The Property Price Barometer in France
By Adrian Leeds

According to the Chambre de Notaires de France, the provinces are experiencing a growth in the volume of property sales as is the Ile-de-France since the beginning of the year. The acceleration has been consistently strong since the second semester of 2009, month after month, and in particular for apartments in the Ile-de-France ahead of the provinces.

The number of sales for 2009 was reported to be 590,000 and not the 520,000 as was predicted, but this is compared to 2008 with sales of 670,000 and an average of 800,000 each year between 2000 and 2007.

In the Ile-de-France, and in the provinces, prices have begun to stabilize as of the third quarter. The charts you see here reflect the price reductions as of the end of the third quarter for resale apartments, resale homes and newbuild apartments for all of France. The dark colored "comments" reflect those areas that held their prices best.

New build apartments have seen particular success in recuperation with an increase of sales from 55,800 for the first three quarters of 2008 compared with 70,200 sales for the same period in 2009, thanks to the fiscal advantages made possible by the "Loi Scellier" and by zero interest rate loans.

Collectively, France saw a reduction in price per square meter by the end of the third quarter 2009 by 1.2%, but studio apartments held their values better than three to four room apartments. The final view is that the market downtown has been less severe than previously predicted and that the outlook is quite positive.

In comparison to the U.S. and the U.K., where all three reported prices at an equal level in the beginning of 2001, France experienced a surge in growth and appreciation and never fell as far as either of the other countries.

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A Place in The Sun Property Exhibition

A Place in the Sun Live features thousands of overseas properties for sale, by hundreds of exhibitors from more than 40 countries worldwide. And with homes from less than £20,000 to over £1 million, there really is something to suit almost every taste - and budget.

The next A Place in the Sun Live takes place at Earls Court, London on 26th - 28th March 2010.

With everything you need all under one roof, you'll have a unique opportunity to compare properties and talk to the agents and developers face-to-face, all in one place!

Whether you are in the market for a great investment property, idyllic holiday home, a place to retire to or a permanent residence abroad, A Place in the Sun Live will bring you a step closer to owning your place in the sun. There's everything from new and off-plan apartments and developments, houses, villas and unique character properties.Full details and tickets available at www.aplaceinthesun.com/visitorinfo.

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www.adrianleeds.com/frenchproperty/fractional

If you are interested in traditional fractional ownership properties currently offered by ourFractional ownership partners, see below:

Paris: LE PALACE DES VOSGES	Paris: LE NOTRE DAME
Paris: LE ROYAL du MARAIS	Paris: L'ABBAYE LUTÈCE
Paris: CHEZ LA TOUR	Paris: La Résidence Luxembourg
Paris: LE PETIT TRESOR	Languedoc-Roussillon: MAISON BLEUE
Paris: PARIS RESIDENCE CLUB	Languedoc-Roussillon: NOTRE MAISON DANS TOULOUGES

Readers of FPI can take a look at special offers for Le Palace des Vosges, Le Petit Trésor and Chez La Tour at adrianleeds.com/frenchproperty/fractional.

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Euribor 3-month Mortage Rates

http://www.connexionfrance.com/

When looking to raise finance against your French property, you are right to assume that the mortgage will almost certainly be linked to the Euro Interbank Offered Rate (Euribor).

The Euribor is used as a reference rate for Euro-denominated forward rate agreements, in very much the same way as the Libor is commonly used for sterling facilities.

Credit agreements can be linked to one of a number of different Euribor variants, from the changeable one-week Euribor up to the more secure 12-month rate.

The majority of French mortgage products are linked to the three-month or 12-month rates.

To find out more about the Euribor, including the latest tables of rates with current and historical data, you can visit the official website at www.euribor.org

A quick glance at the historical data will tell you that the base rate has followed roughly the same course as the Bank of England index over the last 18 months or so.

As recently as October 2008 the Euribor three-month rate stood above 5%, but it has been heavily affected by the credit crunch and the subsequent global economic turmoil.

Base rates have been repeatedly cut in a bid to unfreeze the credit markets, to the point that the same rate now stands at 0.70%.

Of course, accurately predicting the fate of the Euribor over the coming months and years is virtually impossible, as it depends on so many factors...

Read the entire article at http://www.connexionfrance.com/euribor-three-month-mortgage-rate-explained-10611-news-article.html.

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Watch Adrian Leeds and French Property Consultation on
House Hunters International - TODAY!

***"Vacation Home in Paris"
Episode HHINT-1A05H
March 04, 2010
12:00 PM ET/PT
www.hgtv.com/house-hunters-international/vacation-home-in-paris

To learn more, visit http://www.AdrianLeeds.com or email Adrian Leeds, at adrian@adrianleeds.com.

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Take the Risk Out of Currency Conversion

 

If you’re buying a holiday home or investment property overseas, when you trade your currency is crucial. The euro exchange rate is constantly fluctuating, so trading at the right time will mean your money goes a lot further. Adrian Leeds Group LLC and Moneycorp are working together to ensure you make the most of your Dollar or Sterling when buying a property in France.

For the latest exchange rate use our currency converter at http://www.adrianleeds.com/frenchproperty/loan/moneycorpconvertor and learn more about moneycorp ere:
http://www.moneycorp.com/affiliates/microsite/index.cfm?agentid=10168408.

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One-Hour Consultation with Adrian Leeds Free!

If you are a guest staying in any one of our luxurious Parler Paris Apartments, and would like to consider having your own "pied-à-terre" for your pleasure and profit, contact Adrian Leeds for a FREE one-hour consultation while you're enjoying the apartment in the City of Light. Visit http://www.adrianleeds.com/parlerparis/apartments for more information or email me at adrian@adrianleeds.com.

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Being Biotiful in Paris
By Adrian Leeds

An Excerpt from
Parler Paris Nouvellettre®
Monday, March 1, 2010
http://www.adrianleeds.com/parlerparis/

Once again, the French medical system surprised me...pleasantly.

For four days last week, I laid in bed weak from a gastroenteritis -- a "maladie" which has been making the rounds in Paris the past few weeks. It was almost a joke -- surrounded by my laptop computer, four different phones (home, office, US, cell), two TV remote controls and several glasses of various liquids with no sign of recovery.

People from outside Paris would call and ask what the weather was like. Of course, how the 'heck' did I know? I hadn't seen much outside my bedroom since the 'darned' thing struck middle of the night on Monday. Thanks to the laptop, WiFi and email, it's likely that the time spent answering emails was even greater than normal, since there was no way in 'heaven' I was going to make it down my 70 stairs, although up would have been a 'heck' of a lot harder.

On Friday morning at 6 a.m. when there was no relief in sight, in a panic I sent a text message to my doctor (for whom you know I have tremendous admiration -- Dr. Julia Bache, 01.47.63.42.07), not realizing it would wake her up, but secretly hoping it would. At 8:30 a.m., she phoned back and suggested I call SOS Médicins, the at-home emergency healthcare system in France that really works.

Yes, one can actually have a doctor come to your home at any time of day or night within one hour of your call. Not only that, but the nice gentleman on the phone, when hearing my pathetically weak little voice and terrible French accent, asked if I would prefer to speak in English! Shocking, isn't it?

Within 15 or 20 minutes, the doctor appeared at my door. He took vital signs, asked a few questions and loved practicing his English. He must of noticed the mountain of equipment and papers taking up space on the bed and was intrigued that I could work from home like writers do. In fact, it was a rather amusing exchange, because he seemed so naive about the ability to have a 'virtual' office, with access to the world at your fingertips.

But here's the clincher that bowled me over. Instead of prescribing a pharmaceutical, such as antibiotics or any drug that any normal Western medicine doctor would prescribe, he wrote on his "ordinance" (prescription), "Gelée Royale - Ginseng - Acérola - Défenses et Vitalité." He said, "You take one of these everyday for the next few weeks and you'll be a new and revitalized woman."

Just around the corner on rue Debelleyme (number 35) is a little "bio" shop named "Bio-Moi" into which I had never ventured, but was sure they would carry such a product. It was another "grand surprise" to find inside what I though was an insignificant little merchant turned out to be a substantially well-stocked market with a variety of medicinal and personal products, as well as a large assortment of bio-organic food products, both fresh and packaged.

My daughter's been after me for years to make the leap into a healthier diet and now here's a Western medical practitioner prescribing the same regime. Is it time at this ripe old age to go 'bio?' I know what you're saying...which is everything from, "It's about time!" to "Bah, humbug!"

Well, the 'proof is in the pudding.' By Friday night I was at dinner with friends and by Saturday morning I was out the door having a "café crème" at the corner café then making a few rounds in the neighborhood to purchase a thing or two. By Sunday I was at brunch at Café Charlot and dinner at Chez Omar. So, there must be something to all this 'bio hocus pocus.'

Uh oh. Does this mean I've been converted? Well, it's a start at least. One thing for sure, it's getting easier and easier to go bio in Paris. Just check out this Web site (sorry, it's in French) where one can be "Paris So Biotiful!": http://www.parisobiotiful.com/.

Footnote:

Emergency telephone numbers in Paris you will want to make note of...

Ambulance/paramedics/SAMU: 15
Police: 17
Fire/ Pompiers: 18
Physicians/SOS Médecins: 01.47.07.77.77
Pharmacy/SOS Pharmacies: 01.45.00.35.00
Dental/SOS Dentistes: 01.43.37.51.00
English crisis line/SOS Hel:p 01.46.21.46.46
24-hour pharmacy: 01.42.25.49.95
24-hour auto/SOS Dépannage: 01.47.07.99.99
Electricity emergency: 01.43.35.40.86
Gas leaks: 01.43.35.40.87
Lost or stolen Visa Card: 08.36.69.08.80
Lost or stolen MasterCard: 08.00.90.13.87
Lost or stolen check book: 08.36.68.32.08
Directory enquiries: 12

If you are calling from a mobile phone you should dial the Single European emergency call number of 112.

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Chic Garden Escapes in the Loire Valley in France
By Kylie O'Brien

http://www.telegraph.co.uk

Anyone planning a garden-visiting holiday abroad should consider the short trip across the Channel and down, past Paris, to the fertile Loire region.

It is fabulously romantic, littered with famous, fairy-tale châteaux and cream-coloured fortresses - Chambord, Cheverny, Beauregard and Chenonceau among them - with their geometric hedges and parterres de broderies (literally, embroidered parterres).

It's no surprise that the Loire is also home to the castle on which Sleeping Beauty was based, Château d'Ussé.

But it's the gardens that are a revelation. The area has a long tradition of horticulture. The land is rich alluvial soil, much of which is so sandy that borders looks more like dark-coloured, plumped-up sand dunes than earth.

Yet it provides beautiful growing material, fed by the Loire and Loiret rivers.

Chaumont festival

Top of your list should be the castle and grounds of Chaumont-sur-Loire, near Blois, which hosts a magnificent garden festival from spring to late autumn.

Set aside a whole day, as there is masses to see. The festival includes 20 to 30 show gardens by designers across the world (think Chelsea Flower Show for quality and Hampton Court for the sense of space).

The gardens remain in situ all season, quietly growing and tended by the showground's six gardeners, so a late-summer visit would show them at their best.

Every available space has been planted up by the canny gardeners, who, rather than throw away plants at the end of the season, reposition them in what have become huge borders in between.

The effect is tremendous - the grasses especially are spectacular, given plenty of room to tower and spread.

The lawns near the entrance were planted with long strips of gaura, stipas and Pennisetum villosum, airy, lovely and très chic...

Read the entire article at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/gardenstovisit/7307600/Chic-garden-escapes-in-the-Loire-Valley-in-France.html.

Photo credit: Derek Harris

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Parler Paris Apartments

http://www.adrianleeds.com/parlerparis/apartments

Welcome to your home in Paris. Home is how you will feel in a private apartment in Paris that has the "seal of approval" from Parler Paris Apartments andme, Adrian Leeds. Parler Paris Apartments offers high quality accommodations to make your stay in the City of Light as enjoyable and memorable as possible.We at Parler Paris know each and every apartment owner or manager personally, and stand behind thequality of those we represent. We understand your needs and desires, all the small details that make a rental apartment a warm and welcoming home ­ and a much better alternative to an impersonal hotel!Parler Paris Apartments is administered and serviced by the same greatteam as Parler Paris, French Property Insider and French Property Consultation. You can trust that Parler Paris Apartments and all those with whom it is associated will do heir best for your 100% guaranteed satisfaction.

SPOTLIGHT APARTMENT(S): Le Bac Marché

Rue du Bac, 7th Arrondissement
Studio Apartment
Sleeps up to 2

Le Bac Marché is a fashionable studio apartment that sits on well-known rue du Bac, in the heart of an upscale Parisian neighborhood. The décor is proudly traditional and gives a feeling of warmth and security for all who stay there. The main room is equipped with a Murphy bed which descends from its hiding spot at night to provide a comfortable sleeping experience, and then goes neatly back into place to provide plenty of daytime living space. Also in this room is a dining table, a plush sofa with ample pillows and a beautiful, large cabinet with dishes and storage space. There is hanging space along an adjoining wall. Also provided is a flat screen television, telephone and high-speed Internet. In the next room is the well equipped kitchen with a modern two-burner stove, a full sized traditional oven, as well as a microwave and refrigerator.

Reserve now! Visit http://www.adrianleeds.com/parlerparis/apartments/rentals/bac.html

For more information go to www.adrianleeds.com/parlerparis/apartments or mail:apartments@adrianleeds.com.

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French Chateau’s Owners Enter a Thicket of Intrigue
By Scott Sayare

http://www.nytimes.com/

LA FERTÉ-IMBAULT, France — The tangled oak woods of the Château de l’Écluse are inhabited by a great silence.

The descendants of Fernand Plée, who purchased these grounds and this red-brick manor in central France in 1941, say they have nothing to hide. Their grandfather, they say, was a good man: a decorated veteran of the First World War, a willing partner to the Allies in the second, a man of generosity and courage.

But an otherwise ordinary legal battle between the nearby town of Salbris and Mr. Plée’s descendants, who inherited the estate after his death 40 years ago, has brought to light a somber chapter of the man’s past, and that of the Château de l’Écluse.

The property had once belonged to a Parisian entrepreneur, Émile Akar. In 1941, however, Mr. Akar being of Jewish descent, the wartime Vichy government confiscated the chateau. Fernand Plée then purchased it through the General Authority for Jewish Questions, the agency officially charged with France’s “Aryanization.”

Mr. Akar died well before war’s end, and any public memory of Mr. Plée’s act was apparently lost in the confusion and bliss and national forgetting of post-liberation France. He never returned the estate to the family of its rightful owner, despite laws obliging him to do so. It now falls to his descendants to confront that history.

President Jacques Chirac first officially acknowledged France’s “collective wrongdoing” during the Vichy years in 1995. Since then, the state has taken great pains to confront that dark era, compensating tens of thousands of victims and establishing the public memory of a long-repressed past. It is now widely felt, among Jews as among the general populace, that the nation has done everything in its power to right its past wrongs.

But Vichy remains a presence, here, and a source of continuing discomfort...

Read the entire article at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/02/world/europe/02chateau.html.

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HOT PROPERTY PICKS: Sizzling Sultry Southwest

Each week French Property Insider features a range of properties which we believe are on the market at the time of writing. These properties are featured in order to give readers a sample of what is currently available and a working example of prices being asked in various regions of France and districts of Paris.

This week we focus on properties located in southwest of France.

	*** Béziers, Languedoc-Roussillon: Two-Bedroom, approx. 55m² Located in a village with all shops, café and school, 15 minutes from Béziers, 25 minutes from the coast and 20 minutes from A9 and A 75 motorways. Village house to refresh, nicely located in the heart of the village. House includes living room and kitchen with open fireplace, bathroom, two bedrooms, and attic to convert into additional living space. Asking Price: € 66 000 + 2% finders fee
	*** Cesseras, Languedoc-Roussillon: Two-Bedroom, approx. 87m² In the heart of the Minervois wine growing region, you can move right in to this lovely, renovated village house located in a friendly village with services. On the main floor the house offers an open plan living room with a working fireplace, dining area and full kitchen with plenty of storage space. On the first floor there is a landing, big closet, new, bright shower room and a large bedroom with built in storage cupboard. The grenier has been renovated into a large room with visible beams, Velux window and two large closets. It is currently used as an office and spare bedroom. All appliances are only three years old. All of the windows are double glazed and have screens. Asking Price:€ 115 000 + 2% finders fee
	*** ézénas, Languedoc-Roussillon: Two-Bedroom, approx. 70m² In a small village with shops and café/restaurant, 20 minutes from Béziers, 10 minutes from Pézénas, 20 minutes from the motorway and 25/30 minutes from the Bassin de Thau/coast. Charming village house, comfortable and renovated with quality materials. Living space including Living room/lounge/kitchen, two bedrooms with built-in wardrobes, wc and bathroom (shower, bath, bidet and washbasin). Also a converted cellar of about 30m2 (storage and laundry area). Asking Price:€ 137 500 + 2% finders fee
	*** Orb valley, Herault: Three-Bedroom, approx. 90m² In a small town with all amenities. Entirely renovated town house with large garage, three bedrooms and courtyard of about 140m2. Includes kitchen and living room, balcony of 5m2, bathroom (shower, wc, basin, towel dryer) plus attic space. Electric heaters, new facade, electricity, plumbing and painting. Some finishing work to do. Walking distance to shops. Asking Price: € 167 400 + 2.5% finder's fee

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The Next Notaires' Property Auction - March 16, 2010

Notaires de Paris
Place du Châtelet
12 avenue Victoria
Paris 1st

 

Additional information on Les Ventes aux Enchères des Notaires can be found on the Web site at www.encheres-Paris.com.

To read Schuyler Hoffman's article about the property auctions in Paris, click on: www.frenchpropertyinsider.com/

>

	The following properties will beauctioned off March 16, 2010:
	2010-06-01 2 Rooms 33m² 49 rue Sébastien Mercier 75015 - PARIS 15eme Starting Bid: 140 000,00 € Deposit 14 000,00 €
	2010-06-02 House 66m² 3 Passage Volta 94200 - IVRY SUR SEINE Starting Bid: 112 000,00 € Deposit: 22 400,00 €
	2010-06-03 2 Rooms 36m² 35 rue Emile Desvaux 75019 - PARIS 19eme Starting Bid: 160 000,00 € Deposit: 32 000,00 €
	2010-06-04 2 Rooms 33m² 11 rue Beauregard 75002 - PARIS 2eme Starting Bid: 128 000,00 € Deposit: 25 600,00 €

Editor's Note: If you look at the properties on the Notaire's site (www.encheres-paris.com), when you click on the information for a particular property there is also a link to Google Maps to show you exactly where the property is located.

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SEEKING A MORTGAGE IN FRANCE?

When you make a purchase as important as a piece of real estate in a foreign country, you ant to know that you can trust the people you are dealing with. Adrian Leeds has developed a network of professionals that meet only the highest of standards. With the expertise and experience of Adrian and her team, you can depend on getting the best advice and support to feel completely confident that you are making an informed investment decision.

Let us help you secure a mortgage in France at a competitive interest rate. Visit www.adrianleeds.com/frenchproperty/loan for more information or contact Loan@AdrianLeeds.com

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HELPFUL CONVERSIONS FOR REAL ESTATE

1 square meter = 10.7639104 square feet

1 hectare = 2.4710538 acres

For more conversions, refer to: www.onlineconversion.com/

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Parler Paris Après Midi: Next Meeting Next Week!

www.adrianleeds.com/parlerparis/apresmidi.html

The second Tuesday of every month, Parler Paris and French Property Insider readers gather at La Pierre du Marais for a drink and a "schmooze" --It's an opportunity to meet and chat with other like-minded people and a great way to make friends! Costs nothing except your drinks. Don't miss the next gathering Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 from 3 to 5 p.m. and every second Tuesday of the month (except August).

 

 

 

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Managing Your French Property Insider Subscription is Easy!

We receive many emails from French Property Insider Subscribers who want to change their email address, or update personal information. But did you know that you can make these changes yourself?

It's easy...

1. Go to www.adrianleeds.com/frenchpropertyinsider

2. Click on "Manage Subscription." You'll find it under the "Subscribers Only" section in the sidebar.

3. Enter your username and password.

4. On the Welcome Page, go to "Manage Your Account" and click on "Change Password/Edit Profile"

5. Once you've made the changes, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on "Save Profile."

Simple!

Of course, we're always happy to help, so if you do need assistance, send an email to fpi@adrianleeds.com.

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THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

To access password protected pages: click on any of the links on the left panel of the home page of FrenchPropertyInsider.com under "Subscriber's Only," then type in your personal username and password.

Past issues of FPI are available on the Web site. You will find the
"Past Issues" link on the left under "Subscribers Only" or by going to
www.adrianleeds.com/frenchproperty/insider/membersTo receive your free French Leaseback Report or the Paris Property
Report, click on
www.adrianleeds.com/frenchproperty/insider/members

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We wanted better guides, So we wrote them!

Insider Paris Guides are written for people who love the City of Light. You'll get a Paris insider perspective on Restaurants... Making a Life... Black Culture... Expat Writers...and the newest guide, Practical Paris!

French Property Insider subscribers receive a discount of 10% off any uide and up to 25% off the entire purchase (if two or more guides are purchased at the same time). Here's how it works:

1. Click on special Web link we give you just for FPI subscribers.

2. Then order one or more guide(s) and use the promotion
code "ED762." This promotion code gives you 10% off your total
order.

3. If you order two or more guides, then an additional 15% will be
taken off automatically. There is no promotion code needed.

Here is the special "coupon" Web link just for you:
www.insiderparisguides.com/offer

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SUBSCRIBE TO PARLER PARIS

If you're not a regular reader of the Parler Paris daily e-letter, and would like to be, simply enter your e-mail address here (it's free!): www.parlerparis.com

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Copyright 2010, Adrian Leeds®
Adrian Leeds Group, LLC, www.adrianleeds.com