If
one reads literature, one gets the impression that in the 1920's Greece,
Italy & France were the most common destination of expats - - After
the 2nd World War we are told that it remained much the same, but began
to encompass the Balearic Islands, then Spain, then Tangiers. With
the end of the cold war, the half of Europe that had been behind the so-called
Iron Curtain opened up, and the race was on. Which spot provides
the most ambiance at the least expense, which spots appealed to 'super
stars' and rock stars, which were best suited as retirement havens?
Europe has a lot to offer. More culture, with a greater degree of disparity
than any other region of the world. What you pay for what you get requires
much consideration, but what you get is unbeatable.
Thanks
to a glamorous casino and a personal income tax rate of 0%, Monaco has
become one of the world’s most expensive property markets. Apartments in
prime locations cost $1,869 to $2,243 per square foot, and even at these
prices supply is scarce. But even if you have only a few thousand dollars
to invest, there is a way to claim a stake in this thriving city-state,
to invest in its real estate marketat prices last seen decades ago.
For
the investor who wants to take the trouble to do the investing now, the
rewards will be great in the very near future. The most important
part of the equation, however, is how lovely and enjoyable the area is,
and how wonderful and hospitable the people are. It is truly an enjoyable
place to visit and to recreate! If you just decide to buy a condominium,
it will be a place you yearn to go to all year long. I have been
going there for the last ten years, and I can hardly wait for my next trip.
I usually stop off in Rome or Paris, but I am really looking forward to
sunbathing and enjoying one of the beautiful beaches in Crna Gora.
Forget
the little Dutch boy who held back the deluge by putting his finger in
the dike: architects in the Netherlands are busy designing new houses that
float serenely on the flood.You can hear the jokes already: too much hydroponic
skunk, a crate or three of Grolsch, and then a sudden architectural epiphany:
"Shtop! What are we doing? Let's build chilled out houses that can go with
the flow instead up uptight dikes and defences!"
Anyone
can tell you how to lose property overseas, and although I am not a specialist
in overseas property, I have heard my share of both legal and non-legal
advice on such matters, most of which began in earnest when I decided to
marry a Norwegian.
Big
institutional investors are now targeting Polish residential property -
What strikes me is that there are very telling signs that the Polish residential
property market is maturing and growing up - fast! And one sign of
a maturing market is that institutional investors are starting to move
into the residential market in several of Poland's main cities, something
they would certainly have avoided in the recent past..
The
savvy world investor, according to surveys, now identifies Romania as one
of the top three investment locations in the world (along with China and
Brazil) and the number one opportunity in Europe. Foreign Direct Investment
in Romania is at roughly 3.5 billion dollars currently tied only with Czech
Republic for the number one spot in Central & Eastern Europe. Decreasing
investment rates there and expected investments in Romania will most likely
push Romania on top.
Want
to come to work as a Native speaking English teacher in the Russian Federation?
Getting a visa, temporary residence visas, and work permits here in Russia
is not easy if you choose to do it on your own. It is a long, drawn
out process that discourages a lot of people and many end up giving up
and leaving. It is better to come here on the invitation of a school
or other business and let them handle it all. The following is only
my experience of dealing with Russia’s visa process.
“For
nobody born in any other parts of the world will choose this country for
their residence...” said Dr. Samuel Johnson about the Isle of Skye
in his book, “A Journey To The Western Islands of Scotland” published in
1775 after his famous trip there with his biographer, James Boswell. I
often thought of this after I moved to the Isle of Skye from Florida.
Yes, I was born in another part of the world, quite a different part
of the world. But with all due respect to Dr. Johnson, I
did choose the Isle of Skye for my residence and never regretted it.
For
about 7 years we have been searching the world for a place to live an easier,
less constricted lifestyle, longing to find a more basic and natural
way of life than in our home country Holland. During those years we have
visited other western countries like Australia, Canada, and the US only
to find out that the rules for immigration are so restricting. This
is understandable from their economic point of view: wanting your labour
or your money, but to us this would have meant less freedom instead of
more.
A
Mediterranean climate along the coast, lush vineyards and fields of sunflowers
inland, virgin forests, snow capped mountains and sky resorts -- no, we're
not California. You'll find all this plus gothic cathedrals, baroque palaces
and more in Slovenia, a tiny country no bigger than New Jersey. From Slovenia
you could go to Venice, Italy, for a Sunday outing and be back in time
for dinner. Oddly enough, many people haven't even heard of it, and others
confuse it with
Slovakia.
At
first it seemed a romantic alternative; candle lit meals, gas lighting
and early evenings to bed. Living 2 km from the nearest electricity pylon
gave us a novel and factura-free lifestyle. Our friends frowned at our
choice of such a remote farmhouse, but although we had been pampered by
city life, we accepted that campo living was about going back to basics.
Equipped with a portable 12v battery pack we could recharge our mobile
phones and plug in a B&W 2 inch screen TV. What more would we need?
Well, for a start there was the washing machine, the water pump and the
iron. We had to use a generator for these things but the noise and the
fumes destroyed the peace of our valley as well as the lining of my lungs.
But AA batteries alone couldn’t run such power hungry items.
As
I stood trying to stamp life into my frozen feet in the tiny wooden cabin
perched 1,890 metres up Sweden’s highest mountain, I found a tattered copy
of the New Testament lying open on top of a rickety wooden table. I’d never
read the New Testament in Swedish before. Staring out of the frosted window
at the swirling snow clouds engulfing the remaining 200 vertical metres
to the summit of Kebnekaise, I figured this might be a good time to start.
Switzerland
isn’t just for the mega-rich, and not all Swiss properties cost more than
$1 million. In the Villars-sur-Ollon area, bijou studio apartments sell
for just over $100,000. And while you won’t see “Heidi Homes” in IL’s Pocket
Money Real Estate, a three-bedroom chalet in Gryon could be yours for 360,000
Swiss francs. At current exchange rates that’s $262,350. Built way back
in 1733, this postcard-pretty chalet is 1,600 square feet.
Buying
a property in Turkey is a lot easier than in many other European countries.
Foreigners may purchase land and property in Turkey in their own names
provided that properties are located in towns not in villages or rural
areas and outside of military zones. Turgutreis is the second largest but
sleepy little town at the western tip of the Bodrum peninsula. It combines
a compact town centre with several long sandy beaches and fragrant mandarin
groves. You can enjoy fantastic sunsets breathing in the purist air
around whilst being fanned by gentle breezes. Be guided through the buying
process.
Lev
Fedyniak is fulfilling her lifelong dream of becoming a medical doctor,
but like many, she's attending a university outside the US. Lev writes,
"I followed the traditional route to try to get into med school: college
with a pre-med major, the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT), lots
of extra-curricular and community activities. While my grades and scores
were above average, they weren’t “superior.” Lastly, I lacked the
tacit factors that could swing an admission -- no family member who was
a doctor, not rich, and I lacked political or other influence. I’m not
even sure where I’d have gotten the money to afford going! Then, I discovered
a medical university where the annual tuition is $3,500, where classes
are taught in English, where the MCAT isn’t required and where my age wasn’t
considered a liability, but an asset. Upon graduation, I can sit for the
US Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) to practice in the States. The University
is in Ukraine, at Lviv State Medical University. This program was “just
what the doctor ordered."
When
I was a student at university about twenty years ago, I took my first little
baby steps to gain international experience. These first little baby steps
led me to the turf of the POMs. POM stands for Prisoners of Her Majesty.
The British are called POMs in the English speaking world in the southern
hemisphere – primarily in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. They
are called POMs in that part of the world because the first settlers in
Australia were British convicts.
