We Want Your Opinion…About Fractional Ownership

Today, I want to know your opinion.

We have only one Fractional Ownership property with shares available for sale and one on the drawing board.

First off, I assume you know what Fractional Ownership means, but maybe that assumption makes an “ass” out of “u” and “me,” so let me explain. This is NOT a “timeshare,” because when you buy a fraction of a property, you actually own your share, and not just the time you use it. Yes, you share it with others—you share the usage, the enjoyment and you share the expenses. It’s a perfect solution for someone who wants to spend a limited amount of time in the property without the hassles of full home ownership. And in almost all cases, it gives you the ability to have ownership in a luxury property for a much smaller cost, and in one that you might not have been able to afford otherwise. It’s a win-win, depending on the flexibility of the usage calendar.

Fractional Ownership is fully explained here.

We pride ourselves on our very luxurious and well-designed properties (most at the hand of the brilliant Martine di Mattéo along with other accomplished designers) and our seriously intelligent usage calendar:

Occupancy for the 13 owners begins on Thursday and ends on Thursday, in two-week intervals, 26 weeks apart. Each year, the rotation moves forward by 10 weeks to allow for a full mix of seasons. Owners may trade weeks with other owners as they like throughout the year. It’s easy to plan as the calendar is set for the next 13 years. Owners who wish to have four weeks of consecutive usage may choose a share adjacent to another owner with the same request. By trading weeks between them, each can have four weeks of consecutive usage. The calendar may be altered by a unanimous owners’ vote. You choose your share letter when you make your share purchase.

The property with shares available for immediate purchase is “Le Jardin de la Promenade.” The shares are selling, but not as quickly as the others have and we don’t fully understand why! There is absolutely not a single thing that is not amazingly fabulous about this apartment. If you want to enjoy life on the Mediterranean Sea, this is pure heaven…with a private garden, view of the sea with immediate access, a great location in Nice that has transportation at its toes to get you anywhere along the Riviera and appointed beautifully and conveniently. It has everything!

One of the new owners stayed in the apartment a few weeks before buying her share, and that’s why she did! She loved every minute and without hesitation, committed to a share. So, we don’t understand why the shares haven’t flown out the door and need to know the reasons from you.

The comments I’ve heard don’t hold water.

One person remarked that the “Murphy” bed is “not a real bed.” Au contraire! This bed is very much a real bed with a very good quality mattress. Lifting it up to fit inside the walled compartment is a breeze and when you do, a comfortable couch pops out in its place. There is nothing to do but put it up and down as you like. If you want to leave it down, you certainly can! It’s a whole lot better than a sofabed and is every bit as comfortable as a mattress on a frame. What is the difference? Nothing.

Someone else said they “didn’t do ground level.” Why not? It means no stairs, easy access for those who are mobility-challenged and there’s the beauty of having a private garden, which you couldn’t have otherwise. The patio and garden are dreamy…facing south for sun all day long with a view of the beautiful aqua blue sea unobstructed. You will be there all of the time, for every breakfast, lunch and dinner, not to mention “apéro” at dusk.

Worried about security? Stop worrying. You’re not in the US where you’re at risk of armed intruders! And security is in place so that you can leave the door open and still be secure from anyone entering without your awareness! We could easily install an alarm or security system if that would make you feel more comfortable, but we here in France are no longer paranoid about such personal safety…for a good reason!

I heard one person’s concerns about noise from the Promenade des Anglais. Again, this is a false assumption. Inside the apartment, with the doors closed and the air-conditioning on, you hear NOTHING. But even if you have the doors wide open, and the screen closed to keep out pesky bugs, the Promenade des Anglais at this part of the road is incredibly quiet and less trafficked. A few buses run along the Promenade, but they are electric and make almost no noise at all. The occasional motorbike is the only thing that might make stir your ears…but even that is highly regulated in Nice and bikes over a certain decibel level get fined! So, let’s take this off the list.

No one has mentioned the decor, although we suspect that the very sophisticated and classy decor may be less appealing than the colors of Provence. For that reason, we are planning on redoing the decor to lighten and brighten it—make it happier, and fitting to its environment. Is its current look keeping you from falling in love with it, like you have our other more colorful properties? Should we proceed or do you like it the way it is?

So, we want to know what’s stopping you from grabbing a share! Is a large studio apartment too small for you? Would you prefer to be closer to Old Town? Please, let us know by emailing us.

A property we have on the drawing board is a two-bedroom/one-bathroom apartment steps from the Port de Plaisance at Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat! We are talking about naming it “Le Villa Plaisance”—because it’s going to be every bit as pleasant as the location itself. It has a lovely balcony with beautiful views, a spacious living room/dining room with a kitchen off to one side, a bedroom on each side of the central salon and a large and luxurious bathroom. It’s one flight up a beautiful and elegant staircase on the first floor of a “manoir.”

Located in the heart of the French Riviera, between Nice and Monaco, the peninsula of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is a lush green setting that was formerly a fishing village and is now the most exclusive address on the Riviera. This is where you will find the most expensive homes on the Côte d’Azur—the land of the rich and famous…and for good reason: it’s ultimate beauty, elegance and peacefulness.

This property is one corner of the manoir that has undergone complete renovation to create a luxurious apartment. The #15 bus from Nice and Beaulieu-sur-Mer stops just in front, making it very convenient (there is also street parking) and it’s literally steps from the famous Port de Plaisance, the port of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. On the peninsula is the famous Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its magnificent gardens, visited by more than 130,000 people each year.

Visitors and residents to Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat have included Edith Piaf, Charlie Chaplin, Somerset Maugham, Gregory Peck, Elizabeth Taylor, and Richard Burton. Also, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Roger Moore, Tony Curtis, David Niven, and Romy Schneider, who got married there in 1966. It was a haven for politicians such as Général de Gaulle, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, Raymond Barre, Winston Churchill, George Bush, Bill Clinton and Boris Yeltsin. You could be among these names!

Included here in some of the photos are our ideas (not yet realized!) for decor that matches the peninsula’s style and colors. Our designer has been sending us all sorts of beautiful fabric and decor ideas I wanted to share with you, even in advance of making the property available.

So, the questions are:

Does a share in a property like this interest you? And if the shares for four weeks a year were priced well under 100,000€, doesn’t that sound like a bargain (because it is!)? Would you like to be put on a mailing list now to learn more about it later?

If so, then please email us.

Do not hesitate to write us with your opinions and how we can fulfill your dreams. We appreciate your input—this helps us make good decisions that will ultimately benefit you!

A la prochaine…