Property Focus
08:00 Tue 18 Apr 2006
Bulgaria’s only English-language weekly newspaper, The Sofia Echo, welcomes you to our special supplement, Property Focus. Bulgaria entered 2006 experiencing a continued boom of its real estate market and a high degree of investment in the sector that has taken it to a new level. The development of a functioning real estate market is an ingredient vital to the development of the economy of any country such read more 
more from Property Focus
08:00 Tue 18 Apr 2006 - Ivan Vatahov
Constantly rising prices, high yields and numerous opportunities have characterised Bulgaria’s real estate market in the past several years, turning it into one of the most attractive investment destinations for people from all over the world. Although experts believe that the supply of residential and commercial properties in this country, particularly in some regions, has already outrun demand, the future is looking read more
08:00 Tue 18 Apr 2006
Bulgaria’s economic growth was 5.5 per cent in 2005 from a revised 5.7 per cent for 2004, the National Statistical Institute (NSI) said at the end of March. The growth drop last year was a result of slower growth in the industrial sector and a modest rise in exports in the third quarter. Growth in the industrial sector was 3.8 per cent and the export rise was 1.1 per cent in the third quarter, when the country was hit by torrential read more
08:00 Tue 18 Apr 2006
Bulgaria’s mortgage market has been one of the fastest developing financial markets in this country, especially in the past year.
The amount of mortgage loans granted by Bulgarian banks almost doubled throughout 2005 and the first months of 2006, according to a report published by the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) at the end of March. The total amount of mortgage credits at the end of February read more
08:00 Tue 18 Apr 2006
Besides being one of the largest Bulgarian banks, Bulbank, owned by the Italian banking giant UniCredit Group, has also had in the past few years one of the most innovative approaches towards mortgage lending.
Bulbank now offers the lowest interest rate of 5.88 per cent for the first year on mortgage loans. The promotional offer is to remain in force until the end of the year. The bank has promised to grant an answer to any read more
08:00 Tue 18 Apr 2006
More than 80 construction and investment companies, more than 15 real estate agencies and 10 finance companies will present their products at this year’s Imoti Expo (Real Estate Expo) Spring 2006.
The forum will take place between April 27 and 29 at the Inter Expo Centre. Imoti Expo Ltd and Bulgarreklama are the organisers of the event, and the Bulgarian Telecommunication Company is sponsoring the read more
08:00 Tue 18 Apr 2006
A survey by Bulgarian polling agency Alpha Research shows that young and professionally active people visit Imoti Expo. Most of them have high income and education levels. The involvement of high-income individuals increased by 12 per cent. The main aims of people visiting the forum include the search for potential clients, advertising and the establishment of business contacts. According to the statistics, the read more
08:00 Tue 18 Apr 2006
The vacation property sector is seen as offering the most profitable investment opportunities. The return rate varies between five and seven per cent annually and can reach a maximum of 10 per cent. According to real estate analysts, Croatia and Romania are Bulgaria’s biggest competitors concerning vacation property. While Bulgaria attracts investor interest through lower prices, Croatia has a good read more
08:00 Tue 18 Apr 2006
An increasing supply of new residential projects in Bulgaria marked the second half of 2005, Colliers International said in its most recent report on the residential property market in the capital Sofia. The company said that construction permits for about one million sq m of residential buildings were estimated to have been issued in Sofia alone in 2005.
Most of the residential projects under construction fell in the middle- read more
08:00 Tue 18 Apr 2006
The most important signal with regard to the future of the property market in Bulgaria will be the mid-year decision on whether Bulgaria’s accession to the European Union will go ahead as scheduled in January 2007, according to Strahil Ivanov, head of the Yavlena real estate agency. Currently, people are waiting for the signal, and in the event of a positive message, the market will develop even more rapidly, Ivanov read more
08:00 Tue 18 Apr 2006
Petko Valkov, Portfolio Manager, BenchMark Asset Management
The Bulgarian real estate market has expanded significantly in the past few years. This growth resulted from various factors like the maintenance of a steady economic growth rate, financial stability, higher solvency capability and fewer conditions for obtaining bank loans.
Despite the high growth, experts consider the real estate sector to be still developing. At the same time, even if the property price in a certain read more
08:00 Tue 18 Apr 2006
Property development in Bulgaria is moving to a new level where quality will prevail over the desire by investors and developers in the sector to quench the enormous thirst of the market for enough new housing.
In 2006, this country would see a major shift towards quality in response to the customer’s search for beauty accompanying the usually sought functionality, Anelia Disheva, online sales and marketing read more
08:00 Tue 18 Apr 2006
The first months of 2006 brought forecasts that property prices in Bulgaria will still increase in 2006, but at a slower pace than the record jumps seen in 2003 to 2005. This applies mostly to residential properties, which are expected to register a percentage increase lower than the 21.6 per cent in 2005 and much lower than the 47.6 per cent of 2004, according to a forecast by independent analytical company read more
08:00 Tue 18 Apr 2006
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 read more
08:00 Tue 18 Apr 2006 - Lucy Cooper
Boyan Benev is not your typical businessman. At only 21, he has already amassed more than six years of entrepreneurial experience as managing director of two limited companies. Now, with only a matter of months before he graduates in economics from University College London, he is embarking on his next big project with the launch of his new Bulgarian property holding business for small investors in the EU. read more
08:00 Tue 18 Apr 2006
A report by the European Research Group of the Cushman & Wakefield (C&W), a leading global property solutions company, says that Europe’s economy is at last showing signs of improvement. While not enough to trigger significant short-term rental growth, a firming in the business environment should signal a further good year ahead for real estate.
With yields already compressed to at least a 25-year low, some are read more
08:00 Tue 18 Apr 2006
The prospect of investing in the future of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) is what will bring, for a third year in a row, participants and customers to the annual CEPIF (Central Europe Property & Investment Fair) taking place in the Polish capital Warsaw on May 11-12 2006.
Richard Stephens, head of the commercial department and CEPIF organiser said that CEE is one of the most dynamic regions in the world read more
08:00 Tue 18 Apr 2006
Can you imagine calling a skyscraper your home? Sounds crazy, but it may be a dream come true for some residents of the Polish capital Warsaw, who are eagerly participating to see the launch of the Zlota 44 project. The French Orco Property Group is planning to develop in Warsaw the most spectacular high-rise apartment complex in Europe. The Zlota 44, will be based at 44 Zlota Street, in the very centre of read more
