The law does not apply to the sale of agricultural land.

To date, EU citizens were able to buy property in Croatia based on reciprocity and with the approval of the Ministry of Justice.

The liberalisation of the property market is part of the EU chapter on free movement of capital while the liberalisation of the market for the sale of agricultural land, for which Croatia is asking a twelve-year postponement period, has yet to become a topic of pre-accession talks. (source hrt.hr)

Under the title ‘ World rediscovers the Adriatic’s pearls’, Sipan island and its property development potential is featuread in today’s eddition of Daily Telegraph’s Overseas Property section. 

Here is an excerpt from the article:

Croatia’s charming island villages are being renewed after centuries of decline, writes Phil McNeill. In the 11th century, when Dubrovnik was part of the Byzantine Empire, 11,000 people lived on the nearby island of Sipan, locals say. Now there are fewer than 500.

“It took us a thousand years to rediscover it,” says Igor Tomljenovic, the project manager for Braemore, a Nottingham-based developer which is building apartments on the six-mile-long island.

We all love islands, but for property owners the problem usually is getting there. Croatia’s islands, however, are genuinely accessible. It has 1,000 islands hugging its coast, 47 of them inhabited, and almost all visible from the Adriatic shore.

If you owned a property on Sipan, you could be there in four hours. A two-hour flight to Dubrovnik, a cab ride to the port, then a 40-minute trip by high-speed catamaran, costing just £2 (or an hour by rustbucket ferry) and you’re on your island… Read the rest of the article

Frontier Financial Services (FFS) was established in early 2007 to support the growing international property investment industry. The popularity of international investment in real estate by UK buyers has meant that more and more purchases were taking place in emerging markets not used to foreign buyers.

The need for international property finance in countries as far a field as the Philippines is becoming more and more common. In response to this diversification and unlike the majority of other international mortgage brokers, FFS actively pursues the acquisition of mortgages in some of the world’s most unusual countries, namely its emerging markets. Its aim is to negotiate the very best finance options whilst offering its customers unparalleled levels of professionalism and service.

As a completely independent body, FFS is not restricted to overseas property mortgages in just one country. Whilst offering finance solutions in the more familiar environments of France and Italy, FFS also offers international property mortgages as far a field as Ghana and the Philippines. In fact it is so dedicated to delivering the highest levels of service to its customers that it is constantly investigating mortgage acquisition in new countries.

As the only UK firm to offer mortgages in Croatia and Montenegro, FFS can facilitate loans of 70% LTV for both UK and Irish buyers on completion. That FFS is the only broker to offer overseas property finance in these countries is indicative of the exceptional relationships and strong trust it has forged with banks worldwide. It has also engineered 90% LTV mortgages in Poland and special terms for newly formed companies in Romania, as well as staggering 100% LTV mortgages in Turkey.

Homesgofast.com CEO Nicholas Marr: “Finding the right finance for an overseas property can be a daunting experience. Frontiers Financial are providing mortgages for our visitors in some of the most difficult places to secure mortgage finance. The new mortgages in Croatia and Montenegro are set to satisfy the demand we have from overseas buyers.”

FFS is also the only international mortgage broker specializing in emerging markets to have gained full AIPP membership. The AIPP is an independent body whose role it is to regulate the international property market and ensure that the industry maintains the highest levels of honesty, integrity and transparency. FFS strive to provide the absolutely highest and most trustworthy levels of service to its clients looking at mortgages for property abroad.

More info: HomesGofast.com, Nicholas Marr, London, United Kingdom, 442070993392; nick ( @ ) homesgofast dot com www.homesgofast.com

The article is titled “The Potential for Luxury Resort Developments in Croatia” – here is an excerpt:

“An unspoilt nature, numerous cultural sites, more than 1,100 islands, a mild Mediterranean climate, a strong economic recovery in recent years, the expected accession to the EU and a lack of luxury accommodation make Croatia the current hotspot for resort development in the Mediterranean Basin.This article will highlight the potential for resort developments but also the possible downsides.Country Snapshot Croatia:The Republic of Croatia is a central European and a Mediterranean country. It borders Slovenia to the west, Hungary to the north, Serbia to the east and Bosnia-Herzegovina to the south. Croatia has a long coastline on the Adriatic Sea, and its borders total 2,028 km… read the rest here