owner's death under Sharia |
| thought that perhaps it is a friendly person to say | | | | law it reverts to the State!! Of course if you know |
| "hello" to. | | | | when you are going to die or have your "hear attack" |
| Why, you might well ask, is it that the local tax can be | | | | then you can transfer to family, but honestly how |
| so low in a country where the financial crisis is | | | | many of us know what the next day holds for us? |
| precipitated by a "top heavy" amount of civil servants? | | | | Many people have invested in Dubai, some people |
| Well in its simplified form remember these facts. | | | | wisely and well and have not yet succumbed to the |
| Tourist tax pays for many improvements like road | | | | problem of death and its inheritance problems, others |
| repair, tourist police etc. There are no libraries, Old | | | | who bought at the top of the market and having been |
| people are not put into state pay rolled homes, they | | | | pressed into taking mortgages at changeable rates at |
| are looked after in their own communities and among | | | | a high cost are in deep trouble now. In Crete only |
| their family groups. Childcare, nearly always done by | | | | those who were pressed into buying "Off Plan" might |
| an Auntie, or honorary auntie or relation of some kind | | | | have run into trouble now, and these are small |
| and not paid for by the government or local taxes. | | | | numbers because most of Crete is offering village |
| Social workers? I have never heard of a social worker | | | | houses, individual houses, or newer homes being sold |
| as such in Crete where children are revered, loved | | | | off for health or family reasons. What sounds like the |
| and cared for!! I have never heard of a child being | | | | safest long term investment to you and the place, in |
| starved or beaten to death such as the cases we | | | | the long run, you could enjoy the most? Crete |
| have here in the UK. Perhaps it is caused by the fact | | | | Property Consultants offers a huge range of property |
| that life is a completely different thing there, it is lived to | | | | of all descriptions and nothing is sold under pressure by |
| the full, work is hard, play is hard and full | | | | this company. |
| communication still goes on between people. | | | | Price comparison - well prices start as low as |
| Neighbours are people who in general are kind and | | | | £50,000 for an apartment in Crete but more like |
| caring, the word neighbour in Crete means someone | | | | well over £100,000 in Dubai just for a studio. An |
| who looks out for you, not someone whose name you | | | | average detached property with pool is between |
| barely know as in the UK and I suppose other | | | | £200,000 to £400,000 in Crete but starting at |
| Northern European countries. How much of our council | | | | £1,000,000 in Dubai. The other plus side for Crete |
| tax gets poured away on policing, on crime and on | | | | is that there are not service charges for a detached |
| other social care amenities which simply have no | | | | villa, property rates are paid on the size per square |
| benefit to this Mediterranean island. Whatever the | | | | metre of the house etc., but no extra charge other |
| statistics and facts it remains that pensioners pockets | | | | than the property tax for street lights etc. In Dubai |
| are not being emptied for unnecessary and costly | | | | apart from the local property tax there is a service |
| services, perhaps it is a little sad there is not a free | | | | charge by the developers (mostly state owned) for all |
| library on every corner, but balanced against other | | | | sorts of extras. |
| things that is not so very sad. | | | | |