by Gasman » Tue Jan 26, 2010 1:27 pm
I very much doubt you will be 'banned' from this forum as you were from others that seem to exist just to polish each others rose tinted specs. And where not one word of criticism of anything in the TRNC, or any estate agents or developers selling in the TRNC is allowed to stand for long.
I can appreciate that, back in 2003 (especially with no internet available to you) things did appear very different to what they do now and the advice you were given would have been very different too.
I was looking to buy in Cyprus back then. All I knew was there was 'some trouble with the North'. I was more concerned that there would be parts that were in the middle of a war zone with people planting car bombs and what have you (thinking back to the IRA mainland bombing campaigns of the past).
I researched and found that, although the island was divided, they were not shooting each other or fighting in the streets.
I actually moved here thinking I could not even visit the North. When I was told about the border crossings the first thing I did was to drive over there to see it. I had Turkish Cypriot neighbours at the time who were not in Cyprus in 1974 and, on their return, opted to live in the South (they told me it was mainly because of their health care and pensions - they were very old). They'd encouraged me to go see it, telling me it was 'Green Cyprus' and advising about places of interest.
Only much later did I become aware of all the 'property' stuff. I've been convinced since then that all concerned on the 'selling and development' side of it knew exactly what the score was.
A TC pal of mine sent me links to complaints on the web, forwarded emails relevant to the situation, told me all about the pre 1974 Turkish Title being the ONLY safe title. And this was a TURKISH CYPRIOT warning me against ever being tempted by some of the more unscrupulous operating over there.
Not all TCs are out to rob GCs or fleece foreigners.
For my part, even with no fear of prosecution or the like, I would not want to buy anything that could remotely be disputed as belonging to someone else ON MORAL GROUNDS. Whatever I was told about how there were no dangers.