Indian investor Samahit Bal invested in Greece’s Golden Visa scheme in 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. He was assisted by the investment consultants at Golden Visa Greece by Energopiisi SA each step of the process from making investment decisions to devising a tailor-made strategy that helped him accomplish his goals.
Been around, finally found…
I am an average guy from India, generally not happy with things around, thanks largely to the current political dispensation since 2014. Having lived most part of my life on my own terms, I always had this insatiable desire of adding a couple of wings more and nesting somewhere away from India.
In 2019 and at the stroke of 50 years when I looked back, a pretty fulfilling life dance down the memory lane. Having taken care of the conjugal and other domestic responsibilities, it was time for me to allow flights to my own wings. Stumbled upon the world wide web to explore a few attractive nests. Before that, I was dabbling with various choices like New Zealand, Scotland, etc. that had occupied my radar of romantic dreams.
That said, I always had this fasciation for Europe, like many others across the globe who could be not so well travelled as I think I am. Since it was for a post retirement trestle, I was to go easy on the financial considerations. In fact, budget was certainly one of the most important factors in the quest. Considering all these, I had more or less decided to zero on any of the east European countries.
Having drifted enough, stumbled again upon the golden visa programme. Filled up the relevant and required info including the phone number and went into a slumber. My past experiences with some of the top-notch relocation companies were not so great. So frankly speaking, I was actually not expecting much to come out of this inquiry where I just had to feed only my phone number. I am not so good in remembering the dates.
But, it was one lazy afternoon in mid-May of 2019. The very next day there was a call and that very call is reason enough that I am a permanent resident of Greece. Could not have been any happier.
“After a few calls and e-mail exchanges, I got to know this extremely kind lady Mary who would respond to seemingly unimportant and almost irrelevant queries at unhealthily insane hours with so much sincerity and details that I felt guilty almost always having bothered someone so late at night or should I say morning, as most of those would be around 2.30 am Indian time when most of the civilisation would be blissfully asleep.”
It was on the 16th January 2020, to be very precise, that the doors of Athens airport opened to greet me with two of my best friends who were in search of a suitable house and to start the process of getting into a totally new life altogether.
“Now I know why I feel so greatly indebted to Martinos and Mary who were incredibly kind and patient in having me sail through the process.”
I am sure they did not have an iota of an idea about who they were handling. They must have thought, it was like any other normal guy. Trust me, I was not.
Three of them saw quite a few houses. The three were Martinos and my two friends.
Soon enough, we decided on a house that suited my budget and ticked most of the boxes in the list and off we went to Corfu the next day to relax for five days. Got back to sign the power of attorney to Mary’s company to act on my behalf for rest of the papers. By then I owed her company a substantial percentage of my fees which I couldn’t pay off because of an insanely funny situation I would rather not mention here. However, I must mention here that despite my totally unacceptable behaviour and approach they trusted me and did everything possible without a single penny of payment to their company thus far. This speaks volumes about the value system of the company in general and Mary as the boss in particular.
By March 2020 I was to start making payments for the chosen house. But due to some unforeseen issues at the landlord’s end that property was not feasible and then Covid struck ruling out another visit to check out more properties. Time was running out for me and I was losing my mind. I am sure many reading this would find it a little strange to fathom that I finally inked for this property at Porto Rafti, sitting where I am penning this down, merely on the basis of descriptions and a patchily shot video shared with me over emails. For someone who had never owned any property anywhere before, this kind of acquisition might sound unbelievable.
“But thanks to an unbelievably professional and caring approach of Martinos and Mary that, I did not have to pinch myself. Their professional approach aside, the personal touch and the genuineness just made it so easy for me. Everything was done seamlessly with all concerns taken care of by them including helping me set up the house partly during the Covid induced lockdown in January 2021.”
I do miss my family who are unable to join me here, thanks to Covid related restrictions, but they would be here soon to partake in the peace that Greece has so kindly bestowed upon me. I am so glad and proud that a country with one of the richest cultural histories on planet earth has chosen me.
I could not have gotten here without Mary Martinos and Big Bro. I would not insult you all by saying thanks because people think by saying thanks or sorry they repay the favour unconditionally given to them or undo the injustice done by them to others. However, I think little differently. All love always to these three people and of course to the company.
This country, with one of the richest cultural histories on planet Earth, has chosen me.
