Crisis hits non-banking lenders Bulgarian non-banking firms giving quick loans to businesses and individuals saw their portfolios dwindle 11.5% in the first quarter as the global economic deterioration weakened both lending activity and borrowers& rsquo; appetite, showed central bank data at March 31, 2009. Bad credits amounted to BGN 238.9 million in the first quarter and more t... Property investors bide their time for dirty cheap offers Real estate investors are unlikely to come back to the Bulgarian market before prices fall to substantially low levels, real estate consultants Forton International forecast in their latest report. Investment deals were only sporadic in the first quarter of 2009, and buyers mostly just studied the offers despite the increased supply. Sellers and bu... Furniture exports jump by BGN 200m in 2008 The output of Bulgaria& rsquo;s furniture and wood processing firms surged almost 30% and exports rose by around BGN 200 million annually before the crisis broke, the industry chamber said. Furniture manufacturers increased production by 30% and wood processors registered a 16% growth in 2007. In the face of the crisis, they remained almost intact ... Bulgaria may face gas crunch in 2010 Bulgaria could suffer a gas shortage in 2010 unless it agrees new volumes from Gazprom and reworks its supply contract, Energy Minister Petar Dimitrov told the energy conference Security, Liberalisation and Climate held by Capital weekly and Business and Ecology magazine. In 2006 Bulgaria negotiated a little over 3 billion cubic metres of gas annua... Housing market flooded by unfinished projects Many of the housing projects under development in Bulgaria will be halted or never completed in 2009, while others will stay in the pipeline, forecasts Atanas Garov, executive director of property consultants Colliers International. Buyers are opting for homes in an advanced construction stage in order to avoid risks. However, the market has gather...