Slovakia Investment Property

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Slovakia Investment Property Newsletter
June 2004 - Issue # 1
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Dear

A warm welcome to the first issue of our newsletter featuring
tips and tricks on how to avoid your overseas property purchase
turn out to be a nightmare.

In This Issue You Will Find:

1. Pitfalls of Buying a Property in Eastern Europe
2. Unrivalled Investment Opportunity - Coming Soon!
3. The Press - Is Eastern Europe Still Affordable?
4. Tell Us What You Think!

===================== FEATURE EDITORIAL =======================

1) Pitfalls of Buying a Property in Eastern Europe

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With good property investment opportunities in the UK
increasingly difficult to find, more and more investors are
looking at overseas property markets.

In particular, demand for property in the new EU member states
is growing sharply as investors want to capitalize on the
economic and property boom in Central Eastern Europe.

Indeed, few would disagree that investing in the region can be
incredibly rewarding...if you get it right.

The legal and property buying systems in foreign countries
are different from the UK one, so you need to make sure you do
your homework and take competent professional advice.

Today, I would like to share with you a few tips on issues
that often get overlooked, but are crucial for a successful
Eastern European property investment.

- Restrictions on Foreign Ownership

Most of the 10 new EU member states still have restrictions on
foreign ownership of land and real property.

In countries like the Czech Republic and Bulgaria foreigners
are required to set up legal entities within the country before
transfer is allowed.

Setting up a limited company will usually cost you £2,000 to
£3,000 and you will need to have a local legal signatory.
Purchasing property through a company can raise potential tax
issues in the UK, so it is essential you talk to your accountant
before entering into any commitment.

In other countries such as Hungary or Croatia, you will need
official permission before you can buy, which can take up to
twelve months.

At present, Slovakia and the Baltic states are the only countries
that eliminated restrictions on foreign ownership (with the
exception of agricultural and forrest land) on 1 May 2004.

- Title Questions

The most important thing when buying a property in Eastern
Europe is to make sure you have clear title. Any decent law
firm will be able to find out if there are any problems with
title, or any liens involved, rights-of-way issues, etc.

If you are buying a resale property, make sure you get
independent legal advice. For new properties, the process is
relatively simple. Some countries have made great progress in
the registration and cadastral system. In Slovakia, you can
now have your property registered with the Land Registry within
15 days.

- Estate Agents and Impartial Advice

One of the issues you should be aware of when buying in Eastern
Europe: you are not likely to get totally impartial advice from
estate agents. Estate agents often have their own development
projects and will obviously give preference to their own projects
and properties.

You should always get independent advice. We at Slovakia
Investment Property regularly consult professionals from all
segments of the property and finance markets to bring you
objective and best possible information.

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2) Unrivalled Investment Opportunity - Coming Soon!

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Look out for some exciting news in the coming weeks!

We are in final stages of negotiating on an exciting and
lucrative development in a sought-after location in Bratislava.

As a registered member of Slovakia Investment Property you
will receive first notification of the development and first
opportunity to choose and reserve your preferred unit(s).

If this email was forwarded to you by a friend and you are not
a registered member, please remember that you need to register
in order to be able to receive notifications and view our deals.

To join FREE of charge, please follow the link below:
http://www.slovakiainvestmentproperty.com/register.php

PLEASE REMEMBER:
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Slovakia Investment Property is not your typical UK company
of UK nationals claiming to be foreign property experts.
Not only have we teamed up with the best local experts in
Slovakia, we are Slovak nationals with first hand experience
of the Bratislava market.

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To bring you the best deals, we are constantly looking at new
developments in Bratislava. The developments will only be
presented to you after being carefully screened for capital
appreciation, rental potential and appeal. We only deal with
reputable developers selected for their experience and financial
strength.

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3) The Press - Is Eastern Europe Still Affordable?

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Most would agree that Central Eastern Europe is, at the moment,
the best place to invest in Europe. The imminent unprecedented
growth in the region is expected to be accompanied by a property
boom comparable to the one experienced by Ireland and Spain after
they have joined the EU.

But where in the Eastern Eight are investors likely to get the
most out of their investment?

An editorial published in the Guardian, on 1st May 2004 goes on
to say:

One new hotspot is expected to be Bratislava in Slovakia, which
is only 40 miles from Vienna in Austria. Now that Slovakia has
joined the EU, investors are expecting a sharp rise in commuters
travelling to work in Vienna, pushing up earnings which will feed
property prices in Bratislava.

For the full article, please click on the link below:
http://money.guardian.co.uk/property/buyingtolet/story/0,14434,1207217,00.html

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4) Tell Us What You Think!

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We would love to hear what you think of this issue of our
newsletter. We hope you find the information useful and
wish you best success in your investment activities.
And of course, if you have any suggestions for upcoming
issues that you'd like to share with us, please send them!

Just e-mail us at: contact@slovakiainvestmentproperty.com

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Born in Bratislava, I have lived in South America, Asia and
the US in the last ten years. I made my first property abroad
purchase in 1996. With 10+ years of experience in establishing
international businesses, I moved to London in the summer of
2003. I founded Slovakia Investment Property as a way to
help UK investors profit from what I believe to be the best
opportunity in European property markets for decades.

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We are looking forward to seeing you in our next issue.
In the meantime, if you have any questions or would like to
request further information, please contact us at
info@slovakiainvestmentproperty.com or at +44 (0)207 152 4014.

Best wishes,

Petra Gajdosikova
Managing Director
Slovakia Investment Property
www.slovakiainvestmentproperty.com

Slovakia Investment Property is a trading name of
Alpha Real Estate Investments Limited