Buying a House in Turkey

@evelinfree25 I hate mortgages, perhaps better to pay direct. We did and it worked fine, mortgages in Turkey (especially for expats can be VERY expensive)

if you need to get home owner visa, you need to purchase one house  or an apartment appraised by the City that is worth $200,000  and the moeny has to be deposited in a government bank account  and it must be in an allowed city.. this means not restricted to foreigners.  if you ignore any of these requirement you will not get residence visa.    you will have to leave Turkey every 3 months and re-enter.   Be careful.

@evelinfree25 Hello, It's almost impossible to apply for a mortgage as a tourist. Probably the best option is to buy a house from a project built by a reliable construction company offering long-term installments.

@alpersezer79 yes you can do that.  especially if you don't care about the $200,000 minimum or home buyer visa.  if that is the case. you can buy a very nice home or apartment pretty cheap.   lots of people are selling dirt cheap in the restricted cities .. especially Mahmutlar, Alanya. you can get 2 or 3 bedrooms new apartment for less than 100,000 dollars. or a new building on installments .   if you buy in a restricted city .. you will have to leave turkey every 3 months.  remember this.

@Fandango2020 Yes, of course, you may buy a used one too.

@Fandango2020 The rule is open for misuse, OK the TAPU shows USD 200 K, but in exchange  (with the agent) you can be exempted for Aidat, or other services agreed with the agent. I think this is not good, but so many ways to go around it (crime in the making)

In principle to keep foreigners out is good, but local business owners are starting to feel the impact (I live in Mahmutlar (Alanya))

Very quiet at MMM, Barber, A 101, and restaurants (our hobby) start to feel (heavily)

Pluses, minuses everywhere.

In my view (with excessive minimum salary) renting a 1+1 for a husband (or wife) is easy (many available)

In current circumstances it is possible to live (of course I did in the past in other countries and my wife was not too happy, but finacially it worked out(also important)))

Bottom line bring enough money

Tourists in Turkey can obtain mortgages from certain banks without needing a residence permit. However, a minimum deposit of 60% is required, along with a driver's license or ID indicating your foreign address and most recent tax report. In some cases, employment slips may also be necessary. It is not impossible to obtain a mortgage, but the rates are unfavorable - not even for Turkish citizens. It is best to consider buying through an installment plan the owner or developer offers. For example, paying TL 99,000 monthly for 24 months can be a great option.

Most importantly, you can still apply for residency if the home is not $200,000. Even $100,000 will still grant you a residence permit in Turkey, but it will be a class E permit rather than a class E permit.

Class B is a path to citizenship, whereas Class E is a tourist permit without benefits.

If your initial deposit for installment plans is less than $200,000, you will not receive a Class B permit until you have fulfilled the payment schedule. Instead, you will be issued a Class E permit. Once you have completed $200,000 in payments, you can apply for a new real estate (Class B). Transferring a permit from class E to B is a straightforward process that applies only to property owners who are married, i.e. husband and wife. If you bought a $300,000 home with a $200,000 deposit, you would qualify for a Class B permit and could pay the remaining $100,000 in installments.

I hope this helps. Happy New Year.

@evelinfree25 You can not get a mortgage as a tourist in any country. So needless to say you have to pay the full amount to buy here.

@marleysa Of course you can get mortgages (from your home country), but I would NEVER do it and never did.

@evelinfree25

Considering the banks having the local clients' background checks, credibility reports, risk grade, findeks grading and employment status, it would nearly be impossible for a foreigner to apply for a loan.

@d4zt7bsj

What about expats married to Turkish citizens. If the couple wants to purchase a property and put the property in the expat spouse's name, will that qualify them for a class B visa? The spouse is not a citizen yet. Does it matter?

@Tessa33 Before you consider that I suggest you read up on the law of property inheritance and what happens in a divorce... it is vastly different from other countries...

@marleysa Why thinking of a divorce, if my wife would suggest (she does not), I would rather kill myself. I am simple marriage is for life, good and bad times.

I do not like people who divorced at all. What is a promise?

Of course divorcing is possible, but also in Turkey I would think (through your home country), but even considering is outrageous, do you really have a bad life?

@cdw057I'm giving advice didn't say i am thinking of that - it is stupid not to realize that in todays life divorce is a real possibility and be informed about the laws here. As a foreigner you can not inherit a turkish husband's house fully - his children and his parents and siblings get a part of it. In a divorce you as a foreigner won't get the house at all. Property is protected so that it always belongs to Turkish people.

@marleysa For me divorce is no possibility, that is just what I am saying, I want the best for my wife, with divorce assets would be split somehow with my death all will go to my wife.

@marleysa I really imagine if your husband would die you are entitled? Am I wrong?

@marleysa By the way, I would imagine you have enough capital yourself?

@marleysa Why do you not trust your husband for 100%?  You are married, you gave your vows (I think this is normal, but also should be respected).

Why do you not have your own capital is another thing where I am considering if you want to be independent.

@evelinfree25

there is no system like mortgage in Turkey. Generally transfer of title deed is done after full payment.

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@Tessa33

Marriage with a Turkish citizen will open a gate for Turkish citizenship. Buying a property will be another key to acquire Turkish citizenship.

       -@cdw057 I really imagine if your husband would die you are entitled? Am I wrong?  @marleysa The law here stipulates as a spouse i am entitled only to 25% of any property we own here. No will can supercede the Turkish law on Inheritance and a lot of foreigners are not aware of this law.

@marleysa I am confused, we do not have children, so who will get my assets? (the government?). Anyhow I am prepared, I transferred some assets to my wife already and she owns 50% of the property.

Anyhow in The Netherlands are clear, local assets go to my wife. Pensions (largely from Luxembourg (90%) of my pension go to my wife, so should be more than fine, I remain confused how can it be that ones wife is not fully entitled to full assets in one dies.

I just can not believe it.

Good that most of the assets are not in Turkey, but what happens on local bank balances.

We have contracts that assets should be transferred to my wife on my death (could be translated and also with apostille), I do not see any real issue. Even if it happens, just lose some assets (even if I am unclear to whom)

Are you suggesting that the property should be fully in the name of my wife??

@evelinfree25

It depends on the property owner. There is no system like mortgage here in Turkey. In general, the seller wish to receive full amount of property sale before the transfer of title deed.

@cdw057 Any property in Turkey owned by a Turkish spouse and he/she dies will go to their children, if they dont have children then his/her parents are entitled to most of it and if his/her parents are not alive it partly goes to siblings of the deceased turkish person. That is to ensure that all Turkish property stays in the hands of turkish citizens. Inheritance other than property all goes to the remaining spouse and isnt treated like property is.

@cdw057 In your case where you are not turkish but your wife is, she will inherit it all. The Turkish government just want to be sure that land and property stays in the hands of Turkish citizens.

@marleysa

So if you've English and married to a Turkish person and they die you would become homeless in Turkey.

Is that correct 🤔

@marleysa

How about properties owned by single foreign national who have no turkish wife/husband? would the property go to his/her children?

@leatherdiane you are entitled to only 25% of it... so his family can sell it and you cant stop that...or move in as they would own the majority.

@mnaghbash of that I'm not sure if the government will part own or his children all of it.

@marleysa

What happens if I purchased the property in my name only 🤔

Thanks for the update though.

Of course you can buy in your name only, to me it sounds strange though. if you are married it is 50/50, you might be the one owning the assets, but if married it should be shared. Of course I do not know your situation, are you a Turkish wife or husband, but really it should not be an issue (so you have children (directly of indirectly?).

Where are you married? (I think this is important as well)

Assets kept in your own country are important and governed by that law I think.

I am a man who smokes, and drinks, also older 8 years than my wife. I am prepared and documents are in place (convenient in our situation is that we have no children). If my wife would die subsequently it is a very different and very difficult matter though. I hope she can spend almost all (even to avoid headache).

@leatherdiane Financially it might be good (depending on possible benefits), but morally it is (in my view) wrong.

@cdw057

I'm not married,  I'm looking at advice for the future thats all.

As in the UK law is totally different to Turkish law.

@leatherdiane That makes no difference if your husband is Turkish - once he dies his half of the property that he would have inherited then belongs to his kids if they are turkish or to his parents or siblings unless you married and had a prenup set up after the house was bought which excluded him from owning part of the house. If bought while married he has automatically rights to it even if its in your name only.

Thanks for the heads up.

I'm only looking at options in the future.

@evelinfree25 no a tourist can not get a mortgage in any country.

@evelinfree25 Hi, this is Maksym, I have had my phone stolen, please may you PM me your mobile number, I am restoring my phone and sim and will contact you via WhatsApp

@Maksym Yavorskyi No i do not have strangers on my whatsapp only family

@marleysa Both residents and tourists in Turkey can obtain a mortgage either locally or through a broker. However, it is important to note that the cost may not be as affordable as in the USA or other Western countries. To qualify, you will typically need to provide a downpayment of around 60%, while the remainder can be mortgaged. Alternatively, you can opt for a payment scheme through a developer's program over a period of time. Even your home country will provide if your eligible this route would provide favorable rates.