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"The Aveyron, L'Aubergine and Autolib"

Volume V, Issue 6

Our police escort
Our police escort

The renovation of our newest short term apartment rental, “L’Aubergine,” is complete and ready for guests. It’s the property of an FPI reader and the design talents of Martine di Matteo — in luscious shades of violet, silver and taupe. The apartment was originally just two simple boxy rooms with no character whatsoever, but in a great location, on a quiet courtyard — with lots of potential. The outcome is miraculous!…it is absolute heaven.
Martine is currently working on my own apartment while I’m living in “Le Provençal.” Today I report on the progress of the renovation as well as what it’s like to live in 16.5 square meters (way more fun than I expected!).
In today’s issue we are enlightened by what is to come for the City of Paris thanks to the visions of our illustrious Mayor who is campaigning for re-election. Read the entire report and be awed by what’s in store for the City of Light.
There’s new information on the hot spot of France — the Tarn in the Aveyron. This is an undiscovered part of France that Thirza Vallois has spent the last several years getting to know intimately and writing about it. We have a special excerpt from her latest book, “Aveyron, A Bridge to French Arcadia” and an article on why this is such a great place to invest and live. See the Hot Properties for some juicy prospects.
I leave next Thursday headed for Miami for the Living and Investing in France Real Estate Conference February 16-17, 2008. Let me remind you that there are still places if you wish to attend and to those who aren’t attending but would like to join us for dinner, we’d be happy to have you. Visit https://adrianleeds.com/wp-content/uploads/newsletters/parlerparis/liveinfrance/LIF_Miami_AF_Feb_2008/index.html for more information and to register online.

A bientôt…

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

P.S. Over the course of the next few weeks, I’ll be writing you from Florida and New York where I hope to meet many of you. Before I leave, be sure to visit with me and readers of FPI and Parler Paris at next week’s monthly coffee gathering at Parler Paris Après Midi, Tuesday 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at La Pierre du Marais. Visit https://adrianleeds.com/wp-content/uploads/newsletters/parlerparis/apresmidi.html for more information.
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Volume V, Issue 6, February 7, 2008

In this issue:

* Future Paris Improvements
* Saintonge Renovation Continues…
* French Property a Good Investment
* Languedoc-Roussillon Hotspot
* Tempting Tarn Valley
* “Aveyron, A Bridge to French Arcadia” Excerpt
* A Tour of Tarn
* Fractional Ownership Solution – New Property Listing!
* Living and Investing in France Conference, February 16-17, 2008, Miami
* FPI Property Consultation, Search and Relocation Solutions
* Today’s Currency Update from Moneycorp
* Next Parler Paris Après-Midi: February 12, 2008
* Hot Property Picks: Tarn Temptations
* On the Auction Block: February 12 and 19, 2008
* Leasebacks: Residence du Golf, France, Paris / Ile de France, Ennery
* Managing Your FPI Subscription
* Classified Advertising: Parler Paris Apartments — Les Portes de Notre Dame

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AutolibThe Future of Paris
By Adrian Leeds

Bertrand Delanöe, the Mayor of the City of Light, is campaigning for re-election this March. As part of his campaign, he has issued a special publication reporting on the future projects from 2008 to 2014 and on the front cover he has said, “I want each Parisian to play a role in his city, and that Paris plays a role in the world.”
The 12-page four-color tabloid sized report is distributed free to all citizens outlining what’s in store for Paris over the next six years. The categories include: housing, transportation, public space, environment, research, urbanism, employment, democracy, health, child care, education, sports, youth, lifestyle, security, poverty, equality, handicapped, senior, pollution, business, culture, commerce, arts, Internet and International
relations. It’s an
aggressive platform with some astonishing hopes and expectations.

Let me enlighten you on just a few:
By the year 2000, there will be 2000+ “Autolib” electric and hybrid motorized public rental cars on the streets of Paris! Modeled after the “Vélib” public rental bike system, it’s designed to provide more inexpensive non-polluting public transportation. “En plus,” there will be more public transport boats on the river, more bicycle lanes, financial aid to purchasers of two-wheel vehicles and revisions in the taxi codes to put more on the streets.
Areas of the city now paved for traffic will become greener, such as Place de la République, which will reroute the traffic around a central grass-laden park. Thirty hectares of green space will be added, a planted walkway will be added to areas around the “Petite Ceinture” and even the quality of the water is scheduled for improvement.
To combat discrimination, particularly in the workplace, three new employment centers will be established for immigrants and a Charter of Equality in the Workplace will be written. A Festival of Cultures is in the planning stages.
By 2012, the City of Paris will be completely covered with free WiFi high speed Internet access and public Internet stations will be established.
These are just a few! If M. Delanõe accomplishes all he sets out to, Paris will become even more desirable as a place to live and as a vacation destination than it already is. How is that possible?! One thing for sure…property values will continue to rise with each improvement.
To read the entire report (in French) you may download a pdf document by visiting this link:
http://bertranddelanoe.net/vlog-paris/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/projet_2008_2014_12p.pdf

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saintonge renovationSprucing Up Rue de Saintonge and Getting Comfortable on Rue Charlot
By Adrian Leeds

I’ve dreaded the thought of renovating my rue de Saintonge apartment for years…emptying out the “bibliotèque” (bookshelves), the sprawling desks, files, electronic equipment and spaghetti of electrical cords, moving the furniture, and moving out of my own apartment to allow for the badly needed renovation.
The living room and bath were the last to see a face lift, knowing that the only way to do it was to literally move out of the apartment while the work was underway. Thanks to the low winter season allowing availability of “Le Provençal” (my rental studio on rue Charlot, https://adrianleeds.com/wp-content/uploads/newsletters/parlerparis/apartments/rentals/provencal.html) I was able to have a place to live and work just around the corner from the “chantier” (building site).
Le Provençal has surprised even me. All the renters wrote glowing praise of their stays there, but until I had experienced it myself, it was just their hearsay. Living and working full time in 16.5 square meters concerned me and for months in advance, the logistics rolled around in my brain — Where would there be space to put the printer? How would it be arranged to have the files close at hand? How would it feel to have so little space to be in while working long hours at the computer?
Now two weeks later, with the advent of moving OUT next week to head to Miami for the Living and Investing in France Conference, I’m loathe to leave. This tiny space is everything I had wanted it to be for my guests and now I know its true value as a successful rental apartment. Two months of renovation and attention to every detail definitely paid off.
saintonge renovationFor those of you preparing a rental apartment, here are some of the most important features: a comfortable bed (this IKEA mattress is a dream), a luscious shower (it has a rainhead and a handheld), good lighting (a bedside table lamp on each side, a light over the kitchen counter and a spotlight over the mirror in the bathroom), electronics that function (satellite TV, DVD player, VOIP phone with answering machine, CD player and radio), mirrors everywhere (to make it seem larger and allow you to check your lipstick before you leave), plus little important gadgets like an alarm clock, a hook for your robe, lots of hangers, a clothing hamper, etc. In the kitchen, nothing is missing, down to the espresso cups and espresso maker, cork screw, wine rack, pots, pans, dishes, glasses of all sizes and the basic foods and spices like olive oil, sugar, honey, etc.
Don’t miss the biggest feature of all — decor. Everyone who has stayed has said it was impossible to be depressed in all this bright color. I’m here to tell you it’s true. Sunny Provençal colors have made me feel sunnier and happier than ever — like I’m glowing from the inside — all from 16.5 square meters of multi-colored mosaic tiles, yellow walls and flowered patterns.
So, now I’m thinking…do I really need to do all that renovation in the homestead!? “Tant pis, trop tard” (too bad, too late)!
Rue de Saintonge is a “vrai chantier” — a real building site which looks more like a war zone than an apartment. The once gray marble bath is just a big pile of rubble. The bath tub that soothed my aching bones every Sunday morning like clockwork isn’t fit for more than the debris that fills it. Anything of importance has been tucked away into the two bedrooms while the living room has been stripped down to the bare walls. Plastic covers the doors to the adjoining bedrooms to reduce the dust (almost impossible to keep out!). The kitchen is inaccessible thanks to the was
hing
machine and other appliances that had nowhere else to go.

Every day I stop up to see the progress. New electrical wiring is being installed to replace the old plugs and add dozens of new ones. The cracks (that keep coming back) are getting special treatment so hopefully they won’t return for quite a while. The hole where the mouse keeps popping in is getting plugged. The ceiling will remain uneven — that’s part of the 17th-century charm, but molding will be added to hopefully hide some of the more acute imperfections.
Martine di MatteoMartine di Matteo is the official Interior Architect and Project Manager. She notices every detail and thinks through the logistical situations. Working hand in hand with the contractor, they promise it to be ready upon my return at the end of the month — ready enough for me to move back in.
The cabinet maker is offsite constructing a new double desk unit that will fit from one end to the other, cabinetry above the bookshelves to hide the unsightly file boxes, a complete bathroom unit of cabinetry, drawers, medicine chest and counter space, plus a cornice over the drapes to hide the rods and new lighting. Mirrors are being added to the dining room wall, the inside of both the bathroom and toilet and in the foyer (remember?…to check your lipstick before leaving!). A small sink is being added to the toilet to turn it into a real “powder room.”
Martine has sent the couch and chairs out for reupholstering (believe it or not, to M. Charlot!) in brushed gold and silver canvas and is having sconces and a chandelier made to match. The drapes will be pleated, not drapey in white with a silvery thread.
The bathroom is getting a new white square sink, a simple tub to fit the small space, a large shower head and glass doors. The tile will be all white with black grout and the counter top of black with black grout for a classic ’40s retro look which will mirror the kitchen at the other end of the apartment — like bookends.
It’s a totally new look and it promises to make the room look even more spacious than it is.
Next week, I’ll give you an update on the progress — the true test being in the timing. Do you want to make bets on whether I’ll be able to move back in on the 29th or have to move back to the Provençal for a while?
Editor’s note: Martine di Matteo just completed our newest short term apartment rental, “L’Aubergine.” To see photos of her beautiful work, visit https://adrianleeds.com/wp-content/uploads/newsletters/parlerparis/apartments/rentals/aubergine.html
To contact her, email her at [email protected]

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French propertyA Property Market Bubble?
From http://www.easier.com

The uncertainty surrounding the international stock market (French included) is leading more French households towards property investment. With UK property investors being put off by a deflating home market, following Les Français is now distinguishing itself as the most attractive prospect.
Despite all the recent headlines about a certain broker, France is not a country of gamblers, far from it, so no wonder that French households prefer property to shares investment: the French concept of investment is all about security, traditional and predictable assets that will appreciate and be passed on to the next generation. According to the latest study from French newspaper Le Figaro, last month’s black Monday is very likely to push even more French households towards property, either now or once the stock market has stabilized. Least affected share holders are set to liquidate their portfolio and re-invest in bricks and mortar instead – as has already been the case last year following the ‘Dotcom’ crash.
So, where are the best buys? As VEF predicted last year, the market is getting more and more refined and at a time where security prevails, the preferred locations are city centers, business parks and the niche luxury property market, which are a safer bet than rural areas and small towns – these logically see less demand from the home market, due to their more volatile appreciation, rental and resale potential.
Rental returns for Buy-to-Lets is likely to settle at around 4 to 4.5% p.a. at best this year (which remains attractive) and this percentage could decrease further the more you wait to invest due to the growing gap between property prices (linked to increasing market demands) and rental rates (linked to slow household wages increase). This is good news for the established leaseback market which continues to offer attractive guaranteed yields above 5.5% p.a. but beware of over-promising promoters who could lure investors with unrealistic yields which will have to be lowered eventually: attractive location, amenities, targeted clientele and access to the property are good giveaways of a realistic high-yield leaseback property.
The predicted rise in French property investment and reported market appreciation are good news for British and Irish investors and following in French investors’ footsteps would definitely be a wise move which is set to pay off in the long run; the prospect of safety offered by realistically priced property with strong home demands will ensure good yields, resale potential and eventually return on investment.
So, in essence, there is no need to gamble to increase your profits: chose the safe route instead and avoid a lot of trouble! If only this could apply to some brokers.
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french propertyHot in France
From http://www.assetz.co.uk

In the midst of the recent gloom that has encircled much of the property world following the credit crunch, it appears that France is enjoying a rather better time of it than some places.
That, at least, is the verdict from VEF, the French property company which has been suggesting of late that the country is doing very well. It has predicted that the market will see a ten per cent rise in values this year, in contrast to many other European locations.
A number of places have been mentioned as possible hotspots in the country. Last year plenty of attention was paid from many quarters to the north of the country due to the arrival of the new Eurostar service, which cuts 20 minutes off the journey times between London and Paris, while the government under Mr. Sarkozy was keen to boost property investment and make France a nation of homeowners.
One of the key locations in the south of the country which has been mentioned more than once is Languedoc-Roussillon. Property investment portal Homesworldwide.com said that property prices had been tipped to rise this year, with statistics from the Association of the Notaires de France showing that a couple of departments in the region, Gard and Herault, had been doing particularly well.
Among the most notable trends here were an 18 per cent rise in resale apartment prices, a 15 per cent appreciation for houses and a five per cent increase for new builds.
Property consultant Phillipa Pignat of Chestertons International told the Web site: “Languedoc is attracting an increasing number of international purchasers, partly due to the number of airports working in collaboration with low cost airlines.” The site adds to this that the region is served by no less than five airports and one of them, Beziers, is about to start a new route to and from Bristol.
If Languedoc is carrying a torch for the south of France, Bordeaux on the Atlantic coast is another location tipped for a bright year.
Reporting on the city, Finance Daily stated that experts believe foreign investors will help push up prices in the city, particularly in the suburbs where British buyers are already said to have raised the local values of homes. (The central areas of the city remain occupied mainly by French householders).
Thus, there are a number of locations where those looking to invest in French property appear to have good opportunities. Those credit crunch clouds may look a lot less threatening over France’s hotspots.
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TarnProperty Prospects Tarn by the Riverside
From http://www.assetz.co.uk
The possibilities that France offers for property investors, holidaymakers, cross-channel commuters and emigrants alike have all been talked about at length in recent months. Still one of the two largest markets for UK investors, Britain’s nearest continental neighbor appears to still offer a wide variety of possibilities.
Much of this, of course, is based on the traditions and culture of the country, with wine lovers attracted to the southern half of the country in substantial numbers, not just from Britain but from all over the world.
Evidence of this comes from Bordeaux, where top-end property has become a hot market for a cosmopolitan clientele, AFP has reported. Chinese investors have stolen a march on Russian and Chinese incomers in snapping up chateaux with large vineyards.
AFP’s report noted that the attraction of the finest wineries in the world, rather than finding pleasant places to live, was the motivation for such investment. But the appeal of such areas may indeed prompt many to line up property close to the place of origin of their favorite tipple.
But while Bordeaux is much sought after and thus likely to be costlier, the Tarn valley may offer a lower priced alternative in a scenic location.
According to French Property News, this location offers outstanding scenery, the highest road bridge in the world at Millau, renaissance architecture and microclimates with their own vineyards, the report adds.
What may be of greater interest are the prices in this area, starting with buildings that can be renovated at €11,000 (£8,300) through to a two-bedroom stone house at €122,000 or a four-bedroom house at €250,000. The report suggested these would make good holiday homes, something buy-to-let investors may consider.
While the Tarn Valley offers a different option for investors to think about, the overall market is a sound one for investors, Easier property has said. It stated that the French themselves prefer the long-term security of bricks and mortar to stocks and shares, adding that a recent survey in Le Figaro newspaper may push investors in France yet further towards the property option as the stock markets wobble.
Buy-to-let investors, Easier stated, can enjoy guaranteed returns at an “attractive” level of 4 to 4.5 per cent, or in excess of 5.5 per cent on leaseback deals. In the second case, the report warned, investors may need to look out for the occasional excessive promise from promoters, but said locations with good amenities, location and access would be strong prospects for high yields.
Thus while high-end properties in Bordeaux are chased by big investors all over the world, the smaller investor, it appears, can still find value for m
oney
and good return potential in many locations in France.

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Thirza ValloisExcerpt from “Aveyron, A Bridge to French Arcadia”
By Thirza Vallois
http://www.ThirzaVallois.com

INTRODUCTION
I was surprised to discover that people in Aveyron resent the expression la France profonde. They interpret it as condescending, implying a backwater inhabited by country bumpkins. No matter how hard you insist you meant it as a compliment to a rural area that has preserved its authenticity, the Aveyronnais will look at you suspiciously, or at best dubiously, and understandably so, since not so long ago the Aveyron was precisely this, backward and underdeveloped. Today, still, the keen observer will detect remnants of those times here and there, even in its main towns (the largest of which, Rodez, has only 53,785 inhabitants, and that’s including the suburbs).
The phrase sounds particularly offensive when uttered by the ‘cousins’ who have made it in Paris, les Parisiens — not a very popular lot down here who, I’ve been told, behave as if they own the place when they come down for their holidays. Some 320,000 of them live in the Paris area, sometimes going back several generations. There are many more who have by now been diluted into the general population and no longer identify with the homeland. This is the largest French community living in the capital, outnumbering the Bretons and the 263,000 who reside in the Aveyron, over half of whom are actually outsiders. That’s without counting their compatriots who moved further afield and left us no statistics, and whose success stories reach as far as California and the Argentinean Pampa.
No matter where they have settled, the Aveyronnais Diaspora has always been dynamic, enterprising, hard working and intelligent — the perfect combination of ingredients for success. Added to this is a shrewd business sense inherited from their peasant ancestors which, in Paris, helped them conquer the entire café industry. All the legendary cafés once frequented by Jean-Paul Sartre, Simon de Beauvoir and other Ernest Hemingways, belonged to Aveyronnais. Many still do. In California, some of them were equally successful in the laundry business, which later shifted into Chinese hands. I am yet to find out whether Thomas Keller’s famous restaurant The French Laundry in Napa Valley was not initially a French laundry owned by an Aveyronnais.
Life was no bed of roses back home, a hilly, rugged land, spreading over 873,512 hectares ( 3386 sq. m) on the southern edge of the Massif Central. Winters were harsh, hillsides were steep, the soil was poor and the road network was inadequate, leaving its mosaic of miniature regions cut off from one another, and the area as a whole isolated from the outside world. Other than in Roman times, highways always shunned it in favor of the more convenient basin of the Rhône to the east and the Garonne Valley to the west. Even today, when technology can defy natural obstacles, the high-speed TGV has chosen to skirt it, simply because it would not have paid off to bring it over. Guidebooks followed suit, inexcusably, brushing over one of the country’s most compelling areas with impunity. No wonder most foreigners have never heard of the Aveyron. Those who think they have are often embarrassed to find out they had confused it with the town of Avignon. When guidebooks do mention some of its sites, rather than situate them in the Aveyron, where they belong, they incorporate them into overlapping geographical or historical regions — the Quercy for instance, which takes in Western Aveyron, thus adding to the confusion.
To clarify matters, the Aveyron was one of the 83 départements (administrative districts) created during the French Revolution, when the nationalized territory was redistributed (today there are 95 départements in metropolitan France). By and large, it replaced the old province of Rouergue and was renamed after the most central of its three main rivers, the other two being the Lot and the Tarn, to the north and to the south respectively. All three rivers are tributaries of the Garonne, but the Aveyron alone takes its source in the département, by Sévérac-le-Château. Owing to its isolation, the Rouergue remained a distinct entity and developed a strong individual character and a unique identity, at once quintessentially French yet mysteriously different, going back to the ancient Celts for sure, perhaps to dawns unknown. This is la France profonde at its deepest, as tenaciously rooted in its identity as it was in its struggle to survive in an inhospitable environment. It was that tenacity that enabled the Aveyronnais of Paris to pile up small fortunes of francs behind their café counters, when given half a chance. But the homeland offered no such opportunities and lagged behind. It was archaic, remote, and deserted en masse by its natives.
But France was changing, putting aside the unpleasant parenthesis of the Occupation and shaking off the dust of the past. Optimism reigned supreme in the 1960s, striding towards prosperity to the delight of French households, and also towards the advent of the consumer age, which was not to everyone’s liking. Following the legacy of the May 1968 ‘événements’, many young people turned their backs on the alienating city and wandered through the French countryside in search of Arcadia. Some found it in the Aveyron where they settled under the newly coined label of néo-Aveyronnais, often in old, deserted farmhouses they bought and did up for a song. The natives eyed them with suspicion and overall did not welcome their arrival, but it’s a good thing they came, because they injected young blood and breathed new vitality into an area that was in danger of dying out.
Imbued with the energy of 1968, the politically-minded among these néo-Aveyronnais headed south, towards the vast uplands of the Larzac, where they joined forces with some natives under the umbrella of the Confédération Paysanne. Led by the high media profi
le J
osé Bové, they fought a ten-year, nationwide battle from 1971 to 1981 against the extension of a military camp at a place called La Cavalerie. Since then the Larzac has remained a hotbed of political activism, taking on all the planet’s ideological struggles. focusing at present on the ecological repercussions of globalization. Hence their fight against malbouffe (junk food), which led to the dismantling of the McDonald in nearby Millau and to the destruction of genetically modified crops, of which more later. How extraordinary that this remote, empty corner of France was picked out in August 2003 to host a gigantic protest with international coverage against the World Trade Organization meeting in Cancun, Mexico. Driving through the empty Larzac, the Confédération Paysanne’s giant graffitis stand out against the vast horizons, yet the majority of Aveyronnais are hardly sympathetic to the movement. On the other hand, they often do share their dislike for Brussels whose agricultural legislation is threatening to destroy that very rural France the néo-Aveyronnais came seeking.

Your average Aveyronnais is no revolutionary. He is hard working and wished to enjoy some of the windfalls of the post-war national prosperity, which he converted into boring modern bungalows that scarred the landscape but had running water and bathrooms. This was only a gesture towards progress, however. Big-scale development could only be hoped for by breaking through the area’s isolation. It took twenty years of Aveyronnais tenacity to persuade the authorities in Paris to bring over a north-south axis of the motorway, but it still needed to be joined to the strip lying south of the Tarn Valley. The Millau Viaduct now provides the hitherto missing link that will eventually bring together northern and southern Europe. It is a twist of history that faraway Aveyron may one day become a major pivot of international communications. No less paradoxical is the fact that the world’s tallest and most spectacularly contemporary bridge should stand like an emblematic spearhead towards the future in an area where the most ancient past of France has been recorded.
While we visitors meander through the countryside in search of a quaint, perched village, the local inhabitants of the Aveyron get wired to the Internet. Today’s Aveyron has become the breeding ground of a new creative, forward-looking generation, a mix of natives, néos, and an increasing number of foreigners, who are no less miffed by the old picture-postcard image of the Aveyron than others are by the phrase la France Profonde. But somehow they have managed to update the picture-postcard rather than do away with it — and this is the key to their unique achievement. My journey to the Aveyron allowed me to see and hear several of their success stories. Thanks to this new breed of inhabitants, the Aveyron is undergoing a stupendous transformation which is turning it into the up-and-coming département of contemporary France. This was confirmed by a survey conducted by the French magazine l’Express which examined quality of life in metropolitan France by départements. Amazingly, the one-time destitute, backward Aveyron came out the winner!
Until recently the direct day train ride between Paris Gare d’Austerlitz and Aveyron’s capital Rodez took 7 hours, a lovely slow-pace journey from Figeac on, stopping on its way at every little town. Despite petitions, the train was canceled in December 2006 because the line wasn’t deemed profitable enough, so now it takes even longer to get here by train. Distances in the Aveyron are still measured in time rather than in mileage. Modernity has stepped in, but tactfully. The slow-paced traveler will rejoice.
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TarnTouring Tarn
From http://www.wikipedia.com

Tarn is a department of 5 758 km² in the Midi-Pyrénées region in the south-west of France, named after the Tarn River.
It was formed in 1790 of the three dioceses of Albi, Castres and Lavaur, belonging to the province of Languedoc.
In 1906, the population was 330,533. In 1999, it stood at 343,402.
Tarn is bounded north and east by Aveyron, southeast by Herault, south by Aude, southwest and west by Haute-Garonne, northwest by Tarn-et-Garonne. The slope of the department is from east to west, and its general character is mountainous or hilly. Tarn’s three principal ranges lying to the south-east are: the Mountains of Lacaune, the Sidobre, and the Montagne Noire, belonging to the Cevennes. The stony and wind-blown slopes of the first named are used for pasture. The highest point of the range and of the department is the Pic de Montalet (about 4150 ft.); several other summits are not much short of this. The granite strewn plateaux of the Sidobre, from 1600 to 2000 ft high, separate the valley of the River Agout from that of its western tributary, the River Thoré. The Montagne Noire, on the southern border of the department, derives its name from the forests on its northern slope, and some of its peaks are from 3000 to 3500 feet high.
The limestone and sandstone foothills are clothed with vines and fruit trees, and are broken by deep alluvial valleys of particular fertility. With the exception of a small portion of the Montagne Noire, which drains into the River Aude, the whole department belongs to the basin of the Garonne. The eastern portion of the department has the climate of Auvergne, the severest in France, but that of the plain is Girondin.
Of particular note in the department are Albi (the capital), Castres, Gaillac, Lavaur, Mazamet and Cordes.
Other places of interest are:
* Burlats, which has ruins of an old church and château
* Lisle d’Albi, a bastide with a church of the 14th century
* Penne which has ruins of a fine medieval château

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jardin saint paul

Le Jardin Saint Paul
View from the Bedroom

The “Fractional Ownership” Solution Update
By Adrian Leeds

https://adrianleeds.com/wp-content/uploads/newsletters/frenchproperty/consultation
Fractional ownership is a hybrid of direct ownership and time sharing, combining the best elements of both. The primary differences are that while timeshares involve many thousands of shares in a large complex with “resort” amenities and costs built specifically for that purpose, fractional ownership is joint ownership by only a few individuals in a single property whose value can easily be determined on the open market and for which there are very few, if any, resort amenities which must be managed and maintained (and paid for!). For Paris Home Shares, the city of Paris is it’s own resort!
See the Paris Home Shares Fractional Ownership Offerings:
LE JARDIN SAINT-PAUL — ONLY 3 SHARES LEFT!
The months currently available for 2008 are July, August and November.

Those who have purchased shares in Le Jardin Saint-Paul on Rue Ferdinand Duval, 4th Arrondissement, Le Marais, will be happy to know the renovation is complete! As a final touch, the granite counters were installed last weekend.
You can view a slide show of photos of the apartment at: http://www.flickr.com/gp/69276774@N00/07R372
To see a virtual visit of the apartment, click here: http://www.digitalive.fr/paris/tour.html
To those who have not yet purchased and are interested in learning more, the price of one share is now 92,000€. Only three shares remain for sale. They won’t last long.
To visit the site describing the property, visit
https://adrianleeds.com/wp-content/uploads/newsletters/frenchproperty/consultation/sales/fractional/jardinstpaul.html

Chez La TourNEW FRACTIONAL OWNERSHIP FOR SALE NEAR EIFFEL TOWER
Chez La Tour
Boulevard de Latour-Maubourg, 7th Arrondissement, Eiffel Tower
Two-Bedroom, 88.1 m2
99,500€ / 12 Shares Available
Available for Use May 2008

Price increase scheduled late February 2008: 109,900€/share
If you would like to receive more information on this apartment, VISIT https://adrianleeds.com/wp-content/uploads/newsletters/frenchproperty/consultation/sales/fractional/chezlatour.html
maison bleueNEW FRACTIONAL OWNERSHIP FOR SALE IN LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON
Maison Bleue
Three-Bedroom
52,500€ for the first four shares / 10 shares available
Available for 5 weeks/year

Maison Bleue is a 3 tiered, 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom village home, with an open living room/dining area and a fully appointed kitchen. The house is furnished with a combination of French antiques, wicker and pine furniture, firm beds, unique lighting, fully equipped kitchen and many decorative items. It also includes Satellite TV, telephone, washer and dryer and all dishware and linens.
If you would like to receive more information on this apartment, visit https://adrianleeds.com/wp-content/uploads/newsletters/frenchproperty/consultation/sales/fractional/maisonbleue.html
===============================
Living and Investing in France Real Estate Conference!
February 16-17, 2008
Alliance Française, Miami, Florida

If you’ve always dreamed of owning your own “pied-à-terre” in Paris or home in the Provinces of France, perhaps as a future retirement home or for now as investment property rented part of the year…this power-packed two-day conference is a MUST.
Hosted by Adrian Leeds, long time resident of Paris, Editor of the Parler Paris Nouvellettre® and French Property Insider weekly E-zine and John Howell, lead attorney for the International Law Partnership, London, these two days in Miami will point you in the right direction to make it really happen! Includes three course lunch and cocktail reception.
For more information and to register, visit: https://adrianleeds.com/wp-content/uploads/newsletters/frenchproperty/conference
Or email Schuyler Hoffman at [email protected]
===============================
French Property ConsultationProperty Consultation, Search and Relocation Solutions
https://adrianleeds.com/wp-content/uploads/newsletters/frenchproperty/consultation

Let French Property Insider expert property consultants find your dream home in France for you. We consult with you to help you make the best decisions, ferret out the finest properties to meet your criteria, schedule the visits and accompany you, negotiate with the agencies and owners, recommend the Notaires and other professionals, schedule the signings and oversee the purchase with you from start to finish! You could never do it so easily on your own. Let us take the time and effort off your hands.
FPI Offers More Relocation Solutions!
Moving to Paris? Our experienced relocation expert will make your move easy and hassle-free. We offer complete property and relocation services normally only provided by employer hired relocation firms…but at a price much more affordable for individuals.
Download Complete Brochure
https://adrianleeds.com/wp-content/uploads/newsletters/frenchproperty/consultation/fpibrochure.pdf

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TODAY’S CURRENCY UPDATE

Visit the FPI Web site and click on the link on the left panel or click here for Currency Convertor by Moneycorp Global Money Services: https://adrianleeds.com/wp-content/uploads/newsletters/frenchproperty/insider/moneycorpconvertor.html
for up to the minute conversions of all major currencies.

Compare currency values easily and quickly by visiting:
https://adrianleeds.com/frenchproperty/loan/moneycorpconvertor.html

Charts
http://www.Moneycorp.co.uk/members/charts.asp
The charts below 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.
===============================
Parler Paris Apres MidiParler Paris Après Midi
https://adrianleeds.com/wp-content/uploads/newsletters/parlerparis/apresmidi.html
Come for a drink and to meet and chat with other readers in Paris…
The next gathering is Feburary 12, 2008, and every second Tuesday of the month.
 
 
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HOT PROPERTY PICKS: Tarn Temptations
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
french property***Hoquet, House, 7 rooms, approx. 150m²
Let yourself be seduced by this magnificent house on 3000m² of land. The house is in excellent condition and of the highest quality.
Asking Price: 340,000€ + 2.5% Finder’s Fee
 
 
french property***Correze, House, 10 rooms, approx. 400m²
Grand master house from the 18th century on of 2100m² of land. Living room and dining room, each with a fireplace, kitchen, laundry, study with fireplace, 4 bedrooms, one with a bathroom, one with a fireplace, superb attic, cellar. The house has been restored, while keeping many of its original features such as stone walls.
Asking Price: 450,000€ + 2.5% Finder’s Fee
french property
french property***Landes, House, 9 rooms, approx. 350m²
A beautiful character house from the 17th century, recently renovated on a 2ha park. Large living room with fireplace, fully equipped kitchen, office, 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, two toilets, mezzanine, attic
. Park of 2ha

Asking Price: 484,000€ + 2.5% Finder’s Fee
french property
===============================
Paris Auctions
http://www.encheres-Paris.com

Next Sessions: February 12 and 19, 2008 at 2 p.m.
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 http://www.encheres-Paris.com/ Though the site has a button for an English version, it isn’t reliable to work.
To read Schuyler Hoffman’s article about the property auctions in Paris, click on:
https://adrianleeds.com/wp-content/uploads/newsletters/frenchproperty/insider/members/content/articles/auctions1.html

February 12, 2008 at 2 p.m.

paris auctions 15 rue du Louvre
75001 PARIS 1st
Opening Bid: 320,000€
Deposit: 64,000€
paris auctions STUDIO 36,6 m² + 2,5 m² outside Loi Carrez
15 rue du Louvre
75001 PARIS 1st
Opening Bid: 230,000€
Deposit: 46,000€

February 19, 2008 at 2 p.m.

STUDIO 16,8 m²
53 rue Damrémont
75018 PARIS 18th
Opening Bid: 63,000€
Deposit: 12,600€
4 rooms 95,7 m² rented
18 boulevard des Filles du Calvaire
75011 PARIS 11th
Opening Bid: 365,000€
Deposit: 73,000€
STUDIO 19,50 m²
18-18 bis rue de Bellefond
75009 PARIS 9th
Opening Bid: 50,000€
Deposit: 10,000€
3 rooms 44 m²
18-18 18 bis rue de Bellefond
75009 PARIS 9th
Opening Bid: 185,000€
Deposit: 37,000€
4 rooms 73,2 m² + balcony
6 rue Achille Martinet
75018 PARIS 18th
Opening Bid: 320,000€
Deposit: 64,000€
STUDIO 29,2 m² + balcony
6 rue Achille Martinet
75018 PARIS 18th
Opening Bid: 130,000€
Deposit: 26,000€

===============================
LEASEBACK NEWS FROM IMOINVEST
https://adrianleeds.com/wp-content/uploads/newsletters/frenchproperty/insider/sales/leasebacks/lb_list.php
French leasebacksRESIDENCE DU GOLF
France, Paris / Ile de France, Ennery

Studio 31m² to 32m² €91,000 to €110,000
One Bedroom 34m² to 49m² €104,000 to €149,000
Two Bedrooms 74m² to 76m² €209,000 to €217,000
Guaranteed Buy to Let – Leaseback
GUARANTEED RENTAL INCOME UP TO: 5.29%
French leasebacksFrench leasebacksFrench leasebacks
PRIVATE GOLF COURSE AND CHATEAU
Charming 3-star tourism residence set around a 9-hole golf course plus practice area, with a renovated Norman style 19th century château, now a boutique-hotel, which once allured famous artists
including Pissaro, Cézanne and Gauguinon. The village of Ennery borders
Pontoise and Auvers-sur-Oise and is approximately 30 minutes from central Paris and 20 minutes from the business hub of La Defense.
All apartments include an outside parking place and residence facilities include a heated pool, fitness centre, Jacuzzi, sauna and bar. Completion is set for the third quarter of 2009 and rental yield is an excellent 5% PLUS one free week of personal occupation (open to direct family members too). Owners also have the right to up to six weeks occupation at a preferential price of 20% off the public price for stays here.
The conglomeration also has an access to the river harbor facilities (Port of Saint-Ouen-l’Aumone) and the airport of Roissy-Charles de Gaulle is 45 km (35 minutes) away. In a dynamic area with a remarkable natural environment, this golf residence offers excellent capital appreciation potential, particularly in light of the urban sprawl occurring in Paris.
– Excellent capital appreciation
– Close to Paris and La Defense
– High guaranteed rental yield
– Direct access to golf course charming Château on-site

=============================
French Propety LoanSEEKING 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 https://adrianleeds.com/wp-content/uploads/newsletters/frenchproperty/loan for more information or contact [email protected]
=============================
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 https://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]
================================
insider paris guidesWe 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:
http://www.insiderparisguides.com/offer/fpi_offer.htm

================================

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 website. You will find the
“Past Issues” link on the left under “Subscribers Only” or by going to
https://adrianleeds.com/wp-content/uploads/newsletters/frenchproperty/insider/members/content/pastissues/index.html

To receive your free French Leaseback Report or the Paris Property
Report, click on
https://adrianleeds.com/wp-content/uploads/newsletters/frenchproperty/insider/members/content/reports.html

================================

HE
LPFUL CONVERSIONS FOR REAL ESTATE</s trong>

1 square meter = 10.7639104 square feet

1 hectare = 2.4710538 acres

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

==== CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING ===

Parler Paris ApartmentsPARLER PARIS APARTMENTS
https://adrianleeds.com/wp-content/uploads/newsletters/parlerparis/apartments
Email: [email protected]/parlerparis

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.
NEW LISTING!
Les Portes de Notre Dame
Rue des Trois Portes, 5th Arrondissement
Latin Quarter — Two Steps from Notre Dame
One-Bedroom Duplex, Sleeps up to 4

Les Portes de Notre Dame is a charming and spacious one-bedroom duplex apartment centrally located just one block from the Seine and only a few steps from the cathedral of Notre Dame…
Reserve now! Visit https://adrianleeds.com/wp-content/uploads/newsletters/parlerparis/apartments/rentals/portesdenotredame.html
or email: [email protected] 

================================

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!): http://www.adrianleeds.com/parlerparis

================================

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

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