Peterka

Overview

The Cyprus Property Market

Cyprus is one of the more popular real estate markets in the world. Activity in the real estate market in Cyprus is brisk, including foreign nationals who buy and sell real estate Non-Cypriots have been involved in all areas of the real estate market. Foreign nationals have been found to invest in commercial, investment and residential real estate in all areas of the country.

Most industry experts maintain that the real estate market in Cyprus should continue to do a brisk business well into the coming decade. With the entry of Cyprus into the European Union, more and more foreign nationals from EU member states likely will become involved in the Cypriot real estate market.

There are no prohibitions on foreign nationals purchasing real estate in Cyprus. However, and as will be discussed in greater detail shortly, a foreign national must obtain prior permission from a Cypriot governmental agency in advance of making the purchase of real estate in that country. Generally speaking, this approval is relatively easy to obtain -- although the process of obtaining the permission can be rather time consuming

Investment Property in Cyprus

One of the primary areas that foreign nationals have become involved when it comes to real estate investment in Cyprus is in the resort and vacation property arena. Cyprus remains a very popular destination for people on holiday. As a result, foreign nationals have taken to buying apartments, single family residences and hotel properties which in turn are utilized by men and women on holiday.

Over the course of the past decade, a number of foreign nationals have profited dearly through investments in real estate used for vacation or holiday purposes in Cyprus. Indeed, because this type of venture has proven so profitable for some foreign nationals, these men and women have taken to purchasing and investing in multiple property holdings in Cyprus. Again, and has been noted, this is particular true in the area of investment in properties that are intended to be used for vacation or holiday purposes.

Residential Real Estate in Cyprus - Single Family Properties

A significant number of foreign nationals have established second homes and vacation residences in Cyprus over the course of the past thirty years. The trend towards purchasing second residences and holiday homes in Cyprus continues on to this day.

One of the more recent occurrences in regard to holiday or vacation homes in Cyprus involves the creation of significant developments that are designed exclusively for people who want gracious residences on Cyprus. These developments in many instances are taking the form of gated communities for the security conscious foreign national who wants to idle away part of the year in Cyprus.

In addition, some foreign nationals have determined the benefit of purchasing older residences in the country and embarking on improvement and remodeling campaigns to bring them up to date. In some instances, these men and women are rehabbing properties and putting them back on the market -- making nice profits in the process.

Residential Real Estate in Cyprus - Apartments

The Cypriot apartment market is bustling in the 21st century. With Cyprus movement into the EU, a significant number of foreign nationals from other EU nations are finding themselves in the country with some degree of regularity. In this regard, many of these business men and women have turned to spending a significant amount of time in Cyprus each and every year. Rather than hole up in a hotel, these men and women have taken to purchasing apartments in Cyprus.

Some of these business minded people have gone so far as to rent or lease out their apartment properties when they are not in the country on business -- making their apartments an income generating enterprise.

In some resort communities, men and women from foreign countries have purchased apartments for vacation and holiday purposes. There is a wide range of different types of apartments of available for sale in resort areas in Cyprus.

Holiday Property in Cyprus

As referenced previously, vacation real estate sales in Cyprus is brisk business in the 21st century. One area in which foreign nationals have been active in the market is the purchase and ownership of single family, free standing residences on the island. These types of residences generally do come with some fairly hefty price tags.

In addition to larger residences that are being purchased with regularity by foreign nationals, many foreign nationals have taken to purchasing holiday apartments in the country. In some instances, these foreign nationals have turned these types of property into something of a lucrative investment. For example, when they are not in residence in Cyprus, these men and woman are turning around and leasing out these holiday residences to other individuals -- including many foreign nationals -- who then use these residences for their own holiday purposes

Specific steps to buying real estate property in Cyprus

The initial step that a foreign national must take before he or she can purchase real estate in Cyprus is obtaining approval from the government. Specifically, a foreign national must require permission to purchase real estate in the country from the Council of Ministers. A would-be purchaser of real estate in Cyprus needs to keep in mind that the process of obtaining approval from the Council of Ministers can take from between eight to fourteen months. A would-be purchaser also needs to appreciate that if he or she makes the purchase of real estate without the prior approval of the Council of Ministers, a title deed will not be able to issue transferring ownership of the real estate to the foreign national.

While the process of obtaining permission from the Council of Ministers is not a matter of overnight approval, the process itself is not difficult. The Council has taken steps to make the process as easy as possible for a foreign national seeking to purchase real estate in Cyprus. Time consuming in some ways, the application and approval process is not difficult to maneuver through.

Once approval is obtained from the Council of Ministers, the next step in buying real estate in the country -- once a piece of real estate has been identified for purchase -- is signing of the preliminary contract. At the time this agreement is executed, a holding deposit is posted with either a lawyer or a notary.

When the holding deposit is paid, a companion reservation deposit agreement also is executed. In point of fact, it is the deposit and this secondary agreement. The property is then taking off the market and remains in that position for the time spelled out in these agreements. Provided that the terms of the preliminary agreement are satisfied, the property will not return to the marketplace.

The deposit that is lodged in Cyprus normally is as low as 1%. The parties can negotiate a particular deposit amount -- but, in most instances, the standard deposit is in the amount of 1% of the overall purchase price of the real estate that is being sold. The remaining balance due and owing on the overall purchase price will then be due and owing at the time of the execution of the final contract, which will be discussed shortly.

During the period of time that follows the execution of the initial, preliminary agreement, the lawyer who has been appointed to oversee the transaction will investigate the status of the title the real estate through the District Land Registry Office.

Following this period of investigation into the status of the title, and provided that the buyer has obtained appropriate financing, the parties move onward to the execution of a final contract. It is at this juncture that the closing of the real estate transaction in Cyprus becomes rather complex when contrasted with what occurs in many other countries around the world.

When the final contract is signed by the parties, the contract itself is filed with the Land Registry Office to prevent the same piece of real estate from being sold a second time. An application is then made to the Central Bank of Cyprus to approve the transfer of funds for the purchase of the real estate. (This approval is not necessary if both the seller and buyer happen to be foreign nationals. However, it is required if at least one party to the transaction is a Cypriot.)

The title will be transferred to the buyer at this juncture and the buyer will be entitled to possession the real estate. It is important to note that if the real estate is newly developed, the title itself will not issue for upwards to three years after the signing of the final contract. With that said, the buyer is protected because of the filing of the final contract with the District Land Registry Office.

There will be some different taxes due and owing -- and paid by the purchaser -- after the signing of the final contract. However, these taxes are not particularly costly or significant.

Property Abroad always recommends using a Solicitor or Lawyer

http://www.property-abroad.com/cyprus Visit Property Abroads website for further details on property for sale, guides and general information on the Cypriot Property market supplied by the author Les Calvert.

From its spectacular New Year's fireworks to its stunning harbour setting, Sydney is truly one of the world's most attractive cities and it's no wonder that Sydney has long been a popular destination for travellers in Australasia and beyond. Whether you're keen to enjoy the warm weather down under when it's winter in the UK, or if you simply want to make a getaway during your summer holidays, Sydney offers a variety of arts, entertainment and sports events to cater for every tourist's taste.

As Australia's largest city, Sydney offers a wide range of cultural attractions. The most visited parts of the city are, of course, its most iconic landmarks: the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. However, Sydney holds an array of other popular attractions that should not be overlooked if you're visiting the city. Sydney Tower, for example, is the city's tallest free-standing structure at 305 metres high, and its observation deck offers visitors staggering views across the city.

Furthermore, Sydney has a dedicated artistic tradition; a range of Australia's best artistic companies hail from the city, including Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Dance Company and Sydney Theatre Company. Sydney is also famous for its distinct gay community, which centres on Oxford Street and plays host to the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras every year.

In fact, the Mardi Gras is only one of Sydney's numerous annual festivals. Every January, the city stages the Sydney Festival, which has been Australia's largest and most popular cultural festival since its inception in 1976. Its annual programme includes over 50 free events which span across a range of genres: from classical and contemporary music to dance, drama, circus events and public lectures. Attracting around 1.5 million people every year, the Sydney Festival truly captures the spirit of what makes Sydney such a great city to visit.

Sydney is also home to the Sydney Film Festival; moreover, since the opening of Fox Studios in Sydney in 1998, the city has become steadily more prevalent on cinema screens around the world. Famous movies that have been filmed in the city include Mission Impossible II, The Matrix, Moulin Rouge and the last two instalments of the Star Wars franchise.

Travellers hoping to see something of Australia's history while in Sydney will not be disappointed with the variety of museums in the city. The biggest are the Australian Museum (a centre for natural history and anthropology), the Powerhouse Museum, which showcases exhibits on science, technology and design, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Australian National Maritime Museum.

If you live in Britain, you're sure to be able to find plenty of flights to Sydney on a daily basis throughout the year. So whether you're keen to enjoy the warm weather down under when its winter in the UK, or simply want to take a break to the Emerald City during your summer holidays, you'll always be able to find a suitable way to travel to Sydney.

Martin McAllister is a freelance online journalist. He lives in Scotland.

Symptoms of acid reflux usually respond to dietary and lifestyle modifications. These changes in diet and lifestyle are meant to accomplish specific goals. The main guide to apply these measures is understanding the normal aspects of esophageal and stomach functioning in addition to the common causative mechanisms underlying acid reflux disease. The following points will cover, in a process oriented action model, the reasons for most of the practices that should be adopted in the treatment of heartburn.

1- Assisting natural processes which promote acid clearance and stomach emptying

Increasing the production of saliva: saliva is produced by the salivary glands located around the mouth and have a high bicarbonate content and therefore an alkaline reaction. One of the functions of saliva is to neutralize the acid accidentally refluxed into the esophagus. Smoking and salty snacks reduce saliva and contribute to heartburn, they should therefore be avoided. At the same time, chewing gum should be encouraged as a good habit for heartburn sufferers who complain of dryness of the mouth.

Chewing thoroughly: mechanical degradation of food is an important preparatory step prior to digestion as it prepares food for further digestion in the stomach. Eating quickly is a bad habit that results in large food particles which imposes more work activity upon the stomach in the form of increased motility and increased acid production. It thus stays for a longer time in the stomach and delays its emptying. all these factors predispose to acid reflux and the habit of eating quickly should therefore be discouraged.

Small meals: a small meal would be digested easily with small amounts of acid and enzymes produced by the stomach. It is also cleared rapidly and does not increase pressure inside the stomach, consequently favorable circumstances for reflux are minimized. On the other hand a large meal is associated with increased production of acid, increased pressure and distension and delayed emptying of the stomach. all these factors initiate reflux and large meals should be avoided.

Drinking water: water dilutes and washes acid refluxed into the esophagus and promotes its clearance. At the same time it accelerates stomach emptying and prevents reflux. Drinking water should thus be encouraged before and after meals.

Pro-gravity postures: the erect posture favors movement of refluxed acid back into the stomach by the effect of gravity. On the contrary lying down is an anti-gravity posture, this fact should be considered together with our knowledge of the location of the esophagus, mainly within the chest (with negative pressure) and the location of the stomach, inside the abdomen (with positive pressure) these factors favor flow towards the esophagus and hinders esophageal clearance. Another factor related to posture is the increased tone of muscles supporting the lower esophageal sphincter in the upright position, this support is abolished when lying down as these muscles relax. Practically speaking recumbency should be avoided for at least 3 hours after eating, one should not go to bed immediately after meals and in heartburn sufferers the head of the bed should be elevated about 6 inches to prevent reflux.

Increasing lower esophageal sphincter pressure: from the functional point of view, high protein diet stimulates gastrin production, a local hormone that increases the sphincteric pressure and prevents reflux. Anatomically, a healthy physical built maintains an optimum tone in the muscles supporting the lower esophageal sphincter. It's well known that obesity weakens body musculature and reduces its contractility. Accordingly, we should maintain a desirable body weight and a low-calorie diet can be used to promote weight loss if needed. a high protein diet is also recommended.

Promoting stomach emptying: an important function regulating pressure inside the stomach and the amount of acid produced. Whenever emptying is delayed significantly food, acid and enzymes accumulate inside the stomach resulting in increased pressure and distention in addition to increased acid volume. The rate of stomach emptying is proportional to the rate of completion of digestion of a certain amount of food. Accordingly, when the digestive load is increased as following a heavy meal or swallowing large food particles or particularly when the meal is mostly composed of fat, a longer time is needed for digestion and consequently emptying is delayed. Drinking water also promotes stomach emptying. The role of having small meals, chewing thoroughly, low fat diet and drinking water before and after meals should be overstressed.

2- Eliminating factors that initiate reflux into esophagus

Direct irritation of the surface lining the esophageal lumen: avoid citrus,onions, spices and acids from tomatoes

Increased relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter: avoid eating foods and drinking beverages that reduce sphincter pressure such as:

Beverages: Caffeinated, carbonated or alcoholic beverages Citrus-based juices

Food ingredients: Vinegar, spices, garlic, onion, tomato-based products and peppermint

Vegetables: raw onion and tomatoes

Citrus fruits: orange, lemon, grapefruit

Fatty meals: salad dressing and fried food

Dairy products: sour cream, milk shake, ice cream and cottage cheese

Sweets and desserts: chocolate and potato chips

Medications: avoid medications that lower sphincteric pressure such as: Theophylline, Anticholinergics, Progesterone, Calcium channel blockers, Alpha adrenergic antagonists, Diazepam and Meperidine.

Increased acid production: avoid heavy meals, spices and alcohol.

Increased pressure inside the stomach: avoid practices associated with increasing pressure. These originate either from within the stomach (internal) or from the outside (external). Internal pressures are generated following delayed gastric emptying associated with heavy meals with high fat content or secondary to obstruction of the stomach outlet. External pressures are mostly due to compressive forces associated with practicing exercise following meals especially vigorous exercise with bending movements. Tight clothing also exerts external compression upon the stomach and heartburn sufferers should wear loose-fitting clothing. Obesity is also considered a compressive factor as it increases the bulk of viscera inside the abdomen and weight loss should be encouraged.

To summarize, the best measures for acid reflux relief are: Understanding normal functions of the esophagus and stomach. Enhancing normal functional mechanisms. Avoiding foods, medications, and lifestyle practices which disturb normal functions and cause acid reflux.

Sheri Dean is a healthcare professional, currently writing informational articles on Acid Reflux Relief. Read more at http://acid-reflux-relief.blogspot.com

As you progress in your career and take on leadership roles, you must be able to speak comfortably and with confidence in public.

For some of us public speaking is as natural as breathing. And for others it's met with more trepidation than jumping out of an airplane.

Whether you need to address a small sales staff of three people or to make a formal presentation with visuals to a department of thousands, there is a method to preparing yourself that will help insure your success.

And if you're someone who doesn't yet have to do any public speaking, use this knowledge to evaluate others who speak to you. You'll be able to pinpoint why their speech or meeting didn't go so well, or why you were captivated by them from the start.

Written communication delivered by letter, memo, or email is two-dimensional. The words exist on paper or on the computer screen all by themselves. The reader can only interpret the writer's intent, emotion, or innuendo from the text.

But oral communication is much more complex and persuasive because it's three-dimensional. You see or hear the speaker in addition to the content of their message. How the speaker uses eye contact, facial expression, body movements, voice tone and inflection all influence how their presentation is perceived and remembered.

A good speech is organized with three basic components in mind:

1. Introduction
2. Body
3. Conclusion

The Introduction of a presentation has 5 sub-parts:

A. Get Attention - the moment people see you, they're beginning to form a judgment about you and what they think you're going to say. To gain your audience's attention, you must be creative in how you begin your presentation. A good speaker will start off with an interesting fact, a statement or question that seems contradictory or offbeat, or with something that makes listeners laugh. This perks them up, captures their eyes and ears, and enables listeners to give you their maximum concentration.

Anne Morrow Lindbergh, the wife of Charles Lindbergh said "Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after."

So think about how you can serve up your own form of espresso right from the start.

B. Why Listen - after capturing their attention, the goal is to persuade your audience why they need to keep listening to you. To do this, you have to effectively communicate what your information is going to do for the listeners. It could be to keep them safe from harm, save them money, or to improve their success on the job. Remember that your audience will be engaged only when they understand how your information will impact them personally.

C. Thesis - after you've convinced listeners why they need to continue listening, tell them exactly what you're going to prove to them in your upcoming information. This can be thought of as a summary of the Body of the presentation that's coming after the Introduction.

D. Preview Body - after you've stated your thesis, give listeners a preview of what's to come. Be specific, but brief, regarding each main point that you are going to cover in the Body.

E. Transition - the last part of the Introduction is to move listeners into the next phase of your presentation, the Body. You can literally say, "Now we're going to move on to my first main point", or "Let's discuss more detail about what I've been speaking to you about", for example.

A good presenter will accompany a verbal transition with a physical one. Perhaps they change their location by moving from the front of the room to the center of the room, or take a few steps to the left or right. This engages more of the senses of the listener and cues them into the fact that you're moving on, and that they need to re-focus themselves.

The Body is the part that contains the real substance of your speech. Think about trying to organize it into three to five main points at the most. Each main point should contain information, ideas, or facts that support or explain it in further detail to your listeners. Once you have fully communicated a main point, make a smooth transition to your next main point.

Remember that good transitions are not just verbal. Make sure to include physical movement. Slightly alter your location or give an exaggerated gesture to mentally refocus the audience.

After completing your last main point of the Body, it's time to move into the third and final component of a great presentation - the Conclusion. And how do you do that? Yes, one last transition.

You could say, "Now that I've completed the main points of my presentation, I'd like to quickly review them for you" or "In conclusion, I'm going to summarize my main points that I'd like you to remember". Then briefly review each of your main points with specifics.

And the second and final part of your Conclusion is called the Tie In - this is like tying up a loose end for listeners. The Tie In also makes it obvious to the audience that the presentation is over.

There's nothing worse or more awkward than a presenter who ends a speech suddenly or abruptly without giving the listeners notice that they are finished.

The Tie In can be very creative or you can simply refer back to how the speech started. You might say, "When I began this presentation with the joke about the elephant, you may not have understood where I was going. But now I hope that you understand much more about each of our roles as it relates to Customer Service - I appreciate your attention today."

Here's another example, "I started off with some startling statistics about forklift safety, it's my sincere hope that the information I've given you will help insure that you are never involved in a forklift accident - thanks for your time."

If it's your intent for listeners to ask questions or participate, this is the time to say, "Does anyone have any questions I can answer or concerns that I can try to address before we end?"

Asking for participation is always a great way to make a presentation more memorable, and allows you to understand where you may have confused people or not communicated as thoroughly as you had intended.

It's a reality that even in the most stellar presentations, the typical audience may only absorb 50% of what a speaker says. So presenters have lots of challenges to overcome to insure that their message is really heard!

Laura Adams is the host of the popular MBA Working Girl Podcast. The content combines brainy business school theory with real-world business practice from her career as a business owner, manager, consultant and trainer. Subscribe for FREE to this top-rated show and get the useful MBA Essential Tip at http://www.mbaworkinggirl.com