The rising property prices in Bulgaria in the past two to three years have encouraged many Bulgarians to seek alternative territories in which to settle. However, even a voyant would hardly suppose that the settlement aim is not anywhere in Europe or another corner of the world, but on the moon.

So, Bulgarians were warned on March 23 by a self-styled Lunar Embassy to hurry and buy real estate on the moon, as only a limited number of properties remained for sale.

A one-acre plot on the moon costs 40 leva (20 euro), and plots on Mars and on Jupiter’s moon Io are also available.

“We have already had over 100 orders since we opened the embassy,” its co-ordinator for Bulgaria, Denislav Stoichev, said.

The Lunar Embassy, situated in Bulgaria’s second-largest city of Plovdiv, is the first in Bulgaria, but one of dozens around the world licensed by the Galactic Government’s CEO - in this case, celestial executive officer - US entrepreneur Dennis Hope.

In 1980, Hope proclaimed himself the owner of the moon and all planets and satellites in the solar system (except for the Earth), by exploiting a loophole in the 1967 UN Outer Space Treaty, which states space property “is not subject to national appropriation” but says nothing about private or corporate owners.

“Most people here take it more as a joke, a funny present for someone’s birthday,” Stoichev said, adding, however, that “in another 100 years, we might be living on the moon or Mars and I want to be one of the first colonists”.

He is not the only one. The late Pope John Paul II, former US president Richard Nixon, pop idol Madonna and NASA officials are also proud owners of moon plots, Stoichev said.

Some 327 Bulgarians have already bought plots through the internet and orders are streaming into the Plovdiv embassy.

Only one billion lots are left for sale. The lucky owners will receive a lunar deed certificate, with the co-ordinates of their plot and their signature as proof of ownership.

But there are certain lunar codes: “Absolutely no weapons shall be tolerated, ever!” on the moon and littering will lead to “exorbitant” fines, the lunar primary law reads.

Last October, a Lunar Embassy in China was shut down because a government watchdog called its sale of space property fraudulent and illegal.

In an interview with the Bulgarian news agency Focus, Lunar Embassy director Kostadin Stanchev claimed that their operation is completely legal.

“I have paid a licence fee to be able to represent the headquarters of the US organisation in Bulgaria,” he said.

According to Stanchev, the Bulgarian branch is not a financial pyramid and is properly registered under country laws.

He said that most of the money made from the sales will go to space research, but also for developing computer systems to be installed on the moon for sending rockets, satellites and lunar modules.

“These are not projects worth one or two million dollars; they are very expensive. The newest project that currently being carried out costs $125 million,” said Stanchev, without giving more details but adding that each of the lunar embassies around the world is contributing to the research.

While many Bulgarians are asking themselves why property on the moon would have such a low cost, in a series of other media interviews Stanchev provided a quite original explanation. If the property were expensive, it would deprive many people of owning a plot on the moon and it would completely prevent the joy and the romantic nature of such a purchase.

“All sold plots are on the visible side of the moon so that every owner can glance at them during the night. Watching the property is the only thing they could do for now,” he said.

When buying a property on the moon, each customer receives a package of documents, containing the deed for one acre of land. The documents also list the location of the property by quadrant, latitude and longitude. A lunar map accompanies this, marked with an X showing the property location.

Each deed of lunar property is unique and no acre of land can be sold twice. Sending the registration card back insures that the property holder is listed on file in the landowners database.

The rights as a landowner include mineral rights. Many people ask if they can charge others if they land a spacecraft on their property. The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 clearly states the moon and other celestial bodies are the heritage of all mankind, for the purposes of exploration.