Hiya
Oonablah - I'm one of those 'trying' to purchase over in the USA, and I've looked at the really cheap and low end of the market where some cities and areas have very cheap properties. Of course, they may be more run down or more dangerous areas, so I've decided to go up a few pegs and go for somewhere that's perhaps double the price but in a safer area and is more 'normalsville' if you like! There's some prices of places at like $10,000 USD to purchase a place, but I think I may need a Kevlar bulletproof jacket! so the places that are $25,000 - perhaps $50,000 are better. Also, I see plenty of places that are already tenanted and rental income already in place. From an investment point of view it's great for me, I'd rather spend $30,000 on a property rather than buy a newer car for instance. UK property pricing is still out of the reach of vast proportions of the UK population and for me, doesn't represent good value for money.
As plenty of my relatives, friends and ex work colleagues (from the US companies I've worked at) live in more affluent areas of various cities, I've also seen the upper middle class places they have and the prices! I can only imagine the high end places! but there's various places I would buy if money was no object and they'd be various places in the USA, Canada, India (as it's the homeland!) and on the 'riskier' emerging markets, Brazil and perhaps Poland.
Cheers - the places in Bulgaria can be and are quite cheap as you've seen, however they are for the more determined investor or retiree as you have the language and culture aspect to consider. Some of the emerging eastern european countries also have an element not too dissimiliar to what I mentioned above and perhaps keeping your wits about you as well as perhaps just keeping on the right side of friendly with certain 'locals' would be 'beneficial'
DtM! West London & Slough UK!
