[red11]

TheCountOfNowhere, on 03 November 2010 - 04:32 PM, said:

"Back in 2006, Andrew and Pat Pryce decided to buy an investment property in Bulgaria. With retirement looming, they were hoping for rental income to supplement their pension, and a flat they could eventually sell on at a profit."

"When they read on the internet about the Mechi Chal mountain lodge in Pamporovo, advertised by overseas property agent Someplace Else as "the most exclusive in Bulgaria's booming ski resorts" and offering a guaranteed rental yield of 7% a year for the first three years, they put down a deposit of £19,485."

"It was a year later, in 2007, that they had the first inkling that something might be wrong."

I never feel sorry for the BTL crowd, especially those who tried their best to buy up half of Europe !

[james7]

red11, on 06 November 2010 - 12:06 PM, said:

I never feel sorry for the BTL crowd, especially those who tried their best to buy up half of Europe !

I'll never understand the posters on this forum and the way they view the world. I very much like this website and its forums to discuss various investments and to get others point of view on economics and world affairs, but those who post here sure have a nasty hatred for landlords, investors, and anyone who has accumulated more than two pounds in their life. Why would you not feel sorry for someone who has worked hard, saved some money for retirement, wants to invest the money in a safe place, and then through no fault of their own gets swindled by crooked estate agents, crooked politicians, or crooked developers? It is the same way on the landlord forum. Anytime there is a story about a landlord having problems, the other posters laugh and cheer for the tenant. If I didn't know better, it seems that the average poster on the landlord/overseas investment forums is a pierced, tatooed, substance abusing outlaw on the dole permanently.

I guess misery loves company.

[Agentimmo]

james7, on 01 June 2011 - 03:05 AM, said:

I'll never understand the posters on this forum and the way they view the world. I very much like this website and its forums to discuss various investments and to get others point of view on economics and world affairs, but those who post here sure have a nasty hatred for landlords, investors, and anyone who has accumulated more than two pounds in their life. Why would you not feel sorry for someone who has worked hard, saved some money for retirement, wants to invest the money in a safe place, and then through no fault of their own gets swindled by crooked estate agents, crooked politicians, or crooked developers? It is the same way on the landlord forum. Anytime there is a story about a landlord having problems, the other posters laugh and cheer for the tenant. If I didn't know better, it seems that the average poster on the landlord/overseas investment forums is a pierced, tatooed, substance abusing outlaw on the dole permanently.

I guess misery loves company.

Simple James. If you work hard, save some cash and put your money to good use, then fine. Unfortunately, the money from these "investors" has been placed in bricks and mortar and does nothing. It is a ponzi scheme, par excellence.
If they had bought shares instead of BTL, no-one would bat an eye. Certainly not a tabloid newspaper. However, BTL is seen as the man-in-the-street's way into the world of finance and big profits. The decline of capital gains is growing year-on-year , since 2007, and yet the press and VI's are still trying to pull suckers in.
Most on this forum have nothing against landlords. Real landlords. Not the accidental types that everyone can meet down the pub on a wet Friday night giving it large. Ones who only live for capital gains over a short term period. They told us they were in it for the "long term" in 2003/2004/2006.....let's see if it's true.

As for the Bulgarian "investors". I reserve the same reaction for them as I did when a relative told me in 2005 he was buying/investing in a ski resort flat over there. I pointed out the pitfalls. They ignored and cited X reasons why it was a winner - all sales brochure blurb, btw. My reaction this year on hearing of his 90% haircut on his "investment" ? -

[getdoon_weebobby]

friend of a friend of a friend offered me a 40m2 studio in Bansko Royal Towers which i believe to be the nearest apartment complex to the ski lift for £15k at the weekend.
any value ?

This post has been edited by getdoon_weebobby: 20 March 2012 - 10:52 PM

[swissy_fit]

getdoon_weebobby, on 20 March 2012 - 10:51 PM, said:

friend of a friend of a friend offered me a 40m2 studio in Bansko Royal Towers which i believe to be the nearest apartment complex to the ski lift for £15k at the weekend.
any value ?

Even for only 15k I think a visit is probably called for. I wouldn't consider it if it's open-plan without separate sleeping accommodation, but that's personal taste.
The reviews of the place are mixed, it sounds as though it needs another main lift and isn't worth going to on crowded weeks.

http://www.snow-fore.../Bansko/reviews

I'm not wild about the Balkan cultures myself, but it seems to be a good holiday for some.

[RichB]

Depends on whether the goal is to get hammered and pick up local chicks or go skiing I guess.

[motch]

getdoon_weebobby, on 20 March 2012 - 10:51 PM, said:

friend of a friend of a friend offered me a 40m2 studio in Bansko Royal Towers which i believe to be the nearest apartment complex to the ski lift for £15k at the weekend.
any value ?

Something I was looking at doing (buying a ski apartment in Bulgaria) around 2006/07/08

prices towards the end going up. there was also a lot of over building of ski hotels, not enough infrastructure going in, and some fraud, no planning permission etc.

But if you're still looking i'd go for something already built, been in place for a while and up and running. Near lift? make sure, there was going to be an extra lift put in for years and never happened but flats still being listed as next to lift, not sure if thats been built.

Some agents desribe a 1000m walk as being next to a lift, walking that in ski boots is not easy.

Would need a proper solicitor to go over all the paperwork make sure it's legit, no clauses, need to know service charges etc, normally low.

40m2 might be a lot less internally, often the communal halls outside the flat is included in the total.

If you could buy 40m2 for £15k what could you buy 60-70m2 for? might not be much more.

[dryrot]

getdoon_weebobby, on 20 March 2012 - 10:51 PM, said:

friend of a friend of a friend offered me a 40m2 studio in Bansko Royal Towers which i believe to be the nearest apartment complex to the ski lift for £15k at the weekend.
any value ?

Hi

Not much of a friend! Studio in Bansko, yours for 8k

http://www.rightmove...y-36196463.html

List of Apartments for under 20K in Bansko:

http://www.bulgarian...8&y=20&c=Search

Not a place I really want to ski at: 90minute queue for the (one) town-to-slopes gondola I understand. Long transfer too. Lift pass £140 for 6 days - it was only £190 in Ischgl, and Ischgl has 87 lifts to Bansko's 14...

EDIT: replied to wrong post

This post has been edited by dryrot: 15 April 2013 - 02:27 PM

[motch]

dryrot, on 15 April 2013 - 02:21 PM, said:

Hi

Not much of a friend! Studio in Bansko, yours for 8k

http://www.rightmove...y-36196463.html

"We have for sale the last remaining 14 apartments at this contemporary apartment development, with an unbelievable price of only 500 Euro per sq.m"

The flat is around 38 sq.m so around £18k ? some of the bulgarian companies advertise flats at a lower price than in reality.

This post has been edited by motch: 19 April 2013 - 12:07 PM

[dryrot]

motch, on 19 April 2013 - 12:06 PM, said:

"We have for sale the last remaining 14 apartments at this contemporary apartment development, with an unbelievable price of only 500 Euro per sq.m"

Hi

??? If you follow the link on the above advert ( http://www.rightmove...0&minBedrooms=1

You get seven(!) pages of flats for sale. The last one has loads around (and under) 12k...

http://www.rightmove...ooms=1&index=60

Which makes weebobby's FOAFOAF not a friend at all?

motch, on 19 April 2013 - 12:06 PM, said:

The flat is around 38 sq.m so around £18k ? some of the bulgarian companies advertise flats at a lower price than in reality.

(I was also a little confused at your point wrt pricing: do Rightmove allow such false advertising? Seems even less likely to spur confidence in the Bansko property market...)

This post has been edited by dryrot: 22 April 2013 - 08:43 AM

[motch]

I think with these bulgarian ski flats you'd be better off going over to get a feel for the place. Yes I think they mislead with prices, often saying price from £12k for a 1/2 bedroom when they mean the studios really £12k, the 1/2 beds would be higher. Plus you'd might need to buy their furniture packs which cost around £3k.

I've no idea how the market is now. I originally was thinking of buying a small apartment around 2005/6/7 and aiming to live in it/there for several months a year, circumstances at the time would of suited my lifestyle then. i thought then prices were going up way too high and would crash down at a later date (which might be now, who knows). Way too many flats being built at the time without the infrastructure or enough ski-runs/lifts.