Americans are Making Nice with Nice

So many Americans are moving to France that the French consulates in the U.S. took on a subcontractor to process visas. Now the subcontractor is so overwhelmed that would-be residents are having a hard time getting appointments even with them. We are not surprised.

Call them immigrants seeking political asylum, or just immigrants seeking a better life, but either way, they are immigrants to France. Some of them are coming and renting apartments to give themselves a year or more to “test” the French waters, but others are immediately moving their investments from the U.S. to France, to avoid “paying someone else’s mortgage” and get into the market while interest rates are low (under 2%). Banks are still lending to Americans (one for sure, but it’s closing at the end of the year!) and prices haven’t hit the Olympic roof (Paris prices will soar, at least until the 2024 Olympics are over).

Most are moving to Paris, but Nice is a clear and close second. In fact, Nice is getting an awful lot of action from Expats thanks to the appeal of the weather (300+ days a year of sunshine), low property prices (half of those of Paris), easy access to the U.S., Europe and the world (via its international airport), its sophisticated public transportation system (under improvement, too, with the new tramway), wonderful Mediterranean cuisine and the overall lifestyle and beauty of the Riviera.

The American community in Nice is growing thanks to many of you who have joined us there. There are numerous organizations to join, things to do, networking events, etc., and as a result, it’s easy to meet people and make friends of the same ilk. Monday I am headed down to Nice to spend the rest of the summer. Already the agenda is getting filled in, and one such appointment is a progressive dinner with three of our clients – we start off for drinks and hors d’oeuvres at one, go the next for dinner and the last one for dessert and more drinks. They all met the last time I was in Nice over cocktails at my apartment and have become fast friends.

It’s very fulfilling for me to be able to facilitate such relationships and develop such a close community in their new foreign land. The sentiment among our team is that when you work with us, you don’t just get an apartment or home, you get a whole community! We’ve seen this to be true over and over again.

You’re going to be hearing more from me about Nice in the next few weeks, because while Paris is a ghost town all of August, I’ll be working, writing and beaching it on the Côte d’Azur in the Provençal city. Not a bad life, right? And while I have the time, I’ll be visiting apartments on behalf of a few clients who have gotten the Nice bug, too.

Don’t get me wrong. Nice is not necessarily a replacement for Paris. There is no city quite like Paris, you know how my heart is here in the City of Light, but there is no city quite like Nice, either. When I hear complaints about the beach in Nice being made of rocks (“galets”) and not sand, I remind them that with the right water shoes and beach chair, the beach is ideal for spending brief amounts of time without having to clean up from the sand or drag it into the house. It’s also the most gorgeous aqua blue color you’ve ever seen, the water is warm, and there it is for all to see and enjoy at any moment. When I float out in the water on a “noodle” or raft and look back at the Baie des Anges shoreline, lined by beautiful buildings, I pinch myself to be sure it’s real and I’m really living it.

For those of you who want to explore the possibilities, don’t hesitate to contact me for more information, or if you wish to visit, we can help arrange that, too. As you may know, I often let friends of French Property Insider be guests at Le Matisse, my “pied-à-terre” in the seaside town, just two short blocks from the beach and in the heart of it all. Simply email me for more information.Happy Bastille Day…14th of July!

A bientôt,

Adrian Leeds
Adrian Leeds Group

Respond to Adrian

P.S. There will be no French Property Insider Thursday, August 2, when I am on vacation myself…on the island of Corsica, just a short plane- or ferry-ride away, and still in France!