A property for sale in France is a subject that has always tempted British buyers. A reasonable percentage of British families own a second home in France and many other families are busy checking out the prospects on regular basis. It is perhaps only Spain, which has managed to outweigh the ‘Hexagon’ country on this account.

There are many reasons as to why people want to buy a property for sale in France, for example; the lifestyle is calmer, the cuisine is fantastic, and the weather can be great. There is a blend of rural and urban living, which serves as an important contributor, and this is equally attractive to young and retired couples. Moreover, Britons now looking at France are also getting homely vibes: past trends have ensured that a number of French residents were originally from Britain, and British ran companies are the norm.

It is not just cultural or lifestyle reasons that are attracting the British to buy a property for sale in France, there are strong financial reasons as properties are cheaper than in Britain. Accessibility isn’t a problem either, as it can be quicker to reach a region in France then to travel the length of Britain, due to a choice of direct flights, ferry crossing or Eurostar transport.

However, markets across Europe are currently struggling with the sub – prime crisis. A property market crash is no longer a distinct possibility, but a hounding reality. So is it still a good idea to consider buying a property for sale in France? The French economy claims to have steered clear of the credit crunch threat. Banks are being applauded for following a tightly regulated schema, which apparently has provided the requisite support to the economy. But despite the stated, the housing market has not been completely spared. The prices have begun to drop or stagnate and the findings of France’s national statistics agency, INSEE confirm this, but unlike with Spain or Britain the housing market in France has not burst.

There have been indications, but the impact cannot be considered as poisonous. This is primarily because of non existent sub prime market. The loan schema is different and in France, it is the income of the borrower which determines the loan level and not the property value. Moreover, fixed rate mortgage is more popular in the country. For at least last 10 years, interest rates have been at the lower level, while the credit period is reasonably stretched. Therefore it would appear that the housing market is stronger in France than many other countries.

When it comes to buying property for sale in France, there are several aspects to bear in mind: generally an apartment is sold with an empty kitchen i.e. four walls and a water outlet…nothing else! But of course this does allow you to totally design your kitchen to your own taste. The only thing holding you back is your imagination and/or your budget! Once you have decided on a property that you’d like to buy, the buyer and seller sign a document called a promesse de vente. This is a legally binding document that confirms that the seller must sell the property to the buyer however the buyer has up to eleven days to change his mind. All property sales are conducted with notaires and the buyer and seller have their own notaire to confirm all aspects of the sale are completed according to the law.

In conclusion, the property market has not been as badly hit as in other parts of the world, and if you’re looking for a property for sale in France, expect to find other ex-pats living nearby as France is a popular overseas property investment location.

Dale Campbell wrote the Article ‘A Property for Sale in France – Can you Still find a Deal?’ and recommends you visit http://www.homesoverseas.co.uk for more information on property for sale in France.

Money Market and Property Market Parallels

As the world markets adjust to the new reality it’s interesting to watch the property markets changing in relationship with the money markets. What often happens, “initially”, is there is a direct parallel relationship between the stock market and the property market albeit the property market moves much slower to change.

The Safer Alternative

Why I say initially is that normally what happens next in the market cycle is that the property markets improve because it is often thought that bricks and mortar or gold are safer in troubled times. There is definitely some truth in this belied if you buy property in the right place.

The old adage about Location, Location, Location being the three rules is never truer than when the markets shift.

The fact is that, whilst stock market volatility and uncertainty makes for nervous investors, it can be a whole lot more fun to enjoy a property investment for the short, medium or even longer term whilst markets find their level again.

So where could the right Location be?

The USA has massive trade deficit problems that will take years to fix and consequently the “local” market does not hold for a short term rosy future so what about Europe?

Spain has it’s problems and not just the property market and credit crunch issues. For some time now Spain has allowed the loophole to exist that permits developers to grab land and then charge the owners of that land for infrastructure costs for their new developments.

Nobody in the Spanish hierarchy seems to want to close the loophole that allows this so there is probably a lot of money changing hands over this. Obviously though while this is allowed Spain is certainly not the safe home for any foreign buyer.

Interestingly the French market, much loved by the Brits for many years, turned up an interesting statistic recently that showed that while prices had fallen between 2 and 12 per cent in many places there was one place that had remained firm.

Where is that safe place?

Yes it’s the South of France.

There are many factors that protect the South of France which includes Provence, the Languedoc and more specifically the Cote d’Azur. The fact that prices have remained firm (and even increased in some cases!) is not difficult to understand when you consider that on many peoples tick list this area is always at the top.

Add to this the pressure on the market from different parts of the world for different reasons:

1. Brits have a never ending love affair with the South of France and many would prefer to sit out the recession their than in cold gloomy England.
2. The Dutch have it as number one on their list also
3. The Belgians… Ditto.
4. Germans, Swiss and Italians? The same…
5. Now add in the Arabian Countries who have always had a soft spot for the area and now where, despite the credit problems elsewhere, they are experiencing a doubling and even trebling of profits due to the price of oil. They are swimming in cash at the moment and looking for somewhere interesting to spend it!
6. Norwegians and other Scandinavians? Ditto!
7. Russians? Enough said!
8. Americans? Many believe that they should get their money out of the country before things get much worse due to the growing trade deficit crisis and since Cary Grant made it fashionable the South of France has a charm beyond belief that many Americans love.

What’s interesting is that historically the last correction in property prices for the area was as low as 10% while other areas and parts of the world lost up to 35%.

This time round though despite the “crisis” elsewhere demand for the quality properties in the South of France is currently higher than it was the same time last year.

So as you can appreciate, while other markets falter a little and correct themselves there is another old phenomenon in play in the South of France… That of the law of supply and demand…

With all that pressure at the moment of potential buyers jostling for the nicest properties it’s no wonder that prices are holding up especially when people realize that they can use the world market issues to get the occasional bargain deal in the South of France by talking the price down by 10 to 20 per cent.

Real estate agents, such as Riviera Home Finders International (RHF International) specializing in luxury property sales to International buyers report that they currently are experiencing an upsurge rather than a downturn in activity.

It seems the low end is buoyant and the high end is very strong with no sign of relaxing so it’s no wonder that the French government statistics department INSEE are finding no sign of prices really falling in the South of France.

Not to be forgotten either is the proximity to Monaco which also is considered an interesting home for your money of course…

So there you have it and just think your Safe Home could actually be a very nice French Home in the sun!

Remember that during the correction elsewhere the most expensive property every sold just happened to be in the heart of the South of France, it should tell you something…

There are gems available still if you know how to find them and bargains are being made every day.

For further information on what quality properties are currently available and which gems are worth considering contact Riviera Home Finders by email at insight@rhf1.com – web http://www.rhf-international.com or by phone +33(0)4 93 70 07 59

If you intend to buy property in France first there are some basic facts that you need to be aware of. Here you can find some useful information on this subject.

Buying french property is not the same investment you make when buying English property because property prices are more fixed and stable than in the UK and the prices of the french properties are not substantially rising in time. The expenses and taxes that come with buying a property are also different and they must also be considered. So if you plan on investing in french property only do it if you need a nice place to spend your holidays or to retire to.
The income taxes associated with french property investment are are quite substantial and they have to be paid on time. Also if you are going to rent the property you must declare this and then pay some other income taxes on the rental profit. These are the most important taxes that you have to pay, but there are some other ones that you mustn’t forget about too.

But overall it is very nice to live in France or to spend dreamy holidays there. The weather and the roads are absolutely great, and there are many french properties for sale in all the major places.

There are a lot of types of french property but the most important ones are : farmhouses, village accommodations, town accommodations, chateaus, and maison bourgeoises. Each type has its advantages and its disadvantages.

The farmhouses are situated in the country side and are of course most suitable for the people who enjoy country life. The properties come with a house and the land next to it. They can be found in most of the country’s areas. The disadvantage of farmhouses is that they are isolated from other people and shops or hospitals.
The village accommodations are quite just like farmhouses, only closer to the facilities mentioned before (shops, hospitals, entertainment centers). The houses are situated inside villages.

Town accommodations are properties located inside towns. They are not as beautiful in landscapes and ‘romantic’ as the farmhouses or village accommodations but they offer great access to all the available facilities.
Cheateaus mean castles. There are more than 30 thousand castles in France. Many of these are for sale, and they also come with the land around them. Although it may not seem so, they aren’t too expensive, and some of them are even cheap, having the same price as a 4 room apartment in a city. But the biggest problem with them is their maintenance which can get quite expensive if you consider that the gardens around it must constantly be taken care of.

Finally, the maison burgeoises are houses build specially for wealthy people who also like to display their wealth. They are very beautiful, and they are built out of stone, with large windows. The costs of these homes and of these homes’ maintenance are very elevated.

You can find French property for sale on the internet. If one of these types of French Property looks appealing to you and you are interested in purchasing it, click on the link below and browse the categories of property in France there until you find the one you like best!

The French property market is more idiosyncratic than most, and, for a Brit unused to the legal conventions involved when purchasing property in France, nothing illustrates this as well as notaire’s fees. ‘Frais de notaire’ are an obligatory feature of any house purchase, and it is important to take them into consideration when deciding how much you can afford to spend on your new home – they are almost never included in asking price featured in property adverts. However, although the fee structure operated by French notaires can seem fairly mysterious and tricky to fully comprehend, it is easy enough to understand in principle. And, of course, as with all legal conventions, if there is anything you are struggling to understand over the course of your purchase, just ask!

A notaire is essentially a cross between a solicitor and a town clerk. They play an extremely important role throughout the purchasing process, acting as an advisor and making sure that you are aware of all the formalities that need to be completed. It is their job to ensure due dilligence – basically, they exist to oversee the paperwork generated by a property purchase, and to ensure that all proceedings are in accordance with French law. As well as acting in property conveyancing, they also have a role to play in inheritance procedures, marriage contracts, wills, divorce settlements and the letting of property.

Notaire fees, or ‘frais de notaire’, are in part, as the name suggests, fees paid to the notaire in return for their services – they are not employed by the French government, so the notaire earns his or her income directly from the fees charged for their services. However, the notaire is not the sole beneficiary. The majority is made up of fees due to the Treasury, which the notaire is responsible for collecting, and professional fees owed to the land and building surveyors, among others. As a general rule, for a purchase without a mortgage, the percentage of notaire’s fees that go to the notaire tend to be around 1%, although a scale system is in operation – the higher the sale price of the property, the smaller the cut taken by the notaire. For example, for a purchase between €17k and €30k, around 1.1% of the ‘frais de notaire’ goes directly to the notaire, while for a purchase above €30k, the notaire will only take around 0.825%.

The rates for notaire fees are fixed by the French government and are determined in relation to the sale price of the property, and, as previously mentioned, can be rather confusing. While the percentage of the fee going to the notaire does not change whether the house in question is a new build or an older property, the age of the property is used to calculate the total fees due. Broadly speaking, they are usually between 6 and 8% for a resale property, and between 2 and 3% for a ‘new build’ property – that is to say, one that is less than five years old.

Sextant French property is a network of more than 160 estate agents in France offering a selection of 9000 French property for sale.

Buy property or real estate in the Limousin? Why I hear you ask? There are may reasons why you should consider it. No crime, a sense of community, friendly locals, a good climate and the cheapest properties for sale in France, are just some of the reasons why, that if you are considering a property purchase in France, you should seriously consider the Limousin.

Eights years ago, when my family and I moved to France from England, the communications to this region were non-existent. Now with the rise of no-frills airlines, getting to the region from the UK and many other parts of Europe is simple, fast and cheap. You can even be in Paris in less than 2 hours on the train, so accessibility from all over the world is no problem.

The property/real estate prices offer the best value in France and now, thanks to the new forward thinking government of Mr Sarkosy, property values will continue to rise at an even faster rate, as an area that was lost on the world, now begins to grow in popularity. Property to the north in the Loire Valley and to the south in the Dordogne are now over getting over valued and so the natural progression is for property purchasers to seek out the cheaper properties in the region in the middle – which can only go up in value.

Apart from the excellent communications and the very real opportunity of making substantial gains on property, it is also a wonderful place to live. Our three young children were all born here and it is a wonderful feeling to know we can open the back door, let them go out and play and we know they are in a completely safe environment – something you just cannot put a price on and something that is just not possible in many parts of the world.

So if you are considering a property purchase in France you really should look at the Limousin.

Mark Russell is founder of Limousin Homes – The specialists in French real estate and property sales in the Limousin region of France. For more information visit the Limousin Homes website

The next time you travel to south west France you might decide you don’t want to leave. You’ll need a real estate agent in France to find you some houses in France for sale. France has an abundance of people offering properties for sale in the South West France just waiting for someone like you to come along in search of your dream property in France.

When you are searching property for sale in South West France you won’t want to miss property in Garonne or property for sale in Les Landes. You will find some great Condom properties for sale or even property for sale in Tarn to fulfil your dreams.

Gers France property is absolutely beautiful and nearly all with history. Houses for sale in Gascony are convenient to many sights and attractions. Landes maisons are homely and quaint, or if you prefer you can find luxury properties in Haute Garonne. There are France countryside homes for sale if you’re looking for lots of serene space, or small homes for sale in Tarn-et-Garonne with close and friendly neighbors.

If you don’t want to leave France, but you have to, why not look into vacation homes in France? Holiday homes for sale in France are not only a great way to own a second home in a wondrous location, but can also be a good investment. France investment property can be rented out when you’re not using it so that others can enjoy homes in France without purchasing them. Just plan your trips well and don’t rent your property in France when you want to use them.

If you do plan to stay once you’ve purchased your real estate in France, why not look for old houses for renovation in France? You can live in one of your homes in France while renovating others for investment property. South France is a great place to visit and you won’t have any trouble renting out your France investment property.

When doing your property search in France look for Gers real estate, properties for sale in Tarn et Garonne, or real estate in Gascony for some popular tourist areas. For a quiet place to live seek out Haute Garonne properties for sale, property for sale in Condom, or houses for sale in Les Landes.

You can buy property in Haute Garonne for less than the luxury Gers property. In fact, you can buy property in France under 100K in some areas. If you are on a budget, stay away from luxury Gascony properties and some Landes maisons. But if money is no object then luxury property in Gers or luxury Landes property might be for you.

Properties for sale in Condom or real estate in Tarn-et-Garonne is somewhere between budget and luxury. You can also find reasonably priced property for sale in Gers and houses for sale in Gascony if you have the right real estate agent in France.

South of France property caters for all budgets, ranging from affordable France investment property to luxury South West France properties. There is property for sale in France that meets your needs.

http://www.mamaison-immobilier.com

Browse Properties South West France: Ma Maison Immobilier are Gascony estate agents selling properties gers, lot and garonne property, property gascony, lands properties, and condo properties for sale, and real estate haute Garonne.

Some people look at property for sale in France and go all soft and dreamy. You can understand it really. From chic apartments in Paris or Cannes to great old solid stone barns covered in climbing flowers in the middle of nowhere, there’s something for everyone. Dreaming aside though, is French property a good investment or could you end up loosing your chemise?

The answer to that would have to depend on your definition of investment. As a purely financial investment looking for the best returns, French property is not what it was. Frankly, it hasn’t been for some time. The days when you could buy an old ruin for $20,000 or a habitable house for $40,000 are long gone, as are returns of 20% plus per year.

However, if you love France and are looking at property for sale in France as either somewhere that you are going to renovate or somewhere you are going to spend holidays then yes, for long term security and modest growth your money will very likely be well invested and you should get much pleasure from your purchase.

The French property market has been quite difficult for the past couple of years. The financial disruption that has effected most of the world has had its impact here too. Normandy and other northern coastal property has suffered from the lack of British and Dutch buyers. The Charente and Dordogne have suffered similarly. In other areas things have just about kept to an even keel because they are less dependent on foreign buyers.

In fact it is central France that still offers French property at its most affordable. Here you can still find French farmhouses for renovation at very reasonable prices. You need to be careful about buying this kind of property because renovation is not cheap. Make sure your heart doesn’t rule your head, and investigate thoroughly before signing anything. The finished property will probably offer the best return on your investment but don’t think you can do it on a low budget and don’t think you will turn it around in three months.

The right tactic for investing in property for sale in France is one of actually wanting what you buy. If you want to buy a French holiday home that you are going to use for many years it will almost certainly repay your investment with long-term growth. If you’re a property developer looking to turn a quick buck, France probably isn’t what you are looking for.

What are France and the French really like? I’m an ex-pat Brit living and working here so I ought to now! My blog at http://www.Frenchlife4real.com is a light-hearted but informative look at all kinds of French stuff. Whether you’re coming on vacation, or thinking of moving here permanently, it should have something that will help you. If it doesn’t, just ask me!

Once you have found your perfect property and a price has been agreed (note that it’s not always possible to negotiate on price – seek advice from your agent regarding each property), the next stage will be to sign a document agreeing to purchase. This is your preliminary contract and the most commonly used one in the South of France is the ‘Compromis de vente’ or if you are buying off-plan, a ‘Contrat de Reservation’.

This document sets out the details of the purchase with information about the property, the people/companies involved (seller’s and buyer’s details) and the price, including estimated legal fees as well as details of how you plan to pay for the property. The standard ‘compromis de vente’ will include legal clauses and the sale/purchase will be held subject to these certain legal conditions, such as verifying good property title and that there are no rights of easement that could affect the value of the property etc.

Both the buyer and the seller can insert their own clauses into the contract, such as making it subject to the reparation of a swimming pool etc (although the all-encompassing “subject to survey” does not exist). There are also standard clauses that appear in the contract such as making the sale conditional to obtaining a mortgage.

The contract must be signed and dated by both the vendor and purchaser and then it is a legal requirement that the contract is either sent to the purchaser by registered letter or that it is received and signed in person at the Notaire’s office in front of the Notaire assigned to the sale. You will also receive a selection of certificates relating to the safety of the property (eg stating that there are no termites!)

Once the preliminary contract has been signed, there follows a period of around 8-12 weeks during which the Notary carries out their due diligence on the property. The ‘Notaire’ is an independent government official who represents neither the buyer nor the seller, rather he (and it often is a he!) is a neutral person there to ensure that the sale goes through abiding by all the legal procedures and taxation laws that are associated with a property sale/purchase.

Each party can appoint a Notaire (the cost remains the same – the notaires share the fee) so in some cases there may well be two Notaires working on the same sale.

The Notaire checks that each party has full capacity or the right to either sell the property or purchase it. They are also responsible for all searches relating to the current title of the property and for checking that it does not reveal any significant easements or restrictions which could affect its value as well as verifying that no mortgage exists over the property. They also check the position with regard to planning and confirm that the searches do not reveal anything likely to reduce the value of the property.

The notary will not be able to complete the purchase before the local authority has provided them with the relevant information. The town hall gets first rights on every property sale in France, so for example when a property is strategic to town planning, the town hall can excercise this right.

During this period of 8 – 12 weeks while the notaire carries out their search, the purchaser is required to acquire agreement to their mortgage and the funds should be sent over to the escrow account held at the Notaire’s office.

If the notaire’s findings are satisfactory you will receive a date for the final signature to take place. It must be noted that a date is always given on the preliminary contract, however, in more cases than not, this date is changed so we do advise our clients to wait until the Notaire can concretely confirm the date for the final exchange.

If you are unable to attend the signing in person you can arrange for the signature to take place in your absense via power of attorney. We advise that you organise this at least 4 weeks prior to the estimated date for the signature due to the fact that if you are getting a mortgage then you will have to have your signature notarized by a registered Notaire in your country of domicile.

The final signing of the Acte de Vente (Sales Act) takes place at the Notaire’s office and the property will at this time pass into your ownership. Your mortgage company (should you be using one), should have already sent the funds to the Notary’s office and on the final day you must pay the balance of the purchase price to the Notaire, who then in turn pays the vendor.

The transfer of this remaining balance should be done in advance as the funds must be in the Notaire’s possession before the contract is signed, and so we advise you to make the transfer at least 10 days in advance. You must ask your Notaire for the final break down of costs i.e. a completion statment that clearly outlines what has been paid, to whom and what is still outstanding.

At the final signing you will receive the keys, and the French property is yours!

Written by Claire Healy, director of Attika International. Cote d’Azur real estate agents. Properties in Nice, villas in Cannes, luxury properties in Villefranche, Monaco and prestige property on the Cap d’Antibes. http://www.attikainternational.com
See more about the buying process in France here http://www.attikainternational.com/pages/showPage/pageid/4/Buying-Process

There is an overwhelming amount of property for sale in France. France is definitely one of the most spectacular countries within Europe, it plays host to a diverse landscape that offers an array of splendors; its untouched countryside, magnificent heritage sites each with their own historical tales, and of course its infamous cuisine and wines. France is a country that oozes culture. It is often believed that when purchasing property in France you aren’t buying a home but rather a way of life!

Upon deciding to buy a property in France, the first thing to do is to decide upon a location and a type of home to buy. If you are initially unsure of this, it is best to rent first in order to gain a feel of the area and properties available for sale. The fundamental factor though in buying property in France is research, this cannot be stressed enough, and it will take time. Research means comparing properties that are for sale in France, their prices, locations and the communities that they are based within. In the long run this will definitely be beneficial; it is very unlikely that people will find their perfect home the first time they look at the property for sale in France.

The low cost of property in France is what initially attracts many buyers. However, the French do not usually buy property for investment purposes but rather as a home, so if you’re looking to make a quick buck or two France is definitely the wrong country. House values usually rise at 5% a year which means you need to own the property in France for at least three years to recover your buying fees. A stake in the good life doesn’t need to cost an arm and a leg. Small cottages and terraced village abodes are available from around 200,000F, modern apartments from around 300,000F and larger homes from around 400,000F on average. If you wish to purchase a larger plot of land with a swimming pool etc.., this is likely to cost, depending on the area, around 600,000F. When looking at the properties for sale in France remember research, research, research!

A site for buying property in France [http://www.frenchways.co.uk]

Since 2004 France has seen the growth in property prices slow from an impressive 15.4% p.a to 4.7% p.a in 2007 (source FNAIM). However when you look at specific locations the story is different. Limoges for instance in Limousin saw price increases of 11.3% in 2007 while Cannes achieved 8.2% and Nice 9.1%

Therefore if you consider the location and micro-location rather than the country as a whole you will see that healthy profits have been made by the savvier investors. Region that has not performed so well though on the whole is the South West which saw only 0.2% growth in 2007 although again even here there will be locations which did well.

If you invested in France just recently and expected to make a quick buck overnight and get out then depending on where you invested this news won’t exactly be music to your ears. You have nothing to worry about though as long as you were correctly advised to view property as a minimum 5 year investment. What we are seeing in a number of areas with slow house price growth is in fact healthy growth in the rental market instead.

Paris for instance which experienced house price growth of 4.7% actually saw rental income increase by 4.6% bringing average yields across the city to 4.5%. This often happens in a slow property market as demand for rental property increases and gives a chance for rentals to catch up with house price growth. Therefore if you are a landlord who bought diligently you will actually be reaping the rewards now of steadily increasing yields and a property in high rental demand.

For those looking to invest now it is an excellent time to buy as it is such a good buyer’s market. Euro interest rates are at 4% currently which although are the highest since 2004 are expected to fall in 2008 and in any case are not so high as to cause repossessions. Mortgage products are also becoming increasingly flexible and competitive and many banks are in fact now offering 30 year mortgages and up to 100% finance which should help investors. Up till now offers on house prices had always been fairly close to the asking price but now we are seeing offers of 10% to 15% below it. If you couple this with the agency margins being squeezed the result is some rather juicy deals out there waiting for the savvy investor.

Niclas Dowlatshahi is Managaing Director of Leapfrog Properties- an agency that specialises in helping foreigners buy property in France. http://www.leapfrog-properties.com