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October 6, 2005
Advice on living and working in Turkey: Religion & Politics
Turkish people are amongst the most hospitable in the world. From the moment you arrive in Turkey, expect to feel welcomed. And by the time you leave it is likely that you would have gained many local friends willing to be of help to you.
Because Turkey is a Muslim country, a common false notion about the country is that westerners are not welcomed by the locals. As a matter of fact, the constitution of the country covers the secular state and the non-Muslim minorities are legally protected. But religion does play a very essential part in society which is obvious when you arrive in the country. They are open to other cultures and beliefs and they extend the same hospitality to non-Muslims as they would to practising Muslims. However, religion is far less obvious in the popular tourist areas and the big cities than in the smaller towns and villages. Local people enjoy a drink after work, party at night and basically enjoy the same things as the Brits do.
Posted on: Turkey
Florida offers good value property
Nowadays, buyers’ interest is greatly turning towards Florida’s west coast, better known as the Gulf Coast. At the boundary of Gulf of Mexico, the coastline from Tampa south to Naples has become very popular. Property on the coast is appealing with its many golf courses, sightly fishing spots, lovely sandy beaches and pleasant nature. The Florida Association of Realtor’s said the average prices on the Gulf Coast range from $222,900 in the Tamp-St.Petersburg-Clearwater metropolitan area to $343,600 in the Sarasota-Brandeton region. Statewide, the average is $250,500.
Tampa is the third biggest city in Florida after Jacksonville and Miami. As it prepares to host the 2009 Superbowl, the city is undergoing major redevelopment and part of this is the construction of a number of apartment blocks and condominiums in the downtown area. Amidst nature preserves, parks, rivers, historic districts and flourishing new neighbourhoods, Tampa has been a popular winter destination for America’s rich and famous for a long time now. Moreover, Tampa has its own airport which offers direct flights from the UK with some airlines such as British Airways, United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic. One hundred fifty miles south from Tampa, Naples can be reached in only two and half hours by road. As expected, prices in Tampa City can be quite expensive and a lot of second home buyers usually look for a property outside of the city, particularly in St. Petersburg or Clearwater.
Posted on: Florida
October 5, 2005
Advice on living and working in Turkey: Work and Health
There is still a high rate of unemployment in Turkey, no special privileges for EU citizens and there is little opportunity for job seekers in spite of ongoing recovery from the 2001 economic decline. Getting a job offer and work permit before you arrive in Turkey is a rational approach to finding work there. This way you will not be distraught in job searching even if your funds vanish. Before arriving and arranging for a work visa, it is advisable to communicate with the Turkish embassy or consulate. You need a written employment offer from within Turkey, proof of your qualifications, passport photos and the necessary completed embassy forms and fees paid. Your work visa entitles you to a two year residence permit.
In Turkey, the usual available jobs for Brits include English teaching positions for those with a TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) qualification and tourism related work. Jobs are regularly advertised in the Turkish Daily News, the only English language newspaper in Turkey.
Posted on: Turkey
October 4, 2005
SIPPs Blow Could Boost Sunbelt Homes Sales
The government has made a done deal with the investors vying to have their tax relief to put their buy to let properties and holiday homes in their pensions from April of next year when the investing rules seem to be lax.
The UK Treasury has made a complete run about, as reported by the FT, as generous tax breaks have been removed from the SIPPs self invested pensions.
Starting April 6 of next year, there are rules that the pension laws were to be relaxed allowing those people saving much for their retirement much greater freedom allowing what they could have over their pensions. With this new development, it might seem that changes in the rule would lead to an advantage in the self invested personal pension (SIPP), pensions with wide invested freedoms.
Posted on: Spain
October 2, 2005
SIPPs experts warn on risks and rewards
Norwich Union, an insurance giant, has raised its concern with the FSA on the marketing of the residential properties that is invested into a SIPP (self invested personal pensions) when the month of April rolls around as during this month, the law rules that this is possible.
The firm raised its concerns that the SIPPs might be telling people its added advantage, overemphasizing its benefits, but not its flaw. People from the SIPPs keep on saying that by purchasing personal property through a SIPP, customers can then effectively reduce the price of the property by as much as 40 percent because of the tax breaks. However, this is not entirely cleared. The adverts failed to disclose that there are possible substantial tax bill for investments in overseas properties or that the investor could not take hold of their property any longer.
Posted on: Spain
September 29, 2005
Pru chief: Don’t lose out on SIPPS
When the SIPPs pensions are introduced next year and the complete overhaul of Spanish property investments through this kind of method are then paved away, there could be slights misgivings next April. This kind of pressure may then come from employees losing out on their surprise pensions and the surprise benefits that they receive.
To simplify company pension schemes is the new rule brought about by this SIPP development pension plan. This will be introduced on April 6, 2006, and that the aim of this legislation comes in two-fold: to make the pension system less complex and to encourage greater pension investment. With this new method comes many tax-free inducement schemes, including the idea of buying a second home in Spain or other safe and suitable countries to your liking and purchasing these properties through a SIPP pension plan. In a personal survey, this is what the pension giant, Prudential UK, found out:
Posted on: Spain
September 28, 2005
Spain Tops List for Sunny SIPPS Investors
There are as many as 1,000 investors, particularly the property in Spain, who would benefit from the new tax friendly rules that will establish the government as having to contribute up to 40,000 to 100,000 needed to buy a second home in this country. A recent study conducted proved that many people and many investors are out to take advantage of this new tax break, which would benefit them from buying a second home under the sun. This tax break also has its objective as having people to invest in their personal pensions.
An amount of 1.5 billion will be around to be shared into the overseas properties, particularly in the countries of Spain and France, as people use tax breaks to purchase holiday homes, according to the study by Hangreaves Lansdown, one of UK’s biggest independent financial advisers.
Posted on: Spain
September 27, 2005
High Anxiety Summer for Brit Illegal Buyers
British illegal buyers of property in Spain, particularly buyers with townhouses and villas, will now have to face a team of demolitions and constructions as they are being hunted one by one by the European Commission (EU). This is in a move that says that the EU has vowed to get rid of all illegal buyers who have bought their properties in “illegal” deals from local agents, builders and developers. But with this new development, there are still less British who would do nothing but watch their comrades’ homes being demolished.
Posted on: Spain
September 18, 2005
Turn to the Algarve for inspiration
The Algarve is a popular holiday destination with the British but it is also a place to buy a second home. It has great, wide sandy beaches splashed by Atlantic waves and depicted by strong sandstone cliffs, hours and hours of sunshine and a lot of light and warmth when Britain is cold during Winter. Most of the coast has been developed. The communities are quite metropolitan which has advantages particularly good transport infrastructure, facilities and shops. But this does not mean that rocky graves and grottoes or traditional villages around the region can no longer be found. In the far southwest is Sagres where Henry the Navigator’s school was located, now a patron of the great Portuguese voyages of discovery which began in the 15th century.
Posted on: Portugal
Turkey’s Property Market: dependent on EU vote
Together with Eastern European states Bulgaria and Cyprus (north), Turkey property is popular with British and Irish property market investors. However, it could be hit hard by the troubles over the French and Dutch EU ratification/ referendum of “No” votes. The turnout of the referendum could yield severe effects on the economies and property markets of these countries.
While these countries have made some marked improvements economically, they still have to address issues in corruption and a host of other problems. If these countries will not, the initial improvement in their economies they experienced as they applied for EU membership will suffer.
Posted on: Turkey
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