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Archived Articles
Simeon Mitropolitski is a Canadian analyst, of Bulgarian origin, and a former syndicated columnist with the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA). He is the author of several hundred articles dealing with hot political and economic topics, both national and international.
He was part of the first group of Bulgarian intellectuals and students that began the opposition movement that finally put an end to the communist regime in this country in 1989, and in 1996-1997 participated in international observation teams during the elections in several Balkan countries - Romania, Albania and Bulgaria.
In 2002 Simeon and his family moved from Bulgaria to Canada where they live now in Montreal, province of Quebec. Simeon is a Master of Political Science from McGill University and a B.A. of Political Science and History.
Global Real Estate Project
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Belgium: In the Heart of Old EuropeAmericans rarely seriously consider the idea of relocating to Belgium. The local beer and the chocolate, among the best in the world, aren't sufficient for attracting many retirees from the other side of the Atlantic. Tourism is a completely different story. The country attracts the tourists like a magnet. Should we consider the tourist tour to Belgium as first step toward more serious and far-reaching plans? So far the facts show that Belgium as many other parts of Old Europe (I like the politicians for their pearls!), can hardly compete with some other countries in the world in terms of both affordability and the quality of life. Some years ago, when the Euro currency was at its lowest point against the US dollar, there was a certain temptation to invest in Europe and especially in Belgium. Even now articles on the Web suggesting that an average house in the province could be bought for less than $100,000 can mislead some investors. In reality the prices in Belgium were much higher even when the Euro was traded for 0.83 USD. Currently the common European currency is much stronger than the green box. This isn't the only reason to think twice before investing. House prices in Brussels and in the other big cities stand at between $300,000 and $500,000, the apartments start somewhere around $200,000. Some places in the province you can find prices below $100,000, but even the retouched pictures can't hide the fact that the quality is low and the last renovation was made a long time ago. The bold statements that the rents in Belgium are also very low should be taken with extreme precaution. The rents depend on the location, the size and the year of the last renovation of the building. Rents as low as $600-$700 even in Brussels can be found if you're looking for a 1 BR apartment and you don't mind having neighbors from Turkey, the Middle East or North Africa. Brussels, as well as the centers of some other big cities in Northwest Europe, are increasingly becoming areas free of native Europeans. Their place is gradually being taken by legal and more recently by illegal immigrants from around the world*. The quality and the affordability of tourist facilities in Brussels also reflect this ethnic zoning. The least expensive hotels are situated in areas inhabited by Turks and Arabs. Accordingly, the clients are relatively the poorer businessmen from Eastern Europe. The only thing that could exacerbate the tourists' mood is the weather, rainy and windy day after day. I was told that when it didn't rain in Brussels 3 days in a row, an all-time record was declared. I have spent a total of 2 weeks in the city and I can't remember a day without precipitation. Perhaps you'll be luckier.
 The Manneken Pis, it's Brussels no doubt Country profile:* - "Immigrant" is a bad word for many West Europeans. The question: "Where are you from?" asked by a Belgian doesn't reflect any curiosity but rather a desire to stress the fact that the foreigner is an inferior class person.
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See also the directory of companies providing real estate services in, and general real estate information of Belgium.
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