What's red hot and cold enough in France
The French property market has been a hot topic of late as things turn cold in other markets through the effects of the credit crunch. With an apparently stronger market many investors will be keen to see what the best property investment deals are at present.
What is not in doubt is that France is getting a highly favourable press just now. Standard and Poor's recent survey of property markets around Europe, as reported by Finfacts last week, described French market conditions as "benign", poised to be steady this year thanks to a low level of household debt compared to the European average, economic growth and falling unemployment, all of which will see it spending the next few years enjoying annual rises of around a steady three per cent.
So where should investors look? Louise Hall, business director at French estate agents' and property website Primelocation.com, said that the Alps remained a popular location, noting: "People have had more opportunity to buy in the Alps in the last few years and have looked at buying apartments and chalets because they are easy to rent out and you have sporting seasons throughout the year in certain resorts."
However, she stated, things are not that simple: "This [availability of year-round attractions] is very dependent on which resort because of snow levels and the weather - Meribel is an all-year round resort, where somewhere like Chamonix is less so." This matters, she commented, because the old adage that an investment in the Alps was a "sure sale to buy in France because everyone skis" has been dented by the fact that "due to the realities of climate change, snow can vary".
For all that, Alpine property has got plenty going for it, as explained last month by Frederic Chamouret, a property advisor with French property specialists VEF, who stated that prices in the mountain range had risen by 90 per cent in the last decade.
Of course, investors may look at a number of different places in France for different reasons. Those looking for ski resorts away from the Alps may favour the Pyrenees, where the proximity of Spain may appeal to some. Others will opt for the sun, sea and sand of the Cote D'Azur, while another group may prefer the major wine-growing regions.
Ms Hall noted that Paris is currently a major destination for UK investors, stating: "in terms of the cost of apartments and so forth, Paris is a relatively good buy because there is an infrastructure there and it has an industry." To this, she added, was the extra appeal of the new faster Eurostar service which improved the connection with London.
The one downside to investing in France, she advised, was the unfavourable value of the pound against the euro at present. However, with interest rates subject to change for at least one if not both currencies in the months ahead, that may change.
In today's world Property investment is an excellent investment option especially investment in UK
Jim Barnaby is a real estate investment broker and successful property investment adviser delivering research and selected UK and overseas property investment solutions with experience in spanish properties, french property investment, German property, Cyprus holiday homes, Property in Cape Verde, German property investment, cape verde property buy to let property
French Articles:
France 'survives credit crunch'
Since the term credit crunch entered the lexicon at some point last year, the mortgage market has become tougher in the UK, with this week's withdrawal of 125 per cent mortgage products being the latest reduction in the availability of products with which to buy property in Britain.
Premier Assistive is Going French, Spanish and English
Premier Assistive Technology announces the release of PDF Equalizer ML (Multi-Lingual).
Poker Source Online Now Fully Available in French
Poker Source Online, a leading online poker community, is now fully available in French, so French speakers worldwide can access free gifts, promotions, freerolls and poker resources in their own language.
Lisa Lloyd, Inventor of "French Twister," Teams Up With Networking Site to Help Inventors: Lisa Lloyd Hopes to Help Inventors Be Successful through Id
Lisa Lloyd, inventor of the million-dollar product, "The French Twister", has been helping independent inventors be more successful through her invention and patent workshops and seminars for some time now. She now will share her knowledge and expertise with a broader online audience by partnering with IdeaTango.com, an web site that brings Internet-based tools to the inventor community.
Relocating to France
More and more people are moving abroad these days and France is one favourite destination Its not surprising people are choosing France as the country has a style and look of its own and is steeped in history, it is also well known for its love of the arts and architecture
The Cuisine Of French Polynesia
Tahiti or French Polynesian food is known throughout the world because of its exotic fruits, fresh fish and vegetables which are prepared with a strong French influence underlying the Tahitian ingredients. Restaurants in French Polynesia are from a wide variety of backgrounds including and inevitably French and Tahitian, but also Chinese, Vietnamese, and Italian.
The Beauty Of Learning French
There are many things a person can learn in his entire lifespan and among many things is learning foreign languages. Other than a person?s native language, learning a new one wouldn?t be too difficult although people may encounter problems and difficulties on the process of memorization and pronunciation. This isn?t a rare problem though, most people experience this common draw backs but memorization in its simplest sense has remedy to any aspect of learning which does not exempt a person from learning another language.
Twingo-A-Go-Go -- Catch the Motoring Action at the Adrian Flux French Car Show
Sunday 22nd June 2008, Rockingham Motor Speedway, Northants
Planning a Wine Trip to France Just Got Easier: www.winetravelguides.com Announces Updated On-line Guides
Over 40 updated on-line travel guides to wine regions in France are now available by subscription from the Wine Travel Guides website. With recommendations and insider tips from a dozen experienced wine and travel writers, Wine Travel Guides make it easy to plan an independent wine tasting trip to France.
Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa Celebrates 'Apéritif à la Française' In Partnership with the French Embassy to Canada and Sopexa
Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa will host "l'Apéritif à la Française" on June 5, 2008 with a culinary demonstration and cocktail dedicated to cuisine that was served at the Elysée Palace to former French presidents -- Mr. Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, Mr. François Mitterrand and Mr. Jacques Chirac.
Prevent Alzheimer's Disease By Knowing How To Speak French
Here's an idea to consider: Alzheimer's disease can be avoided by studying French
Alzheimer's disease happens when the brain no longer has cognitive stimulation, or brain atrophy
French/English Translation: The Common History of Two Languages
Along with most of the other languages of Western Europe, both French and English are daughter languages of proto-Indo-European. French is a Romance language, derived from proto-Italic via Latin (like Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, and Catalan); English is a Teutonic language, derived from proto-Germanic via West Germanic (like Dutch, German, and Yiddish). French/English translation is made more interesting by the complicated history of English and the part French plays in this history, though the two languages are long-since separated on the Indo-European family tree. English is often described as a German language with a Romance vocabulary. Old English was an amalgam of the languages of several tribes of northern Europe ? the ...
French Cheese Can Add A European Touch To Your Entertaining
France is certainly in the forefront of cheese manufacturing, with over 500 varieties of cheeses that are made in this region alone! While many of these cheeses are of the soft variety, French cheeses can actually be a healthy alternative to some of the cheese favorites that are frequently served in the United States. French cheeses are lower in fat while packing in the flavor because of the higher water content in soft cheeses that actually keeps the fat count at a reasonable level.
Canonical and iB ? Group Cegos Partner to Deliver Ubuntu Certified Professional Training in France
Canonical Ltd, the commercial sponsor of Ubuntu, today announced it has signed an agreement for iB ? Group Cegos to deliver Ubuntu Certified Professional training in France. iB will deliver official courses in Paris la Defense from December 2007.
New Specialty Food and Wine Store in Boerne to use Limestone Racks from France to Display Wines
This new gourmet store in Boerne, Texas, will be bringing the limestone elements of a French wine cave to central Texas.