Start the New Year Off with Your New Home in France!

Happy New Year and Happy First Issue of French Property Insider — of our 15th year publishing the Nouvellettre®!

The new year almost always kicks off with The France Show in London, this year opening the 27th of January, running through the 29th. The Notaires de Paris will be represented there to advise and inform about real estate or life in France. I used to attend every year until I realized that Paris is barely represented! British buyers are more interested in the French countryside than are North Americans who gravitate more toward Paris, Provence and the Côte d’Azur.

Interest in French property by the North American market is booming thanks to the strong dollar (getting stronger against the euro by the nanosecond), and the low interest rates (well under 2%), the strong U.S. economy…and the outcome of the U.S. presidential elections. This is the most opportune moment to make an investment in France, regardless of in what area of the country you are most interested.

Those of you in the process of acquiring long stay visas have discovered the need to have proof of accommodations in order to obtain the visa. A “Catch 22,” this demand poses a problem since you can’t get the visa without a lease and you can’t get a lease without a visa! This is where we can be very helpful — because we can provide an “attestation” that you are renting one of our short-term properties and have secured our services to find long-term accommodations. The consulates easily accept this documentation.

In addition, the immigration authorities require that you have health care insurance that covers you in France. Don’t bother with a policy from your home country — your insurance rates here are considerably lower and we have resources to provide you with French health insurance.

We also have excellent immigration attorneys to assist you, should you need the help (I strongly believe in professional help for such matters!). Ask for Christine Sullivan, Immigration Specialist, at Frangomen Global, LLP.

For currency conversion, be sure to open an account with one of our trusted brokers to get the best rate of exchange. See our currency exchange page for more information. In almost all cases, your commercial bank will charge you 2 to 3 times the rate of the brokers!

For financial advice, we recommend Brian Dunhill at Cross Border Planning and Carl Mir of Mir Enterprises, but for mortgages, you will want to contact Amaury de Monclin at Blue Sky Finance. Be sure to let Brian, Carl and Amaury know we referred you!…that’s the way to get the best service from our partners. And this is true for all of our resources.

Don’t forget, the best air fares to Europe are next month — mid February. Lower travel prices coincide with the worst weather. (Logical!) I scored a round-trip Paris-L.A.-Paris for a mere $600 just at that time. So, take advantage and come see us! Paris isn’t as cold in February as many parts of the U.S. and Canada, including Toronto, Chicago or New York!

A bientôt and happy new year,

Adrian Leeds
The Adrian Leeds Group

Respond to Adrian: [email protected]

P.S. I’ll be in Los Angeles next month and offering personal two-hour consultations between February 20th and 24th. The cost is $330, but the fee applies toward our search services, so not a penny is lost! If you are thinking of making an investment in France, you are sure to find the time with me very valuable. To schedule your meeting with me, email [email protected]