Crete as a number one Retirement Destination

There is certainly a spring in the step of the property market in Crete, Oonagh karanjia of Crete Property Consultants writes.

Crete's property allure now seems to be the low council/property tax! Just as much as the sandy beaches and mild climate.

At least 50% of the time when Crete Property Consultants take a phone call or email nowadays the question is concerning the cost of living, starting with the annual property tax or council tax as we call it here, as opposed to the past when the enquiry was concerning sandy beaches or hospital facilities. True the pound is and has been weak against the Euro, but this is counter balanced hugely by the other things that make the cost of living low compared to the UK. Much lower electric and heating bills for example because of the mild climate and long sunshine hours, even in the summer in the UK it is so often overcast and rainy that we need to have our lights on, even, sadly, in summer the heating is required. NOT in Crete. Added to this is the availability of fresh produce often given freely by kindly Cretan neighbours which grow so fast and furiously in the this fertile island, grapes, olives, vegetables, melons, lemons, oranges - all kinds of fruit, and if you are lucky enough to have a couple of olive trees even enough olive oil made by the local co-op to provide a year's supply. Life in Crete is a very tempting proposition for the Old Age Pensioner, treated here in UK as a second class citizen, barely at subsistence level but in Crete as a respected Senior Citizen, invited and included in parties and events of which the Cretans are so fond. Of course there is a global recession and crisis in Crete, part of Greece, as there is world over and certainly in the UK, but this does not detract from the natural joyous nature of the Cretan mentality and their innate kindness and hospitality. Given the choice where would you choose to retire. In a country where we are overtaxed and missing the warmth of the sun, with a crime rate so high that it is more and more frightening for older people to step outdoors, or in a place where family values still exist, where parties are for all age groups and children are loved and cared for by family and friends with no worrying about political correctness? This is just the one almost forgotten aspect of Crete, yes there are lovely beaches, there is an outdoor life and lively café society, fantastic and awesome views and gorgeous wild flowers, fantastic gorges where the birds can be seen swooping about in the crevices, but there is also the fact that if a footstep is heard behind one in the dark there is no feeling of terror, only the thought that perhaps it is a friendly person to say "hello" to.

Why, you might well ask, is it that the local tax can be so low in a country where the financial crisis is precipitated by a "top heavy" amount of civil servants? Well in its simplified form remember these facts. Tourist tax pays for many improvements like road repair, tourist police etc. There are no libraries, Old people are not put into state pay rolled homes, they are looked after in their own communities and among their family groups. Childcare, nearly always done by an Auntie, or honorary auntie or relation of some kind and not paid for by the government or local taxes. Social workers? I have never heard of a social worker as such in Crete where children are revered, loved and cared for!! I have never heard of a child being starved or beaten to death such as the cases we have here in the UK. Perhaps it is caused by the fact that life is a completely different thing there, it is lived to the full, work is hard, play is hard and full communication still goes on between people. Neighbours are people who in general are kind and caring, the word neighbour in Crete means someone who looks out for you, not someone whose name you barely know as in the UK and I suppose other Northern European countries. How much of our council tax gets poured away on policing, on crime and on other social care amenities which simply have no benefit to this Mediterranean island. Whatever the statistics and facts it remains that pensioners pockets are not being emptied for unnecessary and costly services, perhaps it is a little sad there is not a free library on every corner, but balanced against other things that is not so very sad.

For the older person retiring there has not only the bonus of their pension going further because of a lower cost of living, right now their savings also earn bank interest as ours no longer do in the UK. There are all the other major bonuses of fantastic climate, beaches, mountains, a social life, the freedom to walk without fear of being attacked or mugged - except unfortunately in the few very tourist spots where the crime is tourist crime - there is a flourishing national health system and the island has an abundance of good hospitals in the towns and cities and many health centres in the smaller places.

Think about two extremes - two holiday destinations that could not be more different where it's possible to buy a home either for retirement or holiday, or just for investment, two different places right now suffering from the global recession:

Dubai, with its splendid hotels and buildings, fantastic beaches and shopping - its rather austere religious background, softened for financial reasons to lure investment, but still dominating the place. Certainly it has great flaws, but still a place for people to invest their money in the right projects, but not a warm. friendly place once outside of the hotels with their superb 5 star service, and where the workers are imported from other countries and their passports held by the authorities during the terms of their contract. Certainly low crime rate, as in Crete but more because of a fearful religious regime, not because of the family life style. On its plus side the buildings which are exciting in architecture and concept, even if a bit too over the top. Very exciting to be part of this property madness if one can afford it.

Crete, still partly in another century, still with little old ladies in black riding up the mountains on a donkey, still in some ways deeply religious, but not in a fearful way. A warm friendly place, where those who come to work, and to fit in with the society and contribute something to society and enjoy it do not have their passports taken. Where there are still simple tavernas and hotels as well as the 5 star ones. Also Crete has certainly got flaws, but most of them are completely acceptable. Crete even has its architectural adventures even if does not break any boundaries in that direction, but the prices are still reasonable and anyone buying there to enjoy the lifestyle will still be able to leave a legacy for their family should they wish.

Few people realise that in Dubai it is not possible for a non Muslim, or a non Emirati to leave their property to whom they wish - it has to be owned by a company or go through a complicated issue of escrow, otherwise on the owner's death under Sharia law it reverts to the State!! Of course if you know when you are going to die or have your "hear attack" then you can transfer to family, but honestly how many of us know what the next day holds for us?

Many people have invested in Dubai, some people wisely and well and have not yet succumbed to the problem of death and its inheritance problems, others who bought at the top of the market and having been pressed into taking mortgages at changeable rates at a high cost are in deep trouble now. In Crete only those who were pressed into buying "Off Plan" might have run into trouble now, and these are small numbers because most of Crete is offering village houses, individual houses, or newer homes being sold off for health or family reasons. What sounds like the safest long term investment to you and the place, in the long run, you could enjoy the most? Crete Property Consultants offers a huge range of property of all descriptions and nothing is sold under pressure by this company.

Price comparison - well prices start as low as £50,000 for an apartment in Crete but more like well over £100,000 in Dubai just for a studio. An average detached property with pool is between £200,000 to £400,000 in Crete but starting at £1,000,000 in Dubai. The other plus side for Crete is that there are not service charges for a detached villa, property rates are paid on the size per square metre of the house etc., but no extra charge other than the property tax for street lights etc. In Dubai apart from the local property tax there is a service charge by the developers (mostly state owned) for all sorts of extras.

Dubai is a fantastic place to buy if you can afford it and like the "bling", but not for the faint hearted, Crete is a warmly welcoming place where the people still govern their own environment.

South African born Keith has lived in the south of England for most of his life. After graduating from University with a degree in Business Information Systems Management he decided to start Strawberrysoup website design company based in West Sussex and Dorset.