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News 22 May 2006:
The changing face of European property investment
With property investment television programmes dominating the listings,
it is inevitable that real estate is beginning to attract more and more
potential investors.
Most of these programmes are also becoming increasingly adventurous in terms
of the places they cover, which is having a direct result on the investment
patterns of UK residents.
In a report for Antara News, for instance, journalist David Burrows says
that many investors are beginning to turn away from France and Spain in
search of better value. He suggests that Bulgaria is a prime example, in
that prices in the country are still exceptionally low but experts are predicting
something of a boom before long.
"The EU may be balking at Bulgaria's failure to rein in organised crime
but second-home hunters seem to have no worries," pointed out Mr Burrows.
The Sofia Echo has today reported that the coastal resort of Sozopol is
seeing the highest demand for real estate at the moment. Referring to a
report in 24 Chassa, the publication points out that the seaside resorts
of Tsarevo and Ahtopol are also experiencing high demand, with slightly
cheaper prices in both of these areas.
Bulgaria does have an advantage over many of its near neighbours in that
it offers a hugely diverse selection of opportunities for property investors.
There is great potential around the Black Sea regions but there has also
been staggering growth in Bansko,
with investors taking advantage of the rising number of holidaymakers heading
over for cheap ski breaks each year. Read more here: Bulgaria
Property News >>
Bulgaria a hot property destination for Welsh
The number of Welsh families buying property abroad is on course to double
within the next seven years, with Bulgaria proving the hot destination.
Even first-time buyers priced out of the domestic market are turning to
the former Soviet bloc nation to get a foothold on the property ladder,
says Swansea-based Britannia Overseas Property.
Britannia - one of the UK's leading developers in Bulgaria - say impending
EU membership and low property prices are helping money pour into the Black
Sea resort nation.
Such is demand, Bulgaria last year recorded an average property price increase
of 47.5 % with experts predicting values will more than double over the
next 12 months. Britannia's Bulgarian ski and coastal development properties
sell on average for £45,000.
Attracted by its long, hot summers and the Black Sea beaches' white sands
the number of foreign tourists visiting Bulgaria has increased by almost
50%, with those from the EU growing by nearly 90%, over the past two years.
Andy Moore, former Wales rugby international and Britannia's joint managing
director, told the Western Mail yesterday, "The majority of our local
investors are buying properties on the coast or in mountain resorts for
capital growth, rental income and a chance to visit for their own holidays.
"Many have previously owned property
in Spain and the UK, but are moving their money to Bulgaria, as some
see it as like Spain years ago, and Ireland before it joined the EU, offering
the potential for similar returns."
Marc Davies and his wife Dawn bought a studio apartment in the Bulgarian
ski resort of Bansko
a month ago for £35,450 as an investment. The couple, from Mayals,
Swansea, say they were put off buying an investment property here by inflated
prices. Read more here: Bulgaria
Property News >>
Bulgaria faces up to more work
It is looking increasingly like Bulgaria's accession to the European Union
will be delayed, raising a number of issues in relation to property investment.
Purchasing an investment property
in Bulgaria has been a popular strategy for a number of years and the
country's progress in the vast majority of areas has been staggering since
membership talks began in 2000.
The property market in Sofia, for instance, has benefited from a series
of redevelopments, while the ski resorts are proving incredibly popular
with tourists from around the world. Developments
in Bansko have been significant in the last couple of years and investors
have are now able to look forward to excellent rental potential as well
as impressive capital appreciation.
A similar scenario has developed in the Black Sea regions, which tourists
are beginning to see as an alternative to some of the more traditional options
in Spain.
Sunny Beach is one of the key growth areas on the Black Sea coast and it
boasts an impressive beach that is eight kilometres in length. The future
certainly looks bright for investors in Bulgaria and the groundwork has
already been laid for future growth, but there are undoubtedly hurdles that
need to be cleared.
Bulgaria signed a joint accession treaty in April last year and accession
was pencilled in for January 1st 2007.
According to reports, however, the European Commission is likely to tell
both Bulgaria and Romania that a number of standards need to be met before
EU membership is an option. Read more here: Bulgaria
Property News >>
Property investors observe Bulgaria's progress
The European focus is very much on Bulgaria at the moment and few will be
watching more intently than those in the property investment business.
In the last few years, Bulgaria has developed at an impressive rate and
the fact that the country is currently being considered for EU membership
is testament to this.
At the same time, Bulgaria's problems with law and order have been well
documented and it is an area that threatens to delay both EU accession and
the growth of the property market.
Nonetheless, Franco Frattini, vice president of the EC responsible for justice,
freedom and security, says that he is impressed with the "enormous
progress" that has already been made, reports the Sofia News Agency.
Mr Frattini is reportedly positive about the judiciary agenda that has been
proposed by Bulgarian chief prosecutor Boris Velchev and he has stressed
that Brussels has a duty to support in the consolidation of institutional
reforms.
Read more here: Bulgaria
Property News >>
News 07 May 2006:
Press praises Bulgaria’s property market
The Wall Street Journal and London-based newspaper The Independent have
published articles praising property market opportunities in Bulgaria.
In an April 18 report in The Independent, which describes Bulgaria as a
“beautiful country”, writer Robert Nurden says that property
investment in the country falls into four main categories.
The first is in the capital city, Sofia, which is “growing economically
and geographically faster than any other former East European capital”.
The property boom has now hit the centre, with locals themselves pitching
into the market, always a good sign, the report says.
“With the country on the threshold of EU membership – and entry
into the euro itself likely in about three years’ time – an
international and transitory population in this ‘engine of the country’s
growth’ is inevitable. This means a huge demand for good rented accommodation.”The
Independent says that an average, two-bedroom, newly built apartment in
the centre sells for between 69 000 pounds and 87 000 pounds (195 245 to
246 190 leva), and values are “rising almost by the day”. The
rent from such an apartment would be up to 700 pounds a month, according
to Robert Jenkin of estate agents Bulgarian Dreams.
“‘These are fantastic investment opportunities in a city that
is becoming more cosmopolitan and whose economy is stable and performing
well,’” he is quoted as saying. Read more here: Bulgaria
Property News >>
Dreaming snowbirds warned to make a reality
check
Growing numbers of Britons are retiring abroad, swapping the cold and rain
for mostly warmer climes. No wonder that they are now known as “snowbirds”.
About 1m British pensioners are drawing their state pension abroad, according
to the Department for Work and Pensions. This is up from 770,000 in 1997.
Britain’s former imperial reach explains part of the pattern with
Australia accounting for 241,000 and Canada for 151,000. But sunnier European
destinations have a strong appeal with Spain accounting for 71,000, Italy
for 32,000 and France for 31,000.
“There has been a shift from a second home for retirement being regarded
as a luxury to it being something attainable by most people with the drive
to achieve it,” says Liam Bailey, head of residential research at
Knight Frank, the estate agent.
In 1995 the average price paid for a second home overseas was 165 per cent
of the average UK property price. By 2005 it had fallen to 90 per cent,
reflecting in part steeper house price inflation in the UK but also the
fact that second homes had become more of a mass market aspiration.
Internationally, recent rapid growth in house prices has slowed, according
to the global house price index launched last month by Knight Frank. The
average house price globally rose an annualised 6.1 per cent in the first
quarter of 2006 compared with 10.9 per cent in 2004. But the news for Britons
selling up to retire to the Mediterranean is not so positive. Spain rose
11.6 per cent while France was 9.3 per cent higher compared with an increase
of only 5.3 per cent in the UK.
Despite recent unfavourable price trends, the impact of growing prosperity,
cheap flights and the low cost of borrowing – even lower in the eurozone
than in the UK – mean the trend for retiring abroad is expected to
accelerate
Read more here: Bulgaria
Property News >>
That the sun may shine
Magdalena Rahn travels to Bulgaria’s southeast wine-growing region
to learn about the traditions in this area and the wine co-operative that
is fighting to preserve them.
Friday: first impressions
Even in the twilight they stun the eye: striated tan cliffs, topped with
scrub verdancy, a lone pine on pinnacle, twists of pikes like sandstone
Matterhorns. We are in a taxi from Sandanski, after a four-hour bus ride
from Sofia the first Friday evening in April, on our way to Melnik for the
weekend.
One enters upon the panorama unexpectedly, among chapparel hills; the road
turns: a sudden hewn valley.
“It’s natural,” says Josh Kroot, a US Peace Corps volunteer
from Pazardjik who has invited me to come to see the projects on which he
and Audrey Amara, a US Peace Corps volunteer from Kazanluk, have been working
since the beginning of 2005.
The two regularly go down to Melnik to speak with various viticulturists
and oenologists about problems they as local producers have been facing
in bringing wine and grapes to market. Most of the people they met while
travelling with another Peace Corps volunteer, Joe Ferguson from Kolarovo.
Though possessing only slight information about vine cultivation and winemaking,
Audrey and Josh soon recognised there to be a number of ways to work with
people in the region. Through the Peace Corps, they were put in contact
with Volunteers for Economic Growth Association (VEGA), a group funded by
USAID, which helped them to bring a wine expert from California to the region
and evaluate the potential to create an organisation that would brand and
sell the wine that was being made by small local winemakers.
“We’re almost there,” he says, “and after we drop
our stuff off at Hotel Mario, we’ll go to this great place for dinner.”
Upon reaching the town – officially the smallest in Bulgaria with
a population of 275 – one immediately remarks its picturesqueness:
all the buildings must be built and maintained in the Bulgarian National
Revival style. And it’s clean, and fresh, and charming. A canal runs
down its one main street, itself lined with guest houses, hotels and mehanas.
Still at 8pm, one can make purchases from selections of local wines, honeys
and fruit preserves. Read more here: Bulgaria
Property News >>
News 25 April 2006:
Property investors driving Bulgaria's economy.
Investment in Bulgaria property
is becoming an increasingly attractive prospect for property enthusiasts
from the UK - and EU accession in the next couple of years is likely to
boost this still further.
Property prices have been rising steadily for a number of years now as Bulgaria
widens its appeal to a broader cross-section of the investment community.
With the ski resorts including Bansko
and Borovets improving
annually and the Black Sea resorts also building up an impressive tourist
industry, there is certainly a lot to look forward to in Bulgaria.
The Sofia Echo has today referred to reports in both the Dnevnik newspaper
and the Wall Street Journal, both of which point to a significant rise in
demand for properties in Bulgaria
and in central and eastern Europe in general.
Bulgaria, the Czech Republic,
Poland, Romania, Russia and Slovakia collectively brought in €5.8 billion
through property deals last year, according to the report. This is thought
to have represented a 38 per cent increase on the investment figure for
2004.
Writing for the Independent recently, journalist Robert Nurden remarked
that thousands of Britons had now "seen beyond the cliches" associated
with Bulgaria and were investing
their money in the property market.
Mr Nurden went on to describe the sheer variety of investment opportunities
in the country, with the capital city of Sofia one of the most notable.
He suggests that the property boom has now reached the centre of Sofia,
with locals also actively contributing to the market.
Bansko was also mentioned
in his article, with the gondola from the town to the pistes rated as "second
to none".
Bulgaria, largely on the basis
of the potential that many see in its real estate market, is often referred
to as the new Spain. It is a comparison that will be tested when Bulgaria
gains EU accession, as this progression proved vital for Spain as property
prices began to soar.
According to Mr Nurden, the parallel can apply specifically to Sunny Beach,
which he suggests could feasibly become the new Costa del Sol. While Bulgaria
has a long way to go before this could be considered an accurate description,
the potential for growth has certainly encouraged many and the extent of
the investment around the Black Sea regions is testament to this. Read
more here: Bulgaria Property
News >>
600,000 Brits own second home.
Ownership of second homes has soared to record levels, it was revealed yesterday.
There are as many as 350,000 in England, according to a survey. And there
are another 260,000 second homes abroad owned by Britons.
The total of around 600,000 is the equivalent of more than the population
of Sheffield owning a home in the South Yorkshire city and another elsewhere.
There are now some local authorities in England where one in three homes
are second homes, used only at weekends and holidays.
In North Norfolk, towns such as Burnham Overy and Brancaster have proved
to be a magnet for those looking for the perfect rural retreat by the coast.
Research by the upmarket estate agency Savills estimates that there are
up to 350,000 second homes in England.
This is more than 100,000 higher than government figures but Savills is
sceptical of the fact that many local authorities say they do not have a
single second home- owner inside their boundaries.
Official figures also show that a further 260,000 have a second home overseas,
with Spain and France among the most popular locations.
Even allowing for the small number of owners who have extra property both
here and abroad, there are least 600,000 households who can call two places
their home. Yolande Barnes, director of research at Savills, said: 'Second
homes fall neatly into three main categories - the weekend retreat, the
holiday home and the city pad.' Read more here: Bulgaria
Property News >>
Mortgage lending soars in March.
The UK property market appears to be in buoyant form with news that underlying
mortgage lending increased by its biggest amount in almost two years during
March.
The British Bankers' Association (BBA) has found that underlying mortgage
lending rose by £5.4 billion in the month, which is the largest increase
since June 2004 at the peak of that particular boom.
In February, the rise was only £4.7 billion and the average during
the preceding six months was £4.9 billion, leading analysts to suggest
that the market is set for a sustained period of growth.
Good news for property investment in the UK, the announcement also banishes
doubts that the market is slowing, with homebuyers now more confident than
ever about making a purchase.
At the same time, the BBA indicated that unsecured personal lending fell
by £0.4 billion, against an average rise of £0.5 billion during
the previous six months. Loans and overdrafts fell by just over £0.1
billion, while credit card borrowing fell by £0.2 billion compared
to an average increase of £0.2 billion in the preceding six months.
David Dooks, director of statistics for the BBA, remarked: "The contrast
between stronger mortgage lending and net repayments of unsecured borrowing
suggests that individuals are optimistic about the housing market, though
careful about card borrowing, overdrafts or taking on personal loans."
Meanwhile, the Council of Mortgage Lenders last week pointed out that gross
mortgage lending reached £28.3 billion in March, which is the highest
figure for the month since records began in the mid 1970s.
It is clear that confidence has firmly returned to the UK property market
and most experts now predict that prices will rise steadily throughout the
year.
Already it has been reported that £1 million houses are on the rise,
with a decade of house price growth pushing thousands of properties above
the previously unthinkable threshold. Read more here: Bulgaria
Property News >>
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