News Digest (16-28 February, 2014)

News Digest (16-28 February, 2014)

When spring comes, we understand that the new year has finally come into its own. In the last week of February portal ee24.com has summed up, probably, the most recent results of 2013, provided by statistical agencies from different European countries, and also shared forecasts for the current year. In addition, we told you where you can buy property for recreation and living in Europe and how much it will cost.

Traditionally southern countries occupy an important position in the materials of ee24.com. For example, in Bulgaria you buy cheap real estate, but there is a risk to remain with no money, and no property. You can learn from an interview with Antonia Wirth, a member of the board of FIABCI International, how to close a transaction correctly when you buy property in Bulgaria.

Montenegro is another coastal country, the interest to which never fades away. Now, when the authorities are discussing the possibility of issuing a residence permit when buying real estate, it's time to look closely at this country and look into the price range in its different cities and find out if it is time for a bargain purchase. Analytical material about the real estate market in Montenegro gives answers to these and other questions.

If you want to find yourself in an eternal summer, you can pay attention to one of the southernmost places of Europe: Crete. Residents of the island have a liking for the Russians, but they will also be glad to have investors from China and other countries. From the interview with Georgios Pavlidis, president of Crete Properties Developers, you can learn what questions the Russians ask first, when they move to Crete, and how local bureaucracy helps property buyers.

Comfortable life full of joy and adventures is possible not only on the Southern Seas. Vienna and Zurich are regarded as the best cities in the world by quality of life in 2014. Munich, Dusseldorf and Frankfurt are in the top ten of European metropolises. Among the leading cities there is also the capital of Finland. We have compiled an overview of real estate prices in Helsinki and told you what areas of the city are considered to be the most prestigious accommodation.

Still there are regular pieces of news from Latvia. Prices for properties, that will allow you to obtain a residence permit, can rise up to €250,000: this offer has been made ​​by the representatives of the governing coalition. But in this case Latvia risks losing investors, first of all the Russian ones, who buy housing to obtain a residence permit more often than other foreigners. Greece, Malta, Cyprus and Bulgaria offer conditions similar to the above mentioned in Latvia, so these countries will be the first ones to welcome those "denied" buyers who wished to obtain a residence permit in the Baltic States.

But so far the old rules are effective regarding the Latvian residence permit, and you can still obtain it by purchasing real estate in Riga and other major cities for a price from €143,000. Those who’d like to buy a separate house in Latvia, can refer to the article on ee24.com, as only we have an exclusive review of the market of houses, as well as the most accurate information about additional payments for purchasing them, and about the cost of utilities.

The Russians once again surprised the world with the scale of their expenses. And we are not even speaking about the Olympics in Sochi, but about investing in European real estate. It turned out, for example, that 400,000 Russian citizens have real estate in Bulgaria. It also appears that in 2013 the Russians have become the third among the foreign buyers of property in Spain. They follow only the British and the French. Over the past three years, the Russians’ interest in real estate under the Pyrenean sun has risen more than twice, and now every hundredth transaction in Spain is signed by them.

Will the Russians manage to fight for the most expensive apartment for rent in London? A month of rent will cost £195,000 (€236,744) - for this price you can buy a studio in almost any area of the British capital. And the rent for the whole year is approximately equal to the amount that will be enough for an auction for the right to obtain a "golden visa" in the United Kingdom. Those Russians, who are not ready for such expenses, can use tips of ee24.com and open and successfully develop their business in neighboring Finland.