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How can you spot traditional Tinian homes, and what makes them different from other Cycladic houses?

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Leonard Cohen's poem "Days of Kindness", from 1985, describes Greece as being a good place to read by moonlight on the terrace. He knew this from experience. Hydra was his home for much of the 1960s. He arrived in the spring of 1960, aged 25, and bought a house on the island, where he wrote much of his early work. Many places on Hydra still carry traces of him, even now that Hydra has become far better known.

After several years of rapid price increases, Greece’s housing market is showing signs of a more moderate pace in 2026. But the slowdown is not appearing in all segments in the same way. Holiday homes and newly built properties continue to attract strong demand internationally, while in the broader residential property market price growth is beginning to slow.

Two important changes were recently announced at the Hellenic Cadastre, which that property owners in Greece should be aware of. The first one involves properties that are listed as “owner unknown” and claimed through adverse possession. And the second one is about properties that have been registered with the wrong area, boundaries, shape, and/or location (also known as “διόρθωση γεωμετρικών στοιχείων”).

The Peloponnese gets far less international attention than Santorini or Mykonos, and for buyers, that is part of the appeal. The peninsula has a long and varied coastline, mountain villages that stay lived-in through winter, and some of the country's best-known ancient sites, Mycenae, Olympia, and Epidaurus among them. Prices here have stayed closer to reality than on the popular islands, mostly because foreign demand arrived later. If you are willing to look past the obvious destinations, the Peloponnese gives you more for your money and a region that does not shut down in October.

The origins of holiday home buyers from outside the EU are of particular interest, as the picture that emerges shows noticeable differences from investments in major urban centers. Following the government’s recent announcement regarding the introduction of a property transfer tax five times higher, specifically for buyers coming from countries outside the EU, we proceeded with an analysis of data from the last three years (2024-2026), based on the demand expressed for holiday homes.