Focusing on Paris' Future

It seems apropos that “tours jumelles” (twin towers) should be in the news today — since tomorrow morning I fly to New York City where the term “twin towers” was first made famous. The “Tours Jumelles” refer to the proposed skyscrapers of the Hermitage Plaza scheduled to be built just outside the city limits of Paris — 323 meters high, soon to be Europe’s highest structures.
Today’s issue of FPI focuses on the future of Paris with its leanings toward the tall buildings, now that the ban on buildings higher than 37 meters has been lifted. We take a look at Paris of the past, the present and the future…how the city will change and how that will affect us as investors in Paris property.
Be sure in check out the Hot Properties of high-rise new build apartments — that afford modern buildings and great views of the city. Also note the special property we are pleased to offer — a Chalet investment property in Chamonix with up to nine apartments that FPI readers can take advantage of at a 500,000€ discount!
For our newest Parler Paris rental apartment, have a look at Le Château Saint-Germain on rue de Bourbon le Château in the 6th Arrondissement Saint-Germain-des-Prés “quartier” that is total luxury with three bedrooms with three en suite bathrooms for accommodations up to six (www.adrianleeds.com/parlerparis/apartments/rentals/saint-germain.html). It’s available as of July, so book now while it’s still available…as it’s sure to reserve quickly.
In New York, I will be visiting with my daughter in her newly renovated West Village studio apartment that has both a view of the Empire State Building and Patisserie Claude on 4th Street! Thank goodness I can count on a good croissant and French roast coffee while spending time in the Big Apple. This is one city where there is no shortage of new skyscrapers under construction!
From there the following week we head south to “Nouvelle Orléans” where we will be greeting the attendees of the Living and Investing in France Real Estate Conference (www.adrianleeds.com/frenchproperty/conference/LIF_NOLA_2009/index.html) at the Big Easy’s second oldest restaurant, Tujague’s (www.tujaguesrestaurant.com), whose beginnings are clearly French. Naturally, you’ll be reading all about my experiences in both places.
Schuyler Hoffman, FPI’s editor and production manager, who lives in New Orleans and runs a B&B named Chez Palmiers (www.chezpalmiers.com), will be producing FPI side by side with me next week — as we finally have the opportunity to actually be in the same physical location at the same time!
Until then, enjoy reading about Paris in the future as we and other experts foresee it and considering how you will take the next step to investment in France.
A bientôt,

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

P.S. We would love to have you attend the conference or just join us for dinner Saturday night, March 21st at Tujague’s. For more information, or to register, visit www.adrianleeds.com/frenchproperty/conference/LIF_NOLA_2009/index.html.

The Torture and Fascination of Parisian Home Ownership
By Adrian Leeds
Excerpt from Parler Paris Nouvellettre®
Wednesday March 11, 2009
www.adrianleeds.com/parlerparis
Last night was our annual “Assemblée Générale” (general meeting) of our “copropriété” (homeowners association) which is both torturous and fascinating at the same time. In the last eight years of ownership, only one has been missed — last year’s when it coincided with the Miami Living and Investing in France Real Estate Conference.
This one was held, for the first time, upstairs at La Pierre du Marais, only two hours after the “Parler Paris Après Midi” gathering (visit www.adrianleeds.com/parlerparis/apresmidi.html to read all about Tuesday’s event). This corner of Le Marais has become home to so many of our meetings, that the waitress, when taking drink orders, just assumed I was the “résponsable” and asked who should receive the check, then realizing she had erred, turning then to M. de L., our volunteer “syndic” (association manager). He also volunteered to pay for the drinks, which of course, we all share in the expense of, since its our association fees which will cover the cost.
As it turns out, we have also all shared in one owner not having paid his fees since 2003, amounting to a ‘small’ sum of 5000€. All owners’ fees are “prélevé” (automatically deducted) from their checking accounts twice a year, but this particular owner’s deduction had been rejected by the bank every time.
This of course, angered the group of about 15, and lively discussion ensued on how to proceed. Naturally, if the money cannot be acquired simply by confronting the owner, a lawsuit will be filed, although no one wants to go to the trouble and expense, especially M. de L., who exclaimed, “Je ne suis pas la banque!” (“I am not the bank!”) He also reminded us that our fees average only about 9€ per square meter of property space per year compared to the city’s average of 25€ per square meter…so he should readily pay his fees without complaint!
Usually I remain fairly quiet throughout the meeting, normally a minimum of two hours. That’s because in the past, my level of French hasn’t been good enough to understand it all or interject intelligent comments. With each year, that improves, so this year was the most vocal, which in turn ended up making a big fool out of me.
It all started when one owner remarked that he had heard I didn’t like the color of the newly renovated stairwell. I suppose that the news had spread among many of the owners, along with the rebellious repainting of the molding on my front door to black. “Quel horror!” No question, I had anxiety in advance of coming that they would turn the ‘violent act’ of changing the color into a big issue and force a repainting of the molding back to the drab “greige” (gray/beige) like all the rest.
Would you believe they all LOVE the industrial, sad color!? Have they all gone color blind? Or are the ‘smoky’ tones of the Parisian stone building facades lulled them into an unconsciousness of color? I wondered how they had come to accept such drabness in their lives.
And when I complained that the buzzers now were anonymously written with an apartment number rather then each owner’s name, further industrializing our once friendly abode, they argued how much more esthetically appealing it was that the panel looked uniformed and untouched by all those “locataires” (tenants, with a tone of disdain) who move in and move out so often and who invariable stick on their own names in such a helter-skelter and amateurish way! “Quel horror!”
There were no other foreign owners to attend the meeting, although I believe there is an American couple who owns an apartment in another part of the building. They weren’t there to help defend our different cultural viewpoints on color and style. So, there I was, all alone, behaving boldly foolish in bad French, but at least having a voice, if nothing else.
Unfortunately, it didn’t do much good. The stairwell is still “greige” and will be so for many more years to come, the buzzer will no longer say “Leeds” but have a number which corresponds to the mailbox number yet bears no relation to us as a family and I can count on next year having the same torturous but fascinating two-hour-plus experience.

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Paris Predictions
By Adrian Leeds
What will Paris of the future look like?
Paris can often feel as if time has not passed, that everything remains the same, with its hundreds-year-old “hôtels particuliers” (townhouses) that have stood the test of time from their 17th-century roots to today’s rejuv
enated apartment
blocks…and then again one might feel that everything has changed quite rapidly, as the new tramway glides past you, or the once scruffy street is suddenly lined by trees and lampposts and chic boutiques have replaced shoe cobblers.
There is no question by looking at past maps of the city that Paris is under continuing change, that in fact, the city planners never cease to plan for its future — to make improvements — or at least what they believe will be improvements. While I’m no historian, my guess is that no single individual was responsible for as much change as Georges-Eugène Haussmann (Baron Haussmann).
Hired by Napoleon III in 1852, he modernized Paris during the last part of the 19th-century to make a safer, more sanitary, more hospitable city with better housing, better traffic flow, easier shopping communities and most importantly, create broad streets that allowed for a control of rebellions and ease circulation of artillery. Tomes have been written about his plan and work, having destroyed more than 20,000 buildings in what once was a medieval city, creating the long tree-lined avenues we now know as Paris and the monuments we all adore, such as the Arc de Triomphe and the Opéra Garnier.
Since that time, various political figures have had a hand in making his mark on the landscape. We have past President François Mitterand to ‘thank’ for the Bibliothèque Nationale François Mitterand, La Grande Arche de La Défense and the lnstitut du Monde Arabe. Architects like Jean Nouvel have changed the face of the city with innovative design such as the Musée du Quai Branly and the Fondation Cartier among many others. And now we have Mayor of Paris Bertrand Delanoë and President Nicolas Sarkozy once again looking to the future of Paris.
Since taking office in 2001, Delanoë has been working hard to improve the environment and quality of life in the City of Light by reducing pollution by cutting down vehicle traffic, improving public transportation, adding bike lanes, parks and more green spaces. The results of his goals have translated into narrower streets, wider sidewalks, special bus, taxi and bike lanes, planted trees, additional lamp posts, public trash bins at every corner and hundreds of other small improvements that ultimately make Paris a friendlier, cleaner, more livable city.
Now, with the removal of restriction of building heights clearing a path for high-rise building designs, a ban of 37 meters created under Jacques Chirac’s mayoral term during 1977, we are sure to see a new and different Paris emerge. Of course, the lifting of the ban doesn’t mean historic Paris will suddenly raze 17th-century buildings to make way for 200-plus meter high skyscrapers. “Au contraire!”
The historic parts of the city are protected by law and therefore will retain their architectural integrity. Officials have promised that the historic center around the River Seine would be spared any new high-rise building, but such projects would be viable in the surrounding areas where old and new already mix.
What does this all mean to investors in the City of Light if looking toward profitable investments?
My advice is to invest in either the very old or the very new. Very new areas which are open to high rise construction could be very lucrative as there will be tremendous growth. At the same time, those areas of the city which cannot go ‘up or out,’ will also become more valuable as an irreplaceable commodity. The areas of the city which are neither are likely to suffer less financial growth.
But all this is speculation. And one can only hope that the city planners will retain the integrity of Paris as we now know it…and love it.

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HOUSE HUNTERS INTERNATIONAL!…
NEW EPISODE, NEW DATES AND TIMES!
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***NEW: “Vacation Home in Paris” – Episode HHINT-1A05
AIR TIMES:
March 27, 2009, 10:00 PM ET/PT
March 27, 2009, 2:00 AM ET/PT
New Yorkers Jeff Ballinger and Mary Schiller recently began the first steps toward making their dream together a reality. After honeymooning in Paris, they knew they wanted their own vacation property in France. Now, they’ve moved out of their house and into a smaller condo in the Bronx, NY, and have begun their search for a pied-a-terre in Paris.
House Hunters International Episode HHINT-402: www.hgtv.com/house-hunters-international/vacation-home-in-paris/index.html.

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Paris to Scrap Ban on High-rise Tower blocks
July 8, 2008
PARIS (AFP) — Paris city council on Tuesday moved to scrap a 30-year-old ban on high-rise buildings inside the city walls, a decision that could spell a revolution for the capital’s skyline.
The Socialist mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoë, has championed a change to rules that currently limit the height of inner-city buildings to 37 metres (122 feet), despite polls showing that two-thirds of Parisi
ans oppo
se the change.
The 37-metre ceiling was brought in 197 in response to a string of high-rise projects — including the Montparnasse tower south of the River Seine — now seen as failed experiments in urbanism.
On Tuesday, Paris city council voted to launch a study on easing the planning rules, paving the way for the construction of 200-metre towers at six emblematic sites just inside the city walls.
Public consultations will begin in January to measure support for each of the projects, according to city councillor for urbanism Anne Hidalgo.
Cast as part of wide-ranging regeneration plans for the sites, the new tower blocks would mix shops, offices and childcare centres.
Delanoë also supports the construction of new 50-metre apartment blocks to counter a shortage of affordable housing in the capital.
French star architect Jean Nouvel, who last month won a contract to build a new skyscraper in La Defense business district west of Paris, has criticized the taboo on high-rises, saying they should be allowed even in the city centre.
“This is not about undermining our heritage. But we have to stop thinking that Paris is a museum-city,” Nouvel told Le Parisian newspaper. “Paris is not finished… If vertical buildings can enrich the heart of the capital, why deprive ourselves?”
Delanoë has long campaigned to end the high-rise ban, but was blocked during his first term as mayor by his Green party allies on the city council, who oppose the plans on grounds of energy efficiency…
To read the entire article go to www.afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5i9ILLyAAc5kvqcdJeDqLCHlNniQg.

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Paris: History in the Making
Editorial, World Architecture News
www.worldarchitecturenews.com
New Policy Paves Way for First Inner City Tower Since 1977
A historic shift in the French capital’s strict planning rules this [past]summer has opened the way for the first of a series of dramatic new towers. For over thirty years Paris has laid low in the building stakes with a ban on buildings over 37 m in height brought in under Jacques Chirac’s rule when he was Mayor of Paris in 1977. But on Thursday the first tower to be built in the French capital’s inner city, following the lifting of the ban in July, was revealed.
Officials in Paris voted to lift a ban on high rise buildings in the French capital in a bid to combat the city’s housing shortage and invigorate the city’s economic status. This decision has left the path clear for 20 high-rise designs, first flaunted by the current Mayor Bertrand Delanoë in November last year and following the inauguration of President Sarkozy, to be approved.
The first of these designs to be approved is Herzog & de Meuron’s Le Projet Triangle which will stand at Porte de Versailles in Southern Paris. The design was showcased by Deputy Mayor, Anne Hidalgo yesterday who said in her blog: “Paris is indeed now part of the first world capitals in tourism business, trade fairs and exhibitions. Since 2001, the City of Paris has always radiated at the heart of its priorities economic development, employment and innovation. In a context of European and global competition increased, this ambition must now be translated in concrete by reinforcing its economic attractiveness.”
The design features a pyramidal block structure which will rise to 200 m and Hidalgo hopes that this design will “provide the city of Paris a true symbol commensurate with its economic vitality”. Others may be less excited about the prospect of a tower in the heart of the city however with 62% of the Parisian population opposed to high rises in the city. While Paris holds three regions for tall buildings on the outskirts, including La Defense to the West, the Triangle will be the third tallest structure in the inner city after the Eiffel Tower and Tour Montparnasse in the Montparnasse region.
Herzog & de Meuron, however, have no doubt about the ability for the Triangle to integrate into the Parisian landscape. They explained how this would be the case…
To read the entire editorial go to www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=10397.

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LAST CHANCE to REGISTER FOR THE LIVING AND INVESTING IN REAL ESTATE CONFERENCE!
Living and Investing in France Real Estate Conference
March 21-22, 2009 New Orleans
There is nothing else you can do in less time and as inexpensively to learn all you need to learn to make your dream to live and invest in France come true. Produced by Adrian Leeds and John Howell is the 23rd conference of the series, which was the first ever of its kind to be offered both in Paris and the
United S
tates. Take advantage of this two-day power-packed conference with expert speakers from France, Europe and the U.S…and these two days of conference activities include the coffee breaks, the cocktail and five course dinner at Tujague’s(!).
Reference materials and a tote bag filled with FREE gifts from Paris!
If you register now, you can SAVE $100 off the registration fee. And when you bring along your spouse, partner or friend, you can SAVE AN ADDITIONAL $200! Plus, if you bring a third person, we’ll EXTEND THE SECOND PERSON DISCOUNT!
Living and Investing in France Real Estate Conference
March 21-22, 2009, New Orleans
For more information visit
www.adrianleeds.com/frenchproperty/conference or email: [email protected]

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Paris Changes the Future of Urban Form
September 27, 2008
agents of urbanism
www.agentsofurbanism.com
Call me old-fashioned, but I was very disappointed to find out that Paris had lifted the ban on buildings over 37m. I discovered this change through the announcement of Herzog & de Meuron’s new 200m (650 ft) tower for Paris, as the first since the ban.
To me Paris, more than any other city I have visited, is about the street. The anonymity of each building respects the street as the first priority in the hierarchy of urban form. This makes the city intimate and walkable.
Despite this sentiment, I understand and sympathize with the housing shortage in Paris. With demand being far greater than supply, it makes living in Paris very expensive. Coupled with the fact that young, cultural visionaries tend to follow cheap rent, it is easy to be concerned about Paris’ capacity to support cultural progress. This is a similar fear and reality being experienced in New York…
…In spite of all my economic beliefs, I feel very strongly about the street presence in this city. Furthermore, in spite of all my beliefs in the need for continual progress and change, I have a hard time accepting that this city must change. What I do accept is that housing supply has to change, just not through skyscrapers even if I do appreciate the work of HdM…
To read the entire article go to www.agentsofurbanism.com/2008/09/27/paris-changes-the-future-of-urban-form.

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Top Architects Unveil Vision for Paris of the Future
PARIS, March 10 (AFP) Mar 10, 2009
Space Daily
www.spacedaily.com
Imagine a leafy Central Park filled with strolling Parisians where a rundown housing estate now stands, Paris boulevards turned into greenbelts, or a super-fast elevated train for commuters. These are some of the ideas coming from Europe’s cutting-edge architects who are unveiling their grand vision for a bigger and greener Paris this month.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy last June asked 10 teams of architects and urban planners to imagine a “Grand Paris” that would be among the world’s most environmentally-friendly and boldly designed capitals.
The project has been billed as the most ambitious since Baron Haussmann dramatically changed the face of Paris in the mid-19th century when he carved out wide boulevards and the famed Champs Elysees.
For this plan, the chosen visionaries include three Pritzker Prize winners: Richard Rogers of Britain, who gave Paris the Pompidou modern arts centre, Jean Nouvel, who recently won a bid for a landmark Paris skyscraper and Christian de Portzamparc, considered a leading light on urban re-think.
The challenge for the 10 teams was imagining a European metropolis in 30 years time that would be the world’s first “post-Kyoto” green urban centre and whose borders would extend beyond the city’s current two-million residents.
After nine months of work, the architects have come up with a diagnosis on what ails Paris: its grimy suburbs are not only an eyesore, but an affront to urban living, far removed from shops, workplaces and Paris city centre…
To read the entire article go to http://www.spacedaily.com/2006/090310050543.4jmvst5c.html.

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Special Hot Property Reduced for FPI Subscribers
Chalet Beaumont, Chamonix, France
Chalet Beaumont: A unique mountainside chalet comprising of 7/9 apartments in Chamonix, France available for private sale.
The Chalet Beaumont apartments are situated in a spectacular location at the foot of Mont Blanc, perfect for those wishing to enjoy peaceful surroundings with easy access to the hustle and bustle of Chamonix town.
* 7/9 apartments total of 409m2 on 4 levels and 3573m2 of land.
* 255m2 renovated between 2003 and 2005 in the style of “developer MGM” (including new plumbing and wiring)
154m2 original
* All apartments fully furnished and equipped, mostly by “Cocktail Scandinave”, all new between 2003-2005 including all cookers and fridges.
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* Enormous potential to add value services eg catering, minibus resort/transfer service, ski/board tuition etc.
* Asking Price: Euro 2,495,000
FOR OUR SUBSCRIBERS: Euro 1,995,000 (discount of 500 000 €!)
To inquire further email [email protected].

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Foster+Partners Unveils Designs for New Mixed-use Community in Paris
3/11/09
Foster+Partners
www.fosterandpartners.com
Hermitage Plaza will create a new community to the east of La Défense, in Courbevoie, that extends down to the river Seine with cafés, shops and a sunny public plaza at its heart. Revealed by Foster+Partners at MIPIM in Cannes, the project incorporates two 323-metre-high buildings – the tallest mixed-use towers in Western Europe – which will establish a distinctive symbol for this new urban destination on the Paris skyline.
The result of a close collaboration with EPAD, the City of Courbevoie, Atelier de Paysage Urbain and Département de Hauts-de-Seine, the project is intended to inject life into the area east of La Défense by creating a sustainable, high-density community. Due to start on site in 2010 and complete by the end of 2014, the two towers accommodate a hotel, spa, panoramic apartments, offices and serviced apartments, as well as shops at the base.
Forming two interlocking triangles on plan, the buildings face one another at ground level. Open and permeable to encourage people to walk through the site, the towers enclose a public piazza which establishes the social focus. As they rise, the towers transform, turning outward to address views across Paris. The glazed façade panels catch the light, the sun animating different facets of the buildings as it changes direction throughout the day. The angle of the panels promotes self-shading and vents can be opened to draw fresh air inside, contributing to an environmental strategy
that targets
a BREEAM ‘excellent’ rating. The diagrid structure is not only highly efficient – doing more with less – but it emphasises the elegant proportions of the towers…
To read the entire announcement go to www.fosterandpartners.com/News/369/Default.aspx.

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TODAY’S CURRENCY UPDATE
www.Moneycorp.com
Visit the FPI Web site and click on the link on the left panel or click here for Currency Currency Convertor by Moneycorp Global Money Services/Currency Online by Moneycorp: Moneycorp Currency Conversion Tool for up to the minute conversions of all major currencies.
Compare currency values easily and quickly by visiting:
www.Moneycorp.com/agent/parlerparis/Currency Convertor by Moneycorp Global Money Services/Currency Online.asp
Charts: www.Moneycorp.co.uk/members/charts.asp The charts are updated every ten seconds.
The prices shown are “inter bank” exchange rates and are not the rates that you will be offered by Moneycorp. Your rate will be determined by the amount of currency that you are buying. Please speak with an Moneycorp dealer or your consultant for a live quotation.

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PARLER PARIS APARTMENTS
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% guaranteed satisfaction.
SPOTLIGHT APARTMENT: Le Château Saint-Germain
Rue de Bourbon le Château, 6th Arrondissement
Saint-Germain-des-Prés
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 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 streets and the courtyard. Every inch of the apartment was renovated within the last few years and no detail was spared. Upon entering the foyer, you may choose to turn left to enter the open living room/dining room/kitchen, positioned on two living levels, adorned by columns, a stone fireplace, tall windows and a state-of-the-art contemporary kitchen. Furnishings are antique and elegant, but inviting, friendly and comfortable.
The all encompassing and spacious central core of the apartment is where everyone will want to be — equipped with a large flat-screen TV, DVD player, high-speed Internet with WiFi, stereo, fireplace and open kitchen where a full buffet can be served from the long butcher-block island. It’s a perfect venue for entertaining and relaxing after a long day of sightseeing in the City of Light.
At one end of the dining room which comfortably seats eight, an original painted portrait of the “lady of the manor” by American artist in Paris Kathy Burke, hangs in honor
of th
e owner with an amused eye on her happy guests. From the portrait, to the left down the stone-walled corridor, you will find a luxurious suite with twin beds which convert to one queen-king-sized bed, a shower, toilet, deep open bathtub with hand-held shower, heated towel rack and vanity with sink. Its windows overlook the courtyard for full calm and privacy.
On the opposite corner of the living room, a door framed with 18th-century hand-carved wood leads you to the suite whose woodwork and curved wall was discovered during the complete renovation of the apartment. From the windows on both sides of the room, you have a perfect view of the Benedictine Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés and all down rue de l’Abbaye. Light pours in these windows onto the golden tones of the boudoir’s decor of antique furnishings and Provençal fabrics. A contemporary shower with toilet and heated towel rack is adjacent and an additional antique sink/vanity accents the feminine room.
From the foyer, if you turn right from the main entrance, you find a laundry room with washer/dryer and further down the hall, the third bedroom suite. This part of the apartment can be an independent studio with an entrance direct to the main stairwell of the building. It has a full bathroom adjacent to it which is also accessible from the foyer with a shower, toilet, antique wash basin and large window overlooking the side street of rue de l’Echaudé. This is a perfect spot for a couple, nanny or kids who want their own TV and entertainment center and separate entrance.
Le Château Saint-Germain affords an authentic spirit of the City of Paris and of this particular spot on the Left Bank, where history is oozing from its cobblestoned narrow ancient streets. You will revel in every minute of your stay in such a beautiful and elegant “home-away-from home.”
For more information and to reserve your stay in Paris now, visit www.adrianleeds.com/parlerparis/apartments/rentals/saint-germain.html or email: [email protected]

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Salon National de l’Immobilier
March 19 – 22, 2009

The Notaires de Paris-Ile-de-France participate in the upcoming Salon National de l’Immobilier March 19 -22 to take place at the Porte de Versailles in Paris. On this occasion, the Notaires offer a stand (number 31) where someone will be there to answer your questions all day, every day of the fair.
 
To receive a free invitation, go to www.salonimmobilier.com

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HOT PROPERTY PICKS: Higher Housing Highlights
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.
As we are not a real estate agency. These properties do not constitute a sales listing. For those readers seriously interested in finding property in Paris or France, you can retain our services to do the whole thing for you. For more information, visit https://adrianleeds.com/wp-content/uploads/newsletters/frenchproperty/consultation
This week our focus is on newer, highrise apartments found in and around Paris.
***Paris, 20th arrond.: 1-Bedroom, approx. 40m²
This high standard development in Paris comprises 12 apartments from one to three bedrooms. The apartments are heat insulated and soundproof (double glazing). They have individual electric heating. The windows have electric sliding shutters. The quarter is one of the latest developing picturesque quarters in Paris. It is special in its village aspect and its cultural and artistic community.
Asking Price: 228 000€ + 2.5% Finder’s Fee
***Paris, 19th arrond.: 1-Bedroom, approx. 47m²
This high standard development ideally located in the heart of Paris comprises 48 apartments ranging from one to four bedrooms. The apartments are heat insulated and soundproof (double glazing windows) and have individual electric heating. The windows have electric sliding shutters. Each apartment offers either a terrace or a balcony (depending on the size of the unit). The residence offers a lift, video door phone and secured entrance. You will benefit from cellars and designated area in the private underground car park. The car park door opens automatically thanks to a remote control. There is also a ventilation system of fresh air throughout the residence.
Asking Price: 294 000€ + 2.5% Finder’s Fee
***Paris, 17th arrond.: 1 to
4-Bedroom, approx. 130m²
Apartments in a residential development in inner Paris. Properties range from studios to four bedrooms. In the 17th arrondissement of Paris within walking distance of the Porte de Clichy metro station. This new residential development is appealing for its location and innovative high quality specification. The project consists of 24 apartments set in two small buildings of contemporary architecture and with lifts. Most apartments enjoy a pleasant south or south west outlook and benefit from a balcony or terrace. Secure underground parking is available for most properties.
Asking Price: 257 000€ to 659 000€ + 2.5% Finder’s Fee
***Paris, La Défense: Studio to 2-Bedroom, approx. 28 to 54m²
Located in the heart of the largest business area in Paris, also known as the 21st arrondissement and directly linked to Paris via the metro and RER. La Défense is the prime high-rise office district of Paris where the tallest buildings in the city can be found. This is a superbly located development of 98 apartments right on the esplanade. The development is just a two minute walk away from the subway station which is Line 1 direct to the heart of Paris.
Asking Price: 230 000€ to 527 000€ + 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. Though the site has a button for an English version, it isn’t necessarily reliable.
To read Schuyler Hoffman’s article about the property auctions in Paris, click on:
www.adrianleeds.com/frenchproperty/insider/members/content/articles/auctions1.html
On March 31, 2009 the following properties will be auctioned off:
 
2009-05-01
5 PIECES 128,80 m² + CHAMBRE DE SERVICE 16 m²
37 avenue Bugeaud
68 à 72 rue des Belles feuilles
75016 PARIS 16eme
Starting Bid: 1 089 000,00 €
Deposit: 217 800,00 €
 
2009-05-02
4 PIECES 57,50 m²
10 rue des Francs Bourgeois
75003 PARIS 3eme
Starting Bid: 360 000,00 €
Deposit: 72 000,00 €
 
 
 
2009-05-05
STUDIO 24,11 m²
8 rue Houdart de Lamotte
75015 PARIS 15eme
Starting Bid: 132 000,00 €
Deposit: 26 400,00 €
 
 
 
2009-05-08
STUDIO 21,40 m²
110 rue de Montreuil
75011 PARIS 11eme
Starting Bid: 98 000,00 €
Deposit: 19 600,00 €
 
 
 

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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 want 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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Planning More Living and Investing in France Conferences
London
Sunday, April 26, 2009
The International Law Partnership
The Vaults, Holborn Hall
193-197 High Holborn
London WC1V 7BD
For more information, email [email protected]/london
Paris
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Chez Jenny
3, Boulevard du Temple
75003 Paris
For more information, email [email protected]/paris

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Parler Paris Aprs Midi

 
www.adrianleeds.com/parlerparis/apresmidi.html
Come for a drink and to meet and chat with other readers in Paris…
The next gathering is April 14, 2009 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
“Past Issues” link on the left under “Subscribers Only” or by going to
www.adrianleeds.com/frenchproperty/insider/members
To 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 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
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