France Property News

While UK house prices continued to drop in a near static market at the start of this year, the London office of leading French Alpine developer The MGM Group saw sales holding up. Although slightly down on last year’s figures, the group has surpassed its sales target for the five-month winter season.

Almost half of the 27 apartments in a brand new residence de tourisme at Chantemerle 1350 – one of the six villages which make up the Serre Chevalier ski resort in the Southern Alps region of France – have been sold ahead of its opening in December this year.

In the famous-name wine villages that line Burgundy’s Côte d’Or, the property market is as sturdy as the vines that grip the soil. Homes rarely appear for sale but, when they do, change hands in an instant.

It’s difficult to buy a home in the very sophisticated wine villages of Burgundy. This French region’s fertile land is worth much more to the locals cloaked in neat rows of vineyards than it is developed into modern housing so there is a real shortage of supply.

A brand new two-bedroom apartment of 61.5 sq m at Le Village de Lessy (pictured), a four-star residence de tourisme in the traditional village of Le Chinaillon in the Les Aravis ski area of the French Alps, is on the market priced at €188,127. The figure excludes VAT, waived under the leaseback scheme.

The success of off-plans sales in Annecy in the Haute-Savoie region of France has prompted French developer MGM to bring forward the start date for its latest residential scheme in the historic lakeside town.

Sharon Hill, Director of French Mortgage Direct reports on the French mortgage market: Interest rates in Europe have been falling over the last few months and despite the weak pound, now is a good time to be looking at a French mortgage as French lenders are keen to compete.

Following the European Central Bank’s (ECB) decision this month to leave the Euro Base Rate on hold at 2%, mortgage rates of below 3% are now on offer from some banks in France.

Construction work will get underway soon on more new ski-in, ski-out homes in Les Arcs, said to be the “most beautiful and sought after area in the French Alps.”

Bucking the trend among second-home buyers cautious about signing-up to off-plan purchases in the wake of the credit crunch, a leading developer in the French Alps reports that a quarter of the buyers of properties sold off-plan in its latest new scheme are British.

Erna Low Property is delighted to announce the release of thirteen exclusive freehold apartments within three traditional Savoyard style chalet buildings in Courchevel 1650. Les Chalets de la Saulire will be completed to the high and chic standard that skiers have come to expect of the elite resort of Courchevel.

The economic recession in Ireland has had little impact on the number of Irish people investing in foreign properties, according to a leading French-based estate agent.

When it was launched back in July of last year, France Property Shop gained over 1m page impressions in its first month, something of a record for a launch in the sector.

Mama Shelter is set to revolutionise the French Leaseback tourism industry. Roland Castro the famous Parisian architect is responsible for the conception as well as the on site 4200 sq metre media centre; French designer Philippe Starck is heading the interior design.

Five key departments are this year’s rising stars in the French holiday rental market. All are in the sun-filled southern regions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence.

Changes in the French tax regime will prove beneficial to those who own properties in the country. The trebling of the inheritance tax threshold, means that fewer people are likely to have their estate taxed when they die.

The uncertainty surrounding the international stock market (French included) is leading more French households towards property investment.

Solutions to the current property market gloom are being found for people wanting to buy property in France. It is vital that anyone who is planning to buy a property in France acts quickly.

Calling all true romantics out there who may be looking to make the ultimate gesture of love on Valentine’s Day this year.

Moneycorp, the foreign exchange specialist, has announced an exclusive partnership agreement with the French property and finance specialist, GE Money Bank.

Profile Europe (UK) Ltd now have pleasure in bringing to the market what can only be described as, the most exciting French leaseback scheme of the decade. Brimming with benefits, this is one opportunity that shrewd investors should not pass by.

One full week back on the job and VEF (UK) report business up by more than 50% on the same week in 2007. It seems that people really are realising at last that buying property in France is a very wise alternative to the UK and Ireland.

France Home Finance, French based independent mortgage broker for non-residents and expatriates and Flat Hunter the premier buyers agent in Paris, are expecting the Parisian property market in 2008 to reach the market ideal of strong steady capital appreciation - but without the risk of a property bubble.

“France may never be better value than it is now”, says Trevor Leggett, Executive Director, Leggett Immobilier.

The improved Eurostar service, launching later this month, has already fuelled increased interest in buying properties in France, reports HiFX.