After a temporary retreat, in May investors show renewed interest in the urban real estate market, a study of GreenLife shows. The buyers are looking for small, but attractive plots, and aim at profiteering from lower land and construction prices. The plots in question are between 500 and 800 square meters at key locations where an apartment building with about 20 units can be built.  [ Read More ]

A total of 340 000 Bulgarians traveled abroad in April 2010, which is a decline of almost 30% year-on-year, announced the Bulgarian National Statistics Institute (NSI). The number of Bulgarians traveling to Denmark, Israel, Japan, Turkey, and the Netherlands has increased while all other monitored destinations have become less popular with Bulgarian travelers. The largest share of the Bulgarians who traveled abroad in April 2010, 44.2%, went on business trips,  [ Read More ]

The European Commission recommended on Thursday the granting of visa freedom to Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina, if they meet certain criteria. The message was delivered ahead of an EU-Balkans foreign ministers’ meeting in Sarajevo on June 2 and is meant to provide a much- needed boost to the countries’ hopes of European integration. Cecilia Malmström, the European commissioner for home affairs, said that the two countries had delivered “good results”  [ Read More ]

The situation in Bansko and Yakoruda has been normalized after the pouring rains, the Civil Protection Service announced for FOCUS News Agency. Traffic in the region of Cherna Mesta River is resumed but only on one of the roadlines, as repair works continue on the other one. Teams with the Civil Protection Service in the towns of Pernik, Kyustendil and Bansko continue draining flooded hotels in the Bansko resort. There  [ Read More ]

The Spanish Airports Authority, AENA, closed Málaga and Granada/Jaén aiports in Andalucía at 1730 CET on Tuesday night because of the volcanic ash cloud from the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjalla. As the cloud moved east, Sevilla Airport was able to reopen in the afternoon, and at 2115 CET Málaga was also re-opened after being closed for nearly four hours. The only airport with problems on Wednesday is Valencia which was closed  [ Read More ]

Demand for smaller real estate in Bulgaria could increase this year as the number of small properties being built has fallen so much that there is not enough supply, it is claimed. Small studio flats priced at around €25,000 have been accounting for 34% of total sales in the country’s real estate market but few new projects are due for completion, according to property consultancy Address. ‘The supply of such  [ Read More ]

To invest in real property is one of the most profitable businesses in the world. For one, real properties such as lands never depreciate; its market value keeps on appreciating as time goes by. Although real property investment is a wise business move, you must bear in mind that not all real estate property are worth investing. You have to consider a lot of things before you start putting out  [ Read More ]

The number of unemployed people in Spain fell by around 24,000 in April, reversing an eight-month upwards spiral, according to official figures published in newspapers on Sunday. The data from the labour ministry shows the total number of those out of work stood at 4,142,000 at the end of last month, the leading daily El Pais reported. According to the Cadena Ser radio station, the government decided to leak the  [ Read More ]

In a sudden change of mind, Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said the government will on May 5 raise the current 20% value-added tax (VAT) rate by more than 2 percentage points, as the online English edition of Dnevnik Daily informs. Government experts are discussing options for a 23% or 24% increase, aiming to quickly get the unpopular measure to boost revenue through parliament and potentially introducing it as soon  [ Read More ]

The market continued to decline in tight range but the volumes slightly improved as compared to the previous session. This is a negative signal for the short-term market trend, but we don’t expect that selling pressure will intensify. Industrial Holding Bulgaria (4ID: 1.40; – 0.02%) set up large part of the overall turnover after two deals at BGN 1.40. The rights for the capital increase of the holding (4IDA: 0.005;  [ Read More ]