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The Romanian Real Estate Market In 2009 – A Local Perspective

admin — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 09:05:41 +0000

Real estate was one of the industries most affected by the financial and economic crisis, and the Romanian market was no exception. Bucharest, the capital of the country was affected, as well as other large cities, where prices for residential buildings collapsed in the beginning of the year and maintained a descendant trend ever since. Apartment rental prices also decreased, as more and more companies and individuals were affected by the crisis, therefore being forced to downgrade their standards. This trend was recorded in most counties such as Timis, Dolj, Constanta, Prahova, Sibiu or Cluj and it affected the transactions of old apartments, built before 1980, as well as newer buildings.

As the market became stagnant, owners had to re-evaluate their pricing strategy, many of them giving up the safety margin they were usually adding to their desired price, in order to leave room for negotiations. Even so, with all major banks not willing to give mortgages so easily, there were not so many buyers with enough purchasing power, so the transactions volume in the commercial sector dropped by 75% in 2009 compared to 2008. These figures come from a statement made by a Colliers International Romania representative at Zilele Biz conference in November 2009. The same source mentioned that the profit margin for the real estate agencies went down from 25% in 2006-2008 to only 12%-15% in 2009.

This is a sample of apartments rental prices for Ploiesti, Prahova, split by property type and location, as found on real estate classifieds websites in December 2009:

Inchirieri garsoniere Ploiesti (one room apartments):

Ploiesti Ultracentral: 200 EUR – 400 EUR per month
Democratiei: 200 EUR – 300 EUR per month
P-ta Mihai Viteazu: approximately 250 EUR per month

Two room apartments:

Ploiesti Ultracentral: 350 EUR – 400 EUR per month
Democratiei: 250 EUR – 350 EUR per month
P-ta Mihai Viteazu: approximately 400 EUR per month
Republicii: 350 EUR – 700 EUR per month

Three room apartments:

Ploiesti Ultracentral: 500 EUR – 750 EUR per month
Democratiei: 350 EUR per month
P-ta Mihai Viteazu: 500 EUR – 600 EUR per month
Republicii: 300 EUR – 700 EUR per month

Four room apartments:

Ploiesti Ultracentral: 1500 EUR per month
Democratiei: 500 EUR – 600 EUR per month
Republicii: 600 EUR per month

Of course, prices for apartment rentals vary not only with the location, but also with the renovation degree and with the furnishing and appliances provided such as dishwasher, washing machine, vacuum cleaner, refrigerator or air conditioning systems. The floor where the apartment is situated may also play a role in setting the price, as many people shy away from ground floor and from the last floor. Discounts may apply in case of long term rental contracts, but this is not necessarily the rule.

Mobila de bucatarie in Bucuresti

admin — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 16:53:06 +0000

If you don’t know, mobila de bucatarie means kitchen furniture. If you live in Bucharest, you can have it done, as we say “la comanda”, by this company which works very well. They made my furniture, not only for the kitchen but also for big part of my home, so I thought a bit of advertising would make them feel good.

This provider of ‘mobila la comanda” (customized furniture) works very fast and the manager of the company takes care of all details. Actually, the company runs with only two people. They outsource transportation and a few more things which don’t require attention for details. This makes them faster and cheaper than other furniture suppliers in Bucuresti.

Are you moving to Bucuresti? Look at these photos of kitchen furniture (imagini mobila bucatarie), then send the guys an e-mail with your speficications. You won’t be sorry, I bet on that.

How to Start a Successful Business

admin — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 09:00:03 +0000

How many of you have ever dreamed to start a business, but never knew how to do it in a proper way? Start-ups are extremely exposed in the beginning, especially because of the threat of cash flow issues which often occur to inexperienced managers, or to those who don’t have initial funding in order to be able to cross this stage without problems. If you have some money and think of starting from a higher level in your desired industry, you can try to find some good franchise opportunities. Franchises are good because they give you a turn-key business, perfectly operational, and all you have to do is manage it wisely and make it profitable at small level. At FranchiseOpportunities.com you’ll find a web directory of franchise and business opportunities requiring various investment levels. Browse through them and find the one that fits your needs and your budgets. Together with the business, you’ll get also the know-how of the mother company, you’ll benefit from systems proven to work, from good training for your personnel. Searching in the directory is easy, as the website provides a few filters: by investment level, by state or by industry.

In the same website, you can read interesting info about franchises in general, or you can even ask for consultancy in this matter.

Boost Your Brand Awareness With Promotional Products

admin — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:38:33 +0000

Do you remember, when we were kids, how we used to go to trade shows, only for the Promotional Products we were given by the trade representatives? That was so much joy and fun, when we all met together at the exit, and showed each other what items we have collected. Now I don’t do that anymore, but I still am a big fan of promotional items, especially that occasionally I order some for promoting my business to potential partners. If you want, you can even order such things online. For example, websites like Gimmees.com have a broad portfolio of products such as mugs, calendars, bags, pens, or many other tiny useful giveaways that can make your clients smile and enjoy working with you.

Do You Let your Cat Outside?

admin — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 08:33:15 +0000

I’ve just had a debate the other day if cats should be left outside the house. It seems that most cat owners think that there’s no danger in their cats going out for a walk in the neighborhood, them coming back home. As far as I’m concerned, I believe that cats shouldn’t be allowed to go outside because they might get sick. They might even come back home with some unexpected pray such as sparrows or mice. Some of you may argue, especially if you’ve visited my place, so you know that my kitty is a great carpenter ants hunter. Too bad she can’t cope with the ants invasion, so I’ll need to find another way to get rid of this ant pest.

I’m against this hunting instinct my cat has, so I’d rather give her toys for hunting, and not real beings. Besides, I’m always very busy, so I don’t have time to take her out for a walk like other people take their dogs. For example, these days I have to study heavily for my 2008 CPA board exam. The study takes me about 6 hours per day, or even more. Before this exam, I had a project that kept be busy for 10 hours a day over a two month period. This is what I call a busy life. And I’m sure my cat doesn’t want to go out. What do you think?

How High Schools Can Get Fundraising

admin — Wed, 14 May 2008 09:07:02 +0000

High schools strive to offer their students the best learning conditions, so they can obtain excellent results and succeed in their life and in their career. But how do high schools get funds for all improvements they wish to make? One of the best options is to appeal to fundraisers. If you don’t know where to start searching for popular fundraisers for high schools, you could take a look at Schoolpop. Their programs helped many schools and projects to get funded over the years, by solutions which are simple and effective. When consumers buy from their supported merchants, a percentage of the sales goes to schools and non-profit organizations which appealed to Schoolpop’s fundraising services.

It is just that simple to get the money for keeping your students happier and to convince their parents that you keep pace with state of the art technology and knowledge for their children to get prepared for life.

Business Loans Help You Grow

admin — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 20:14:02 +0000

Business Loans are definitely a booster, when it comes to growing a business. Sometimes, organic growth is just too slow, so you have to do something to speed it up. But if you don’t have big budgets to invest, and if no investor is interested in funding your business, or if you don’t have anything to offer as a guarantee, then you may have a problem in seeing that growth rate you’ve been dreaming of. Well, this is what business loans are for. But how to get one?

If you don’t know where to start your search from, and if you don’t have time to pay a visit to all big banks you know, you may want to take a look on the internet, where websites like ezunsecured.com offer you information and help you get your business loan.

The process is simple, and the most important thing is that you don’t need collaterals in order to get a loan approved. If you don’t like to fill in forms, or you need more details, you can call their toll-free number and speak with one of the financial consultants who will give you all the hints you need to get started and to see your business loan approved fast and easy.