ST GEORGE SKI AND SPA
Am I the only person who has bought an apartment in St George Ski and Spa through Emerging Real estate??? If anyone else has bought there, please let me know!!!

You are not the only person to have bought at St Georges Ski & Spa but when I replied on 17 Nov to your earlier post I had no response. Perhaps they are all a shy bunch or just non existent on this forum. Margaret

Hi Margaret, that's good to know. I think there is also a St George apartment which some people get confused with St George Ski and Spa. I was wondering if you could helo with a few questions I have. Do you know when in Jan that the Act 15 payment is due? Do we pay the taxes and legal fees at that stage also? Have you got a price for the furniture pack yet When will Act 17 be or when do we go over to inspect it? Also, I have never heard anything more from my lawyer since the initial contacts were drawn up, who are you using? Are you going over to sign fo it, or are you giving power of attorney to your solicitor? And finally, I bought in c204, whereabouts did you but. I would be great if you could give me some answers as the whole completion thing is a bit daunting. Thanks Eddie

Hi Eddie, sorry for entering your St George discussion. I'm close in the same area called "Kosherinata". Due to the market there will be only 5 aparthotels there - it's not overcrowded as the "Gramadeto" down there. I haven't heard of Act 17. Know about Act 16 only. I have some good idea about completion but refrain from giving open advice, because it's a bit like an open advertising. Please PM and I'll share some idea.

Jack, Please spill the beans. what is the point of an information forum if you do not pass on information? Get into the spirit of the site!!!

Hi Eddie - I have bought C408. Emerging Real Estate emailed on 4 December saying that Act 15 is expected in January 2009. Like you, I haven't heard anything about the furniture packs so I have emailed the developer and asked for details. In my email I also asked for some current photos as the latest ones I have seen are the ones ERE sent which were taken in October. I also asked about rental management as there was some talk of links with Epoque Hotel chain. I don't expect a reply from them until the new Year but when I do I will let you know what they have to say. Jack- I have never heard of Act 17 either but what's the secrecy re ideas on completion?? I thought this was an open forum and I have read and valued the information people have shared and laughed at the humour from others. Happy new year Margaret

Happy New Year! Dale and MEBell, As I clearly stated I will NOT make advertising through posts (recommendations) . The forum is getting a bit overwhelmed by posts advertising services. There are special sections for this. Completion of property purchase and turning the "unit" into a habitable place - nice Bansko apartment is a bit more complicated than the 1-st phase - inspection trip, lawyers, preliminary contracts etc. In my opinion, there is work - legal and technical. My remarks: 1. Beware of lawyers who offer everything. A good lawyer is a good lawyer and he/she will NEVER sell property or other service than what he/she is qualified for - LEGAL. 2. Beware of glossy websites, that does not state clearly their owner. Look carefully for the "terms and conditions" page (usually at the bottom) , which MUST contain data about the company. If you don't find such page (with data about the owner) or data about them - leave the website and forget about it. If you are dealing with Bulgarian company - check through your lawyer if the company exists and who they are. If the company is British - go to Companies house website and check who they are. Note that buying a nice website costs now 400-500 quid and with a single "kill" those who stay behind it may pocket 10-20 times more. 3. It is not a bad idea to ask for detailed list of works and services before paying a penny to anyone, if you decide to outsource the completion to a company. 4. There are some Brits , who opened businesses in Bansko and offer property related services. I personally do admire their work and energy, however it is up to you to decide which way to go. Note that if you want to give in someone's hands either the completion process or property management and letting (last 2 are 2 DIFFERENT things) proper safeguards must be in place . FOR YOU. 5. It's a good idea to dig further and look for companies , which would provide some sort of guarantee. Without proper "terms of business" signed between buyer (of service) and seller (of service) I would not give a penny. 6. If you are looking for a company (not for individual) to do the job ask for recommendations (but NOT recommendations on websites - many write them themselves). 7. It is a good idea to ask , whether the company or the individual is a member of a professional body. Think about it - those who voluntarily commit to some sort of professional behaviour and pay their membership in such organisations have accepted some norms of decent behaviour , when dealing with clients. Note that the largest company with name we are banned to mention here has NO office , or registration in Great Britain. They sold 1/3 Bansko. 8. If someone offers you extremely low price for his service tick the boxes 1-7 as mentioned above My point was: check carefully before committing. Many people were a bit careless when they entered the Bansko property market 2-3 years ago. The place is good, skiing is great. Finnish: It appears now that those who bought in Bansko and made their bet on mid-term returns will do well. I was personally in Bansko skiing for the first time on runs covered with artificial snow after Christmas . The town was full not with Brits , but with....Greeks. 70% of those on the slopes were Greek guys and girls. I've never even imagined that so many Greeks are snowboarders. And this is only the beginning of the Greek invasion. Cheers P.S. If you want some photos - PM me.

st george ski and spa
I have been notified Act 15 signed and final payment is now due. Anybody else had such notice and what are there plans for procedure at this stage?

St Georges
Hi I have also received notice (via email) that Article 15 has been issued. I have not received anything by post or any copies of the Article 15 itself. I visited the complex a few weeks ago and it is still some considerable way off being finished. The guy that showed me around estimated July/Aug for completion, but I would say we would be lucky if it is all up and running by the next ski season. Difficult to tell what the complex will be like as it was mostly still bare plasterboard on the walls, with little 'finishes' in place. Was most disappointed with the tiles in the bathroom though - looked v. cheap. Trev

so will you be paying the final payment at this point?

Hi l just saw Jack's post and thought it was rather good advice. If you're going to spend some time in your own apartment, there then this is also compatable with getting some rental as you'll make the effort to get your home looking good. Expect rental to be a cut throat business - so think about going the extra mile to make your apartment stand out from the rest. Cant recommend enough the option of going down to IKEA in Thessoloniki - about 3 1/2 hours (with a short stop). easy navigation and easy driving. And you can get the idea of coordinating a look you like from all the displays. Failing that go to Blagoevgrad: Mr Bricolage has some useful homeware as does Metro. Metro v good value for general homeware, glasses and also appliances. For both options you can hire a van and a driver for the day. or drive yourself stay the night and make a pleasant Greek break. It will also make you realise that at between €5 and €5.9 a 500ml beer Greece is expensive and Greeks find Bansko cheaper than us Brits do! Lance

Seem to be few people with an interest in St George Ski and Spa. Anybody else out there with any ideas about how to proceed now act 15 has been signed and they are asking for final payment?

St George Ski & Spa
We are also buying an apartment at St George Ski and Spa. All the negativity on the site has really worried me. Anyway, we're going to get a snagging list done before we pay on Act 15, see how that goes.

Does your contract not state you must pay within 15 days or interest will start to accrue? Who is doing your snagging? Do you have a solicitor involved at tis stage. Did you purchase through emerging real estate?

Yes we are supposed to pay within 15 days but thats not going to happen. We have decided to use Yankov as our solicitor after getting some positive responses about them on this site. May see if they will do snagging and some general photos would be useful at this point too. Emerging Real Estate are our selling agent. Has anyone actually received any information from Sanara on the furniture packages other than "there is a 20% price difference between Gold and Bronze". And what about epoque - what's that all about??