 Lapland is probably most famous for a certain rotund, rosy-cheeked resident but Santa isn't the only person who has a home there - and while it may still be undiscovered territory for most people, it's unlikely to stay that way for long.
Why? Well, Lapland isn't simply a winter wonderland. Yes, there's snow for almost six months of the year but in the summer months it becomes the land of the midnight sun with 24-hour daylight, and the scenery is truly breathtaking.
Crime rates are among the lowest in the world; water and air quality are among the cleanest; and English is very widely spoken - which makes it a perfect holiday destination for us Brits.
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Several Seasons to Be Jolly
 And the place makes good financial sense, too - rental yields on luxury log cabins are around eight per cent, capital appreciation is ten per cent a year, and the season includes winter skiing and summer sun (really - it's about 20C in summer).
Lapland is definitely an emerging market, but the word is slowly spreading about this magical land - so much so that this year Channel 4's A Place in the Sun listed it as a potential property hotspot.
So with British eyes turning northwards, you can bet there'll be a sack full of property investors asking Santa for a Lappish log cabin this Christmas.
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From Essex to Ylläs
 A British company, Above the Arctic, is at the forefront of helping people to buy their very own log cabin, and its founder, Colin Brunt, knows all about Lapland's captivating appeal.
A few years ago, Colin, his wife Beverley, and their children took a yuletide trip to Santa's homeland in Ylläs (pronounced Ool-las), and Colin found himself as mesmerised by the experience as his youngsters.
He recalls: "We were enchanted by the magic and excitement of the resort, and the kids loved being outdoors the whole time."
A chartered surveyor by profession, Colin noticed a new development of log cabins under construction, and he and Beverly returned to the UK determined to buy something similar for use as a holiday home and rental investment.
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Best Laid Plans
 But it wasn't to be as easy as they had thought: to the couple's surprise, they were unable to find a UK-based company to help them buy a Finnish property.
In the end they went back to Lapland and bought from the development they had seen on holiday, but their lack of success in buying from the UK led Colin to start up his own business selling Lappish properties.
"It struck me that other people might be as interested as we were," says Colin, who adds that he's now a well-known figure in the resort, as local newspapers have featured stories on the "Englishman who sells log cabins".
Above the Arctic was founded in December 2003. As well as selling log cabins and apartments in Lapland, it operates a healthy rental side in conjunction with two Finnish letting companies.
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The Property: Above the Arctic's Log Cabins
 Since the company started, Colin has sold around 50 properties. He says: "There is a mix of people who have visited before, and people who just like the idea of a winter wonderland. Many of the latter choose to come on one of our inspection trips prior to buying."
The cabins are built using mature trees and their solid foundations mean that they will last for hundreds of years.
And before environmentalists begin gesticulating in horror, local logging restrictions mean there is a limit to the number of trees which will end up as log cabins. The buildings are also very eco-friendly.
In October 2006, log cabins in Ylläs came third in an Economist survey of the most environmentally sustainable holiday properties because of their "super insulation, triple glazing, and underfloor heating systems".
Once complete, they are luxurious inside, with state-of-the-art fitted kitchens, heated car parking, additional loft bedrooms, and indoor saunas. All cabins have delightful forest settings yet are close to the resort centre.
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The Area: All About Ylläs
 What of the area? The Ylläs region has two villages, one of which, Akaslompolo, is where Santa lives. And this brings plenty of tourists in the winter months.
The Claus cottage is in the village centre and you're welcome to pop along to meet him and drop in your Christmas wish list - provided you've been good, of course.
Another Ylläs highlight is The Snow Village - a beautiful castle built out of snow and ice - where you can stay overnight or have a drink at the ice bar.
The region's ski resorts have plenty to keep you occupied: husky sledging; snowboarding; tobogganing; ice fishing; Nordic walking; reindeer sleigh rides; and there are plenty of shops, bars and restaurants too.
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Investing: Local And Overseas Tenants
 Like Colin, most buyers are looking for a holiday home and a rental investment. And on this front Lapland does surprisingly well.
Plenty of domestic visitors combined with a steadily growing foreign market means the cabins are ideal for year-round letting - Above the Arctic says foreign demand for overnight stays to Lapland rose by 6.4 per cent in 2005 while domestic demand increased by 2.1 per cent.
Tourists on the Santa trail usually visit between December and March which is also a popular time with Japanese visitors hoping to see the Northern Lights.
But there's also a local market. Finnish people tend to holiday between March and October and summer visitors staying in Ylläs with the rental agency Destination Lapland (YTS) have risen from 450 in 2003 to over 1,500 in 2005.
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Investing: Prices And Rental Yields
 So how much does a cabin cost? The cheapest property currently on sale is a studio apartment at around £59,000 (85,000 Euros); the most expensive is a four bedroom luxury cabin at approximately £310,000 (450,000 Euros).
Average yields are around eight per cent with capital appreciation about ten per cent annually.
There are two main rentals agencies in Ylläs, Destination Lapland (YTS) and Ylläs Travel Limited, both of which Colin's clients have used, or buyers can market the cabins themselves.
Both agencies have a Finnish database of clients as well as relationships with European tour operators, and rentals are distributed on a rota system to ensure an even share of bookings. Buyers can also choose to deal with the marketing of their cabins themselves.
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How To Buy Your Cabin
Above the Arctic retains the services of a London-based Finnish solicitor.
- Most of their properties are sold off-plan.
- A deposit of 2,000 Euros secures a cabin (this may vary depending on the property).
- Above the Arctic has pre-arranged Euro mortgages with the local development company, Samira Construction, which are non status based.
- Mortgages are usually for 50 per cent of the property price over a 15 year term.
- Interest rates are low - currently around 3.32 per cent compared to our five per cent - and generally stable.
- At each stage of the cabin build, buyers pay an instalment which is matched by the bank - this forms the down payment on the property.
- There are normally between six and eight instalments although British buyers can combine these to save on bank charges.
- The only paperwork required is a Bill of Sale which is signed with the staged payments.
- Actual mortgage repayments begin between six months to a year after the property is completed.
- Investors can claim a VAT refund within six months of the property's completion.
Getting There
The main airport servicing Ylläs is Kittila which is about an hour's drive away.
Charter flights operate from various UK airports between December and March, and several airlines (including BA and Finnair) operate scheduled services via Helsinki.
Jocelyn Beattie
© Find A Property 2000-2007
