Since 1998…and Still Writing

In 1998, I started writing because I had something to say. (I always have a lot to say! LOL!)

Actually, at the time I had a lot to say to the Parler Parlor French-English Conversation Group I started with a partner in March of that year. The new members need a communiqué, and so it began using that mailing list. There was no grand strategy. No marketing funnel. No social media. No “content plan.” Just a deep and growing love affair with France…and a realization that Americans needed information I could provide.

At the time, it was all about life in France, and more about our cultural crossings and misunderstandings than about anything else. But soon after I started to write about how to buy property here, about everyday issues such as visa and taxes, and why nothing worked the way it did back home in the U.S. or Canada.

And so I began writing…and writing and writing. What started as a simple weekly letter to a small list of readers became something much larger—and much more meaningful. For more than 25 years, through booms and busts, government changes, currency swings, pandemics, and political drama on both sides of the Atlantic, the Nouvellettre® arrives faithfully in inboxes around the world….now three times a week.

Not because I have to. Because I believe it matters.

The name Nouvellettre® was born at the suggestion of a friend. I can’t take credit for it, but I adopted it and trademarked the word. It’s a new French word that when translated literally means “newsletter.”

First off, our Monday Nouvellettres® are devoted to giving you a slice of life in France from my point of view. It’s not about ME or what I do, but how what I experience can benefit you. Notice next time you read one that there aren’t so many “I’s” like a lot of other bloggers who tend to make it all about them. I’m very conscious of wanting you readers to be able to put yourselves in my shoes and really feel like you’re here with me. It’s a small shift in perspective, but it matters to me and it matters to you, the reader.

I also hope to “demystify” France—a term that my friend, Janet Hulstrand, uses to describe her book that clearly outlines our cultural differences— the kind of book every newcomer should read and keep as a kind of “bible.” Crossing the cultural divide is what I believe is the toughest part to making the move—the rest are simply mechanical hurdles.

And because I’ve lived in France so long, it’s up to people like me (and Janet) to help Americans not just dream about living here, but do it intelligently, legally, safely, and joyfully.

France is intoxicating. But it is also complex. There is no MLS. The buying process is different. The laws are different. The culture is different. The expectations are different. Even the unspoken rules are different.

And over the years, I’ve learned that what people need isn’t just information. They need context. They need translation. They need interpretation. They need someone who understands both worlds.

That’s why I write, not to discount that I love to write and have a lot to say!

On Wednesdays you receive a different kind of Nouvellettre®, like this one. It’s designed to provide very specific information about something or some service we offer to you and our community at large.

When we talk about “community,” we mean the Expat, mostly North American community, although this includes our other Anglophone friends, such as Australians and New Zealanders. Wednesday Nouvellettres® are even more important because within these words are important offerings, such as properties we may have for sale, or services we provide that enrich your lives.

Thursday’s French Property Insider has a smaller following than the other Nouvellettres® because they are specific to real estate issues, but this information is seriously important to would-be buyers or renters. Not long ago, I recruited Jay Corless, one of our senior staff members, to help me gather this information, make some sense out of it and then let me edit it and add my own point of view on the matter.

Jay does a brilliant job (I think) and while it’s very helpful to you, it’s even more helpful to me and our entire staff to stay up-to-date with what’s shaping the current real estate market in France. The information in every issue is seriously valuable.

You, as a reader, already know that when you subscribe, you don’t just get announcements or listings.

You receive:

• Real insights into the French property market
• Guidance on visas, taxes, and legal realities
• Cultural observations that help you integrate—not just visit
• Updates on fractional ownership opportunities
• Invitations to webinars and events
• Stories from readers who made the leap
• And ALWAYS…my honest perspective on what’s happening in France and the U.S.

It’s not fluff. It’s real life in France experience.

And it’s written by someone who has lived in France for more than three decades—not someone observing from afar.

Why three times a week? People ask me all the time about how I have the time to write so often, or why we do this when so many others write once a week or once a month.

Because once a week isn’t enough to stay connected to a life across the ocean. And because things change quickly. Policies shift. Markets move. Opportunities appear—and disappear. We want to stay current.

You readers tell us that the Nouvellettre® has become their bridge to France. A touchstone. A steady voice in a world that often feels noisy and chaotic. Some have been reading since the very beginning. Some discovered us just last month. All are part of a community of globally curious, thoughtful people who want more from life than business as usual.

There’s that word again: community. That’s what we do. We build a community. It’s important to me, it’s important to my staff and it should be important to you…especially if and when you make the move to France.

If you’re still dreaming…if France is still “someday” in your mind…if you’re considering buying, relocating, investing, or simply understanding what’s truly possible…

Then I invite you and your friends to subscribe. Not because it’s free. But because it’s valuable.

Since 1998, I’ve been showing readers how to make the dream real — intelligently, strategically, and with eyes wide open. And I’m not stopping anytime soon.

Tell your friends…even just one will do! Tell them to subscribe just like you have, and receive the Nouvellettre® three times a week. Here’s how they can become a part of our community.

You can easily subscribe through our website!

We look forward to welcoming you…and all of your friends, too!

A la prochaine…