The Truth about buying North Cyprus Homes

Thanks to Cyprus' real estate websites and the mass media, we've all heard what happens when you buy North Cyprus Homes.

"First the Turkish Cypriots will sell you a villa or apartment that doesn't actually belong to them, then they'll kidnap your children, and finally they'll eat your dog!"

But what is the real truth behind real estate in the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus?

First, let's get one thing straight: "There is a substantial risk attached to buying properties in North Cyprus, if you don't know what to look out for."

But contrary to what most Cypriot estate agents and Cyprus property websites would have you believe, the whole of North Cyprus did not in fact belong to Greek Cypriots prior to the Turkish invasion of 1974. It is therefore, perfectly possible to buy a legitimate piece of real estate in the TRNC from its rightful owner, and anybody trying to convince you otherwise is either hopelessly misinformed, or a complete panic-monger.

When looking at properties in the TRNC, you simply need to exercise a little caution

The simple fact is that buying real estate abroad is rarely as straight-forward as most estate agents claim it to be, and no matter where you're thinking of buying, you need to keep your wits about you if you don't want to wind up on 'House-Trapped in the Sun'.

It's no diffrerent in the TRNC, and if you're looking at properties in North Cyprus, homes on your shortlist have to be scrutinised closely to establish whether or not they really belong to the person selling them, or to some dispossessed Greek Cypriot who's going to come home to roost like the proverbial chicken sooner or later.

For some handy tips about what to look out for with North Cyprus' properties, please click here.

What many nay-saying estate agents and developers fail to tell prospective clients, is that in many cases it's perfectly legal for a foreigner to buy land which was originally abandoned by a Greek-Cypriot owner during the 1974 invasion of what is now the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus. Homes and land in this category have been legally and amicably exchanged by the original Greek-Cypriot owner for real estate in the Republic of Cyprus which formerly belonged to a Turkish-Cypriot.

And though it may initially sound a little far fetched, the scheme has received the blessing of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. For more information about the North/South real estate exchange program, and the safety of North Cyprus title deeds pertaining to the scheme, visit the site of MEP Sarah Ludford, and the TRNC's Immovable Property Commission website.

Another thing to bear in mind is the simple fact that without first-rate legal advice you're likely to get fleeced in any foreign real estate transaction, no matter which country you happen to be buying in, and it's absolutely no different in North Cyprus. Homes you're looking to purchase need to be investigated thoroughly with the TRNC land registry by a qualified property lawyer working for your interests instead of some property developer's.

It's no different in the south, where a few property developers' recent shenanigans with the Republic of Cyprus' title deeds have exposed serious abuse of real estate laws. And while this doesn't relate directly to the TRNC's property market, it does bring home the need for high-quality legal advice in any property purchase.

When buying North Cyprus Homes, the advice is the same as anywhere else: "Look before you leap."

We don't just want to sell you a property.
We make sure you're safe, satisfied and informed.