Albania can rightly be called the last mysterious country in Europe. What do we know about this place? Many foreigners only know about Albanian mafia, and they also heard of shooting in the streets, the dominance of Islamic culture, "Olbanian language" (a popular slang on the net). In fact, all of these rumors are hardly true.
Albania is located in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula. To the north from it there is Montenegro, to the east - Macedonia, to the south - Greece, and to the west - the sea. There is a ferry service between Italy and Albania, as well as between the Greek island of Corfu and Albania.
Albania today - is, above all, a rich history, unique and diverse nature, interesting customs and traditions, healthy and delicious food, friendly people. After experiencing difficult times, Albania is actively growing and rapidly changing for the better. To know more about the construction and infrastructure development, as well as about the advantages of buying property in Albania, we talked to Tatiana Bairaktari, head of investment and travel company "ALER Travel".
Properties in Albania

Residential property in Albania: fast, inexpensively, and with a residence permit

- Tell us about the real estate market in your country. What are the advantages of buying property in Albania?
- Purchase of property in Eastern Europe by foreigners is becoming more and more popular. Even people of moderate means and retirees have opportunities to invest money in an apartment or a house in another country.
Having bought an apartment on the coast of Albania, you receive guaranteed summer holidays: you can live in your apartment during vacations, and rent it out during other months. When you invest in real estate in Albania, you invest in your safety. In the case of political or economic crises in your country, you can always go to your home abroad.
Most countries in the Balkans have been attracting foreign buyers for years. Albania is an exception to this rule. Our country has the latest "unknown" real estate market in the region. First, that's why housing prices in Albania are still lower than in other Balkan countries. Secondly, in Albania there are no restrictions for foreigners who want to buy property. Thirdly, the procedure of the transaction is simple, and notary services are inexpensive compared with other countries in the Balkans. Furthermore, the purchase of real estate in Albania gives you an opportunity to get a residence permit, and after that you may apply for citizenship. Albanian citizenship, in turn, gives you the opportunity of visa-free travel to Schengen countries.
Fourth, risk for investors in Albania is minimal, we have low inflation, rapid economy growth (6%), the country seeks to join the EU, and the government struggles against economic crime and fraud. I note that the EU, World Bank and many foreign companies make major investments in the development of Albania.
Apartments on the sea in Albania

Cheap housing on the Albanian coast

- Who buy property in Albania? 
- Currently, the real estate market in Albania is actively developing. Investors from Italy, Greece, Great Britain, Germany, buy apartments, villas and commercial premises in Albania. In recent years, they were joined by investors from Russia and Ukraine. Many people buy apartments in Albania for investment purposes for rental or resale at a higher price. 
- What are the most popular regions of the country and what are their advantages? 
- In general, the demand for apartments and villas in the resort areas is high. It is gratifying to say that there are a lot of such places in Albania. Primarily, this is a coastal area. Albania has a 400-kilometer coastline and washed by two seas, the Adriatic and Ionian. 
The Adriatic coast is famous for its sandy beaches, which stretch from the Montenegrin town of Ulcinj to the city of Vlora. The water is clean, the sea is shallow near the shore, which is especially attractive for families with children. In some ways this coast looks similar to Miami Beach. 
Farther to the south of the country, there are rocky beaches and small lagoons in the Ionian Sea. Water is known for its purity and transparency. Foreigners are actively buying up properties there. 
It is necessary to mention that in Albania is much warmer than in Montenegro or Croatia. By number of sunny days a year, Albania can rival with Spain, which is known to be "the most sunny" country in Europe. There are 300 sunny days a year in Albania. We don't have restrictions for foreign buyers. Taxes are the same for the citizens of Albania and for the citizens of other states. 
- What can you say about the price of real estate in Albania? 
- The construction of houses in Albania is conducted efficiently and quickly. All houses have double glazing (unlike houses in neighboring Montenegro), many buildings are equipped with water heating systems. Housing on the first line of the coast is worth from €800 to €1200 per square meter, on the second line - from €500 to €750 per square meter. In the city of Tirana apartments cost from €550 on the outskirts to €2,500 in the city center, per sq.m. Prices for commercial real estate are by 50-100% higher, depending on the location. The cost of all types of real estate in Albania is still significantly lower than in other countries of the Balkan region. 

Albania places stake on infrastructure and tourism 

- Many people believe that Albania is not a quite developed country. What about the infrastructure? Can Albania compete with its neighbors? 
- Albania is a European countey. We have active building construction, and perhaps, it can be called the main feature of latest years. New houses, shopping centres, tourist complexes and roads are being built. 
Our bad roads have fallen into oblivion. Comfortable tunnels and highways connecting all major cities of the Albania, as well as roads to other cities in the Balkans, were built. High-speed road between Tirana and Durres has two lanes in both directions making possible quickly get from the capital to the coast. Some other roads and motorways are under construction.
Buy apartments in Tirana
- As you said, many people buy apartments in Albania for renting out. Are there so many tourists coming to the country? 
- Mountains, beaches and lakes - all this makes Albania very attractive for tourism and investment. During the summer time, Albania has visa-free regime with many countries, including Russia, and citizens of most other countries, including Ukraine, can travel visa free all year round. So that the flow of people wanting to visit our country is growing every year. 
The Albanian government has said about wanting to develop tourism in the country, but, as recently noted by the Minister of Tourism, authorities don't want Albania to become another Montenegro or Turkey. The country is primarily interested in the development of tourism in historical sites, ethnic tourism and agritourism, not forgetting about coastal destinations. Special attention will be given to wildlife conservation.
According to statistics, in 2013, Albania was visited by more than 5 million foreign tourists, slightly more than a year before and twice more than in the period of 2010-2011. The tourism industry has a huge potential, and its development remains a top priority. In 2017, we plan to bring the annual number of tourists in Albania to 7 million people. The flow of foreign investment in the construction of residential and commercial real estate in Albania is steadily increasing.