Sea coast, or in a mountain village an hour’s drive from one of the renowned ski-resorts, or an apartment, “in need of some refurbishing”, in a central location in Sofia. These are all traps for the unwary, as some have found out to their disappointment. Often, such houses are in a very poor state of repair, without running water or sanitary facilities. Some apartments of the Communist era and even before, may be very cheap, but structurally they have a short life. There may be a problem of legal ownership and, above all, it is still not possible for non-Bulgarians to own land, withAlmost everyday in the Media, almost every week well-attended seminars and exhibitions for would-be investors in foreign properties all round the UK... And the interest is growing by the day!

Well, what's up?

The latest property hot-spot which is attracting thousands of ordinary British investors is Bulgaria. And the interest is growing by the day. It’s phenomenal!

Bulgaria, once known to the wider public only as a satellite country of the Soviet bloc, is making its entry into the western world as a fully-fledged democracy with a vibrant free economy. A member of NATO since 2004, Bulgaria is due to enter the EU in 2007.

Now the world is discovering Bulgaria - a country of amazingly contrasting landscapes, ancient traditions reflecting its rich cultural heritage, an excellent climate - neither too hot, nor too cold - and the allurement of an incredibly low cost of living. And only a three-hour air flight from London. And the price of air tickets is tumbling…

Under such circumstances, Bulgaria has become more than a popular tourist destination. It is now THE CHOICE of many ordinary British people for their first home-abroad investment. Many have been attracted by the natural advantages of the Black Sea coast, always a prime holiday destination. Increasingly interest has turned to winter ski resorts like Bansko and Pamporovo. Of course, Bulgaria's capital Sofia also offers unique advantages for the property investor, with its chic suburbs like Boyana, Simeonovo and Dragalevtsi so close to the ski-slopes of Mount Vitosha.

THE RIGHT CHOICE

Approaching the matter of first-time investing in a home-abroad in Bulgaria, means, in practice, approaching the right Real Estate agent, who can give the prospective investor, first of all, an objective assessment of the advantages of buying property in Bulgaria, but also what pitfalls to avoid. There are now thousands of agents promoting Bulgarian Property, some based in the UK, some in Bulgaria, some offering every kind of property, new and old, all over Bulgaria, some specialising in particular locations, and some dealing exclusively with so-called Off-Plan.

Unfortunately, many would be buyers are attracted only the fame of the incredibly low prices for acquiring a country cottage, somewhere within a 50-mile distance from the Black Sea coast, or in a mountain village an hour’s drive from one of the renowned ski-resorts, or an apartment, “in need of some refurbishing”, in a central location in Sofia. These are all traps for the unwary, as some have found out to their disappointment. Often, such houses are in a very poor state of repair, without running water or sanitary facilities. Some apartments of the Communist era and even before, may be very cheap, but structurally they have a short life. There may be a problem of legal ownership and, above all, it is still not possible for non-Bulgarians to own land, witho

ATO since 2004, Bulgaria is due to enter the EU in 2007.

Now the world is discovering Bulgaria - a country of amazingly contrasting landscapes, ancient traditions reflecting its rich cultural heritage, an excellent climate - neither too hot, nor too cold - and the allurement of an incredibly low cost of living. And only a three-hour air flight from London. And the price of air tickets is tumbling…

Under such circumstances, Bulgaria has become more than a popular tourist destination. It is now THE CHOICE of many ordinary British people for their first home-abroad investment. Many have been attracted by the natural advantages of the Black Sea coast, always a prime holiday destination. Increasingly interest has turned to winter ski resorts like Bansko and Pamporovo. Of course, Bulgaria's capital Sofia also offers unique advantages for the property investor, with its chic suburbs like Boyana, Simeonovo and Dragalevtsi so close to the ski-slopes of Mount Vitosha.

THE RIGHT CHOICE

Approaching the matter of first-time investing in a home-abroad in Bulgaria, means, in practice, approaching the right Real Estate agent, who can give the prospective investor, first of all, an objective assessment of the advantages of buying property in Bulgaria, but also what pitfalls to avoid. There are now thousands of agents promoting Bulgarian Property, some based in the UK, some in Bulgaria, some offering every kind of property, new and old, all over Bulgaria, some specialising in particular locations, and some dealing exclusively with so-called Off-Plan.

Unfortunately, many would be buyers are attracted only the fame of the incredibly low prices for acquiring a country cottage, somewhere within a 50-mile distance from the Black Sea coast, or in a mountain village an hour’s drive from one of the renowned ski-resorts, or an apartment, “in need of some refurbishing”, in a central location in Sofia. These are all traps for the unwary, as some have found out to their disappointment. Often, such houses are in a very poor state of repair, without running water or sanitary facilities. Some apartments of the Communist era and even before, may be very cheap, but structurally they have a short life. There may be a problem of legal ownership and, above all, it is still not possible for non-Bulgarians to own land, with

t. Many have been attracted by the natural advantages of the Black Sea coast, always a prime holiday destination. Increasingly interest has turned to winter ski resorts like Bansko and Pamporovo. Of course, Bulgaria's capital Sofia also offers unique advantages for the property investor, with its chic suburbs like Boyana, Simeonovo and Dragalevtsi so close to the ski-slopes of Mount Vitosha.

THE RIGHT CHOICE

Approaching the matter of first-time investing in a home-abroad in Bulgaria, means, in practice, approaching the right Real Estate agent, who can give the prospective investor, first of all, an objective assessment of the advantages of buying property in Bulgaria, but also what pitfalls to avoid. There are now thousands of agents promoting Bulgarian Property, some based in the UK, some in Bulgaria, some offering every kind of property, new and old, all over Bulgaria, some specialising in particular locations, and some dealing exclusively with so-called Off-Plan.

Unfortunately, many would be buyers are attracted only the fame of the incredibly low prices for acquiring a country cottage, somewhere within a 50-mile distance from the Black Sea coast, or in a mountain village an hour’s drive from one of the renowned ski-resorts, or an apartment, “in need of some refurbishing”, in a central location in Sofia. These are all traps for the unwary, as some have found out to their disappointment. Often, such houses are in a very poor state of repair, without running water or sanitary facilities. Some apartments of the Communist era and even before, may be very cheap, but structurally they have a short life. There may be a problem of legal ownership and, above all, it is still not possible for non-Bulgarians to own land, with

e investor, first of all, an objective assessment of the advantages of buying property in Bulgaria, but also what pitfalls to avoid. There are now thousands of agents promoting Bulgarian Property, some based in the UK, some in Bulgaria, some offering every kind of property, new and old, all over Bulgaria, some specialising in particular locations, and some dealing exclusively with so-called Off-Plan.

Unfortunately, many would be buyers are attracted only the fame of the incredibly low prices for acquiring a country cottage, somewhere within a 50-mile distance from the Black Sea coast, or in a mountain village an hour’s drive from one of the renowned ski-resorts, or an apartment, “in need of some refurbishing”, in a central location in Sofia. These are all traps for the unwary, as some have found out to their disappointment. Often, such houses are in a very poor state of repair, without running water or sanitary facilities. Some apartments of the Communist era and even before, may be very cheap, but structurally they have a short life. There may be a problem of legal ownership and, above all, it is still not possible for non-Bulgarians to own land, with

Sea coast, or in a mountain village an hour’s drive from one of the renowned ski-resorts, or an apartment, “in need of some refurbishing”, in a central location in Sofia. These are all traps for the unwary, as some have found out to their disappointment. Often, such houses are in a very poor state of repair, without running water or sanitary facilities. Some apartments of the Communist era and even before, may be very cheap, but structurally they have a short life. There may be a problem of legal ownership and, above all, it is still not possible for non-Bulgarians to own land, without creating a Bulgarian holding company.

In the vanguard of the numerous agencies promoting the booming Bulgarian property market, are those specialising exclusively in brand new, off-plan developments. They aim not simply to provide a "one-stop" service for anyone thinking seriously to invest in Bulgarian property, but they will see the prospective client through every stage of acquiring the property of his choice, getting a mortgage, assisting him also in the process of renting it in and out of season.

These companies, noted for their ethical, customer-friendly profile and their inside knowledge of the Bulgarian emerging market, pro-actively pursue the investors' interests, not only guaranteeing peace of mind for those who have recently discovered the astounding opportunities of buying property in Bulgaria, but above all by giving the best advice on every aspect of his investment. Mortgages and finance, insurance, property management on the clients' behalf, legal questions (should they arise) - nothing should be outside the orbit of service to the investor.

The partners of such companies will have built up an extensive network of associates in Bulgaria and are totally familiar with the local conditions, as well as the most recent developments in harmonising the country's economy, laws and institutions to EU norms. At the same time, every client's needs is treated with the serious attention to which he or she is fully entitled.

Visits are organised to Bulgaria for prospective clients, in close collaboration with the developers of the properties, in which they are interested. The "off-plan" specialist will be concerned to see that clients are regularly informed about the progress of their properties.

THE BLACK SEA COAST

There is a large and varied portfolio of "off-plan" properties to suit both the preferred location of each client and, of course, his budget. In the early stages of what has been referred to characteristically as "the Bulgarian Property Renaissance", the Black Sea coast resorts were especially in demand. They were hotly recommended as the new Costa del Sol. Several of these same developments are handled by different Real Estate companies in the UK, but not all of them have the required expertise in Bulgarian property promotion.

One-, two- and three-bedroom a