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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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Uruguay: Summer during the winter periodLatin America is usually associated with poverty, natural disasters, military dictatorships, drug trafficking, illiteracy, hyperinflation and so many more unpleasant facts that make the life difficult and dangerous. So when we go to a country without any of the above-mentioned phenomena the first idea is that it probably isn't in Latin America. Uruguay is such a country, with the one of the highest living standards south of the United States. Attractive for its sunny beaches at the time the winter reins in North America (December through March), this place on earth is worth considering when we make our plans for retirement.
 Talking about winter, people in Uruguay don't know this season and the snow is only seen on the TV screen. I still remember the horror in the eyes of my Uruguayan friend when she saw the snow for real in Montreal. She was so afraid of it that she thought going outside her home would melt her shoes. So before going permanently to Uruguay say farewell to the snow. Uruguay is among the countries in Latin America where buying real estate is relatively easy, without needing a special authorization and without a precondition to set up a company or make a bank deposit. The foreign investors are treated the same way as the domestic investors. There aren't any personal income taxes or inheritance tax. The new residents owning real estate should be prepared to pay the following taxes: VAT of 23%; real estate transfer tax of 4% on the property tax value; residence tax of $25 per month, and local property tax of 1% of the market value. The food prices in Uruguay are in general less expensive than in North America. The prices for some facilities such as the electricity or phone-line could be higher. The same applies to the medical services. In general the middle class in Uruguay lives within $1,000 per month or less. In Penta del Este the prices in general are substantially higher than in the rest of the country. The real estate in Uruguay in general is cheaper than in North America. In the capital city of Montevideo the average house could be found for $70-80,000. The larger mansions pass over $150-200,000. The apartments can be found as low as $20-30,000. In Punta del Este the real estate is more expensive with some mansions reaching $1 million. In the country far from the sea the properties are less expensive than in the capital. In addition to these prices the buyers should pay an agent commission of 2%, a Notary Public fee of 3%, and a registration tax of 1%.
Country profile: --------------------
See also the directory of companies providing real estate services in, and general real estate information of Uruguay.
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