A pleasant piece of information for all those purchasing real estate: According to the Statistics Office, after three yearly quarters of growth, apartment prices have fallen once again. They are now at the same level as they were a year ago. New buildings continue to get cheaper, while second-hand apartments are becoming a little more expensive, especially in Ljubljana. Prices of second-hand houses have fallen considerably, by almost 10 percent. And their price is obviously low enough, as hundreds of families have decided to make such purchases this year, reports Maja Derčar for Radio Slovenija.

Buying a house is popular again, confirms Branko Pavlin, who follows the real estate market at the Statistics Office. He adds that he was surprised by the market shifts in this segment, especially in July and September this year. "600 family houses have been sold this year. We have never recorded such figures before."

Pavlin warns that it is not possible to explain the fall of housing prices without taking a look at the broader picture of our population. If Slovenia recorded a positive net migration by some 18.000 people in 2008, the net migration today is negative, which means that people are moving out. "The shift from immigration to emigration certainly, and logically, has a very big influence on the demand."

Less people means less demand, leading to a fall in prices. And the fall is such that buying a house could once again be considered a good bargain. "The sale of real estate has increased because prices have fallen and buyers for considerably lower prices can be found," said the statistician.

According to aggregate data from the Slovenian Surveying and Mapping Authority, the average price of a house today is around 100 thousand euros. The second-hand real estate market is especially alive. "The market has come alive. The number of transactions today is totally comparable to those in 2005 and 2006." However, the number of sold new real estate remains low.

Al. Ma.; translated by K. J.