WHILE the United States is reeling from a housing bane, the one in Greece across the Atlantic continues to flourish. Greece is one of the surviving ancient civilizations and its flotilla of tourist magnets are enough to make its real estate industry one of the most prolific in the world. And even without the history factor, Greece itself is a natural static cling to tourists even from its Northern and Western European counterparts. Since it enjoins a land border with Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria and Turkey, it doesn’t anymore operate a boundary security outpost for other European visitors because it is a signatory to the Schengen agreement. But most tourists though arrive via Athens International Airport.

Of course, any real estate industry depends largely on the booming of the tourism industry in a particular place. Greece of course is not an exception. But relying on the tourism industry alone to boost the properties sector is not the answer to a vibrant housing state in a particular place. The real estate policy in a particular country must also be friendly to foreigners in as far as ownership is concerned.

To scout for properties in Greece, it is recommended that one must book a vacation with his spouse or minus the presence of one, a friend or another relative to have second opinions on the house or vacant lot to be purchased. If one has kids in tow, then it is suggested that one must bring them too in conducting house inspections so the parents can hear the children’s likes and dislikes of a particular home. A prospective home buyer must also hire an English-speaking lawyer who is adept to the real estate policy and laws of Greece.

For the hard side of things so to speak, the Greek real estate agent can be of immense help. He or she knows exactly the ins and outs of the real estate marketing world in Greece and the agent likewise knows where exactly the best properties of your liking are located. For home inspections, the prospective buyer must gather a team of Greek engineers for the purpose. The home inspection team must be composed of an architect to evaluate the exterior design of the property, a civil engineer to assess the structural strength of the foundation of the property, an exterminator to check on the presence of vermin and rats, an interior designer to advice the prospective buyer in rearranging the existing placements of closets, drawers and other furniture in the house and an electrical engineer to check on electrical wiring placements as well as alarm systems in the property.

Once the buyer has nodded his or her okay to purchase the property, he or she will then make an initial deposit of ten percent. That is their di rigeur here in Greece. It is noted that this deposit is not returned to the one who paid it should one has decided to back out of the sale. There are still many more tips to know on how to find the best properties in Greece. It really pays to go there personally.