There is a lot that goes into buying land in Bulgaria, more so if you are a foreigner. There are many things that need to be taken into consideration when buying land. The land in Bulgaria is as beautiful as it is varied so the land would be a wise investment if you know how to buy it. Buying land in Bulgaria is not as difficult as it may seem, it is really just time consuming and maybe a little tedious.
The first things you need to consider when buying land in Bulgaria are current laws. Right now, Bulgarian laws prohibit foreigners from owning land. This is hoped to change in the near future, but, none the less, if you are not a current citizen of Bulgaria you can not own land. The only way that a foreigner can buy land is by registering a company. Anyone who is a legal citizen of Bulgaria can go through all of the normal land buying process which is finding the land, buying the land, and building on the land. The only thing citizens of Bulgaria need to worry about is being able to afford the land, which is not hard, since the real estate market is cheapest in Bulgaria.
If you are new to investing in real estate in Bulgaria you may not know what a registered company is. A registered company is basically a business in Bulgaria that will own the title of your land. Many lawyers and/or real estate agents will be able to help you with this part. The costs of registering a company may vary depending on what type of company you register. The usual cost are, a 5000 BGL deposit that is your companies liability, the cost of the company registration processing through a solicitor which can cost from 400 EUR all the way to 1000 EUR, and a state fee. You will also be required to submit annual accounts when you are through with the registration, so you may want to hire a local accountant, whose costs will vary. The entire process of registration usually takes about two weeks.
Once the registration is complete you will receive what is called a BULSTAT number, this is the ownership number that proves your company owns the land . This land could be residential, meaning, you want to buy the land to build a house, or agricultural, meaning you want some land to have a house or farm, or it could be a plot of land that comes with a home. In this case you will need to worry about the costs of the home, the land, and the registration of the company to own the land. You should definitely work with a real estate agent when searching for the land to be bought and then with a lawyer to handle all of the legalities of buying the land.
Bulgaria is a wonderful place to own land and all of the legalities of the process should not discourage you from doing so. Bulgaria is a country full of history and intrigue and would be a wise investment.
Click here for the best offers for agricultural and development land in Bulgaria.
Why Bulgaria?
When you are buying property anywhere the first thing you might ask yourself is why here. So, right now you may be asking yourself, "why Bulgaria?". This is a valid question and can be easily answered if you just take the time to learn more about Bulgaria . Bulgaria is a unique place to live in with many wonderful places that are as vastly different as the landscape.
So the question before you now is "Why Bulgaria" and there are many answers to that question. The first thing you need to know to this burning question is that Bulgaria has wonderful air quality and a lot of natural beauty that has not been disrupted by industrial factories and such. Nature and the fresh air are some of the most appealing qualities about Bulgaria. There are vineyards, lakes, mountains, forests, and so much that it is hard to sit and bask in the beauty of the land without feeling some emotion.
Why invest in Bulgarian property?
Of course, in the quest to answer the question "why Bulgaria", air quality and nature, although great reasons in themselves, are not the only reasons to choose Bulgaria as a place to own property. There are many economical reasons as well and are as follows:
- This may or may not be considered something economical, but, there is religious freedom, or at least many different religions and cultures coexist together making Bulgaria peaceful place to live.
- This is an old country full of history and culture. You would own property in a country worthy of so much respect. Bulgaria has existed for over thirteen centuries. Thracians Greeks, Romans, and of course, Bulgarians have all inhabited this small country and pumped it full of historical significance.
- The location is perfect; you are only a few hours away from several other European countries.
- There are many different great work and/or business opportunities. Depending why you want to own property in Bulgaria, these many business opportunities could be a very good thing for you.
- If you want to only invest in property, then Bulgaria is the place for you. There are enormous opportunities for investment from apartment complexes to resorts all the way to simple town houses. More than that, property selling prices are great. You can not go wrong with investing in property in Bulgaria. Find a selection of cheap Bulgarian properties here.
- There are many ski resorts, markets, restaurants, and car markets. If you ask yourself "why Bulgaria" it is because Bulgarian property can be a home away from home.
There are many great reasons to consider when choosing Bulgaria as a place to own property or even live full time. Bulgaria is an economically stable country that is growing constantly in terms of living stardard. If you are still asking yourself "why Bulgaria" the answer is simple: Bulgaria is a great advantage to anyone, who wants to live, invest, or grow a business. You will live amongst history, invest in the land to attract other people, and just enjoy the intriguing beauty of the Bulgarian nature, you can not go wrong with Bulgaria.
Who invest in Bulgarian property?
Several years back, the answer to the question "Who invest in Bulgarian property?" would have been very simple. The Bulgarian property market was mainly invaded by Britons. And that was normal - it is the UK stock market, which is most developed in the EU and Brits have always had the reputation of the most investment-oriented nation on the old continent.
But is it the same now, in 2007. You may be surprized, but recent researches show that only 1 of every five foreign investors in Bulgaria come from the island. So, who invest nowadays in Bulgarian real estate property?
As a nation, the Brits continue to dominate the Bulgarian property market. But there are also several new players. Investors from other European Union countries have increased their share in Bulgarian properties - Germans, French, Belgians, and Norwegians tend to invest more in Bulgaria this year.
The other serious players are the Russians. They find the country very attractive because of the language similarity of Russian and Bulgarian. Russians mainly buy Bulgarial property to live in it during their vacations.
Where do foreigners prefer to buy Bulgarian property?
Western Europeans prefer the Beach and Ski Resorts in Bulgaria, such as Sunny beach, Golden sands, Borovets and Bansko. They are both interested in these properties as a second vacation place and in the oportunities of renting the property. Britons are also interested in houses in Bulgaria in small towns or villages where they can spend their live after retirement.
Types of Bulgarian Real Estate Properies
Types of Bulgarian properties
Apartments in Ski or Beach resorts, House or Land
Bulgaria is a land full of diversity, but it is not a negative attribute. Bulgaria is diverse in its landscape, its culture, its history, and most of all, in its real estate market. Everything about Bulgaria is unique this is why the real estate market is as diverse as Bulgaria itself. Plus, the Bulgaria property market is the best priced through out Europe, even if the prices are higher in the cities and major resorts then in less popular areas. There are many things to consider when thinking about the real estate market in Bulgaria.
The first thing to consider when discussing the types of real estate in Bulgaria is the two tourist attractions there. These represent two of the many types of real estate available in Bulgaria. The two tourist attractions in Bulgaria would be the Beach and/or summer resorts and the Ski Resorts. These two attractions bring with them two types of real estate, one being the beach properties and the other being the ski and/or mountain properties.
INVEST IN BEACH PROPERTIES IN BULGARIA
Beach properties are mostly sold from the many beach resorts that are on the coast line of Bulgaria Beach properties usually mean apartments that these resorts have put up for sell, but can mean beach front villas or houses as well. Other real estate that beach resort provides is land and/or land plots. Land is more on the market for hotel chains looking to expand its hotel chain. Sometimes things called holiday villages are also built on land plots.
INVEST IN SKI RESORTS IN BULGARIA
Ski resorts usually sell apartments as well, the difference being that the apartments for sell here tend to bring in more money because once bought the apartments can be used all year long, unlike the summer houses and apartments that are seasonal. The great thing about this form of real estate is that once you have bought one of the properties you can then turn it into a different form of real estate which is properties for rent.
INVEST IN HOUSES, APPARTMENTS AND PLOTS IN BULGARIA
Besides tourist attractions like the resorts, there is also agricultural and residential real estate. Residential real estate is as it says property for sale in residential areas. Residential real estate could include houses, land, houses and land, apartments, villas, or any other type of home in a residential area. These properties could be for sell or rental only. Then there is agricultural real estate. This is a more rural type of real estate that can sometimes come with a house or not. This type of real estate is perfect for farming.
There are many different types of real estate in Bulgaria, each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Real estate also can mean renting, buying, or visa versa. Any type of real estate is a great investment because more that likely you will be able to rent out the real estate to the many tourists that come into Bulgaria. If you choose to live in the real estate you buy, then know that any part of Bulgaria is a wonderful place to live. It is up to an individuals wants and needs as to what type of real estate they will buy.
Tourism and Bulgarian property investments
Tourism is a profitable economy sector for any country, state, city, town, or village. Bulgaria is a popular holiday destination because tourists can come to Bulgaria all year long and take a vacation. The country has beautiful beach resorts and steep ski runs for ski and snowboard lovers. Tourism helps to develop areas into especially pleasing real estate markets because of the fact that tourists will need a place to stay and that companies will need land and buildings to build these places for tourists to stay in. The developed touristic sector in Bulgaria definitely helps the Bulgarian property investors.
Bulgaria has many types of resorts and towns with cultural history. Bulgaria has beach resorts for the summer time, ski resorts for the winter, and all kinds of cities, towns, and villages that are major tourist attractions year round. Bulgaria even has numerous spas. Basically, anytime you would choose to come to Bulgaria would be a good time because there is always something for you to do. This is very important to investors because without the tourists there would be no reason to invest in real estate in Bulgaria because no one would come to use it. The only exception to this is that some people only want real estate in Bulgaria as a vacation home for themselves or they are planning to or already live in Bulgaria.
Tourism helps individual Bulgarian real estate investors. Some people want to invest in foreign property so they can in turn rent it out to other people. The same is true for real estate investors in Bulgaria. In summer resorts in Bulgaria there are apartments and houses for sale, which the investor would buy and then put it up for rent during the summer season when all of the tourists need somewhere to stay. Without the tourism, this apartment would have stayed empty until the investor decided to come and use it. The same goes for ski resort properties. Wherever the Bulgarian property is, tourism can lead potential renters to the investors' property.
Now, some resorts will sell private land plots to commercial developers, for instance, hotel chains. The question you need to ask yourself is, would there be a need for hotels if there were not any tourists? One would think not. Hotel chains will buy the property for sale, develop their Bulgarian hotel chain, and then open for tourists. Without the tourists, these hotel chains would not have much business and would probably close down. It is crucial for hotel chains in the Bulgarian resorts to have tourism, for this type of business thrives on tourists business.
Tourism helps Bulgarian investors by providing them the business of renting rooms and/or property. Yes, Bulgaria could probably survive without tourism, but, it would not have the same thriving real estate market that it has today without tourists.
Propery in Ski and Beach Resorts in Bulgaria
Why invest in Ski and Beach Resort Properies in Bulgaria?
Bulgaria is full of fresh air, beautiful coasts, and majestic mountains. Bulgaria is a place of growth in the real estate market and should be considered when anyone is ready to invest money into any real estate. Resorts are being and are already built all over Bulgaria, so why shouldn't you be in on the fun. You should invest in ski and beach resorts in Bulgaria.
Ski and summer resorts are a major marketing point for many investors through out the world and many people who already reside in Bulgaria. These resorts are a major tourist attraction in many of Bulgaria's regions. There are many places that have resorts, like the coast of the black sea and in the mountains that are in Bulgaria. It would be smart to get in on the money by investing in property on one of these resorts but it may not be as easy to do.
Some ski resorts have been bought out, meaning that everyone that was able to invest in the properties already have and there may not be any more real estate left to invest in the actually resort. This is a problem that many may face but is easily fixed with an open mind. First of all, you should consider investing in some residential real estate in a village outside of the resort. You will still be able to bring in some money by renting out your real estate because it is still close to the ski resort. Another way to invest your money in a ski resort is to find one that is less known or less popular. For instance, Borovets is the most well known ski resort in Bulgaria, almost all of the real estate has been bought in this resort. So, instead of considering Borovets as a place to invest in, you should consider one the less popular resorts like Vitosha. Vitosha is a smaller less developed ski resort that will soon be making its way up in the market. Ski resorts and their neighboring villages are excellent investment opportunities because of the fact that the Bulgaria is developing first class ski resorts and many people want to come here for vacations.
There are also beautiful summer resorts in Bulgaria, the most famous being Sunny Beach. It may be a little easier to invest in real estate in summer resorts, especially Sunny Beach, than ski resorts. Take a look at the apartments in Bulgaria ski and beach resorts here. It is easier to invest in real estate on summer resorts because many of them have private land that can be bought by building companies to develop such things as apartment complexes and such. The beauty of this is you can buy the apartments and rent them out. The other great thing when you invest in a summer resort is that you may not be buying actual land so you do not have to worry about the laws against foreigners buying land in Bulgaria. There are many summer resorts in Bulgaria; some who have investment opportunities and others do not. It really does not matter because the resorts that do have real estate investment opportunities are likely to bring you in some real money while offering you a great vacation home.
If you decide to invest in ski and summer resorts in Bulgaria you are making a wise choice. Among the beautiful beaches and breathtaking mountains, the resorts are growing everyday.
Real Estate Investment in Sofia
Excellent choice for earning through price increase and rents
Where else would someone consider investing in real estate but the wonderful capital of Bulgaria, Sofia? Sofia is a great city that is the largest city in Bulgaria with a population of over 1.3 million. The city of Sofia is said to set the tone for every other city in Bulgaria because it is said to be undisputed in its economy and other things. Sofia is a great place to search for real estate to invest in.
Sofia has the most dynamic market for properties in Bulgaria and one of the major things to invest in are apartments. As Sofia is a large city some places are better than others to find real estate in the form of apartments. The first place you should look to find good investment apartments would be in the center of Sofia. Then you might check some of the good residential areas, like Lozenets, Lagera, and Iztok. The next best place to find apartments in Sofia is the fast growing business districts. These areas are great for investing in apartments because business and leisure travelers as well as the people who work for the business’s in Sofia. Many people would love to have an apartment to stay in close to where the need to be. One other way to make the most out of your apartment investment is to consider also buying a parking space, as with any big city, parking can be hard in Sofia. Although Bulgaria has the best property prices in Europe, prices in Sofia will be more than in other cities because property here is in high demand, but the more you pay for your apartment, the more rental income you can get back.
You do not have to buy new apartments in Sofia to get a good investment. Sometimes it can be difficult to get a lot of people interested in renting a new apartment because it will cost more. The other option is to find and old apartment that needs some work done to it. Older apartments in the center of Sofia may, actually, turn out to be a better investment because you will buy it for cheaper and potential renters will be more likely to rent it because the prices will be lower for them as well. Your real estate agent may be able to help you find the stuff you need to refurbish your new/old apartment. Also, you will have the pleasure of personalizing the apartment with your tastes.
One thing you need to watch is if you are a foreigner trying to purchase an apartment. Buying an apartment by itself is not a problem, it is only if the apartment comes with a land plot, or a yard. Then you need to register a company in Bulgaria to hold the title, which your real estate agent can help you with, because as of the moment, foreigners are not allowed to own land in Bulgaria. It is a simple issue to fix but it will cost a little extra. All in all, Sofia is a great place to invest in real estate if you know where to look.
Property prices in Bulgaria grow by 25%
Cheap BGProperties continue to attract investors
The prices of real estate properties in Bulgaria have risen by over 25% since the beginning of 2007, show latest statistical information. The main reasons for the increase are the recent entry of the country in the European Union and the large foreign investments in the country.
Bulgaria’s real estate market is still the one offering cheapest property prices in the whole EU, if not Europe. This has drawn much investor’s interest in the country, by many foreign citizens, especially Brits, Greeks, Russians, and Germans. Investors are attracted to the region because of the mild climate and holiday opportunities both in beach and ski resorts.
Bulgaria specializes mainly in tourism and the government and large tourist agents invest a lot in world-wide advertising of the country’s attractiveness. There are many archeological findings in the recent years, such as the ancient mythological town of Perperikon, which drive tourists from all part of the globe to the country. This makes the property prices grow even more because of the renting incomes from tourists.
Some journalists predicted that the drop in US and UK real estate markets will affect the Bulgarian property market, which does not seem to have taken effect. Real estate analysts say that most probably the Bulgarian property prices growth will be slowed to 15-18% in the 2008, which still presents a very profitable investment.
Beach Resorts in Bulgaria
The east side of Bulgaria borders with the Black Sea. Bulgaria, having the Black Sea as a coastline opens up an investment opportunity in beach resorts and the towns around them for many people interested in investing in Bulgaria. Should you take the time to look you can find many wise investment opportunities in these beach resorts in Bulgaria. Some resorts are more popular than others, but all have great investments waiting to be found.
The most popular international beach resort in Bulgaria is Sunny Beach. This resort has many investment opportunities that thrive off of tourism. Sunny beach is the longest and widest strip of beach in Bulgaria and is full of hotels and plenty of property. Sunny beach has the opportunity for investment because of the fact that there is private land available for more hotels to be built. Then there are the holiday villages so that families may have the opportunity to invest in apartments and maybe rent them out.
The most popular resort on the Black Seas northern coast is the Golden Sands Resort and is said to have the purest sands along the coast. This resort sits between two other resorts and is surrounded by villages. Not only will you be able to invest in apartments in Golden Sands Resorts, but, there are huge investment opportunities in the nearby villages. Not everyone will be able to afford to stay on the resort itself, and if you were to own a house or apartment in one of the nearby villages, you might be able to rent it out during the summer holidays. Then there are villas for sale in the Golden Sands Resort itself. This resort may not be the ideal investment for hotel chains because it is hard to find land, but, a family or person will be able to find a holiday home to invest in.
There is also the great Bulgarian city of Varna to consider as a beach resort town. Varna city has the third largest population in Bulgaria and is often referred as the Seaside capital of Bulgaria. The beauty of Varna City and Beach Resort is that there are investment opportunities all year long because Varna is an around the year holiday destination. This gives room for profitable investments year round. You can get apartments, villas, and even development land plots. Varna is a great city and resort so people will want to visit here, so, making your investment a profitable one.
There are many great beach resorts along the Black Sea coastline in Bulgaria. The popular ones usually have homes or apartments you can buy and some of the less developed ones need investors to build up their resort. There are many ways to invest in Beach resorts in Bulgaria, all you need to do is do the research and find which investment is best for you. One thing you can be certain of is that your investment will not be in vain, but, it will offer you a vacation home and a place to rent out or give a hotel chain a chance to expand its company. Investing in Beach resorts is a wise decision.
Bulgarian property guide for purchases
Things to know before purchasing properties in Bulgaria
Purchasing property anywhere can be a hassle, especially if you are a foreigner trying to purchase real estate in a foreign country, such as Bulgaria. There are a lot of different things you will need to do or consider before you try and purchase any type of property in Bulgaria. This purchase guide for Bulgarian real estate should by no means take the place of any legal advice you may receive and is a stated a guide only.
First things first, if you are considered a foreigner to Bulgaria, you should know that you can not directly purchase land. You will need to first set up a Bulgarian Company to own the title of your land if you plan to build a home. Setting up a company includes certain fees, but it is a fairly simple process and the real estate agent you are working with will be able to help you do this. You do not have to worry about setting up a company unless you are buying land.
Next you will need to find the real estate you wish to purchase, or at least something that you would be highly interested in. To do this you can search the internet for real estate that is on the market or work through a Bulgarian property agent. It is still a good idea to know what you are looking for so you can discuss this with your agent. If you are able, you can go to Bulgaria and search the market there and personally talk to an agent. Either way you do this, you will need to check with several different Bulgarian real estate agents to make sure that you are getting the best price and quality in work.
Now, you might want to hire a lawyer if you can not be present in Bulgaria for the purchase of your real estate. A lawyer will be able to handle the signing of the preliminary or final contract. The lawyer will need your personal details (i.e. your passport), a letter of attorney that is notarized, and if you notarize it outside of Bulgaria, an apostil as well. All of this will legally allow your lawyer to sign for your real estate in Bulgaria. After the final contract has been signed it will be registered in court and you will receive a BULSTAT number signifying you as the owner of the real estate in Bulgaria.
After you find the real estate and hire a lawyer, you will need to actually purchase the property. At first, ten percent of the entire cost of the real estate is due as a down payment, and then you will be able to transfer money to your lawyer to handle the final payments or directly to the real estate agent. You may want to transfer that money about two weeks before the final contract is to be signed so that the money has ample time to get to its destination in Bulgaria. Mortgages may be available through some real estate agencies and banks, but not all of the banks will allow a mortgage to be given to a foreigner.
This purchase guide for Bulgarian real estate is only something to be considered or at leas have a little knowledge on when buying real estate. This knowledge will help you to make a better informed decision on your purchases in the Bulgarian real estate market.
Investment Opportunities in Bulgarian Real Estate
There are many real estate opportunities in Bulgaria. The real estate market is in full swing and is selling for cheaper then all of Europe. This fact alone makes the investment opportunities in Bulgarian real estate an amazing thing. There are numerous types of real estate to invest in making Bulgaria a money making country for anyone willing to invest in it.
To start off the list of investment opportunities in Bulgarian Real Estate is the numerous resorts. There are beach front or summer resorts and ski resorts. With summer resorts there are opportunities for investments for companies and individual people and/or families. Some beach resorts have private land for sale. This is a perfect investment opportunity for hotel and condominium chains. These companies can buy the private land and build. This produces beach front rooms that many tourists crave. Beach resorts also have apartments and possibly villas. Individuals can buy these rooms and either use the rooms themselves or rent out the rooms to other people. This is an excellent investment for individuals because they can make money. The same can go for the ski resorts as well, the exception being that it is difficult to buy apartments in some of the popular ski resorts. This dilemma can be fixed by the next investment opportunities in Bulgarian real estate.
The next huge investment opportunities are buying apartments or houses in the towns surrounding the resorts. Apartments are a big seller in the major cities. Apartment complexes are popping up everywhere. Then, of course, there is the investment in the land so that companies can build the apartments that people will buy. People can buy these properties for a reasonable price and have a vacation home and then rent the property out when they are not there. There is also the option of buying houses, which can be the same thing as when one buys and apartment. One other way to invest in this more residential type of real estate is to build a house in Bulgaria and then put it up for sale. The way the real estate market is in Bulgaria, the house would not be on the market for long.
Land plots can be an investment in Bulgarian property, but foreigners will have to work a little to get it as current laws in Bulgaria prohibit foreigners from directly owning land. All one would need to do is register a Bulgarian company to own the title of the land and any real estate agent can tell you how to do this. There are many different types of land to invest in. There are residential land plots, agricultural land plots, and resort land plots. All hold their own significance in Bulgaria, and all has the potential to be a great investment.
Bulgaria is a country full of great things, one being its great real estate market. One would be very smart to invest in Bulgarian real estate as the price on the property can not be surpassed anywhere in Europe. Now it is your turn to take advantage of all these investment opportunities.
Finding a Real Estate Agent in Bulgaria
It can be long and tedious search to find a good real estate agency no matter where you are. This can be true for finding a real estate agent in Bulgaria. One of the things that make finding a real estate agent in Bulgaria harder is trying to find one, who speaks English if you are not fluent in the language spoken in Bulgaria. There are some that do speak English, but many who do not. There are ways to make finding an agent easier, so, the question is -
How to find a real estate agent in Bulgaria?
There are a few things to keep in mind when choosing your real estate agent in Bulgaria:
- First of all, you need to make sure that the company has a license and is registered as a real estate agent in Bulgaria.
- It is of utter importance to make sure that you get references from the real estate agent. This will tell you if the agent is good at what he/she does. This is more applicable if you are dealing with them in person, but can be true for internet found agents as well.
- If you found the real estate agent online you may ask them if they are members of any real estate associations. This will let you know more about them in terms of quality of service.
- Compare! Compare! Compare! You need to compare real estate agents to make sure that you are getting the property you want at the best price you can find. Also compare the quality and professionalism of the work you see, this could be pictures on the agent’s website, or, if you are in Bulgaria, the properties you see.
- You might want to check and see how the agent handles overseas transactions if you can not be in Bulgaria personally and that the agent knows all the regulations concerning foreigners purchasing land property.
BGPropertiesForAll is a serious real estate agent in Bulgaria. For our customers we have prepared helpful information about Bulgaria, a guide to Bulgarian properties, and list of cheap bgproperties on the market.
|