Kosovo

[kk1974]

Did anyone look into Kosovo?

Not only for real estate, but also for any kind of investment.

That area has been for decades neglected by Serbia (before independence), and common sense would suggest that Kosovo government would welcome foreign investment.

Has anyone got any experience there?

[neustria]

In what way was it neglected by Serbia? Until the US - led coalition intervened, the territory was actually an integral part of orthodox Serbia. Now it has become a muslim enclave with a US base and very palpable tension on both sides of the border. If there is investment to be made there, I think that it would likely be of the of the "carpetbagger" variety. All Europe is well represented there and the currency is for all intents and purposes the Euro. But if ever there was a future war zone to be found in Europe, then Kosovo is it.

[Stingo]

I was going to answer the thread on whether now Kosovo was a good place to invest. What I really cannot be bothered with, is to get into political arguments and take view points on who is right and who is wrong ......
I am totally impartial and hold no strong views either way.
Kosovo is no more of a risk now than Albania and the trumpet has been blown in Albania for two years now.
Albania is proving to be a worthwhile investment for many " early birds" but the story there has only just started.
In Kosovo , it is even earlier. Just over 100 days in fact. The market is just moving . The price of land in Pristina is low and in the newest capital in Europe has cheap, off plan units - in comparison to the rest of Europe.
The UK and US Embassies are setting up and large corporates and banks are moving in.
Kosovo is a very important State for Europe and a new and exciting investment opportunity.
Capital growth was 15% in the first half of this year on land .

[kk1974]

Thank you Stingo. Yes, lets keep politics out of this.

You made good points.

Lets get in touch - I'm sending you my details over PM.

[neustria]

You mistook my drift there. I think that if you choose to invest in an area, one of the top issues that you will want to address is the political situation.

Is the country stable? Are basic rights guaranteed? If you answer no to both of these questions, then you will be taking, what is to my mind, an unacceptable risk. In the case of Kosovo the very viability of the territory is uncertain.

I was there a few months ago and got firsthand impressions. From what I saw there I wouldn't touch it.

Is it cheap? Absolutely. But then you might want to ask yourself why....

[kk1974]

Yes, and political situation is exactly the starting point.

I might be wrong but I think like this:

- Serbia will not intervene - they know its the price they have to pay for getting in EU. It was a hard decision, and opposed by large groups of radicals who nearly won the elections. But what is going to benefit Serbia more - getting their national pride back or opportunity for economic development? The risk is in radicals getting back to power, but my bet is that they wont - Serbia suffered too much economically till now to make such a step backwards.

- Compare it with Iraq - Kurdistan (north Iraq) is an investment hotspot right now. It is unbelievable how much is happening there right now. So we can see that there is a calibre of investors who are familiar with this kind of high-risk investments.

- The real factor that will facilitate good investments is the willingness of government to support the investors by allowing them to make money in exchange for infrastructure and expertise. That's what went wrong in Croatia - government is inviting investors but made it impossible for them to make any money.

[Stingo]

I agree that you should be aware of many factors when sizing up the risk within an investment opportunity.
I am not saying that Kosovo has gone from high risk to low risk overnight. But, because of what has happened in the last 100 days or so, the risk is not what it was and if I was to catergorise, then Kosovo would, in my eyes, now be medium risk for a short or long term hold, depending on the individual's wishes or circumstance.
The country is starting at the very bottom after years and years of being torn apart by uncertainty. Many actions are now in place to move the country forward in a deomocratic and civilized way.
The country needs investment to improve the economy, infrastructure , services and wealth of the people. It is very much emerging and will make FDI as appealing as possible.
This is a long road for this new State and needs positive exposure so that it can grow and become a great country with its own identity.
Not without risk of course, but prices are low as it is just starting out and therefore with slight risk comes the greater reward.

[Transylvania Investment]

First of all Kosovo is not a country as it has not been recognized by everybody.
Secondly you have drove me mad with your off-plans investments! An off-plan means ALWAYS someone smarter than you made a deal, bought a land and now develops something which is more or less crap and sells by parts this development to the naives.
Thirdly if one only looks for the small price of a property he might lose even the few penny he owns as his great fortune.
So go ahead invest in lovely Kosovo. Oh yeah, the smart guys have just woken up and have actually a few thousands to put together and buy some! Hurray to the investment community!

[kk1974]

Originally Posted by Transylvania Investment

First of all Kosovo is not a country as it has not been recognized by everybody.
Secondly you have drove me mad with your off-plans investments! An off-plan means ALWAYS someone smarter than you made a deal, bought a land and now develops something which is more or less crap and sells by parts this development to the naives.
Thirdly if one only looks for the small price of a property he might lose even the few penny he owns as his great fortune.
So go ahead invest in lovely Kosovo. Oh yeah, the smart guys have just woken up and have actually a few thousands to put together and buy some! Hurray to the investment community!

Is everything ok on your side mate?

[Transylvania Investment]

Originally Posted by kk1974

Is everything ok on your side mate?

Absolutely. I should ask you this. But if you want to invest in Kosovo, go put money there, it's the most wonderful place for investments, not only in the real estates! hahahahaha