Buy & Sell Bulgaria Insight Newsletter

France and Spain, traditional favourites for British property buyers, are losing out to a handful of emerging markets such as Bulgaria, a recent survey shows. The annual global property hot spot report, recently released by currency specialists HiFX, puts the shift partly down to a new spirit of adventure in British buyers.

Our Project at Albena Cliffs

“In many cases the emerging markets offer property, which is significantly less expensive than the traditional favourites,” Mark Bodega, marketing director of HiFX, commented.

“As UK property prices have continued to rise dramatically in the UK over the last 12 months, combined with rising interest rates, we’ve seen the overseas property market open up and become accessible to more of the UK population.”

The company also puts the rise in interest in lesser known destinations down to a shift away from people purely buying holiday homes, towards more serious property investors.

“As people look to where they can make the most money and returns, they are more likely to look away from the traditional markets to areas of expansion and new development”, says Bodega.

“We’ve seen properties in the emerging markets snapped up by investors in 2006. Bulgaria remains a popular investment destination with investors keen to cash in when it joined the EU.”

Soon, we will be opening the new premises of Eurolink Finance. It is coming to be a very stylish office of a company, welcoming its clients and ready to offer stable and trustworthy financial services. With these services, being second to none, Eurolink Finance continually strives to give their clients exactly what they want, whether providing a personal loan or managing their investment portfolio. For more information on the company and its services, please visit www.eurolink-finance.com

Bulgaria was caught in three days of real winter conditions, in the beginning of February. Compared to the weather we had in January and the rest of February, I must say it was freezing cold. Temperatures reached about minus 15 degrees Celsius, Standart daily newspaper reports.

However, it is nice and warm again. There are even trees which have blossomed!

FEBRUARY is the month when Bulgarians celebrate wine and its patron saint Trifon, also known as Trifon Zarezan. For vine-growers and wine-makers Trifon Zarezan has become so popular that it is celebrated both in accordance with the old and the new religious calendars. The old calendar stresses the date of February 1, but over the past fifteen years, February 14 has become the day of Trifon Zarezan. This provides the opportunity and excuse for many people to repeat it in less than two weeks. The fact that February 14 is also the day of St Valentine has made the date very popular because Bulgarians can choose weather to celebrate wine or love, or even both, on the same date.

The festivities on the day of Trifon Zarezan mark the dividing line between the ending of winter and the nearing of spring. The transition between the two seasons stirs the most fierce conflict in the annual natural cycle - it is the transition between the dead winter season and the invigorating powers of the following seasons. That is why, namely in this period, rituals are performed to strengthen and ensure a triumph of vitality and fruitfulness. The first pruning of the vines for the season is the main ritual performed on February 14, when people gather in the vineyards outside the villages. Only the men can prune the vines, but women are not totally deprived of part-taking in the holiday observation. Women get up early in the morning, bake festive bread - loaves decorated with dough vines and grapes, roast a hen stuffed with grits (baked ground corn kernels), and put these all and a flask of wine in a woolen bag and see the men to the gate. Women also knead special round loaves - a symbol of the fertile field, and generously hand them out to neighbours and relatives. Men first go to the holiday church service and then head to the vineyards, taking a musician with them. The best vine-grower is the first to drink after pouring some wine on the ground with wishes for fertility. And so, the feast goes on until dark.

The history of Valentine’s Day - and its patron saint — is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition.

Here is an idea for you, which can make your present for Valentine’s Day extraordinary. We all enjoy exploring clues. Come up with one for Her. Leave her to figure it out in order to make her way to the next clue, and so forth. After finding, let’s say about 10 clues in all, she reaches the prize at the end, which can be getting to choose the restaurant of her choice for Valentines Day!

After this scavenger hunt, you can do the same for Him. His last find can be a sheet of paper on which you have put picture of things you knew he wants down one column (the Star Wars trilogy on DVD, the Olive Garden logo, etc.) and fold it, and cut slits so that “doors” cover up the prize, when he has found it, then tell him to pick a door to open and what ever prize he opens is what you will get him for Valentine’s day.

So for Valentines day, you can eat at Red Lobster, and he can get the Star Wars trilogy on DVD. Of course, you can still get him/her a small surprise. But you will have such a great time with your scavenger hunts, that you will be looking forward to more of them in the future.

Valya, Valentina, Kristiyana, Nasya, Snezhana, Ashraf, on February 9, we will mark nine years since their suffering began. Sudden arrests in Libya and medieval torture with electricity and dogs have marked the worst trial for the past fifteen years - the one against the Bulgarian nurses in Tripoli.

These poor five women have been separated from their children and loved ones for eight years now. They are scared and desperate, but they are no longer alone! Their tragic fate united the Standart, BTV and the Darik Radio in an international humanitarian mission under the motto You Are Not Alone. We have already attracted the attention of the European Parliament to this mission and we have brought the “You Are Not Alone” sign into the Bulgarian National Assembly, as well

Rallies in defense of the Bulgarian nurses in Libya were organized in Sofia and across the country on February 9, on the initiative of the aforementioned three media. We gathered in front of Sofia’s National Palace of Culture and showed our sympathy for these poor women; then, we walked to the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, where we prayed together for the release of the nurses. We also sang the “You Are Not Alone” song for the first time, which was written by legendary musicians Mikhail Belchev and Stefan Dimitrov.

Reviewed by Lili Gospodinova

This is a very cozy restaurant, furnished in typical Bulgarian traditional style with a fire place and different antique items on the walls and around the tables. Prices are pretty good and food is fantastic. I’m sure you will find this restaurant very pleasant and enjoyable. Perfect for personal and business meals and very close to the Eurolink Group offices. We can take you there!

Rating of 7/10, enjoy a good meal.

There are many ways we show our employees how much we value them. One is through our employee of the month program, established to recognize those employees who really excel in their jobs. And the award for February goes to…..Mira Atanasova, our Head of Legal Department. A valued employee for 4 years, here’s what Mira’s colleagues say about her:

• Mira has a great attitude. She is always pleasant and accommodating and is an all-around great staff member.
• Any job she does is done well and quickly. She steps in to help wherever needed.
• She is very smart, learns new skills well and is a good problem-solver.
• She’s a great teacher and has taught me things on the computer in ways that I can understand.
• Always in a good mood, is always nice to everyone and is one of the best people I have ever known.
• She is professional and always smiling. Her first and last thought each day seems to be around providing great legal service to our clients.

Above you can see Alan Minter (right), 1980’s world middleweight champion, when he was recently given the “Belt” achieved for fights he won back then. To his left is his son, Ross “The Boss” Minter who is the welterweight champion of England, his record stands at 16 wins (7 ko), 1 loss, 1 draw. Ross is one of our clients and friends and we are anxious to see his next fight. Ross says: “…letting you know that my next fight is scheduled for the 17th of Feb at Wembley Arena. Let’s hope it’s a knockout year”.

Good luck Ross!

European men are rushing to Bulgaria to buy Boza beer, after Bulgaria’s accession to the EU abolished prohibitive customs duties on the drink.

The Bulgarian Boza beer, which is made from fermented wheat flour and yeast, has become popular among bar owners, shopkeepers and shoppers across Europe. It has a thick consistency and a low alcohol content (usually around 1%), and has a slightly acidic sweet flavor.

One buyer from Romania said he traveled to Danuebe so he could buy the famous beer in the Bulgarian town of Ruse, according to Ananova news reports. Ananova reported he said, “I’ve bought a case for my wife to try out. I really hope I see an improvement.”

And Klaus Smith, who owns a ski resort in Schladming, in Austria said he is planning to travel to Bulgaria to make his own purchase of Boza. He said, “I had heard of Boza before but it was always so expensive once the tax was added. But now that’s gone I’m going to start offering the drink to my ski customers,” a Bulgarian journalist reported.

There are a few birthdays in February. Our colleague Miglena (Chris’s personal assistant) and Dian Dimitrov (Sales Department), and good clients and friends Doreen Potter and Grace Cooke, have their special day this month. We would like to wish them Many Happy Returns and the best of luck. Of course, we wouldn’t want to miss someone out, so please let me know the dates of you birthdays and anniversaries, and send me an e-mail to lili@buy-sell-bulgaria.com

There is another new member of staff to strengthen our team. As part of our sister company Eurolink Finance, member of Eurolink Investment Group, Diana Georgieva is the New Business Development Manager. She will be responsible for organizing and managing the Company’s operations in and around Varna and head our Department relevant to this sector at our Head Branch. Whereas, EUROLINK FINANCE will offer you the best service and terms for Investment Financing, Mortgages, Investment Management, Joint Investment, etc. You can find more info on the company and its services in the following article. Good luck with your new assignment Diana!

Average price levels of residential properties on the Bulgarian middle market will increase by 5-10% in 2007, experts say. Luxurious newly built apartments and properties at key locations will command a higher increase in prices - an average of 15%, according to realtors’ forecasts for the country’s first year of EU membership, cited by 24 Hours National newspaper.

Low prices, long-term investment prospects and changes in lifestyle fuelled record-high property sales in Bulgaria for 2006. The year-end count of transactions is forecast to reach 260,000 at a combined value of more than € 5 Billion, according to our figures.

The experts comment that following the massive 25% to 30% annual capital gains of recent years, Bulgaria’s property market is now showing a much more realistic growth rate of 15% so far this year, setting the pattern for more predictable and sustainable long-term investment. In 2006 the real estate market was dynamic, with a gradual development of the prices. The number of transactions equaled 280,000 for the year which is an increase of 15% compared to the previous year, said Alan Coleman, Acting Deputy Managing Director of Buy & Sell (Bulgaria).

Real Estate Investments in Bulgaria put the country up to sixth place in the world rankings according to foreign investments in real estates statistics.