Buyer Beware Croatia!

Hi Everyone,

As an ex-pat Aussie living in Croatia (my parents are Croatian & still living in Australia) I would like to offer any advice or pointers when it comes to buying property (houses, land, apartments) in Croatia.

There are many pitfalls and many pieces of false information being given to forigners wishing to get in on cheap deals or just buy that little piece of Heaven away from the Rat Race. (like Ana and I are trying to do.

Ana (my wife) and I have recently opened up shop in this area. Based in Zagreb, we are hoping to help ex-pats and others navigate the minefields of bureaucracy, corruption, fraud & false-advertising associated with purchasing property in Croatia.

Please be very weary of any and every offer and ensure that you do your homework when looking to make a purchase. If your solicitor (or other advisor) hasn't already done so, ensure that you yourself check out the Land Titles Office (http://www.katastar.hr) as well as the Registration Office (Opcina) in the town where the property is registered.
Both these registrars need to be cross-referenced to identify the true owner or owners of the land and hence who (or how many people) has the right to sell the property.

I just recently watched a UK Program where an English Gentleman was sold a property near Dubrovnik only to find that the property had been bequeathed to the Son before that Father had sold it to the English Gentleman. This situation could have been easily identified if the English Gentleman had probed deeper either through his solicitor or by himself at the Katastar Office and the Opcina in Dubrovnik.

Thanks to the efforts of the TV Show, the Gentleman was able to recoup some money, but not all stories like this have a happy ending.

If you are looking for help or advice, please feel free to drop us a hello.

Take care guys.

Val