Buy with the Stars in Bodrum

THE BODRUM PENNINSULA IS NOT JUST FOR STARS

British Premier League footballers are making real estate investments in Turkeys Hotspots, along with World Title Boxers like Ricky Hatton.

Steven Gerrard of Liverpool and Aston Villa striker Emile Heskey have both purchased villas in Bodrum.

According to information obtained, the two stars of English football, have acquired holiday homes located in the middle of Gumusluk and Yalikavak.

The average price of houses with sea view is appx 188 thousand euros (170 thousand pounds) in this vicinity.

Turgutreis, Gumusluk and Yalikavak, all have excellent beaches, lie on the western side of the peninsula and are ideal for swimming, sunbathing and water sports.

On Turkey's Bodrum peninsula, the views across olive trees and orange groves, rocky peaks and white cube houses have much in common with southern Spain. So, too, does the outdoor lifestyle, the marinas crammed with expensive yachts and the modern villas emerging on hillsides overlooking the sea.

Increasing disillusionment with Spain's high rises and prices is driving buyers away from the costas to this corner of the Aegean, where properties can be no higher than two storeys (a discreet third is sometimes allowed on hillside homes) and you can still buy new-build holiday apartments from [pounds sterling] 45,000

Just over 22,000 Britons have bought properties in Turkey, according to the country's land registry, 10,000 of them in the south-west province of Mugla, which includes Bodrum.

Tourism figures show a similar swing in affection. While Spanish airports are among the worst affected by the drop in passenger numbers, the rapid growth of Turkish Airlines means that Istanbul airport - where winter passengers from the UK to Bodrum often have to change planes owing to the lack of direct flights in low season - is one of only two European airports where demand rose this year, says the Official Airline Guide.

Bodrum is now fast establishing itself as Turkey's Marbella, catering as much to the elite as the mass market. It's where the jet-set come to party.

With its white-sand beaches and shop-lined streets, the city of Bodrum has long been the favorite seaside retreat in Turkey. But now this ancient fishing village, set against the blue waters of the Aegean Sea, has crashed the global party circuit.

Designer villas are cropping up all over the peninsula; in Yalikavak, 21 houses by Richard Meier, the architect behind LA's Getty Centre, start at [pounds sterling] 1.7million!! (Engel & Volkers).

Yalikavak was a tiny fishing village now it's the Beverly Hills of Bodrum, where Tom Hanks kept his yacht for two years recently, as mooring costs are half the price of the Greek islands, and where stone houses overlooking the bay can cost millions of euros.

Golturkbuku is another example. It looks like any ordinary coastal village but in summer the Turkish elite flock there to flash their yachts and Ferraris. While Turks seek the peninsula's trophy properties, Britons are after good-quality holiday homes for prices that buyers in southern Spain might recall about ten years ago.

Most British buyers are looking for properties for about [pounds sterling]100,000.

The cost of living is 60 per cent lower than Britain, and you don't need heating for nine months of the year and you can have a relaxing, sociable life.

Bodrum was originally an artists' colony and it's always been one of the most cultural, cosmopolitan areas of Turkey.

Architectural standards are high in Bodrum. You can't build high-rise, you can only build on 15 per cent of the footprint..

Home to The Mausoleum, one of seven wonders of the ancient world, Bodrum has long been recognised as a celebrity hotspot. Nowadays, jet-setting actresses including Nicole Kidman, Uma Thurman and Liz Hurley holiday in Bodrum, but more than two thousand years ago, Cleopatra, Queen of Ancient Egypt, was also known to reside in this charming Mediterranean town.

To this day, the elegant celebrity tradition thrives in Bodrum, with infamous individuals such as Beyonce Knowles selecting it as their ideal holiday destination or investing in the unique property found on the peninsula.

With an average of 300 days of sunshine a year, Bodrum is renowned for its exquisite range of wildlife and natural setting of pine trees and olive groves. However, it also offers an extensive range of leisure activities including water sports, golf and yachting.

Gloriously tranquil fishing villages frame the peninsula, offering the serenity of an unspoiled coastline and an authentic taste of Turkey’s rich cultural history.

Whilst living in Bodrum, singer Norah Jones worked at the animated nightclub Hadigari and Dustin Hoffman held an exclusive party at Europe’s largest open-air disco, Halikarnas. The unique nightclub was also home to the very first international beauty pageant, Miss Globe, in 1988.

Many of the celebrity figures that have delighted in visiting Bodrum have stayed at extravagant hotels or have rented or invested in luxury villas within the region. We always recommend selecting an established and guaranteed property developer who offers top-quality, high-end construction with no expense spared.

So if you can picture yourself lounging by a spectacular infinity pool, shopping in an authentic Turkish market or a luxury boutique and sipping cocktails under the stars at a magnificent bar on the main street of Bodrum, you can see why Turkey has been tipped as a top tourist destination for 2010/2011. Do not delay in experiencing it for yourself.

Other celebrities that share our passion for Turkey are premiership footballers Andrew Johnson and Tim Cahill, golfer Lee Westwood, actor Ricky Tomlinson, boxers Joe Calzaghe and Ricky Hatton, athlete Sally Gunnell, actor Claire Sweeney, athlete Jason Gardener also own property in Turkey.