Sunshine in the South at a Bargain Price

As I write, the TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) to Montpellier is rapidly passing the agricultural fields of France to arrive only three hours and 27 minutes from the departure from the Gare de Lyon in Paris. As the train snakes southbound, we pass the cars on the autoroute almost as if they are standing still. In the background are old towns, new towns, manor houses, even a few châteaux and large country estates. There is simply nothing much more relaxing than riding the train in France, in spite of the two young children across the way whose mother relentlessly scolds them when they raise their voices above a whisper.

Montpellier is not my final destination. From there, I will board a train headed to the fortified city of Carcassonne in the southwest of France. It is here that one of our clients will be signing the “Acte de Vente” (final deed) on a house in a nearby town — the town of Couiza. It could be that you’ve never heard of any of these towns. Even Carcassonne, with a population of about 48,000, may not have been on your radar. This part of France doesn’t get too much attention from Americans who have centered their visits to France on Paris, the Riviera, Provence and Normandy and a purchase of a home here is unusual. The region, Languedoc-Roussillon, is well-regarded by the British who have second homes in France, for its warm weather, sunny days, beautiful landscape and casual lifestyle.

Couiza is a small commune of about 1,200 residents in the Aude department at the foothills of the Pyrenees, on the road between
Limoux, going towards Carcassonne and Quillan and Perpignan. “The Château de Couiza, a 16th-century castle, built by the Dukes of Joyeuse is now a hotel and restaurant (Les Ducs de Joyeuse).” (Wikipedia.org) I have not yet seen the property as our client found it all on her own and chose this spot for spiritual reasons.

Languedoc-Roussillon has an interesting history with its government having been created in the 16th-century. It covers an area of approximately 16,490 square miles between the Rhône and the Garonne Rivers. Property here is less expensive than its Provencal counterpart. This four bedroom/two bath home on two levels with 4,000 square meters of land is being purchased for under 200,000€! The property is the kind one lives in, although rentals could be possible during the summer season, particularly if it were to be equipped with a pool.

This is a region of France to consider if what you want is a holiday home without a big investment or in the case of our client, a place to live the rest of your days in sunshine!

A bientôt,

Adrian Leeds

Director of The Adrian Leeds Group, LLC

Respond to Adrian: [email protected]

P.S. I will be speaking about living and investing in France at the Wealth and Privacy Conference in Zürich, Switzerland August 11-14. If you are concerned about asset protection, asset growth, and international diversification, then you will want to consider this very exclusive event this summer tailored specifically for you. During the second week of August, you can join a panel of experts and concerned attendees engaging in a set of interactive discussions and presentations designed to arm you with the information you need to make prudent, long-term decisions about your financial future. On top of that, you’ll be doing it in one of the world’s oldest and most secure financial centers in the world, Zürich, Switzerland. For those interested in attending, visit hemispherespublishing.com/ for more information.

And don’t forget to register NOW for the Living and Investing in France Conference in Nice this coming September 27-29 to avoid the August15th cancellation policy fees. See Investing in France Conference in Nice for more information.
 
P.P.S. Last Minute Parler Paris Apartments Special! For arrivals in August to Le Bac Marché, save 25€ per night for stays of 5 to 6 nights (100€/night) and 22.50€ per night for stays of 7 to 15 nights (90€/night)! Visit Le Bac Marché or email [email protected]