Travel Croatia - a story about this country:

With summer upon us, we face a serious question: where is the hottest place to soak up the sun, sip champagne, and dance tabletop amongst all that is beautiful? Rest assured there is life beyond Ibiza and Saint-Tropez.
Those in-the-know have already discovered this oasis, and with rising international acclaim for having one of the most stunning coastlines in the world, we reveal why Croatia is home to the new Riviera.
PRIVILEGED SEASIDE The region is called Dalmatia and it is rapidly becoming the authoritative summer playground of the world’s most stylish. With a breathtaking shoreline set against the Dinaric Alps, it’s as if nature converged for the sole reason of providing the perfect setting for inspired indulgence. Lingering lunches, abundant amounts of fish, deep olive groves, bountiful vineyards, midnight swims, eerily attractive inhabitants, and many an espresso are the bona fide norm. With over 1,000 islands, a pristine sea, and medieval fortresses in its back yard, Dalmatia offers a lifestyle that defines La Dolce Vita.
GLAM ISLAND STYLEAcclaimed as one of the sexiest islands in the world, Hvar is a delicious secret that Croatia’s holiday-makers have been savoring for years. Charming restaurants, cafés, and boutiques are true to the island’s rustic charm, and a harbor full of mega-yachts provides a luxury-minded stamp of approval. Don’t miss Carpe Diem, home to the Adriatic coast’s most glamorous summer after-beach parties.
HAUTE VILLAGERumored to be the new Monaco, Dubrovnik exudes a raw opulence. The city is home to a 6th century seaside medieval fortress, with huge white stone walls that guard an ancient world frozen in time. Grab your Guccis and stroll the Stradun. For late-night revelers, discover Gil’s, Dubrovnik’s hottest lounge located at Sv. Dominkia bb.
PRIMO PORT CITYSultry Split somehow manages to exude both a Mediterranean city vibe and small village charm. Summer nights are steamy and beg for all activities to be enjoyed outdoors. Dine like royalty at Adriatic for views of the 2,000 year old Diocletian’s Palace.
— Martina Sola

Villas - where to find real villa's for sale in Croatia?

Everyone who has gone house hunting in Croatia recently has discovered that finding a proper villa, as we know it from Italy or Spain or France, is becoming more and more difficult. Especially the Dalmatia region doesn’t have good offer of villa’s for sale. Villa meaning: free standing, swimming pool or space to put it in, large living rooms, open kitchen, and villa’s around you. They are hard to find but do exist, and prices are the same as those ‘villas’ that are officially an apartment building.

Istria is a whole different story. The more advanced land register and zoning status allowed to build easier. Untill a year ago there was a spectacular difference between Istria and Dalmatia in terms of updated land register. The then developed plans are now being built or being offered to the market. And the quality and beauty of these projects, all architecturally blending into the surroundings, is very interesting. Istria offers an equally interesting inland where as Dalmatia is mainly interesting on the seaside (ever since medieval times, all that was going on in Dalmatia, happened at the coast). The lower prices of land further away from the sea cause that prices of these Istrian villa's are also interesting.

So what are we offering?
If you are looking for a proper villa you can decide where to go, based on what you want:
A qualitatively well-build villa with spacious rooms and enough space for a swimming pool can be found in Istria. Newly built, recently restored or off-plan (make sure the developer has a good track record so you know what you can expect).

In Dalmatia you will mostly find existing real estate with confusing prices. It is important to pick from the vast offer the right villa: location, potential, exclusivity, reachability and future possibilities. Prices are almost equal for good or bad location, so by knowing what has value growth potential you can make the deal of your life!
......Only in Croatia.

Croatia tourist report

Croatia's tourist numbers up 12.7% in H1 of 2007 The number of tourists in Croatia reached 3.54 million in the H1 of 2007, a 12.7% increase on the same period last year, according to official figures released in Zagreb on Monday.
The number of domestic holiday-makers was 827,636 in the first six months this year, 11.3% higher than that of the same period last year, the Croatian Central Bureau of Statistics said. More than 2.71 million foreign tourists visited Croatia in the same period, nearly half of whom paid their visits in June. The number of overnight stays was 13.07 million, 7% higher than the same period in 2006.
Croatia registered tourist revenues amount of €6.3 billion ($8.4 billion) in 2006, thanks to more than 10 million tourists. Tourism accounts for 18.4% of the country’s GDP, and is a driving force of the economy. (people.com.cn)

Mortgages for foreigners

It is still not a product widely offered in Croatia: mortgages for foreigners seeking to purchase real estate. Some stories are arising though right now. Hypo Alpe Adria has been offering the service for a year now against quite high non-competitive interest rates and demands. More banks are preparing as the new resorts and masterplanned communities are setting foot on Istrian and Dalmatian shores.

Once it becomes widely available this will have an enourmous effect on real estate trade. The year 2006 was a weak year with a total of real estate transactions matching a busy street in Amsterdam. Prices were mainly dictated by private property owners with no competition from international property developers. This caused a price rise of ALL real estate, good quality/good location as well as underquality real estate. 2007 is already showing a small stabilisation in this.

Next year mortgages will become widely available to foreigners. This aspect will boost the property demand in the upward direction. New properties will come on the market. This will most probably cause the prices to become more realistic in terms of price for quality. Good quality/location will keep rising, where as bad quality will find its good competitor, finally.

We are maintaining a newsletter that keeps all people, interested in real estate in Croatia, up to date about mortgages and new developments in this area.
Subscribe to the newsletter by mailing us at info@middellandcroatia.com.