On February 9, 2024 (last Friday/Chinese New Year's Eve), Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis was questioned in the Greek parliament on the issue of housing shortage in Greece, and debated with the leader of the Greek opposition party (Greek Socialist Party) about the "Greek Golden Visa Program".
1. In order to deal with the housing shortage in some areas of Greece, the Greek government is evaluating raising the golden visa investment threshold for "hot spots" such as Athens city center in Greece from the current 500,000 euros to 800,000 euros - raising the investment threshold for specific areas of Greece from 250,000 euros to 500,000 euros is the first proposed by the current New Democratic Party government in Greece in September 2022 and officially implemented on August 1, 2023.
2. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis clearly announced that in the past two years, real estate sales involving Greek golden visas have accounted for only 7% of Greek real estate transactions, and it is not the golden visas (foreign buyers, including Chinese) that have caused the rise in Greek housing prices.
3. According to the briefing of Greek officials and the reports of Greek media, the investment threshold for Greece's golden visa may be raised from 500,000 to 800,000 euros, and it is very certain that the following areas will be included:
1) the center of Athens and the south and north of the city of Athens;
2) Thessaloniki City Center:
3) Mykonos and Santorini.
4. The central area of Piraeus and Pellistri in western Athens are also facing a "housing crunch", and it is not clear whether these "sub-hot areas" will increase their prices to 800,000 euros at one time, or to 500,000 euros first, but the latter is more likely.
5. In addition to the small number of "hot spots" mentioned above, where housing accounts for about 30% of housing in Greece, the rest of Greece will still maintain the investment threshold of 250,000 euros. Although Marathon City, where Sontowan is located, is located in the Attica region, the "real estate is not too hot" and there is no housing shortage, so it is likely to maintain the investment threshold of 250,000 euros.
Schinias is located on the Marathon waterfront
It is about 40 km from the Acropolis
It is about 33 km from Athens International Airport
6. The "statement" that housing linked to the Greek golden visa is only allowed for self-occupation or long-term rental, and is not allowed to be used for operating homestays, comes from the Greek center-left party, the Greek Socialist Party, and Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis said that he would consider this "proposal".
Hsiang-hsien
February 12, 2024 at Sonto Bay, Athens, Greece