For the second time in a month, I participated in an event where Kazakhstanis were told about the delights of owning real estate abroad. Only last time we were talking about the countries of old and new Europe, and this time about Turkey. It was called accordingly: “The mechanism for purchasing real estate in Turkey by Kazakh citizens. Analysis of the activity of buyers from Kazakhstan and the CIS countries in the Turkish real estate market for 2012.” Literally everything at such meetings is captivating - from the fact that they take you for free to choose your future property, and ending with the fact that ownership in the most picturesque places on the planet will be no more expensive than a “Khrushchev” in the neighborhoods of Almaty, larger in size and will be provided with all the infrastructure . Besides, I left it yesterday, and it was raining outside, rivers were flowing along Furmanova, cars were honking, come on, they say, “swim across” quickly. And so I was drawn to go choose a cozy nest on the Mediterranean Sea, where the swimming season is 9 months, or at least take a look at these new apartments with a view of the orange orchards from the bedroom and swimming pools for residents in the yard. And I also wanted to figure out why in my native country, which seems to be so rich, I, an honestly working person with a higher
education, I can’t even afford to buy a one-room apartment in a panel house built in 1980 with a view of the smog.
Any whim for our money.
Let's start with the fact that at a press conference, a representative of the construction company Sinan Insaat, part of the investment construction holding Sinan Invest, Alexandra Sokolova expressed the hope that already in 2013, Kazakhstanis will be among the top five leaders investing in real estate in Turkey. And there are several reasons for this. “We are united by mentality, religion, and the Turkic group of languages. Economic and political relations between the countries have developed favorably,” said Alexandra. In addition, since August 2012, a law came into force in Turkey abolishing the principle of reciprocity for the purchase of real estate by foreigners. Previously, objects could only be acquired by legal entities together with a Turkish citizen.
Now you can register apartments in the name of an individual, and this gives the right to obtain a residence permit for all first-line family members of the owner (parents, children, spouses), as well as the right to work and run a business. Thus, Kazakhstan, along with Kyrgyzstan and Belarus, entered the list of 129 countries that have the right to purchase Turkish real estate without restrictions.
And on April 4 of this year, the Turkish National Assembly approved the latest version of the new law “On Foreigners and International Protection.” As part of Turkey's accession to the European Union in 2014, conditions are being improved for citizens with residence permits and real estate in Turkey. The residence permit is now given for one year to all first-line family members, and it can be extended. The owner of the property can stay in the country all year round. After 8 years of holding a residence permit, it is possible to obtain Turkish citizenship. According to the analytical service of the Sinan Invest holding, since
Since the adoption of the 2012 law, citizens of Kazakhstan have already purchased 57 objects in the Republic of Turkey. In general, investors from 183 countries bought 2,578 Turkish real estate properties with a total area of 1,162 thousand square meters last year.
The majority of apartments and houses are owned by German citizens - 561 Germans own 775 properties (789 thousand sq. m). The top three buyer-leaders also include
residents of Great Britain (365 objects) and Russia. Citizens of the Russian Federation (and Ukraine) have been allowed to purchase real estate for an individual since 2008, and at the end of 2012 it grew
The Siyans already own 416 objects.
Like in the best houses in London...
Of the 57 properties purchased by Kazakhstanis, 15 are located in the Mersin region. A representative of the Sinan Insaat company assured that they are the largest developer in this region and are building apartments on the first coastline of the Mediterranean Sea with its sandy beaches. Mersin - a new region for citizens of Kazakhstan both for residence and for investment - is located in the southeast of Turkey, opposite the island. Cyprus (80 km by sea) and is surrounded by the Taurus Mountains. Famous for its
beaches, fertile gardens, a ski resort and historical monuments, which, due to the fact that Mersin is the only non-seismic area in Turkey, have been preserved from the times of the Roman, Ottoman and Byzantine empires. Turkey's first skyscraper was also built in Mersin. This is the most Europeanized city. Many Belgians, Dutch, and Germans live here all year round. The holiday season, when you can swim in the sea, lasts 9 months from March to November, but even in winter the air temperature does not drop below +15 degrees.
Without setting as my goal to advertise real estate in Mersin, I still cannot help but mention that the residential complexes that are offered to Kazakhstanis have all the infrastructure for both seasonal recreation and permanent residence: water parks, swimming pools, hammams, saunas, children's and sports areas, parking, shops, restaurants, beauty salons, pharmacies, etc. The areas are fenced and guarded. All complexes have their own 7 km long beaches and are united in a club system with free use of the infrastructure. Now comes the fun part. One hundred-
The cost of apartments in such houses is 600 euros per square meter in buildings still under construction, and from 850 euros in ready-made buildings with furniture and appliances (washing machines, dishwashers, TVs, etc.). There is no extra charge for the number of floors and the view from the window. Apartment areas range from 75 to 195 square meters. m. According to a representative of the developer company, an apartment of 85 meters under construction will cost 55,250 euros, 110 meters with finishing, furniture, appliances, curtains, pillows and even a made bed - move in and live - 93,500 euros. And another “salt in the wound” - all the terraces in the apartments overlook the sea, and the windows of the bedrooms look out onto the courtyard - onto the orange orchards and mountains.
Let's return to the sheep
Now let's compare our reality. Let's take the average euro exchange rate - 197 tenge - and an apartment without furniture, but with finishing in Mersin by the sea for 55,250 euros (or 10 million 884 thousand tenge). Let's convert the price into dollars at the rate of 151 and get 78146 USD. We are opening a popular website for selling apartments in Kazakhstan. What can we buy with this amount? A one-room apartment in Almaty in a good area on Zharokova - Mynbaeva with an area of 36 square meters with a combined bathroom. In a brick house built in 1987. Or a “kopeck piece” in Gagarin-Timiryazev Street, 44 sq.m. on the last, fourth floor of a panel house built in 1962. For those who like something more spacious, we can offer a three-room apartment, but in a residential area of the city of Karaganda. For 77,000 euros 63 square meters. True, the housing is in collateral. Astana – 102 offers in our price range. Mostly 1-2 room apartments in residential complexes built in 2009-2013 with an area of 39 to 54 sq.m. Do you feel the difference? According to Alikhan Smailov, Chairman of the Agency for Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan, who recently presented a report for the first quarter, “the situation in the housing market is stable: prices for new housing in March compared to December, that is, over three months of this year, increased by 1.4% " – In Kazakhstan, the selling price of one square meter of new housing in March was 175 thousand tenge (965 euros), including in Astana - 217 thousand tenge (1101 euros), in Almaty - 245 thousand tenge (1244 euros), in Aktau - 161 thousand, Atyrau – 209 thousand, Shymkent – 203 thousand tenge,” said the head of the Statistics Agency. But that's not all. In Turkey
the management company promises to provide supervision of the apartment during the absence of the owner, can rent out the apartments and is financially responsible for the property and the property of the owner. And we have? Now about utility bills.
As representatives of the Turkish side say, living in their complex will cost from 380 to 500 euros per year (74860-98500 tenge). This amount includes the costs of using the infrastructure of all complexes - beaches, sun loungers, umbrellas, water parks, swimming pools, hammams. Transfers from the airport and back, no matter how many times a year you fly. Electricity and gas are paid additionally. Water is free. They have their own artesian wells that supply the complexes, and there is no concept of water meters. Meanwhile, just for visiting a swimming pool in Almaty a month (12 times), one person will have to pay at least 15,000 tenge (180 thousand per year). About residential
complexes in Kazakhstan were equipped with saunas and other things, I haven’t heard. Utility bills in the winter season for a one-room apartment (43 sq.m.) cost an Almaty resident 65,000 for 5 months of the heating season. The numbers speak for themselves... and not
in favor of the Motherland. Laws against fears Yes, there are fears that today in Turkey there is one law and privileges for foreigners, and tomorrow, when you have already invested money, everything may change
change, like in Cyprus, and you will be left without a home and without investments. But Alexandra Sokolova explained why such a scenario is unlikely:
– In Turkey, there is a title system for registering real estate, and when locals are told that our property rights are contestable and can be lost, they do not understand. The land is owned when you purchase an apartment; the TAPU (certificate of ownership and with the right to obtain a residence permit) contains a plot of land under the house that you own, a condominium. Ownership is indisputable. This is spelled out in EU legislation, which Turkey is planning to join in 2014, and no one has the right to claim it. This means that neither the previous owners, nor spouses and relatives, nor even intelligence officers (as was recently the case with the Amansaulyk Foundation in Almaty) will be able to encroach on the apartment you purchased. You don't need family permission to
sell apartments. In addition, Türkiye is not a double taxation country.
nia. You can choose the country in which you will pay taxes for owning real estate. “In Turkey they are minimal - 0.027% of the cadastral value (50-70% of the commercial price) - 50-100 euros per year,” Ms. Sokolova said. Mersin is also a free economic zone, which is why many foreigners run their businesses here, as they are exempt from paying taxes, except for VAT of 18%. The distrust of Kazakhstanis is caused by the purchase of unfinished real estate. Taught by the bitter experience of shareholders, citizens are trying to play it safe. – In Turkey there is no such thing as shareholders at all. It is not customary to build with borrowed money. We build on our own land, with our own money, without contractors. In Turkey, on the contrary, there has been an increase in value since 2010 - 10%, in our region - 20%, explained Alexandra Sokolova.
The holding in which she works has its own construction companies, a cement plant, a furniture factory, a transport company, that is, it does without subcontractors,
which reduces the cost of work and eliminates corruption. In Kazakhstan, the cost of kickbacks is included in the price of any product, be it wine or an apartment. – In Kazakhstan, when filling out documents, a bunch of papers are filled out - a preliminary agreement, an equity participation agreement, an agreement of intent - everything so as not to enter into a purchase and sale agreement. In Turkey, a purchase and sale agreement for the ownership of real estate is immediately concluded, and all projects are insured by the state insurance company. If something happens to the developer, a tender is announced and another company completes the construction of the house. You are guaranteed to receive the property,” says Ms. Sokolova. – Our houses have not yet been completed, but you can get a TAPU for them. In particular, the complex, which is being built by Sinan Insaat, will have 15 floors; only three are ready so far, but all the apartments have already been sold. Installments are provided for up to 3 years “with a slight increase in cost.” “But since prices in the region are constantly rising - every 3-5 months a square meter rises in price by 50 euros - you will still be in the black,” promised the company representative and cited Cyprus as an example in the 90s, Bulgaria, Montenegro,
Croatia, in which prices started from 300 euros per sq. m. m, and now they are already close to 2000 euros.
Rich and Unhappy
Returning to the 57 Kazakhstanis who already own real estate on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey: the company representative, of course, could not name their names, but, citing data from market analysts, stated that they are residents of Almaty, Shymkent and Astana (in that order) and do business. The apartments were purchased for children and parents. Alexandra herself owns an apartment in Mersin and says that “a family of three spends 300-500 euros per month on accommodation, eating in a restaurant. And the average salary is about 400 euros, depending on the field and capabilities of the worker.”
As an investment, many people purchase 2-3 apartments at once and rent them out, the rent for which ranges from 80 to 160 euros per day during the season, which in this region lasts 9 months, and 600-1200 euros per month in the off-season. Thus, the payback is 4-7 years. Turkey is not only for vacation, but also for investment, according to Ms.
Sokolova, is becoming an increasingly popular country. – The outflow of investors is coming from Bulgaria.
ria, because residence permits for CIS citizens were canceled there. At the same time, Türkiye made visa-free entry. There are owners who sell real estate in Spain due to long flights and visa requirements. Everyone chooses convenience, proximity
crops, low cost of maintenance, food and other services. People understand that fresh air, fresh seafood, and inexpensive housing maintenance are important for parents and children, a representative of a Turkish developer listed the advantages. And it became completely unclear why Turkey can provide all this to a foreign citizen, but the native country cannot. Neither more or less affordable housing, even if of a smaller size, nor infrastructure, nor reasonable tariffs for utilities... By the way, in the rating of “The Happy Planet Index” - a combined indicator that measures achievements of the countries of the world in terms of their ability to provide their residents with a happy life, Kazakhstan (119th place) lags significantly behind Turkey, located in 44th position. The purpose of this study, we recall, is to show the relative efficiency with which countries use economic growth and natural resources in order to provide their citizens with a happy life. The compilers of the rating - the British - emphasize that in those countries where the emphasis is on the development of production, and with it economic growth, people, as a rule, do not become happier, since the economic theories that the authorities of these states adhere to have nothing common to the lives of real citizens.
