"The Palace in The Sky" Client Testimonial of Dan & Kathleen

"The Palace in The Sky" Client Testimonial of Dan & Kathleen

The Client Interview with our wonderful clients Dan & Kathleen. They are the proud owners of a gorgeous First Line to the Sea Penthouse with amazing views of the Mediterranean, their "Palace in the Sky" in the West Coast of northern city of Cyprus, Gaziveren. 

*Picture taken at the celebration dinner :)

Sophia: Can you tell me a bit about yourselves? How did you end up buying a piece of property in northern part of Cyprus?

Kathleen: Well, we're from the United States.

Dan: We’re from all over. We both have Navy backgrounds, so we've lived all over the place and are pretty comfortable with other cultures and other places.

Kathleen: We were looking for a place to retire that's affordable with a slower pace of life...

We also wanted to grow intellectually and experience other cultures and people and just take it all in.

Dan: We'd been thinking about moving from Raleigh, where we live now, for years. And as the project evolved in our heads, we thought, we want to live at the beach.

We started looking around the United States, but it’s very expensive to live near the beach here. So we thought we should look at every beach everywhere. We found you guys and the rest is history.

Kathleen: We attended a webinar that you offered on North Cyprus presented by Dengiz Kursat of Avertiss. We just couldn't believe the beauty of the country, the beauty of the project that we invested in... It was beyond our wildest dreams.

We attended the webinar and then had to go see it ourselves. Last October, we made the trip there and were greeted by Dengiz, and it was a wonderful experience. The people were great; we loved the property.

The thing that I like about the property is that, not only is it our building, but there are also other buildings already established, and people are living there. There are Americans and Canadians and Swedes.

We felt comfortable that, even though it's a different language and different culture, most people speak English. We didn't have any problems ordering meals or getting hotels or transportation... It was just a really good experience.

Dan: I'd love to tell this story, Sophia... She watched the webinar while I was at work. She got Dengiz to send her the presentation so that I could see it that night, and we watched it together—the second time for her, the first time for me. And she was checking to make sure all the notes that she had taken were correct.

I was looking at the spreadsheets and the prices, and I can remember vividly turning and looking at her and saying, “We could do this. I mean, we could really do this.”

Sophia: That’s amazing. There aren’t many places around the world where you can own beachfront or beach-view property for the prices that are available in northern part of Cyprus.

Kathleen: The other thing that was important to us about this property was the deed—the pre-74 title deeds. That was something that attracted us.

Sophia: Is your place already built, or is it still being constructed?

Kathleen: It’s under construction now. We're planning another trip over in March, and at that time, we hope to get a completion date.

Sophia: So the plan is to spend your retirement there, or is this an investment property?

Kathleen: We're going to live there.

Dan: The first time we spoke to Dengiz’s team, we told them that we’re not investors, we’re not tourists... We’re looking to settle in, and we plan to live there.

Sophia: You must have seen something that you liked in northern part of Cyprus in that case...

Kathleen: We felt safe. We walked around the town and drove through the countryside, and we felt completely safe.

Dan: Here's another story: I was talking to the guys at Rotary on a Friday, and we were talking about Cyprus. They said, “But isn't there some conflict there?” One of the guys at the table who I really respect—he’s been everywhere; I think he said he’s lived in 50 countries—responded, “If you’re looking for political unrest, you can just stay here [in the U.S.].” And everybody laughed. I've used that line more than once.

Sophia: What about this particular development stood out to you? Why did you choose this one over the others that Avertiss offers?

Dan: Again, I think largely affordability because we're getting in early.

Kathleen: The location is beautiful, and there are plans for continued growth on that property, including a marina, a health clinic, a shopping center, etc. There’s a lot of potential there for people from other places in the world that would have an interest in being there. They also have amenities that are already available, such as spas and indoor and outdoor pools.

I want to brag a little bit. We're very fortunate. We got a penthouse property with the terrace above it on the roof terrace. We have a great architect who’s going to put in a pool, a spa, and a kitchen up on the terrace.

Dan: This is going to be our palace.

Sophia: That sounds amazing. We always try to tell people that you can achieve a potentially massive lifestyle upgrade if you're willing to consider other countries.

Kathleen: Absolutely. We could never live like that here.

Dan: Oh no, that's not in the United States. To me, we’re just living the dream, because I'm just a regular old retired sailor guy. I'm not wealthy by any means.

Kathleen: The developer has supported us as well as Dengiz.

Dan: They've been very flexible. We've had to Jimmy the financials a little bit.

Kathleen: They've been very communicative. And they’ve introduced us to a superior legal team.

Dan: One of the things about the property and the development that appeals to me is the fact that everything is brand new. When we went out there in October, it was just raw concrete and the structure. All four towers are fully poured, and they've got plenty of time to finish it out.And for once in my life, I'll be living in something that's brand new. All the appliances will match. It's a dream; it really is.

Sophia: I've also heard lots of really positive feedback about Dengiz and the Avertiss team... That they're really helpful—not just from you, but from many other readers as well.

Kathleen: Absolutely. We can WhatsApp them, and they’ll get right back to us. I think we've gotten to know them a bit more than just as clients. It feels like we’re developing friendships there, which has been wonderful. We're not walking into Cyprus alone

Sophia: How was the purchase process for you?

Dan: It was very straightforward. Avertiss bent over backwards because the finances on our end are such that a lot of the money isn't liquid, so we need time to move it back and forth, and they were fine with arranging that.

When we go back in March, it'll be paid off, whereas with their original plan, you could stretch payments out over a year. I couldn't say anything better about Evergreen as far as the actual money.

The least fun part of the adventure was making the international wire transfers. They skim off a little bit at each interim stop, but basically, the problem is you kind of launch the money into the webosphere, and if you didn't get those numbers absolutely correct, your money's going someplace and you're never going to find it. That didn't happen to us, but it’s something people need to be aware of.

Sophia: Would you have any other advice for people who are interested in northern part of Cyprus?

Kathleen: First of all, get in contact with Dengiz. Second, do your own research from reliable sources and don't listen to naysayers. Naysaying is like fearmongering. And I don't think you need to be fearful going into this adventure.

Dan: Absolutely. It’s a wonderful destination, and the people are wonderful. If you're in this business, which you are, I'm sure you've heard stories about siblings and family that don't approve of any such thing. That’s just life.

Kathleen: The last thing I would say is go visit!

Dan: Once you see the place, you’ll fall in love. We’re the only ones out there in Morphou Bay, or the far west as I call it. As it builds up, we get to watch it grow. And I'm a fanatic for watching construction projects.

Kathleen: And I love the water. We’re going to be surrounded by pools and spas and the Mediterranean.

Sophia: It sounds like a win-win! What do you envision for your future there, aside from watching the area develop?

Dan: I've already identified the Rotary Club that I want to be associated with, and Kathleen here is going to have to find something to do with herself because she's still working.

Kathleen: I'm going to go to Istanbul to shop. That’s another thing: we liked that area of the country, and it’s not difficult to travel.

Dan: Right, as an American, that's one of the first things that comes to my mind. We can travel to Europe for $3,000 less than it would cost us if we started from here.

Kathleen: We’re going to Portugal for the conference in April. We’ve already bought, so we’re not planning on buying anything in Portugal, but I'm interested in hearing about taxes and visas and the nuts and bolts of moving yourself over into the expat status.

Dan: Our new apartment won’t be move-in ready until probably Christmas time, so we have plenty of time to solve all of it.

Sophia: Well, the conference sounds like the perfect place to figure all of that stuff out.

Kathleen: We’re going to stay and travel in Portugal for about a week.

Dan: Yes, we’re living the dream.

Kathleen: We really want to thank you guys because we would have never found this had we not connected with you all.

Dan: That’s right. We were looking and looking, and Kathleen signed up for your newsletters, and one day she got an invitation to Dengiz’s presentation. So, the Fates wanted this to happen.

Kathleen: I’d advise people to be part of your community. It’s been very helpful with the resources and books that are available through you guys. It’s a lot of information that we wouldn't have had without you guys.

Sophia: I’m happy to hear that. It’s so nice to know that what we’re doing has had a positive impact on at least two people, if not more.

Dan: You’ve had a large impact on at least these two people, and it’s all positive. :) 

Dan & Kathleen
USA

Reach out to Dengiz at: dengiz@avertiss.com

For more information on "Palace in the Sky": https://www.avertiss.com/en/project-detail/2582/proje-101 

For more information on the north west coast Cyprus: https://www.avertiss.com/en/page/lefke-gaziveren