CROATIA'S REALESTATE MEDIATION AGENCY PURCHASES FIRST 10 HOUSES

ZAGREB, Sept 25 (Hina) - After the first 100 days of work of the Croatian state Agency for Mediation in Specific Real-estate Transactions, the agency's director, Ivica Vrkic, held a news conference in Zagreb on Thursday. The Croatian government founded this agency in April this year, in line with an agreement on operative procedures of return signed by the Croatian government, UNTAES and UNHCR. The agency's goal is to solve property issues during the peaceful reintegration of the Croatian Danube river region. It deals with real-estate which has been placed under temporary state supervision, in line with the Law on the temporary take over and administration of property, Vrkic said. The state agency buys habitable or lightly damaged houses from persons who had left the houses and settled in the Danubian area, and had later decided not to live in Croatia. They applied to the agency for mediation in the selling of their real-estate. In the past 100 days, over 5,000 home-owners expressed wish to sell their properties. Out of the total, 2,285 had already submitted written requests to the agency, as they did not want to remain in Croatia. The agency had so far conducted 270 assessments and concluded preparations for the purchase of the offered real-estate, Vrkic said. The agency has approved the selling and purchase of 160 houses. The government agency has in the past several days purchased the first ten houses in western Slavonia from Serb families (31 persons) who now live in houses of displaced Croats in Aljmas and Ilok in the Croatian Danube river region, and who have decided to leave Croatia. Displaced Croat families (33 persons in total) will return to their houses in Aljmas and Ilok, and 40 persons will be accommodated in 10 houses in western Slavonia to whom the agency will sell these houses on credit, in line with the credit distribution by-laws. The agency has received 55 million kuna (US $ 8.73 million) from the state budget for credit financing returnees. Croatian soldiers, invalids, returnees and settlers will have priority in receiving the credits. Credits distributed will amount to 200,000 kuna (US $ 31,700), with a time of repayment of 10 to 20 years and a steady annual interest rate of six percent. The agency is planning to purchase another 100 houses within the next month, which could solve the problem for about 1,000 persons. (hina) lm jn 251532 MET sep 97