Foreigners increasingly interested in BulgariForeigners increasingly interested in Bulgaria’s spa property destinationsa’s spa property destinations

The interest of foreign investors in the acquisition of property located in areas having mineral springs is growing, consultants from Home for You said.
Velingrad, which has already established itself as a spa destination, is growing in popularity. Research shows it is among the top destinations for both foreign and Bulgarian investors.
Agents said that Velingrad had the potential to develop into a European resort and into one of Bulgaria’s best spa resorts.
Foreigners also continue showing interest in vacation property in Bulgaria’s coastal resorts. Mountain vacation property also registers interest, which tends to be strongest towards rural developments.
Italian, Spanish, Austrian and German investors are showing increasing interest in property acquisition in Bulgaria. Scandinavian investors are also growingly attracted to property in the country.

Information Source: Sofia Echo

Pomorie municipality in Bulgaria to develop eco and golf projects

Pomorie municipality plans to carry out a number of eco projects aimed at transforming it into one of the first Bulgarian green regions. The projects will increase the municipality's energy efficiency and improve the road and electricity distribution infrastructure in the region, Pomorie mayor Petar Zlatanov said. One of the major projects envisions the construction of a golf course Black Sea Golf and Country Club. It has already received a first class investment certificate. The investment exceeds 194 million euro. The golf course will cover an area of 1918 decares near the village of Kableshkovo. It will have an entertainment complex functioning year-round. A four or five-star hotel, golf academy, tennis academy and swimming pools, villas and apartments are also included in the project. Work on the project is expected to start by the end of 2007. The complex will provide 800 to 1000 work places. Pomorie municipality currently seeks a public-private partnerships to finance the port in the town. Sunset Resort vacation complex features among the other investment projects in Pomorie. It will have 2700 beds and a five-star hotel complex. Pomorie also will work on several eco projects among which local dump renovation and reconstruction which will be transformed into park.

Information Source: Sofia Echo

Property investment returns rate ranks Bulgaria second in Europe

Bulgaria ranks second in Europe on the returns rate of property investment over the past 12 months, research of British consultancy company Assetz shows.
According to the company’s index, drafted each annual quarter, Bulgaria’s property investment returns reached 71 per cent over the past 12 months.
Poland ranked first with 100 per cent returns.
Assetz warned potential investors that the rate in Bulgaria was expected to decrease significantly.
Regions featuring over supply like Sunny Beach coastal resort and Bansko winter resort already experience problems with their rental markets.
Bulgaria is the only European country listed in the ranking, for which Assetz expects such decrease in returns.
Poland will also experience decrease, though it will be smaller compared to predictions for Bulgaria.

Information Source: Sofia Echo

Polish company to invest 90milion leva in mall construction in Bulgaria's Varna

Polish company Globe Trade Centre (GTC) will provide funding for nearly 95 per cent of the construction of Gallery Varna mall.
Investment will total 89 million leva.
This is the fourth mall project to be launched in the coastal city of Varna since the beginning of 2007.
The project is still awaiting construction permit. Construction works will be finalised by the end of 2009.
Annual rental income is expected to reach 9.5 million leva.
This is the first GTC project in Bulgaria. The company already has several trade centres in Romania. It plans to construct two more trade centres in other big Bulgarian cities.
GTC announced that in 2006, it acquired a 4500 sq m plot in Sofia, worth 1.55 million euro.

Information Source: Sofia Echo

OFFICE PROPERTY RENTS IN TOP 50 HIGHEST WORLDWIDE

The office rents in Sofia rank as the 49th highest worldwide, research of consultancy company CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) shows.

Annual office rent expenditure in Sofia reached $517.3 per sq m, or $43.1 per sq m per month.

London keeps its first place in the chart. Office rents in some of its most expensive parts reach $2596.5 on annual basis. Tokyo takes the next positions in the chart.

The chart’s top 10 remain almost unchanged. Delhi is a newcomer among the 10 most expensive office property destinations, ranking seventh.

Moscow, Paris, Dublin and Dubai also feature in the top 10.

Athens and Warsaw are the other two East European cities apart from Sofia to rank among the most expensive 50 office destinations. Athens ranks 36th and Warsaw occupies the 48th position.

About Bulgarian properties in summer season

Over the past few years, property supply has exceeded demand in Bulgaria’s leading resorts.

The vacation property market is reaching its saturation point and a number of resorts already suffer from over-construction and the lack of proper infrastructure, participants in the first Balkan real estate conference BalRec said.

In order to attract new clients, resorts should start offering unique projects and better infrastructure condition.

Vacation property developments in Bulgaria are more prominent than those located in neighbouring counties, conference participants said.

Colliers International data for 2006 shows that the number of vacation properties in Bulgaria’s coastal area increased 82% to reach 35 000 units. The biggest increase was registered in the regions of Kavarna and Balchik.

Romania and Serbia are currently trying to establish themselves as attractive tourism destinations in order to also develop the vacation property market.

At the same time, the quality of vacation property projects in Bulgaria varies greatly. Buyers now have higher demands, which also presupposed higher construction quality.

Vacation property prices in Bulgaria vary from 800 to 1600 euro per sq m. Colliers predicts similar levels or a slight increase in the future.

Investors in Bulgaria’s coastal regions are failing to find buyers for their newly-built hotels.

Nearly 30 new hotels were offered for sale over the past year, 24 Chassa daily reported. Only 250 hotels were on sale in southern coastal regions. The hotels are being sold in all stages of construction.

The average price is 856 euro a sq m.

Most of the hotels for sale were in the resorts of Sveti Vlas (St Vlas), Slunchev Bryag (Sunny Beach) and Chernomorets.

Experts said that there was a lack of buyers in these resorts, because the most tourists there were foreigners, who preferred buying apartments in complexes, instead of staying in hotels.

The biggest demand for hotels was in Slunchev Bryag, Nessebar and Primorsko was said in press.

To the north, the highest supply of hotels is in Zlatni Pyasutsi (Golden Sands) resort. Average prices were 1000 euro a sq m.

Demand was biggest in Zlatni Pyasutsi, Sveti Konstantin and Slunchev Den (Sunny Day).

Information Source: Sofia Echo