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Looking Up to Montmartre

Volume V, Issue 49

Christmas day is soon upon us and the weather here in Paris is biting cold. Parties abound and at the same time everyone is feverishly wrapping up both the end of the year and their gifts in time for this special occasion.

At a holiday party last night given by Banque Patrimoine et Immobilier (BPI), one of our finest primary lenders, we learned more about their newest loan products that help beat the decline of the American dollar. I had met with them earlier in the day to secure my own loan to purchase property in New York City! The properties here in Paris have appreciated so much, that I’m able to take a healthy equity release loan to finance it almost entirely plus, and I learned that for a mere 105 euros, the payments could be deferred by three months — a perfect solution since the closing is scheduled for later in the year. If you’re renovating an apartment preparing it for rental, then this is a good option while there is no income on the property.
Mary Fort of BPI will be leading the free FPI conference call on Sunday, January 6th to discuss these new loan products. So be sure to scroll down for more information and reserve your spot.
Later that same evening, at another holiday party filled with journalists of the highest caliber, I met the proud owner of a château in Normandy who commutes between there and Paris each week to beat the cost of a pied-à-terre in the city compared to a home in the country. Journalist for the New York Times and other distinguished publications, Linda Hervieux, candidly told the fascinating story of Cynthia and Stephen Taylor in person as well as in her December 19th New York Times article accompanied by the beautiful photos of Richard Harbus. Scroll down for a link to the article and photos.
Today we bring lots of valuable information about what you can expect from the purchase documents (the Promesse de Vente vs the Compromis de Vente) and in the spirit of Christmas, how you can tax free “gift” a spouse. Learn about apartment rentals and apartment renovation, how a Brit became a French mayor and what’s so amazing about the little known Ardeche.
It’s all here, in today’s issue.

A Bientôt and have a wonderful holiday,

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

P.S. Book your place now at the Living and Investing in France Real Estate Conference February 16-17 in Miami, Florida. Hotels in Miami are booking up fast, so scroll down for more information and register now!
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Volume V, Issue 49, December 20, 2007

In this issue:

* Don’t Compromis on the Promesse
* Pied-à-Terre or Château…or both?
* Transforming a Paris Pied-à-terre
* Renting a Paris Apartment
* French Rules for Inheritance Gifts
* French Town, British Mayor
* Secrets of the Ardèche
* Free FPI Conference Call
* Own a Piece of France!
* 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: January 8, 2008
* Hot Property Picks: Magnificent Montmartre
* Leasebacks: Cap Affaires Villeneuve la Garenne, France, Paris, Villeneuve la Garenne
* Managing Your FPI Subscription
* Classified Advertising: Parler Paris Apartments — Le Penthouse Voltaire

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What is the Difference Between a “Compromis de Vente” and a “Promesse de Vente?”
A Compromis de Vente is a definitive and final contract. The seller and purchaser will be bound by the transfer of the real property, unless one or more of the contingencies within the contract cannot be met.
By signing a unilateral promise of sale, the seller commits himself selling to nobody other than the candidate purchaser. If the purchaser wants to carry out the transaction, the seller will be obliged to accept it.
On the other hand, the purchaser reserves the right to not acquire the property. If he forfeits the purchase, it will cost him the amount of the deposit which will be
transferred to the seller during the
time of the signature of the Acte de Vente.

The Promesse de Vente is a less constraining formula for the purchaser. It is also less constraining for the seller, because he would be able to consider a renegotiation of the contract (after having secured the property), without being confronted with legal or tax difficulties.
More from the Chambre de Notaires de France:
Purchase agreements and undertakings to sell: Some guidelines http://www.notaires.fr/

Let’s say you’re looking to buy a flat, a house or a piece of land. Perhaps, with help from your notaire, you’ve already found a property that suits you perfectly. You don’t want this opportunity to slip through your hands. So you need to “freeze” things in place by signing a purchase agreement with the seller or an undertaking to sell. But what does that involve?
These contracts indicate that a secure agreement has been reached between a seller and a purchaser. In general, they are valid for a few months, during which time the notaire prepares the sale documents. It takes about three months, and sometimes longer, to obtain the necessary information and documentation from government offices: an identification of the parties, mortgage status, a cadastral map, zoning and urban planning information, an asbestos certificate, the questionnaire for the managing agent, etc. In addition, the buyer needs time to raise the necessary funds for the purchase: bank or family loans, employer contributions, personal contributions (which are sometimes frozen in a savings account), capital from an inheritance or a post-divorce division of assets, income from the sale of a previous residence. Finally, the seller will need time to organize a move and leave the premises. So the purchase agreement and undertaking to sell will prove very useful and can be signed quickly – generally within a few days after the buyer and seller reach an agreement.
Nonetheless, you should use caution – don’t enter into an agreement lightly. Both purchase agreements and undertakings to sell are contracts that share certain features. They obligate sellers to sell the property, and purchasers must provide a security deposit (usually 10% of the price) when the contract is signed as proof of their intent to buy. But these agreements differ in a number of ways as well; each has advantages and disadvantages. In a purchase agreement (compromis de vente), the buyer makes a commitment to purchasing the property. The undertaking to sell (promesse de vente) includes no such commitment, but the buyer will lose the security deposit if he or she chooses not to buy. The undertaking to sell must be registered within a strict time period or it is null and void, whereas there is no such requirement for a purchase agreement.
In addition, for either a purchase agreement or an undertaking to sell, the notaire will add a number of suspensive conditions. These provisions stipulate that the contract will be invalidated and the parties released from their obligations if certain events occur prior to the final sale, e.g. if the purchaser’s bank rejects the loan application, the local government exercises its pre-emptive right, a serious zoning easement is discovered, etc.
Notaires specialize in property law and are highly attentive to the specific circumstances of both the buyer and the seller (marital status and regime, the size of the purchase, etc.). Each transaction calls for a thorough, personalized assessment. Don’t hesitate to consult your notaire before making a commitment.
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In France, Swapping a Pied-à-Terre for a Château
From The New York Times Great Homes and Destinations
Published: December 19, 2007
By Linda Hervieux
Photo by Richard Harbus

For Cynthia and Stephen Taylor, a full-time move to Normandy seemed a natural extension of their American roots, because they had both grown up in the South.
The couple had enjoyed seven years of expatriate living in Paris. But last year, when it came time to buy a home there, the resulting sticker shock left the Taylors looking west toward Normandy, where the grass was greener — literally — and where, for the price of a comfortable two-bedroom apartment in Paris, they could buy a château.
“I saw what we could get” in Normandy for the same price as an 85-square-meter (915-square-foot) apartment in Paris, said Stephen Taylor, 43. “To me, it was a no-brainer.”…
To read the entire article visit http://www.nytimes.com/
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Rue Nobel
The Same Corner Before Renovation
 
 
 
Rue Nobel
The Same Room Before Renovation
 
 
 
Rue Nobel
The Same Space Before Renovation

Meet the Master Magician of Material And Matter
Excerpt from Parler Paris
https://adrianleeds.com/wp-content/uploads/newsletters/parlerparis/
Monday, December 17, 2007

Martine di Matteo is a master magician of material and matter. She is single-handedly making ‘silk purses’ out of ‘sows’ ears’ in a bevy of Paris pieds-à-terres that deserve her attention.
My apartment will be one of them when the Franco-American Interior Designer oversees the renovation and redecoration of my living room and bathroom beginning in mid January. Both rooms have been crying out for a ‘face lift’ since long before moving in more than ten years ago…the ceiling is peeling, the cracks in the walls have taken on new life (exposing a corner where a door once was in a past century) and the “early divorced” period furnishings have worn out their California life style long ago.
Martine has chosen gold and silk canvas for the upholstery of the couch and two arm chairs, hired an “ébéniste” (cabinet maker) to transfer the Ikea-style laminate desk unit into a wall-to-wall built-in work station and will also be keeping me sane overseeing it all while I must live in my 16.5 square meter “Le Provençal” studio rental apartment while the apartment becomes a dust bowl. By March 1, I should be back in business and organizing a house-warming party.
Meanwhile, Martine has been waving her magic wand over several of our clients’ investment properties. This weekend I had the pleasure of seeing the results of the last several months of creative planning and careful execution of two in particular.
One WAS a two room 28 square meter ‘box’ on one of the city’s prettiest little pedestrian alleys with historic significance in Le Haut Marais on rue Cité Dupetit Thouars with views only on a simple courtyard. Today that apartment IS a ‘mini-château’ in deep eggplant and mauve tones, adorned in iridescent silk fabrics and furnished with pale-toned country French tables and chairs. The transformation was overwhelmingly surprising, but the proposed name for the apartment, which will go immediately on the market as a luxury rental, is fittingly, “L’Aubergine.” (Clever name, as “Aubergine” = eggplant and “Auberge” = inn.) Martine’s finishing touches include a bowl of faux “aubergines” as a centerpiece on the dining room table.
The owner arrives in Paris this morning — I just wish I could see his face when he sees the once ‘box’ he bought a few months ago!
The second one I visited is the pride and joy of a couple who live in Houston, but travel to Paris very regularly. The wife of the two is a flight attendant whose route is to Paris almost weekly. It took a year and a half to go from attending a Living and Investing in France Real Estate Conference (https://adrianleeds.com/wp-content/uploads/newsletters/frenchproperty/conference) to finding the apartment and beginning the total renovation.
When we first saw the apartment overlooking a typical Montmartre stone stair, we knew it had ‘good bones’ but needed a serious change to make it livable. Ideas from many sources suggested a new way of reconfiguring the rooms. Magically, an oversized foyer with a closet and toilet was opened up to become an open kitchen and a space large enough to house a dining room table. The once corner kitchen and claustrophobic “salle d’eau” (shower room) became a luxurious bath with laundry room, and the three divided main rooms were linked by double French doors opening the space between all three, but enabling closing off any one of them for more privacy. One serves as living room, one as bedroom and the third as an office/guest room.
The colors are soft blues and mauve tones. The furnishings country French, the kitchen and bath purely contemporary and regal. I wanted to move right in, but Mr. and Mrs. M. had beaten me to it!
Martine di MatteoMartine’s a busy woman these days, thanks to her talents and our eager new pied-à-terre owners. She’s about to embark on a few more projects at the start of the new year as challenging as these. We’ll keep you posted as they each take shape and in the meantime, be watching Parler Paris Apartments (https://adrianleeds.com/wp-content/uploads/newsletters/parlerparis/apartments) as her works of interior design art are offered to the public as luxury rentals.
To contact Martine, email [email protected]
 
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Make Your Stay (Or Your Renters’ Stay) in Paris Purely Perfect
By Adrian Leeds

When “Le Provençal” went into full renovation, we recognized that there was a need for us to assist our clients and
friends who owne
d vacation rental apartments in Paris to find rental guests.

“Le Provençal” is my little pride and joy…my “baby” I sometimes call it, but in fact, it’s a 16.5 square meter vacation rental apartment in a charming building in the heart of Le Marais that I purchased last year, renovated and decorated, offering it for short-term stays.
Its beginning was also the beginning of Parler Paris Apartments. As the finishing touches were placed on the artisanal mosaic tile, the hand-textured distressed walls, the multi-colored linens and window shades, so were the finishing touches on the Web site to advertise and take reservations for it and other apartments like it.
Apartments such as Le Provençal, in a variety of sizes and locations, are available all over Paris for short term rental (starting from three or four nights up to a month or more) for all those that prefer to really feel at home in Paris, rather than staying in an impersonal hotel.
The advantages of a hotel are obvious…short stays (one to three nights), room service and a concierge that can call you a cab or tell you how to get to the nearest Métro. But there is no comparison with having your own “pied-à-terre” in Paris.
When you rent an apartment, even if for only for a short time, more often than not, you will have a full kitchen, a washer-dryer, more space and all the amenities of home. For even a brief period in the City of Light, you will feel more like a Parisian — a real part of the city, rather than just a tourist staying in an hotel for tourists.
There are dozens of agencies that rent short term apartments. There are hundreds of individuals that rent their own apartments, too. Some are superb. Others are to be avoided.
So, how does one know which you can trust?
Le Provençal was just the catalyst to creating a community of short-term rental apartments our readers and friends could trust as the perfect spots in which they would want to hang their hats when in Paris. Our property search clients who purchased apartments for investment asked our advice on how to properly furnish and equip the perfect rental apartments. They wanted someone they could trust, also, to oversee their rentals and ensure that those who rented fit their idea of ideal guests, too.
It was a marriage made in heaven. And so it has grown from one lone little 16.5 square meter jewel of an apartment to a whole family of wonderful and beautiful homes away from home…and it’s growing by leaps and bounds as I write this…with apartments that were purchased this past year by people like you who want just what you want — a great place to stay while in Paris…a place you can call your own, even if for just a short time, with all the creature comforts and amenities anyone could ask for.
In the same building as Le Provençal, on rue Charlot in the heart of the Haut Marais (on the district’s hottest street), with its lovely arbored courtyard, there are four other equally luxurious apartments: Le Florentin (reminiscent of Italian Renaissance in Florentine gold and blues) is just a floor above Le Provençal; Le Burgundy (decorated in quiet and tasteful warm tones) is just a floor below; Le Medieval (of a masculine sensibility with stained-glass interior windows and a shower made for two) is in an adjacent building on the same courtyard…and coming very soon (as of February), is “La Petite Maison” — a duplex (two-level) one-bedroom apartment directly on the garden with an “escalier magique” (a lit transparent spiral staircase), exposed stone and beams that will make your stay purely perfect.
Not far away, just down the street in fact, is the “Attic Lumière” — at the top of the Marais world, open to the sky, with natural oak beams, lots of light and the comfort of air-conditioning plus a decadent shower of hydro jets.
A few blocks away on the historic private street of Cité Dupetit Thouars, about to make its début, will be “L’Aubergine” — a one-bedroom hide-away completely renovated and decorated to perfection in eggplant tones to remind you of the days when the Knights Templar tended their vegetable gardens on this very spot centuries and centuries ago.
Just across the boulevard Beaumarchais in the lucky 11th district, is “Le Penthouse Voltaire” — a three-bedroom/two-bath penthouse with wrap-around balconies — an amazingly spacious and luxurious apartment for up to eight guests who can comfortably enjoy their time together in Paris overlooking magnificent views of the city and with all the comforts of home.
Under renovation as I write and soon to be offered up, located just a few steps away from Le Penthouse Voltaire on rue Saint-Sébastien, will be a charming one-bedroom “nid” (nest) with exposed beams and a gourmet kitchen so one can take advantage of the city’s largest open-air market just a few blocks away every Thursday and Sunday (Le Richard Lenoir).
On the other side of Place de la Bastille, “Le Balcon Planté” is just a few steps from the Gare de Lyon and the “Promenade Planté” (the viaduct that was converted to a lusciously planted walkway stretching to the end of the city, under which is “Le Viaduc des Arts”) is bathed in sunlight and offers fabulous views from its delightful balconies.
If you head north to Montmartre, home to the city’s only vineyard with a fascinating history of artists and merriment, not to mention the statuesque Sacré Coeur, “Le Montmartre Studio” is a sweet corner on the ground level with windows on two sides and enough space to sleep three.
Now in the finishing touches is another beautiful, but much larger apartment with two bedrooms, an open kitchen and a spacious bath, all just freshly renovated and decorated to perfection, on a charming one-block-long street at the bottom of a typical Montmartre stair. Watch for it coming soon to Parler Paris Apartments.
In the 5th district, just near Le Panthéon and across from the famous Le Coupe Chou Restaurant on a pedestrian street, is a sweet little one-bedroom apartment named appropriately, “Le Panthéon.” It has everything you need to make your stay in the Latin Quarter exactly what you had hoped for.
And all these luxury short-term rental apartments are owned by people like you — people who love France, who visit here often, who wanted to have a pied-à-terre for themselves, but who wanted to share it with others who would appreciate it, too.
And they trusted us to take care of them…to offer them to vacationers, to make sure their guests were greeted properly and that the apartment was in top notch condition for a delightful stay in Paris.
Now is the time to trust us, too, as the owners did, to find you that perfect pied-à-terre for your next stay in Paris. Now is your chance to really score big!:
From now until January 15th, when you book any of the apartments we represent, you will save 10% off the LOWEST advertised price for stays between January 1 and February 29th (yes, it’s a leap year!).
Great deal, huh?
So choose from any of our wide variety of offerings…choose to hang your hat in the merry Marais, or in marvelous Montmartre, or near the bustling Bastille or resplendent Richard Lenoir, or even in the lively Latin Quarter…every single apartment decorated and equipped with everything you could need or desire.
Take us up on our offer before it’s too late — book now to visit Paris in the next two months (January and February 2008) and save 10% off the LOWEST advertised price.
Visit https://adrianleeds.com/wp-content/uploads/newsletters/parlerparis/apartments to make your choice and send us your rental request, or email [email protected] for more information.
Editor’s Note: You could be the landlord rather than the tenant of your very own pied-à-terre in Paris, just as these are owned by people like you who made it happen. For more information, visit https://adrianleeds.com/wp-content/uploads/newsletters/frenchproperty/consultation or email [email protected]
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Gifts Between Spouses
From the Chambre de Notaires
http://www.notaires.fr/notaires/notaires

Is your provision for a surviving spouse up to date?
The law of December 3, 2001 on successions enhances the rights of a surviving spouse and updates several rules governing estate law. In general, the new rules apply to any death on or after July 1, 2002. Therefore, if you have a provision that was made prior to this date leaving a gift to your surviving spouse, we recommend that you have your notaire examine the provision to verify that you will benefit from the recent changes.
French law now draws a distinction between couples who have no children and couples who have children from their own marriage or from a previous marriage.
If the couple has children of its own, a gift between spouses can be used to enhance the surviving spouse’s right to full ownership or to offer a combination of full ownership and usufruct.
If the deceased has children from a previous marriage, the law gives fewer rights to a surviving spouse for whom the deceased spouse left no gift. In this case, the surviving spouse is not entitled to usufruct, but enjoys ownership rights limited to one quarter of the estate. Clearly, the provision for gifts to a surviving spouse is especially attractive, since it provides for the donation of more extensive ownership rights, usufruct on the entire estate, or a combination of ownership and usufruct.
In each case, the precise scope of the surviving spouse’s rights to the deceased’s assets are not established until the time of death. Why? Because the rule governing gifts between spouses allows the surviving spouse to make a decision after the death of his or her spouse, as best suits the survivor’s interests. In particular, this decision will hinge on the number of children, since the disposable portion of the estate (i.e. the portion the survivor may receive from the deceased spouse) varies depending on whether the deceased left one, two, three or more children.
In other words, regardless of whether there are children from a previous marriage, gifts to a surviving spouse can enhance the survivor’s rights. Such a provision is also important in the event that the deceased has no children at the time of his or her death, but one or both of the deceased’s parents are still alive. In this case, the surviving spouse can acquire significantly broader rights through a gift, which will place the survivor on a better footing with regard to his or her parents-in-law.
The law also improved the status of the surviving spouse when the deceased leaves neither descendants (children, grandchildren) nor parents. The survivor then receives the entire inheritance, unless the deceased has made a will bequeathing assets to another person. But even then, the surviving member of the couple now enjoys greater protection: for the first time in the history of French estate law, the new law designates the surviving spouse as a forced heir. As such, he or she will receive at least one quarter of the deceased’s assets, even if the deceased made a will leaving the estate to someone else. We should point out that divorce or legal separation annul the surviving spouse’s rights of inheritance, even if these proceedings have no been completed at the time of the spouse’s death. In
this
case, the surviving spouse has fewer rights than children and parents, but receives precedence over brothers and sisters. His or her rights are thus substantially enhanced, but not adequately to ensure protection from all worries, unless the deceased spouse provided for a gift or made a will in favor of the survivor. Ask your notaire for more information.

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France: When “Monsieur le Maire” Supports Leeds United
From AFP Google
http://afp.google.com/

The obligatory portrait of the French president hangs on the wall and a secretary taps idly at a computer as a coffee-machine bubbles quietly in a corner.
It could be any sleepy rural town hall in any of France’s countless and picturesque country villages. But the mayor, or rather “monsieur le maire”, is British.
“I’m Ken Tatham, welcome to Saint Ceneri,” said the tall neatly bearded Yorkshire-man.
France’s western Brittany region has seen a veritable explosion of British inhabitants over the past decade. According to a government statistics office, around 10,000 Britons live in Brittany today compared with just over 5,000 in 1999.
Tatham however is France’s only English mayor. He was first elected in 1995 and has been at the heart of political life in this tiny village of 150 inhabitants ever since.
But then Saint Ceneri is in the Orne department of northwestern France, which Tatham estimates has between 6,000 and 7,000 British inhabitants.
There was some friction, he said, when he was first elected. “The Earl of Arundel demolished the local castle and then 500 years later I turned up,” he joked.
Tatham has lived in Saint Ceneri for 38 years and got involved in local politics in the early 1990s. “I could no longer vote in the UK and I couldn’t vote in France and it really bothered me,” he said.
To pursue his political ambitions, Tatham applied for French nationality which took around a year, and did not have to give up his British citizenship.
“I still feel as English as I ever. I’ll never stop rooting for Leeds United,” he said.
Re-elected with 80 percent of the vote in 2001, and planning to stand again in 2008, Tatham says “one of my most memorable experiences was being introduced to the Queen of England in my capacity as a French mayor.”
Some 300 kilometers (190 miles) west of Saint Ceneri in the small Breton village of Plouzelambre, Keith Bradford has also made a success of his move to France. For the past 14 years he has organized a French language Shakespeare festival.
“One year we did the ‘Comedy of Errors’ in the car park behind the fish market. Another time we did the Scottish play on top of a Dolmen,” he says, his actor’s superstition preventing him from mentioning the name of Shakespeare’s highland tragedy “Macbeth”.
The festival was a perfect way for Bradford and his wife, a professional flower grower, to find their place in the small village.
“I hesitate to use the word integration,” Bradford says, arguing that it would be ridiculous for him to pretend he was French. He says he has rather tried to share his culture while respecting the values of his new home.
An hour away from Plouzelambre, 56-year-old Jacqueline Spence has been running a successful business as a hypnotherapist in the village of Saint Nicolas du Pelem since moving to France from Chester in Britain 16 months ago.
“I’ve had a few comments behind my back but in general the French people have been very welcoming. One of the local doctors has even referred patients to me,” she said.
“In any case I have no plans to move back to the UK. Now it’s all about capitalism and me, me, me,” she added.
But the influx of anglophones to Brittany has not been without its problems.
In 2005 anger among local people boiled over at a heated demonstration in the central Breton village of Bourbriac. The protest was organized by a group called ‘A-Stroll’ (meaning “together” in the Breton language), which complained that property prices had been pushed up by buyers from outside the region, “at a time when Breton people are finding it hard to find somewhere to live.”
At the time the protest was widely reported as an anti-English demonstration, an accusation one of A-Stroll’s founders, Guillaume Bricaud, strongly denies.
“We folded A-Stroll after the media frenzy that surrounded Bourbriac. Being called a xenophobe is very hurtful,” he said.
Bricaud said he was involved in a “class struggle”, and had no particular animosity towards English people. He and his fellow militants were protesting against the practice of people coming to Brittany and buying holiday homes, which often remained empty for much of the year.
“Inland there are more English people, but on the coast the problem is French people from Paris,” he said.
“One house is a right. Two houses is a privilege and we need to do away with privileges,” he added.
Bricaud insisted that Britons who wanted to move to Brittany permanently were, “welcome here, just like anyone else.”
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French Regional Information: Ardèche Secrets Revealed
From http://www.french-property-news.com

The Ardèche is a well-preserved secret with its proud châteaux, volcanic plateaux, soft valleys, gushing rivers and medieval villages moulded to the mountainsides. It is one of the smallest departments in the south of France nestled quietly between the Rhône-Alps and Provence-Alps regions. This unspoilt land with its hot summers and cold snowy winters has become more accessible with the new TGV station at Valence and Ryanair and Easyjet flying into Nîmes, Grenoble and Lyon. All airports are approximately 90 minutes by car and the TGV station at Valence is approximately 40 minutes’ drive to one of the principal towns, Privas.
It is becoming a popular destination offering some profitable property investment opportunities. Property prices in the Ardèche are just starting to rise as people discover its hidden secrets and the number of houses being sold as second homes has substantially increased over the last couple of years. There is also a vast array of properties ripe for renovation, many of which are sold to couples wishing to relocate to France and run a business such as chambres d’hôtes and building/property development. A stone-built house of 100m² in need of complete renovation with panoramic views but no land can sell for as little as €50,000. At the other end of the market a recently renovated, five-bedroomed ardèchoise farmhouse with swimming pool…
To read the entire article visit http://www.french-property-news.com/online-articles-french-regional-information-ardeche-secrets-revealed–2454
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FREE FPI CONFERENCE CALL!!
Sunday, January 6th, 2008
Beating the Decline of the American Dollar
With Mary Fort, Banque Patrimoine et Immobilier
https://adrianleeds.com/wp-content/uploads/newsletters/frenchproperty/loan

As an FPI subscriber, we offer you special access to our time and knowledge with our own conference calls. The next scheduled conference call is Sunday, January 6th at 8 p.m. Paris time, 2 p.m. Eastern time. Mark your calendars now, but don’t worry, we’ll give you plenty of advance notice.
We will be discussing how to beat the decline of the American dollar by using the newest and most innovative loan products on the market today. All FPI subscribers are invited to participate.
Conference Date: Sunday, January 6th, 2007
Conference Time: 2 p.m. EST, 8 p.m. Paris time

Please RSVP to this special event and we will send you the call details. Sign up now by emailing: [email protected]
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The “Fractional Ownership” Solution
An Update by Adrian Leeds

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! Visit our properties at https://adrianleeds.com/wp-content/uploads/newsletters/frenchproperty/consultation/sales/fractional/index.html
See the Paris Home Shares Fractional Ownership Offerings:
LE JARDIN SAINT-PAUL
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! 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

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
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< font color=”#FF0000″>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/LIF_Miami_AF_Feb_2008/index.html
Or email Schuyler Hoffman at [email protected]
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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.
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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 January 8, 2008, and every second Tuesday of the month.
 
 
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HOT PROPERTY PICKS: Magnificent Montmartre
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</f ont>
*** Paris, 18th Arrondissement, 3 rooms, approx. 52m²
At the foot of Montmartre, this character house opens on a tree filled courtyard. Comprised of the main floor and first floor, it is in perfect condition and very charming — an exceptional find!
Asking Price: 428,000€ + 2.5% Finder’s Fee
 

*** Paris, 18th Arrondissement, 3 rooms, approx. 62m²
Montmartre, near Sacré Coeur, this apartment is in a Haussmannian building on the third floor with elevator. Bright, quiet and in excellent condition, it includes a large living room, one bedroom on the garden, separate kitchen, bathroom, wood floors, moldings, cellar and an engaging view.
Asking Price: 540,000 € + 2.5% Finder’s Fee

*** Paris, 18th Arrondissement, 3 rooms, approx. 125m²
Exceptional Montmartre house and artist’s atelier in a beautiful building with trees. This duplex has a large, open living room with wood floors and modern fireplace, fully equipped kitchen opens on the living room, 2 bathrooms, large windows and numerous outstanding features. A rare find — see it quickly before it’s gone!
Asking Price: 1,580,000 € + 2.5% Finder’s Fee
===============================
LEASEBACK NEWS FROM IMOINVEST
https://adrianleeds.com/wp-content/uploads/newsletters/frenchproperty/insider/sales/leasebacks/lb_list.php
CAP AFFAIRES VILLENEUVE LA GARENNE
France, Paris / Ile de France, Villeneuve la Garenne

Studio 20m² to 28m² €94,000 to €130,000
One Bedroom 25m² to 33m² €155,000 to €161,000
Two Bedrooms 56m² to 56m² €256,000 to €256,000
Guaranteed Buy to Let – Leaseback
GUARANTEED RENTAL INCOME UP TO: 5.10%

GREAT POTENTIAL FOR CAPITAL GROWTH
The Ile de France region boasts an approximate 14.5% annual growth rate, high guaranteed rental income and promising investment potential. Villeneuve-la-Garenne is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, located 9.2 km (5.7 miles) from the center of Paris, within the Hauts-de-Seine (92) department in the Ile-de-France region.
25 out of the 50 biggest business corporations are situated in “Les Hauts de Seine” minutes from this new build development. The residence will be dedicated to business tourists and/or professional students, and will comprise fully furnished apartments. Rents will be guaranteed by a commercial lease of eleven and a half years (minimum and renewable).
As with all Leaseback investments you will be able to reclaim the VAT (19.6% with reduced French stamp tax). This acquisition will be fully managed and maintained by an on-site operator: no tenants to find, no agents or caretakers to pay. In addition, the city of Lyon is only 2 hours from the residence by TGV high speed train, Roissy Charles de Gaulle International Airport is 47 minutes away by car and Brussels is only 1 hour and 35 minutes away by train!
– Very well located in Ile de France region, 15 min from Paris center
– In the middle of a very attractive business area
– 77.8% construction sector growth over the last 6 years
– Ideal for short and medium term stays

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

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

HELPFUL CONVERSIONS FOR REAL ESTATE

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.
Parler Paris ApartmentsLe Penthouse Voltaire
American comfort with French flair! Overlooking Boulevards Richard Lenoir and Voltaire, in the 11th Arrondissement. This three-bedroom, two-bath luxury penthouse with wr
ap-around balconies and spec
tacular views, sleeps 6.

Reserve now! Visit https://adrianleeds.com/wp-content/uploads/newsletters/parlerparis/apartments/rentals/voltaire.html
or email: [email protected]

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

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

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

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