Real estate prices are increasing in Karabakh. Whereas a couple of years ago one could have purchased a house for a cheap price in Karabakh, now real estate prices are almost the same as those of Yerevan. Prices are not only rising in Stepanakert-the capital city of Karabakh-but also in different regions of Karabakh, especially Shushi and Martuni.
Despite the price dynamics, there are still different transactions in the real estate field, including buying and selling. According to the data of the Karabakh state real estate cadastre committee, there were 3721 purchases of homes in the first nine months of 2006 and there has been a rise in the number of registrations by 16% compared to the nine months of 2005.
In the first nine months of 2006, there have been 750 real estate purchases in the regions of Karabakh and 718 villa purchases.
There have been 544 registrations for sale and purchase of homes in Karabakh and that number has risen by 30.5% compared to 2005. During the first couple of months of 2005, 181 homes were purchased in high-story buildings, while this year that number has gone down by one-180. But the number of villa purchases has increased from 124 to 153.
Most of the sales-62.7%-have been registered in Stepanakert (70.7% for the first nine months of 2005). Apartment prices have gone up rather high. According to the data of the state cadastre committee, the price for 1 square meter of an apartment in Stepanakert during the nine months of this year ranged from 145-350 dollars, compared to the 120-360 dollars last year. The average price for a home in Stepanaket was 247.5 dollars, 76 in Askeran, 79.5 in Martuni, 41.75 in Martakert, 51.25 in Hadrut and 52.5 dollars in Shushi. Studies of the committee show that compared to last year, the price for one square meter area of a home has risen by 30.3%, 27.7% in Askeran, 22.3% in Martuni, 19.3% in Martakert, 20.6% in Hadrut and 25% in Shushi. Based on the percentages, the lowest inflation rate was in Martakert, however the “Hayastan” All-Armenian fund has started the “Artsakh Renaissance” project, which kicked off in the region that suffered the most in the war-Martakert.
Parallel to the rise in mortgages, the hotel business is developing more and more in Stepanakert. Many are even moving from their villas to the hotels. Whereas last year a person could pay 20-25,000 drams for renting a room, now that price is a minimum of 35,000 drams, but the conditions are not normal for those rooms. You have to pay at least 70-80,000 drams a month to live in a room with normal conditions. According to experts, the demand for those kinds of homes and hotels is on the rise and it’s obvious that that’s why the benefactors continue their hotel services. The “Sirkap Armenia” company is constructing a new hotel in the territory of the former “Karabakh” hotel. The hotel will be ready in 2007. It is quite possible that the nine-story hotel in Shushi will also be ready that same year.