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Turkey, a non-eurozone country with a warm climate, attractive coastlines, low cost of living and easy access from the UK and Ireland - is an attractive option for holidaymakers and second home buyers.
But it is not only demand for coastal holiday homes around the likes of Marmaris and Bodrum that has foreigners interested. Savvy investors are turning their attentions to rapidly growing cities such as Istanbul, the economic powerhouse of the country, which has a significant housing deficit.
Situated on the Bosphorus Strait it is the only city in world that spans both Europe and Asia. Conservative estimates put the population at 13m and present housing stock has reached capacity. With over 400,000 new inhabitants arriving each year to work or study - the megacity is exploding.
The success of Istanbul's property market is a simple matter of supply and demand. It is estimated that 250,000 new homes per year will be required until 2015 according to the Real Estate Investment Trust Association to meet the demand generated by foreign as well as domestic investment.
This undersupply coupled with a government scheme to replace older homes is driving the market forward. And reports are promising for this 2010 European City of Culture.
Earlier this year, Channel 4's A Place in Sun predicted Turkey would be one of the top five locations for property investments in 2010.
The Financial Times listed it as a Top 10 place to safely buy residential or holiday homes. Price Water House Coopers and the Urban Land Institute rank Istanbul as the number one City Development Prospect in 2010.
"Property prices are undervalued so there's an opportunity to make good money in Istanbul - up to 40 per cent profit - in the next two years for a well-chosen off-plan investment," says a business professional and quotes "But for most foreigners, I'd recommend a medium-term, five-year investment strategy as capital gains tax is nil after that period."
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