Bulgaria ONE OF THE HOTTEST INVESTMENT LOCATIONS IN EUROPE TODAY!
There's not another place like it anywhere else!
From its sandy beaches to its stunning mountains, Bulgaria is blessed with more than its fair share of natural resources.
Beautiful in nature, unique historically, rich culturally, and hot economically, Bulgaria has quickly emerged as one of the most exciting investment locations in Europe today!
Recent news from the Bulgarian banking sector confirms what many property investors have known for a while – investment potential in Bulgarian property is one of the best in the world.
Not only does capital growth top global rankings, but the Bulgarian mortgage sector is booming.
Data just released by RNCOS – a leading market research company – confirms that the Bulgarian real estate market was the world’s strongest in 2007-2008.
The RNCOS report, Bulgarian Banking Sector Analysis, also found that Bulgaria’s mortgage sector is one of the fastest growing in the banking industry with housing loans accounting for one third of all lending products.
The Bulgarian mortgage market may be young, but in its short life it has shown remarkable growth.
After liberalization of the mortgage sector in 2004, the Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) increased by a massive 87% between 2004 and 2007 with growth for the period 2007 to 2010 predicted to still out perform the rest of Europe.
Bulgarian National Bank figures report that Bulgarians took out over €2.5 billion in mortgages over the last year and home loans now account for almost half the loan total (a rise of nearly 25% over the last 3 years).
Not only has mortgage lending seen a massive hike, but Bulgaria has also experienced a huge increase in mortgage products.
“Being able to choose from a variety of products is very important for the property investor,” comments Ken Thorkildsen, Director of Obelisk Private Finance, “and the choice in Bulgaria has improved almost beyond recognition in the last few years.”
Of particular interest to property investors are products for remortgaging and equity release.
Equity release amounts have increased by up to 75% of the appraised value, which allows property investors leverage for other products, therefore providing the opportunity to expand their property portfolio.
Interest-only mortgages are also a vital tool in property investment and while these were previously for a maximum of 2 years, Bulgarian banks are now offering interest-only home loans for up to 10 years.
“This is a real bonus to the Bulgarian property market,” says Ken.
Furthermore, banks have recently reduced mortgage tie-in periods meaning investors who sell their property soon after purchase have less to pay in redemption charges.
Some banks have cut tie-in periods to just 3 years.
With increased choice in Bulgarian mortgage options, independent financial advice is more important than ever before.
“The investor’s maxim should be to minimize borrowing costs and, at the same time, ensure returns are maximized,” says Ken.
“Only a professional financial adviser with up-to-date information can guide you through the myriad of new products available in the Bulgarian sector.”
Now in 2009 we have new opportunity's with cheaper land prices than anywhere else in Europe.
We won't see the massive devaluations, that we see elsewhere in Europe.
We see 2009 as the perfect entry point in land and property investment in Bulgaria. |
