The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has approved the powers of notaries in certifying real estate transactions during martial law, the press service of the Ministry of Justice reported.
According to the relevant resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers, notarial certification of contracts on real estate transactions is allowed only to those notaries who were included in the relevant list of persons who are allowed to carry out notarial acts in relation to valuable property during martial law.
In addition, such actions are prohibited for notaries whose workplace is located in territories where access to unified and state registers has been terminated, in particular, in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
It is also prohibited to sell real estate within one month from the date of state registration of ownership, as well as real estate transactions by proxy.
Certification of contracts for the sale of real estate, mortgages, trusts is allowed only at the location of the property. At the same time, in Kyiv and the Kyiv region, notarial actions with real estate are allowed only for local notaries, if the property or legal entity is located in this territory, or at the registered place of residence of an individual – one of the parties to the agreement.
Such conditions will be in effect during martial law for one month after, the Ministry of Justice notes.
The volume of investments in real estate in Kyiv amounted to the equivalent of $33 million in January 2022, which is 35% less than in December 2021, but 25% higher than in January 2021, First Realty Group told Interfax-Ukraine.
“The level of capitalization was affected by the long New Year holidays. At the same time, we are seeing a trend of changing the portrait of the buyer – today the greatest demand is for objects in the medium and high price segments,” Olena Biberova, the CEO of Blagovist, said.
According to Blagovist, in January 2022, the segment up to $50,000 took a share of 9% of the total number of transactions. In this category, mainly one- and two-room apartments were purchased, most of all in Dniprovsky and Desniansky districts of the capital. Transactions with apartments accounted for the bulk of the share.
In the segment from $50,000 to $100,000, some 37% of operations in January were completed, mostly apartments in residential areas of Kyiv.
The price category from $100,000 to $250,000d became the most massive in January, it gave 41% of transactions. Here two- and three-room apartments in Solomiansky, Darnytsky, Pechersky districts of Kyiv prevail.
The price category from $250,000 in January was represented by 13% of the total volume of transactions.
Blagovist real estate agency, founded in 1993, is part of First Realty Group corporation. Currently, there are eight offices of the agency in Kyiv, with which about 500 professional real estate consultants cooperate.
The volume of investments in real estate in the capital amounted to $32.87 million in March, 2021, which is 10% more than in February 2021, Director of Blagovist Real Estate Agency (Kyiv) Olena Biberova told Interfax-Ukraine.
“In March, the market activity was high, there were a lot of applications for the selection of houses for purchase. The greatest demand is observed for apartments with renovation in new buildings. The demand for the purchase of non-residential properties is not very active yet, the business has taken a wait-and-see attitude, and a deferred demand is being formed. There is a gradual rise in prices within 5%,” she said.
According to Biberova, in March the main number of transactions fell on apartments, and about 10% of the total – for houses.
The segment up to $50,000 in March took 14% of the total number of transactions. In this category, mainly one-, two-room apartments were purchased, most of all in Dniprovsky, Darnytsky, Holosiyivsky districts of the capital. Apartment deals accounted for the bulk.
Biberova said that the most affordable option purchased in March was a one-room apartment with an area of 22 square meters worth $23,000 on Shepeleva Street (Solomiansky district). A one-room apartment with an area of 31 square meters on Berezniakivska Street (Dniprovsky district) was sold for $41,000 and on Maksymovycha Street (Holosiyivsky district) – a one-room apartment with an area of 37 square meters in a new house was sold for $50,000.
In the segment from $50,000 to $100,000, some 42% of transactions were carried out, two-, three-room apartments in Solomiansky and Darnytsky districts of Kyiv prevail. So, on Nauky Avenue (Holosiyivsky district), a one-room apartment with an area of 25 square meters was sold for $52,000; on Naberezhno-Rybalska Street (Podilsky district) – a one-room apartment with an area of 50 square meters was sold for $75,000; and on Antonovycha Street (Holosiyivsky district) – a three-room apartment with an area of 72 square meters was sold for $100,000.
The price category from $250,000 in March is represented by 5% of the total volume of transactions. So, on Hrushevskoho Street (Pechersky District) an apartment with an area of 87 square meters was bought for $254,000, and an apartment with an area of 106 square meters on John McCain Street (Pechersky district) was bought for $355,000.
“The most expensive object sold in March is an apartment with an area of 203 square meters on Instytutska Street [Pechersky District] worth $1 million,” Biberova said.
Blagovist Real Estate Agency, part of the First Realty Group corporation, was established in 1993. Today, there are eight agency offices in Kyiv, with which about 500 professional real estate consultants cooperate.
Prices for square meters in projects under construction for the year increased by 10-12% in hryvnias, CEO and Managing Partner of the development company DC Evolution Andriy Ryzhykov has told Interfax-Ukraine.
“A sharp rise in prices is not observed – there is a normal, projected growth of 10-12% in hryvnias and a little less in U.S. dollars. Depending on the quality of projects and the phase of implementation, prices in some objects have grown by 20-25%,” Ryzhykov said.
The expert named several reasons for the increase.
“Firstly, inflation, no one has canceled it. Secondly, people have money and they are ready to spend it. Oddly enough, the coronavirus year has become super profitable for many industries. Thirdly, the cost has increased greatly, accordingly, this needs to be compensated for by higher prices,” Ryzhykov said.
The expert also named the buyers’ increasing requirements for future housing.
“People, living in COVID-19 conditions, wanted a different quality of life, so projects that rely on environmental friendliness, nature, high-quality infrastructure and safe yards are ready to give installments, and do not complain about the flow of money, so they have the opportunity to raise the price,” Ryzhykov said.
The expert denied the assumption that a “bubble is inflating” in the domestic market of residential real estate.
“A bubble is an abundance of insanely cheap money that is thoughtlessly distributed, which leads to an unjustified rise in prices. In our country, growth is quite economically justified,” Ryzhykov said.
He said that one should not be afraid that the investment in the facilities under construction will not pay off.
“In most high-quality projects, buying an apartment at an early phase and reselling it at 30% more expensive before commissioning, one can earn about 15% per annum, and this is a completely normal investment,” Ryzhykov said.
Ukraine will take part in the traditional four-day format of the international real estate exhibition MIPIM in Cannes on March 15-18 in 2022, but will not present its stand at the MIPIM September Edition event this autumn. “After discussion with the partners, we came to the conclusion that collective participation with a stand and planned promotions for Ukraine is advisable within the framework of the usual four-day program. After several reschedules in 2020-2021, we decided to focus on preparing for MIPIM 2022,” Invest in Projects agency said, citing initiator and co-organizer of the Ukrainian delegation to MIPIM Anna Nestulia.
According to her, the autumn event for the exhibition partners will be held in a hybrid format.
As reported, the MIPIM exhibition was supposed to take place on March 10-13, 2020, however, the organizers decided to change the date due to the growing coronavirus epidemic to March 15-18, 2022.
Ukraine at MIPIM 2020 planned to present for the first time, in addition to Kyiv, a separate stand of regional projects.
The participants from the country are UDP, Altis Holding, DELTA Ukraine, Mandarin Plaza Group, Invest in Projects, TK Property Management, Intergal Bud, Dragon Capital, Midland Development, Toronto-Kyiv, and Promprylad.Renovation. A separate stand was prepared by City One Development.
Traditionally, the Ukrainian delegation at MIPIM is supported by the Ukrainian Embassy in France and the top officials of the city and state institutions.
MIPIM is the leading European investment exhibition for all sectors of the international real estate market, which annually brings together more than 20,000 key players in the real estate market. Government representatives, developers, consultants and architects also participate in MIPIM.