Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Hurghada Islands

Abu Minqar
This island is located off the coast of Hurghada with an area of less than 2 km. The Island is flat with a low alleged surface of 2 meter and covered with organic sand and coral formations. The island of Abu Minqar is located near the mouth of the Gulf of Suez in the Red Sea.

It considers being the only island in the area with rich view of Avicenna marina mangrove. The current total area of the mangrove vegetation on the island is 28.54 hectares, which is 21% of the total area of the island. The single specie of mangrove is Avicenna marina, which can be seen in the place.

The island suffers damage, which is caused by the pollution associated with coastal activities, massive tourism development, and hotel constructions along the coast of Hurghada. 

Big Magawish Island
It is an area of 4000 square kilometers. The surface of the island is low, and the total length of coastline is less than one kilometer. The beach is suitable there for snorkeling.

Little Magawish island
The island is located so close to the mother Magawish island and considers an exciting snorkeling spot trip where the corals, magnificent colorful fish and dolphins .the island is often used for night dives.

Tawila Island
The quiet beach at Tawila is located at an hour sail from Hurghada. The surface of the island is full of coral formations while the beach is amazing with its white sand. It is commonly expected to see dolphins while sailing to the island.
The sea birds take the island as a shelter to put its eggs and take care of its nests.

Abu Naggar
It is T shaped reef in a shallow plateau, which extends to the west with numerous small ergs and two small sub reefs Kotta Abu Naggar and Shaab Iris. Some parts of this reef system are positively dull while others are stunning. The diving here is amazing as it is found the broom-tail wrasse as well as parrotfish and unicorn fish.

Fanadir Islands
El Fanadir is a long reef running roughly from the north to the south. The reef can be identified by the four small rocky islets, which are located on it. The reef wall drops from the surface to the depth of 12 meters. The marine life is amazing with its corals and fish. The sandy slope from 12m to 24m is relatively uninteresting apart from a single erg that is just below the most northerly islet. This erg attracts a nig number of glassfish. In the many cracks and crannies, the lionfish and stonefish can be obviously seen. The top of the drop-off is attracting with the manta or hammerhead shark passing by in its blue water.

Gobal Island
The Island is located at two hours sail from Hurghada (27°35'32"N; 33°46'40"E).
This gorgeous island offers an awesome snorkeling and diving too. The dive can be done at a depth of 30 with a high visibility. The marine life is so rich here with its corals and fish like octopus, clownfish, parrotfish, and butterfly fish. This is a very pretty dive.
The careless reef
Careless Reef lies in 5 kilometers to the north of Giftun Island (27° 18.700' N, 33° 56.200' E). It has two large ergs rising from a shallow plateau, which is surrounded by sheer walls rising from the deep.
The reef considers a natural aquarium where the extended community of moray eels is easily noticed. The whole area is massed with fish of all types. There are numerous giant morays, which can be seen here, whitetip reef sharks, schooling reef fish and huge groupers. In addition, the hammerhead shark can be occasionally seen in the early morning.

Wreck of the El Mina (Harbor Wreck)
This diving site it located in Hurghada old harbor (27°13'55"N; 33°51'34"E)
Israel bombed the harbor of Hurghada in 1969. They hit then an Egyptian minesweeper, which made it sink at a depth of 30 meters to settle on a rock at the seabed.
It is so interesting to see this 70 meters wreck. The wreck some holes in it and can be penetrated but it is not recommended as the wreck is still has live munitions in it. The wreck has a plenty of glassfish, clownfish and moray. Above the wreck it can be seen a big number of jacks and small barracuda.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

How To Buy Properties

How to buy a property

When someone intends to make a vacation trip or even a business one in a different country, he makes sure to well choose the place where he is going to stay regarding all the services he may need. But what about choosing a permanent resident or even if it relates to investment, it is such much more complicated  and what we should have consider that mistakes could be made during the purchase process and instead of being lucrative investment it turns to a great loss. So If we intend to avoid all the headache we may have through our ignorance, we should arrange our steps one follow another to get the best choice that satisfies us.

Be patient:

If you have decided to buy a property abroad, the first important advice is to be patient. Take your time; put all of your options on the table and compare. One of the most common mistake we may have is to opt for the first property we are shown just for hearing few words (oh, it’s a great opportunity, don't waste your time, it's the best….etc). Whenever you have new information, just go home and analyze deeply all the information you have together with a pure mind, it's a lot of money you pay. So Be Patient

Determine Your Needs

Concerned to the long term requirements, most of property buyers do not pay attention; ignore all the consequences of their purchase process, taking one advantage in concern over many defects. Here is someone decided to buy this property for its location for it's sea-view, without putting in mind other services. Transportation, schools, hospitals, shopping centers, malls, discos, restaurants, coffee-shops and much more of life activities are all primitive aspects of our choice. We must ask ourselves, what are our needs?. Share your vision with someone you trust to be sure you have all the ideas that none of them was dropped from your consideration. We should ask ourselves such questions; is it for investment or for permanent residence? Do I need a sea-view property? Do I need a mountain view? Do I need a populated one? Do I need a calm area? Do I need a swimming pool? .....etc. write down such a question in a peace of sheet with the most important at the top and answer them, for you will need it when you compare between areas.

Determine Your Budget

Once you configure and list your demands, we turn to the next step of how much money you can afford. Is it cash or just it would be a mortgage? If  it’s a mortgage then you should put in your consideration the rental income of the property; most agencies raise the estimation of the rental income to push their clients to buy, so there should be a real acknowledgment of the area you are about to buy in. 

Determine Your Aim

There is a quiet difference between residential properties and the investment ones.  Are you going to buy for starting your own work!,  for long term residence, for short tem residence (just for holidays), or for investment. Each type of the above has its own characterizations. To invest, for example, it's profitable to buy from the developer directly, or reserve yours from the off-plan projects. In our search process, the first aim we are trying to have is to get the best location, and that’s all about Location.

Gathering Information

May be you have admired the city you have visited and enjoyed your trip very much, but is it a good reason to decide buying a property there. You may hear a lot about the growth of that city largely, but have you specified the growth rate? It's preferred to separate between business trip and a vacation one. Buying a property means you are in a business trip. That means when you decide to buy a property you should pure your mind and aim your efforts only in having a full acknowledgment of the city. After deciding the city in concern you should visit that city in a business trip just to stay gathering information as general and for each district in particular. Serve the web; see maps, read articles and tour in the city as a native citizen. Sea if there any markets nearby, what kind of transportation is there, the nearest school if you have children, the width of the 

Monday, March 23, 2009

Hurghada Snapshot


              Hurghada is an Egyptian city of the Red Sea Governorate.  It is located 22 km south of El-Gouna and 54 km north of Safaga. From the east lay Red Sea and from the west you can find the medium-height mountains. Until 1970, Hurghada was just a small tiny fishing village populated by a group of cheep farmers and fishermen. But at the late of 1970 it has continuously enlarged 
by American and European investors where the found a truly charming nature there. 


               The privilege of Hurghada is of its nature and climate where the moderate whether around the year. It has many Islands nearby which receive the immigration birds and down the warm water you can find the most rare and beautiful coral reefs. these unique underwater gardens offshore are some of the finest in the world. on the other side where the mountains lay, you can enjoy the unforgotten sight of both sunshine, where the sea embrace the sun, and the sunset. 
           
The Egyptian Government had realized all of these facts about Hurghada, so it planned a strategy to well-developed this small fishing village.. It encouraged investors especially those who had a great experience in tourism section to construct their projects. step by step the government began to divide the desert around the city into plots and people began to build. year to another, Hurghada attracted so many and districts began to appear. 
        
      Nowadays, Hurghada became one of the most famous tourist resort of the world, where you can find a lot of life activities. Hotels and resorts spread alo
ng the Red Sea shores for almost 40 km. More than 150 hotels and resorts serving more than 2 million sunseakers. Activities varies from windsurfing, sailing, diving, deep sea fishing swimming. snorkeling to golf, safari, pooling, night clubs, discos, shopping and parties. 
         
     As a result for all above, Hurghada stretched from only one district (the old part of the city called El-Dahar) to more than 15 remarkable districts, and still exposed to increase. Each district has its own style and shape differs from the heights of the buildings, wide of streets, services available.....etc. But the most distinguished thing in these districts is that buildings' heights do not exceed 5 floors, in other districts 2 

Hurghada Transportation

Transportation to the city

There are two means to come to Hurghada.

1- Air Travel

This is the only way to come from a foreign country. But It is also available between the major cities in Egypt, if you don’t want to waste your time.

2- Bus Travel

The most famous bus transportation company between cites in Hurghada is Elgouna Travel. Its Lines for the north cities only. It offers a meal and drinks in their journey. It is located in Elnasr St.

3- Car Travel

For most of the Egyptians, they like car travel for it is much faster and more cheap. It covers all the cities from north to south.

Transportation inside the city

The public means of transport in Hurghada are quite good compared to usual Egyptian standards.
In Hurghada there are three major means of transportation.

1- Microbus

It is the most populated means in hurghada. It transport several passengers at the same time; 14 passengers maximum; it covers most of the city. The only communication means is to raise your hand to stop for you so it hasn’t a scheduled stops. The cost in the longest trip doesn’t exceed 2 EGP. So If you have your family and want to pick a microbus for your own sake, the average cost inside Hurghada is 15 EGP, for usually the driver will mention a very high price for the transportation, do not deal with him, but mention simply your price, and go away slowly, waiting for his reaction. And don’t forget there are a plenty of others.

2- Taxi

It is the most comfortable transportation mean you may have in any cit, for it safes your efforts and time. As we have mentioned before the only communication means is to raise your hand. Most of the drivers turn off their taximeter, so rarely you will find someone agree to switch it on, and when he does observe the taximeter counters carefully. You have to negotiate with them. But put in your mind that every km costs about 1 EGP.

3- Minibus

It hasn’t scheduled stops, and still new in Hurghada, so It doesn’t cover most of the city. Its capacity about 30 passengers.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Hurghada districts and areas

Areas in Hurghada

1- Magawish      
        It is located at the southern residential part in Hurghada. It is opposite to Magawish Hotel Directly. It is divided into three stages. The third stage starts from the south beside a gas station. The second stage is in the middle between the first and the third. The First stage at the north beside the Electricity station there.     
    This area is well planed to be a highly aristocratic residential place. All the plots there are exactly 396 m2. Building surface is on 60 % from the total surface, this means you can build only in 237.6 m2, but it is allowed to build upon 240 m2. The rest of the surface  160 m2, you are free to do whatever you want except constructing on it. Building heights there are two floors only from the ground, the ground floor and the first floor. In some cases you can add a basement to your building that does not exceed 1.5 meter height from the ground. Most of the designs there are Villas or half Villas. In less cases there are 2 to 3 apartments in each floor.     
       Streets width there starts from 18 meters to 30 meters, and there is a service area there that includes a shop market in the middle of Magawish. In the near future, these streets are going to be two sided with a garden in the middle where you can see palm trees and other plants. In addition you will find a variety of plants infront of ech Villa or building. El-Inter Next, on the other side to Magawish, lays.

2-El-Inter Area
           Apart of it lays in the Village Road (Elmamasha), and the other part in the Airport Road. Street width there starts from 15 m to 30 meters. Buildings heights are 3 floors beside the ground floor and a basement. Plots there are starting from 450 m2 to 6002 , construction is on 60% of the total area. It is a residential area more than a commercial one. All the parking areas there are public. 10 minutes driving away from city center. 

Elkawthar

     Elkawthar district is new established area with 5 floors height buildings, the ground floor beside four floors. There is a possibility to add a basement to the building. The percentage of the construction area is 75% from the total area of the plot and the free area must be left in the four sides of the building as equal. Apart of Elkawthar lies in the Village road where the most famous hotels are there, another part in the airport road as it faces directly the airport. Another part opposite to Mubarak 2 series where there is a road separate between them.

        The design of Elkawthar districts make it distinguished to be the becoming commercial center of Hurghada, but for the residential purpose, there is a little defect in these designs which due to the remaining 25% of the construction area of the plot as it distributed  in the four sides which made small wynd, so some apartments has limited views in the backyard space of the building. But for the front apartments that had a satisfied view for most buyers. This district is some how crowd for the big numbers of the apartments in each building as there are nearly 16 to 30 apartment in each building.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

How to find your desired home?

The first aim in our searching process for homes is the Location, in which prices depends up on in a so high level, regardless other advantages including the finishing style or the age of the building. It is very important to stay sometime in the city trying to accustomed to its life style and the habits of its people. Also to discover the area around for the services there.

First Step:

             Try to discover the city through spending enough time understanding the area around and gathering information of what you are looking for and see if it is accomplish with your needs or not

Second step:

                 Don’t depend upon one agent or agency. Once, I have heard five different prices from five different agents for the same plot. They are like chain. Sometimes to reach to the owner of the property you have to pass through two or three agents, each one with his percentage. In the Egyptian law, the percentage of Agents or agencies is 2.5% of the total buying sum. But sometimes they take the percentage beside they increase the price of the property for their own and that’s why you can find on the Internet different prices of the same property in deferent websites.

Third step:Third Step:

            The most important step is the legal process. Each plot or building has legal papers that claims the ownership to a specific individual or group. In Hurghada, There are two stages of this ownership. The first is to have the primary contract from the local government council assigned by the governorate which claims the ownership of the plot. Legally, this contract has three years validity according to the stages for the constructing process, after this period the government has the right to cancel the contract if there was no sign of construction. But if there is any sign of construction upon the plot, the government has no right to cancel the contract. 

              After the primary contract, If the owner of the plot wants to sell his land, the only legal process for the buyer is to have an official authorizing paper from the seller to manage and control the plot as the owner of it. This official authorizing paper has a certain shape and context, you can add to it but not to omit anything.

             By having this contracts and other legal papers, this does not mean that the plot or the building is a registered one. But Registration has another shape that we call it here in Egypt (The Green Contract) which you can have a full access to your property.

Here comes other steps