Altinkum Property Boom - It's Time to Start Living the Life You've Imagined

“It’s Time To Start Living The Life You’ve Imagined”This quotation, attributed to the American author, Henry James,captures perfectly the mood among property buyers in Altinkum,Turkey. James would have been intrigued by the excitementrushing through this Aegean resort - an excitement that startedin 2002 with the change in laws allowing foreign nationals toown property in Turkey in their own names, and now fuelled byintense interest from the British media and the experiences ofearly investors.Until a few years ago, Altinkum was purely a holiday town. Anarc of golden sand running gently down into a turquoise sea, soperfectly clear that in the shallows, the fish skimming around abather's feet appear to be swimming in glass. A beachfront linedwith small bars selling typical Turkish food and internationalfavourites, a small central square with stalls of trinkets forsouvenir hunters, and one nightclub summed up the total ofAltinkum's tourist ...

...facilities.Now property is the main industry of Altinkum, and the onceminor resort in Turkey has become an investor's dream.Specialist magazines like A Place In The Sun and Homes Overseashave featured articles on the Altinkum gold rush, and theproperty boom has even caught the attention of the nationalpress and television stations with news stories and TVprogrammes hailing Turkey as the next Spain and Altinkum as thenew Marbella.The Altinkum locals have responded in kind, ploughing billionsof lira into regenerating the area. The main highway into theresort is now a tree-lined boulevard, with flower beds liningthe pavements. Along the main beach runs a paved promenadestudded with palm trees, and a marina and golf course willcomplete the transition from dusty town to cosmopolitan resort.The local investment is seeing a major return. Apartments andvillas are realising a year-on-year increase of as much as 30percent, and two bedroom apartme...

...nts which were available in 2000for £6,000 are now asking upwards of £25,000. The area has seenits first sale of a single property over £200,000, and whilethis is still remarkably cheap to European eyes, it marks amajor achievement for Altinkum, posting its entrance into thesame league as Bodrum and Fethiye, which have been establishedproperty hotspots for many years.Altinkum’s future is assured. The once-seasonal holiday town,deserted in winter by all but a few, now has a wealth offull-time expat residents. The more confident restaurateurs arestaying too, providing excellent food and a place to meetthroughout the winter. The biggest hotel in Altinkum held itsfirst New Year’s Eve party this year, and next year promises ayet larger crowd to please as more and more buyers take theplunge and choose Turkey for Christmas.Author: Laura Bower Original Article:http://www.tropicalbeachhomes.com/http://www.tropicalbeachhomes.com/News.asp?N=5&L=EN