Maayan Sela Senior, 46, married and the mother of three, is an insurance agent and retirement planner. As part of her job, she helps people make long-term financial decisions, so even when she began exploring investment options for her own family, it was important to her to fully understand the options available to her and not settle for promises or numbers that looked good on paper.
Maayan’s goal was clear: to find a property that would serve as a profitable investment, but at the same time provide her family with a place they could visit for vacations throughout the year. She wasn’t looking for an apartment that would remain merely a distant investment, but rather a property that would have both financial value and genuine family value.
An investment you can also enjoy
For Maayan, buying a property abroad wasn't just about expanding the family's investment portfolio. She wanted to combine a rental property with a permanent, cozy place where the family could visit and enjoy themselves.
This combination required her to consider the deal from a broader perspective. Beyond the purchase price and rental potential, she also took into account the distance from Israel, flight availability, ease of travel, and the ability to use the property for short vacations as well as for trips planned well in advance.
The more options she explored, the more she realized that the right property for her needed to be close enough for the family to use it practically. As far as she was concerned, there was no point in buying a vacation home in a destination that would be difficult for the family to visit regularly.
The Path That Led to the Choice of Athens
Before deciding to move forward with a real estate investment in Greece, Maayan also explored options in Thailand and Dubai. Each destination offered different advantages, but the more she looked into them, the more her proximity to Israel became a key consideration.
Athens was a natural fit for this need. The relatively short flight time makes it possible to visit the city even for a vacation of just a few days, without turning every visit into a complicated undertaking. For a family planning to use the property themselves, this is a significant advantage that affects how much the apartment is actually used over the years.
In addition to its accessibility, Maayan recognized that Athens offered the opportunity to purchase a property at a price point different from what she was accustomed to in Israel—in a city that allows for a combination of residential living, tourism, and rental income. The combination of its proximity, the city’s character, and the opportunity to operate the apartment as an income-generating property made Athens the best choice for her.
A property that combines investment with a family vacation
The property Maayan was looking for had to serve two different purposes. On the one hand, it was intended to fit into the family’s financial plans and be available for rent. On the other hand, it had to provide the family with a comfortable and inviting place to stay during their visits to Athens.
The option to combine renting with personal use gave Maayan the flexibility she was looking for. During periods when the family isn’t visiting Greece, the property can be managed under the appropriate rental model. When the family wants to visit, the apartment can become their private home in Athens.
This model is particularly well-suited for families who do not want to make a definitive choice between an investment property and a vacation home. Instead of owning a property used solely for vacations or one intended only for renters, it is possible to create a plan that combines both needs according to the owners’ priorities.
The Choice of Palmo
Maayan met with several parties before deciding to move forward. As a professional with a background in insurance and retirement planning, it was important to her to work with a company that would present her with a complete picture and enable her to make a decision based on a clear understanding of the opportunities, costs, and implications of each option.
The connection with the Palmo team was forged thanks to the direct and professional approach that characterized their meetings. Maayan felt that the conversation focused not only on the benefits of the deal, but also on the questions that needed to be considered before the purchase and how the property would fit into the family’s plans.
For her, the ability to speak openly about the suitability of each option was crucial. She wasn’t looking for a deal that would look impressive in a presentation, but rather a property that met her needs and was backed by a professional support system that could assist her even after the contract was signed.
The entire process under one roof
One of the key considerations in choosing Palmo was the ability to receive comprehensive support throughout the process. Purchasing an apartment in another country involves many steps, from selecting the project and conducting inspections to preparing the apartment, handing it over, and managing it on an ongoing basis.
For Maayan, who wanted to enjoy the property without turning its management into yet another task, it was important to have a single point of contact she could turn to. Instead of coordinating separately with professionals, vendors, and management teams in Greece, the process is centralized through a team that is familiar with the project and the family’s needs.
The service package includes guidance throughout the purchase process, monitoring the project’s progress, preparing the apartment for occupancy, and the option to manage the rental after handover. This allows Maayan to remain involved in important decisions without having to handle every operational detail herself.
A new project offering high-end living
During her visit, Maayan was introduced to modern developments in Athens, featuring amenities such as elevators, underground parking garages, common areas, and landscaped rooftops. The high standard of these developments reinforced her belief that it is possible to find a property in the city that is suitable both for rental and for comfortable family living.
As far as she was concerned, it wasn't just about the apartment's appearance. The building's standard, the quality of construction, accessibility, and the surrounding area all affect the family's living experience and the property's appeal to tenants.
Choosing a new development allowed Maayan to move forward with a deal in which the apartment was pre-designed to meet her needs, without having to undertake renovations on her own or manage contractors remotely. The plan also included a timeline for the delivery of a ready-to-move-in, fully furnished apartment, so that she could start using it or rent it out once the process was complete.
A Clear Schedule for Handing Over the Apartment
When purchasing an apartment in a new development, the time until delivery is a key factor in the decision. Palmo presented Maayan with a plan that included a commitment to deliver the project within one year of the start of construction, a figure that helped her understand how the transaction was expected to proceed and when the apartment would be ready.
The schedule gave her greater certainty and allowed her to plan how to use the property and the rental phase. Instead of embarking on the process without a clear goal, Maayan knew what steps to expect and what the milestones would be leading up to the handover.
Throughout this period, the Palmo team coordinates the monitoring of the project’s progress and assists with the necessary preparations for taking possession of the apartment. For those purchasing a property from Israel, the ability to receive updates and maintain ongoing communication in Hebrew makes the process significantly easier.
Suitable for a Shabbat-observant family
Maayan is a religious woman who observes Shabbat, so adapting the property for the family’s use took on a broader significance. The proximity to Israel allows the family to plan visits to Athens with relative ease, and the apartment provides them with a permanent base that can be adapted to their habits and needs.
Unlike a vacation that involves moving between hotels and temporary apartments, owning a property allows a family to create a familiar and comfortable environment for itself. You can leave personal belongings in the apartment, set it up to suit your family’s needs, and plan your stay without having to start from scratch every time you visit.
Choosing a property that suited the family’s lifestyle was an integral part of the deal. For Maayan, the opportunity to visit a place that belonged to the family and feel at home there was just as important as the ability to operate it as a rental property.
Flexibility in Choosing a Rental Plan
Palmo allows property owners to choose between short-term and long-term rentals, depending on the apartment’s characteristics and the goals set for it. For Maayan, the ability to tailor the management approach to her family’s needs was a significant advantage.
Short-term rentals can offer greater flexibility in scheduling personal use, while long-term rentals are suitable for those who prefer stability and continuity. This choice does not have to remain fixed for the entire duration of ownership and can be reassessed as family needs or investment goals change.
The management team handles the operational aspects of the rental, so Maayan doesn’t have to manage the apartment remotely. The goal is to allow her to enjoy her ownership of the property, receive the necessary information, and make decisions, while the day-to-day management is handled for her.
An Investment That Fits Your Family's Plans
Maayan’s decision to choose Athens stemmed from a combination of financial considerations and how she wanted her family to enjoy the property. Rather than choosing an investment based on a single factor, she looked at the big picture: location, accessibility, the quality of the development, rental options, management practices, and the ability to visit the apartment throughout the year.
The fact that the property is a relatively short flight from Israel makes it a more accessible part of family life. It is not intended to remain merely a property managed from abroad, but rather a place that can be visited, where experiences can be shared, and that can be used in accordance with the family’s plans.
At the same time, the management framework allows the apartment to continue operating even when the family is not in Athens. This preserves the connection between the two factors that led Maayan to the deal in the first place: a real estate investment combined with a family home in Greece.
Are you also looking for a property for investment and family use?
Purchasing a property that combines rental income with family vacations begins with properly defining your needs. It’s important to understand how often you’d like to visit Greece, what type of property would suit your family, and what management model will allow you to balance personal use with operating the apartment as an investment.
At an introductory meeting with the Palmo team, you can review projects and properties currently available in Athens, learn about rental and management options, and develop a purchase plan that fits your budget and goals.
