"Finding the ""French"" in Property"

This week my favorite plumber is installing the piping and “ballons” in the studio and “studette” I call “Le Saint-Tropez” and “La Brigitte.” This is in advance of laying the “chape” and the “carrelages” on the floor of both “pieces,” necessary before any more work can be done. He is surrounded by rubble and crumbling walls resulting from the total demolition of the apartment for pre-renovation preparation coupled with the “ravalement” of the exterior of the building.
I learn many new terms in French with each new renovation project as each requires something a bit different. Communicating with the “plombier,” the “entrepreneur” and les “ouvriers” is essential to the “chantier” going smoothly. I’m handling this project myself and have subcontracted the plumber, a “mosaiste” and “trompe l’oeil” artist to add the finishing touches. My goal is turn this 17th-century “nid” into a “bijou” that will make every guest’s vacation in Paris absolute magic.
As a by-product of this new vocabulary comes a deeper understanding of French and the necessity of fluency. In today’s issue, we bring you a bit of insight into the language crossovers as well as some helpful tools so you can manage your own “chantier” (and life in France) with confidence.
France tops the list again for quality of life in Europe. This is no surprise to us who love living here! Read all about it in today’s issue and download the full report.
You’re going to love some of the other tidbits of news we have in store for you in today’s issue of FPI — including the latest in wrist gear designed to keep your lungs healthy. And for Hot Properties?…French properties that need renovation…of course!
A bientôt,

Adrian Leeds
Editor, French Property Insider
Email: [email protected]

P.S. For anyone who took out a new subscription or renewed under our recent $29 per year promotion, we experienced technical problems with those subscriptions. If you received an expiration notice, please disregard it. We have manually fixed your accounts so that they will expire one year from the date you took out your subscription. Our apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused.

France Tops European List for Quality of Life
http://www.fly-2let.co.uk
Fly to Let (rental) property investors may be tempted to eventually live, as well as rent out properties, in France following a new survey which puts it at the top of the European list of countries
for quality of life.</fo nt>
The survey comes on the back of another recent report which showed that mortgage demands for properties in France are on the rise.
Alistair Lockhart, Sales & Marketing Manager, The French Property Agents (FPA), said: “France has a stable housing market with no historic peaks and troughs. The concept of a property ladder is only just beginning to take hold in France – young French people, who five years ago would have seen renting as their only option are now looking to get on that ladder.
“They are seeing property as a long term capital growth proposition and the government is making it easier for first time buyers to reach the first rung. This is great news for the rest of the property market as it will stimulate demand and growth.
“Prices now in France, especially in popular areas, do seem to be bottoming out and we are receiving plenty of buyer enquiries from UK clients. Because prices at the moment are more realistic we are noticing a great deal of interest from US and UK investors. September and October have been very busy months for FPA, with an increase in the number of houses going on the market and good mortgage deals available.
“We are predicting that prices will rise by the back end of 2010, so now is definitely the time to buy and experience the French quality of life.
“It comes as no surprise to those of us living and working in France, that the country should top a quality of life poll.
“The French have a different attitude to lifestyle, placing security and a good balance between work and leisure time ahead of pure monetary factors. The French in essence work to live, while the Brits [and Americans] live to work! Health and welfare are priorities in a country where there is still plenty of land and space and population density on average is low…
Read the entire article at http://www.fly-2let.co.uk/news308.html.
Editor’s Note: Read a copy of the entire report on our Web site at https://adrianleeds.com/wp-content/uploads/newsletters/frenchproperty/insider/members/content/quality_of_life_report.pdf.

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“Trouvé” (Found) in Translation
By Adrian Leeds
Excerpt from Parler Paris Nouvellettre®
http://www.adrianleeds.com/parlerparis
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Sure, today I should be writing about “Halloween” in Paris, but now I know it as “La Toussaint” (All Saints Day). That’s because I’m losing the English language.
La Toussaint is November 1st, when French Catholics celebrate their illustrious saints. That makes sense: “tous saint” or “all saints.” It’s fairly literal — no wonder why it sticks on the tongue.
So many French words do…now that my level of French has improved and the English translation can be easily forgotten. In a conversation last night with a New York friend who spends a few months a year here in her “pied-à-terre” (apartment which serves a ‘foothold’ in Paris) with a beautiful view on the “Marais” (district in Paris that centuries ago was swampland) just “en face” (in front) of the Saint-Paul “Métro” (subway) station, it was difficult to come up with the English words for much of my own dialog.
It’s not that I speak French so much. In fact, it’s really rather pathetic how bad my level of French is considering a 15-year full time residence in the land of Francophones. As an Anglophone, one can exist here his entire life with barely any French at all. (The French have become quite fluent in English and love to show it off.) But I must admit, it wouldn’t be quite as much fun as it is mixing and matching the languages to suit one’s own expression.
There simply are lots of words in French that have no good English equivalent. For example, now that I’m knee deep in the construction dust of the renovation of my studio and “studette” (very small studio apartment), words that apply to the project seem to roll off the tongue in French easier than in English. The “chantier” (construction project) is what everyone calls it as if it were as “formidable” (grand) as “un château” (castle). The “plombier” (plumber) wants to know where to install the “robinet” (tap) and the “massons” (masons) are about to lay the “chape” (coating or covering), in this case of “beton” (concrete) before laying the “carrelages” (tiles) on the “sol” (floor).
The “Franglais” seems to be creeping into my vocabulary more and more, just as English has infiltrated the French language, too. Newly created French words pop up everyday as the French adopt the words in English for which there is no good equivalent in French. “D’accord” has easily become “okay” and
&quot
;le weekend” became “au courant” (fully familiar) for exactly what it is long ago. Instead of “les nouvelles” you will hear someone ask a friend, “Donne-moi de tes ‘news.'” And now with the world of “cyberspace,” “courrier électronique” or “courriel” is now of course, “email” (which in French ‘used’ to mean “enamel!”).
There’s a long list of words we have shared for centuries such as “armoire,” “cliché,” “entrepreneur,” “liaison” and “rapport” — words that clearly had no good equivalent in English so we adopted them as our own. This crossing or “mariage” of cultures is being expressed in the language every day so that at some point perhaps we won’t recognize the difference between the French and the English at all.
That’s what’s happening now to tie my tongue. I’m having a personal cross-cultural experience — it’s tough to even discern the difference between the French and the English term in some instances. You may recall it happened a few months ago to the Parler Paris “Newsletter”…when it became the Parler Paris “Nouvellettre®” (although this one cannot be blamed on the French as it’s a creation of mine with the help of some friends).
Editor’s Note: The best online glossary of construction terms French to English I can find is at this link: http://www.mijnwoordenboek.nl/EN/theme/BA/EN/FR/A/1.

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French Language Letter Templates for Common Problems
By Craig McGinty
http://www.thisfrenchlife.com
If you need to end an Internet contract or maybe write a letter of complaint about a service, then more than 100 letter templates, in French, are available on the Institut national de la consommation Web site at http://www.conso.net/page/bases.5_vos_droits.1_conseils./Action-rchthm/?doRch=1&idyThm=&idySsThm=&idyTyp=8&sortBy=byDate&Rechercher.x=43&Rechercher.y=8.
The letters will help you resolve disputes and are grouped by topics such as insurance, banking, Internet and money, they are free to download and the majority are available in Word format.
Each letter provides an explanation of how it can be used, then you need to update name and date fields and it is usually wise to send correspondence by registered post, or “lettre recommandée.”

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Watch Adrian Leeds and French Property Consultation on
House Hunters International – NEW DATES
***”Vacation Home in Paris” – Episode HHINT-1A05***
AIR TIMES:
November 23, 2009, 12:00 PM ET/PT
House Hunters International Episode HHINT-402
 
***”Settling Down in Paris” – Episode HHINT-1A05
AIR TIMES:
December 4, 2009 7:00 PM ET/PT
December 14, 2009 12:00 AM ET/PT
House Hunters International Episode HHINT-402
To learn more, visit http://www.AdrianLeeds.com or email Adrian Leeds, at [email protected].

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France Property Making the News but not Yet the Headlines
http://www.property-abroad.com

France property has been in the news a lot this week. Firstly the country came first in a Uswitch table of the best place in Europe to live, which would automatically make lifestyle buyers have another look at French property according to pundits.
Then Property Frontiers recommended that the tourist areas in the south of France are the best in the country for investment, highlighting leasebacks with 7% returns guaranteed for 25 years as the best products.
Then a report from Colliers highlighted the stabilization in the commercial sector of the French property market, where sales accelerated in the second quarter.
There has been increasing coverage of markets like France in recent weeks as the great British appetite for overseas property begins to return…
R
ead
the entire article at http://www.property-abroad.com/france/news-story/france-property-making-the-news-but-not-yet-the-headlines-988.

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Salon Nouveau Départ (November 7 – 8, 2009)
The first salon in France concerning divorce, separation and widowhood takes place this coming November 7-8 at the Espace Champeret . On this occasion, the Chambre de Notaires de Paris will have a stand where Notaires will be on hand to provide consultations.
Espace Champeret
1 avenue de la Porte de Champeret
75017 Paris
M° Louise Michel)
Saturday, November 7, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sunday, November 8, 11 a.m to 6 p.m.
To review the program in detail, visit http://www.nouveaudepart.fr.
To acquire free invitations, visit the Centre d’Information de la Chambre des Notaires de Paris at 1, boulevard de Sébastopol, Paris 1st.

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Fractional Property Offerings from French Property Fractional
www.adrianleeds.com/frenchproperty/fractional
If you are interested in traditional fractional ownership properties currently offered by our Fractional Ownership partners, see below:

Paris: LE PALACE DES VOSGES	Paris: LE NOTRE DAME
Paris: CHEZ LA TOUR	Paris: La Rsidence Luxembourg
Paris: LE PETIT TRESOR	Languedoc-Roussillon: MAISON BLEUE
Paris: PARIS RESIDENCE CLUB	Languedoc-Roussillon: NOTRE MAISON DANS TOULOUGES

To see our latest Fractional offerings go to https://adrianleeds.com/frenchproperty/fractional/fractional_offerings.html

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Augmented Reality Real Estate Valuations

http://www.futureofrealestatemarketing.com/
French company MeilleurAgents.com (”best agents”) has released a mobile Android application that displays the value of every single building in Paris (value is displayed in price per square meter).
The application is very similar to Zillow’s iPhone app (see Zillow Takes Zestimates to the Streets); which also displays home values – but for me, the street level view is far more visually exciting than the top-down, satellite view presented in Zillow’s app.
The MeilleurAgents.com app uses the Layar Reality browser, and the app will be available shortly for the iPhone 3GS in France…
Read the entire article (with a video of the application at work) at http://www.futureofrealestatemarketing.com/augmented-reality-real-estate-valuations.

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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 https://adrianleeds.com/wp-content/uploads/newsletters/frenchproperty/loan/moneycorpconvertor and learn more about moneycorp here:
http://www.moneycorp.com/affiliates/microsite/index.cfm?agentid=10168408.

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Watch Lets Crowds Monitor Air Quality in Paris
http://www.springwise.com
Air quality is a matter of urgent concern to residents of most large cities, and Paris is no exception. There are currently only 10 public sensors monitoring that important variable in the City of Lights, however, so a new initiative now aims to equip everyday citizens with a special device that can measure and report air-quality data regularly for collective use.
The Green Watch, or Montre Verte, is a specially equipped device worn on the wrist that includes not just a time piece but also a GPS chip, a Bluetooth chip, and ozone and noise sensors. At scheduled times—or on request of the wearer—the watch measures and saves air-quality and noise data, describing them in qualitative terms such as “good” or “bad.” Those values are then returned to the user via the screen of his or her mobile phone in the image of an eye, where the co lour of the eye’s pupil indicates air quality while that of the iris represents noise. Finally, via the mobile phone, the watch sends the data to an open platform called Citypulse, either in real time via the mobile carrier or by synchronization when the user hooks the watch up to his or her computer…
Read the entire article at http://www.springwise.com/eco_sustainability/lamontreverte/.

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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 Lees for a FREE one-hour consultation while you’re enjoying the apartment in the City of Light. Visit https://adrianleeds.com/wp-content/uploads/newsletters/parlerparis/apartments for more information or email me at [email protected].
 

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PARLER PARIS APARTMENTS
Parler Paris 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 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 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 heir best for your 100% guaranteed satisfaction.
SPOTLIGHT APARTMENT(S): Ask About the Last Minute Fall Special: 10% to 15% Discount off Advertised Rental Rates Through December 20!…
Le Château Saint-Germain
Rue de Bourbon le Château
6th Arrondissement
Three-Bedroom, Three-Bath, sleeps up to 6
Le Château Saint-Germain is an elegant and luxurious three-bedroom/three-ensuite-bath apartment located in the very heart of the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district of Paris in a quiet corner with a view on the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés and steps from the liveliest part of the quartier. Visitors to Paris who are lucky enough to make themselves at home here will be talking about their delightful stay for years to come and return as often as they can. Located on the second floor (European, third floor American) of a 17th-century Hôtel Particulier (townhouse), the spacious rooms of the apartment circle around a central courtyard affording windows on all sides of the apartment with views of three tiny streets and the lovely serene courtyard.
www.adrianleeds.com/parlerparis/apartments/rentals/saint-germain.html.
Reserve now! Visit www.adrianleeds.com/parlerparis/apartments or email:[email protected].

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HOT PROPERTY PICKS: Wreck Renovate Restore
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 opportunities throughout France, in need of renovation or restoration.

	*** St André de Lidon: Two-bedroom+, approx. 115m² Situated in a hamlet close to the village of St André de Lidon in the south of Charente Maritime, traditional house for modernization. Possible to live in the property while carrying out the work. On the ground floor there is a lounge with fireplace, kitchen, bathroom and wc. Upstairs there is a large landing and two bedrooms. Attached to the property is a barn of 53m² which could be extended into. Across the lane are various outbuildings together with the garden of approx 700m². Ideal opportunity for creation of a guest annexe or even gîtes with the outbuildings. Asking Price: € 91 500 + 2.5% Finder’s Fee
	*** Chabanais: Three-bedroom+, approx. 100m² Set in a quiet village 2kms from Chabanais. Available with furniture if required. 2 rooms on the ground floor – possible to make into one room 45m² also shower room and wc. First floor – large landing 20m² used as a bedroom, 2nd bedroom, store room to renovate – will make 3rd bedroom or bathroom and wc. The attached barn has garage and workshop space and also houses the C/H boiler and fuel tank. The attached garden is half lawn and half vegetable plot with a small chicken run. Asking Price: € 113 400 + 2.5% Finder’s Fee
	*** Paris: One-bedroom, approx. 55m² On a charming and little-traveled street in the northern 16th arrondissement, near avenue Victor Hugo and Étoile, a sunny and quiet pied-à-terre in need of full renovation. Situated on the first floor of an attractive building with elevator constructed in 1975, the apartment has parquet floors, balcony, separate kitchen and a cellar storage space. The building is well maintained and has a pretty courtyard garden. Asking Price: € 399 000 + 2.5% Finder’s Fee
	*** Paris: Three-bedroom, approx. 107m² This three bed apartment is located in the central, 3rd arrondissement. Close by you will find the famous place La République. Situated on the third floor without elevator, this apartment is composed of three bedrooms and an open plan kitchen, and a large living room which creates a warm and welcoming space. There are also two bathrooms, one with Jacuzzi and two toilets. This apartment needs renovation, but has great potential. Asking Price: € 819 000 + 2.5% Finder’s Fee

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The Next Notaires’ Property Auction
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.adrianleeds.com/frenchproperty/insider/members/content/articles/auctions1.html.
>

	The following properties will be auctioned off November 10, 2009:
	2009-21-04 2 Rooms 44m² 5/7 rue de la Comète 75007 – PARIS 7eme Starting Bid: 252 000,00 € Sold For: 50 400,00 €
	2009-21-05 2 Rooms 59m² 78 Boulevard de la Tour Maubourg 75007 – PARIS 7eme Starting Bid: 540 000,00 € Deposit: 108 000,00 €

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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Luxury Prop
erty Show Announced
Compiled by Schuyler Hoffman
* Luxury Real Estate Trade Fair Loves Paris in the Autumn *
Not everyone can afford a private island or a fancy penthouse on New York’s Upper East Side. Still, for those who can, an invitation to the Luxury Real Estate Trade Fair will be just the thing to make the autumn seem brighter. And where better to promote high-end property than Paris, the world capital of chic? This elegant ambience will be further enhanced by the venue, Paris’s famous Musée du Louvre.
On the 27th, 28th and 29th of November 2009 Prestige-Paris will celebrate its third birthday with the assistance of France Convention, a specialist in niche and luxury trade fairs. This year’s gathering will be required both to meet the visitors’ very demanding expectations and outdo last year’s exceptionally successful event.
The recent recession has failed to affect the luxury sector as much as the rest of the economy, in fact the latest figures have revealed that the Parisian real estate market has improved. It seems that the most beautiful and luxurious homes never fail to find a buyer, a thought that will encourage participants in this most prestigious property exhibition.

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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 [email protected]

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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 Aprs Midi: Next Meeting An Exception

 
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, November 17th, 2009 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 adrianleeds.com/frenchproperty/insider
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 [email protected].

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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
&
quot
;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.adrianleeds.com/parlerparis

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