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Adding to Your Investment Value

Place de la République Prepares for an Update

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French Property Insider

April 22, 2010
Paris, France
http://adrianleeds.com/frenchproperty/insider

Bonjour French Property Insider Subscriber,

Today's French Property Insider focuses on the small properties that are add-ons to your property purchase that also add on to the value of your investment: servants quarters and parking garages. Both can be very desirable for both usage and resale. A price report from 2009 confirms the average price you can expect to pay for either property in Paris as well as in all of the Ile-de-France.

Pay special attention to the Hot Properties where servant's quarters and parking are featured so you can get an idea of what can be done with them and how to take advantage of these additional perks.

Big news in Paris is the renovation plans for Place de la République, to pedestrianize the area which is now devoted more to vehicular traffic than human. Scheduled to begin within a few years, the plans promise to revitalize the entire hub of three districts. Read all about it in today's issue.

In addition, there are a variety of interesting articles and news from our sister publications not to be missed.

Stay tuned for exciting news next week about the future of FPI...

A bientôt,

Adrian Leeds
Editor, French Property Insider
Email: fpi@adrianleeds.com

P.S. Le Provençal just had a last minute cancellation...so take advantage of the flights to Paris back to normal and a 15% discount to book the apartment beginning Saturday! Visit http://www.adrianleeds.com/parlerparis/apartments/rentals/provencal.html for more information!

Volume VIII, Issue 16, April 22, 2010

In this issue:

* The Revitalization of Republique
* A Look at Little Known Markets
* Spectacular Studio For Sale
* French Property Market All a Twitter
* French Property Exhibition Next Month
* Movement in Market Getting Noticed
* A Special New Fractional Property
* FPI Fractional Property Offerings
* Moneycorp: Take the Risk Out of Currency Conversion
* Brits Take Top Spot
* Get a Free Property Consultation with Adrian Leeds
* Parler Paris Apartments: Summer Specials Heat Up!
* Hot Properties: Petite Chambres & Garage Opportunities
* A Special Hot Property
* Lineup for the Next Notaires' Auction: May 4th
* How You Can Obtain a Mortgage in France
* Parler Paris Après-Midi: Next Gathering!
* Managing Your FPI Subscription
* Subscribers Receive Discount on Insider Paris Guides

The Facelift of Place de la République
By Adrian Leeds

Place de la République was inaugurated in July of 1884, so it's about time the 'old girl' got a facelift. The Place is the convergent point of 11 main avenues of traffic, five Métro lines, four bus lines and is the border for the 3rd, 10th and 11th districts.

The project is scheduled to get off the ground in the spring of 2013, designed to turn the Place into a pedestrian-friendly area by closing off about 50% of the surface (280 x 120 meters, 37,000 m2) to pedestrians and adding 30% more trees. Cost of the project is estimated at 17 million euros.

History from Wikipedia.org:

The location of the Place corresponds to the bastion of the gate of the Temple in the wall of Charles V (raised between 1356 and 1383). Decorated in 1811 with a fountain called the Château-d'Eau, designed by Pierre-Simon Girard, it took its current shape under the Second French Empire as part of Baron Haussmann's city renovation scheme. Most of the theaters of boulevard du Temple were demolished for this project.

The "caserne" de Prince Eugène, a military barracks later named the caserne de la Château d'Eau, then the caserne Vérines, was erected by Degrove on this site, in 1854, to replace the former summer exhibition of Wauxhall and the famous diorama where Daguerre, one of the inventors of the photograph, had given his fifteen-minute demonstrations. Built with the foresight to house 3200 men, it has, since 1947, housed the French Republican Guard.

Gabriel Davioud, Paris's official city architect, added to the square, building the Magasins réunis along its whole north side in 1866. He also built a second fountain, one decorated with bronze lions. (Girard's fountain was judged insufficient for the site, but it was salvaged and re-erected in 1867 in the market of La Villette).

In 1879, a competition, to design a great monument devoted to the newly-proclaimed Third Republic, was won by the Morice brothers, Léopold Morice for the statuary and the plaques of historic scenes, and Charles Morice, his architect brother, for the base. Two inauguration ceremonies took place, the first on 14 July 1880 with a gypsum model, and the second on 14 July 1883 with the final version in bronze.

Taking Advantage of the "Chambre de Service" and Garages for Investment Purposes
By Adrian Leeds

MAID'S QUARTERS

It is not unusual for a developer to purchase several adjacent "chambres de service" or maid's quarters to create one larger apartment and these properties can have the advantage of the best views of the city as they are almost always on the highest levels.

The price of these small units in Paris in 2009 were reported to average between 70,500€ in the 1st arrondissement and 43,000€ in the 10th. Expect their size to be about 8 m2 to 15 m2, enough for a single bed and wardrobe.

PARKING/GARAGE

You might not care to have a car in Paris, but many Parisians do and these spaces are hard to come by. With parking at a premium, particularly in Paris, it is wise to also purchase parking if it is offered when considering investing in an apartment. The parking can be rented, sold separately or sold with the apartment as an advantage over other properties.

The price of a garage in 2009 was reported by the Chambre de Notaire as an average of 24,000€ in Paris, 15,000€ in the suburbs (Petite Couronne) and 11,000€ in the outer areas of the Ile-de-France (Grande Couronne).

New times on TV... Watch Adrian Leeds and French Property Consultation on House Hunters International.

***"Vacation Home in Paris" - Episode HHINT-1A05***
Tune In:
May 4, 2010
7:00 PM ET/PT

House Hunters International Episode HHINT-1A05
http://www.hgtv.com/house-hunters-international/vacation-home-in-paris/index.html

***"Settling Down in Paris" - Episode HHINT-402
Tune In:
June 6, 2010
12:30 PM ET/PT
House Hunters International Episode HHINT-402
http://www.hgtv.com/house-hunters-international/settling-down-in-paris/index.html

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

The French Property Market Gets Live On Twitter
By Matthieu Cany

http://www.tweetblogging.net/the-french-property-market-gets-live-on-twitter/

Twitter is a social networking and micro-blogging service. It enables its users to send and read other users’ updates (known as tweets), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length. Users can send and receive updates via the Twitter website, SMS, RSS (receive only), or through applications such as Tweetie, Twitterrific, and Feedalizr. The service is free to use over the web.

We noticed that Twitter became very popular in the past few months and the businesses are opening profiles to benefit from this fantastic popularity. Facebook made a huge impact on young people aged between 12 and 35 years old. Twitter seems to have a larger audience because it is very easy to use and the concept is very simple. I was personally amazed to see the number of “seniors” using it and starting micro blogging. A February 2009 compte.com blog entry ranks Twitter as the third largest social network (Facebook being number 1 and Myspace second). Twitter has roughly 6 million users and 55 million visits per month.

French property blogs such as This French life, property portals and French estate agent websites such as Sextant Properties (http://Twitter.com/sextant) have now joined this new social community. By following them you can easily get a feel of the French property market with the latest news. Sometimes you can read the news before they get printed in the newspapers!

Sextant Properties decided to use Twitter as a new channel of communication. Rather than just publishing the list of 200 new properties added every week on their website, our profile gathers the posts from our blog and news articles published on Sextant website. They also add tweets related to the daily news and when they spot an opportunity for our customers. It can be a price reduction, a popular property which just came back on the market, etc.

Harrogate Set for French Property Exhibition

Archant Life France is hosting its annual advice and information exhibition on moving to France in Harrogate between May 14 and 16, 2010.

Show visitors will be able to meet real estate market professionals such as estate agents, tax advisers, mortgage lenders and removal and currency exchange companies.

Free seminars led by experts will run throughout the show, offering house hunters an opportunity to have their questions answered face to face.

More information and free tickets are available at http://www.fpeharrogate.com/default.aspx.

French Property Begins to Move

http://www.propertyworld.com/

Real estate in France is once again attracting foreign investors as the availability of euro mortgages increase.

French property buyers from the UK are investigating financial packages involving the euro knowing that when the exchange rate improves, as it is expected to, and the mortgage is cleared the price paid for the property will be reduced.

Several French property websites have noticed an increased interest from buyers and sellers alike with huge numbers of new properties joining their lists. Confidence is riding high among property owners who had perhaps sat out the recession in the hope of realising a higher sale price...

Read the entire article at http://www.propertyworld.com/Property-News/French-property-begins-to-move-1802.

Le Muguet - A Medieval Fractional Ownership in Provence
By Ginny Blackwell, French Property Shares

Stand, admire and gawk. Rightfully so -- at this amazing house. Prepare to be dazzled when you enter the completed "Le Muguet."

Our magical transformation is in that lovely stage where the yeast is working, the bread has been crafted using carefully considered ingredients, and we can only imagine the smell and taste after it bakes in a 400-degree oven for 30 minutes.

Now, picture yourself arriving at our lovely Le Muguet...

Highlights:

* Our idea is to try to create an authentic French country interior that conveys feelings of warmth and coziness

* We wish to be sensitive to the medieval/renaissance fabric of the house itself and let the plethora of wonderful architectural details shine in their own right.

If you love the idea of a home base in France but feel it doesn't make sense to buy a place you may use for only a few weeks a year, consider joining our group of owners in jointly purchasing Le Muguet SCI. We have many years of experience and have been offering high quality affordable home shares in France since 1988.

Stay tuned as Le Muguet (Lily of the Valley) transformation begins
"I think I can, I think I can, I hope I can"... create a warm and inviting decor in a French country style while respecting the Medieval fabric of this wonderful property.

We strive to make buying a second home in Europe simple, affordable, and enjoyable.

If you would like to receive more information on this property, visit http://www.adrianleeds.com/frenchproperty/fractional/ips/muguet/, or about fractional ownership in general, please feel free to write Ginny Blackwell at fpshares@gmail.com or Adrian Leeds at Adrian@AdrianLeeds.com.

Fractional Property Offerings from French Property Fractional

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
Provence: LE MUGUET	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.

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 here:
http://www.moneycorp.com/affiliates/microsite/index.cfm?agentid=10168408.

Brits still Buying French Properties

http://www.connexionfrance.com/

BRITONS remain the biggest foreign buyers of French property, despite worsening exchange rates and the economic crisis, new figures have revealed.

Research by the Notaires de France found the proportion of foreign sales in the French property market has doubled since 2000, from 2.5% to 5%.

British investors make up 17% of the foreign purchases, down from 40% in 2004.

Despite the fall, they remain the biggest overseas buyers in every region in France except the Alpes-Maritimes, where they have been overtaken by the Italians.

The Creuse, Dordogne, central Paris and the Savoie ski resorts were the most popular locations for foreign property-hunters.

According to the notaires' report, foreign sales now make up 30% of all transactions in some central parts of Paris, around the 1st and 8th arrondissements...

Read the entire article at http://connexionfrance.com/french-property-british-buyers-investments-france-11579-view-article.html.

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-

hourconsultation 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.

Parler Paris Apartments Summer Specials Sont Arrivé!

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 and me, 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 the quality 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 great team 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 their best for your 100%.

Summer Specials:

Enjoy summertime in Paris and save when you book any of our well located and luxurious Parler Paris Apartment starting in July or August. Just imagine...celebrating Bastille Day with spectacular fireworks at the Eiffel Tower, or a leisurely picnic by the Seine during Paris Plage.

July Special – Start your stay in July and save 10% when you book by May 15.

August Special – Start your stay in August and receive the lowest advertised rate when you book by June 15. (Maximum 30 day booking, rate ends on Labor Day, September 6th).

The apartments are booking up fast, so reserve today! To reserve any of our well located and luxurious Parler Paris Apartments, go to Request Form and make your request.

For for more information, email: apartments@adrianleeds.com

HOT PROPERTY PICKS: Petite Chambres & Garage Opportunities

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 chambre de bonne and garage properties for sale in Paris.

*** Paris, 9th: Chambre de bonne, approx. 7m²

Located betweeen Boulevard Haussmann and Boulevard des Italien, just steps from the Métro. On the top floor of a beautiful stone building, the space is full of natural light and uniteruppted views. Could use a little TLC and would probably rent for € 252 a month.

Asking Price: € 59 000 + 2% finders fee

*** Paris, 10th: Chambre de bonne, approx. 6.2m²

Located near Alesia Métro, rue d'Alesia and Plantes. The parking garage itself has large ramps and an elevator. This garage is number 329.

Asking Price:€ 23 000 + 2% finders fee

*** Paris, 14th: Garage, approx. 4m13x1m99

Located near Alesia Métro, rue d'Alesia and Plantes. The parking garage itself has large ramps and an elevator. This garage is number 329.

Asking Price:€ 23 000 + 2% finders fee

*** Paris, 18th: Garage, approx. 30m²

Located near Marx Dormoy Métro, 62 rue Marx Dormoy. On the 5th level underground with electronic security. Could also be used for storage or as an attelier. Building contains a Monoprix.

Asking Price: € 39 500 + 2.5% finder's fee

PARADISE - Only One Hour From PARIS

Magnificent private and enclosed estate with exceptional characteristics.
Close to Montbard (TGV Train connection - Paris: only one hour away).

1) A main house, four rooms, with a nice living room with fireplace, another room, and a fully equipped kitchen. Storage space, bedroom, shower, mezzanine level bedroom with its own bathroom.

2) A wooden structure, luxurious and comfortable 130m² house which was previously a three star (French standard) gite.

A water spot, river, heated swimming pool (10m x 5m), sauna, bar,
restroom, pool house, garage, park and orchard makes this house a popular tourist stay.

3) Another lovely house, completely independent with two rented flats:

Two rooms on the ground floor - 61m².
Three rooms on the second floor - 68m².

Full details on this property and more photos are found at http://property.vivastreet.co.uk/buy-abroad/paradise---only-one-hour-from-paris--france/23954336.

The Next Notaires' Property Auction - May 4, 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 be auctioned off May 4, 2010:
	2010-09-02 2 Rooms 46m² 14 à 18 rue des Moines 75017 - PARIS 17eme Starting Bid: 241 600,00 € Deposit: 24 160,00 €
	2010-09-03 Studette 11m² 115 rue Saint-Dominique 75007 - PARIS 7eme Starting Bid: 25 000,00 € Deposit: 5 000,00 €
	2010-09-05 Studette 12m² 23 rue de l'Avre 75015 - PARIS 15eme Starting Bid: 42 000,00 € Deposit: 4 200,00 €
	2010-09-06 2 Studettes 16m² 18 rue Gérando 75009 - PARIS 9eme Starting Bid: 35 000,00 € Deposit: 3 500,00 €

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.

SEEKING A MORTGAGE IN FRANCE?

French Propety Loan 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

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/

Parler Paris Après Midi: Next Meeting!

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, May 11th, 2010 from 3 to 5 p.m. and every second Tuesday of the month (except August).

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.

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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French Property Insider subscribers receive a discount of 10% off any guide 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
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3. If you order two or more guides, then an additional 15% will be
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Here is the special "coupon" Web link just for you:
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