redwine Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 http://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-france/2010/05/03/01016-20100503ARTFIG00784-xynthia-plainte-contre-x-pour-homicide-involontaire-.php Le Figaro today Xynthia plainte contre x pour homicide involontaire Xynthia complaint against x for accidental murder Justice quote A woman who lost her father at La-faute-sur-Mer in the Vendee has offically complainted to the French justice system today This is the first 'offical complaint' and others will follow by the end of this week 29 people drowned in this village on the night of the 27/28 of Febuary There lawyers particulary interested in the 'local council' The mayor who is also a 'builder' The Councillers EA's Property developers etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swissy_fit Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 That's a gobsmackingly huge amount of money they want for a total ruin on what doesn't amount to massive amount of land for million+ euros! I've not come across anything to match it, but have of course come across some silly offerings. The way I figure, if I can get a 4 or 5 bedroom, stone house, renovated and in good condition, with an acre or two of garden (and with an outbuilding or two) for the same price as a British 2 or3 bed semi-detached, then I won't have done badly out of this. You can get a great house cheaply in the Charente. A bit more money in Charente-Maritime, and lots of money on the coast. But you already know this. I'd rent first, as the others have said. You'll find out a lot in the first year, and the properties aren't going to get any more expensive any time soon. FWIW I'd stick to the smallish area near the coast with the microclimate. A bit more money, but that extra sunshine..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 (edited) I know what you're saying, and appreciate it's good advice. I feel I'm between a rock and a hard place though - renting in the short-term is costly, because I have to stop and restart my business, notifiy every Tom, Dick and Harry of my new address, website updates etc.etc. My wife's income will be temporarily diminished, then we'd have to do it all over again. Then there's the logistics of moving the furniture and goods etc. We know we like the Charente area, and will be taking some more time to visit it, but with a second baby soon to arrive, I've got to get out of Paris. Given we have our deposit in euros, and will only need a small mortgage I'm keen to go for it this year. We're actually going to view a few properties next weekend, two of which are being sold privately by slightly desperate British owners. One looks very nice, and is going at a respectable (possibly desperate) price : 13 acres of pasture, garden and woodland, garden well, big swimming pool, all bedrooms en suite (they ran it as a B&B but I imagine it didn't work), quiet woodland road to the house, two barns (one attached to the property for future expansion), the house is surrounded by trees with only a couple of neighbours, but close to the village, and not too far from some more major towns, schools etc and it's renovated to a high standard... blah, blah. Of course it may disappoint in person, but I won't know until I take a look. If it feels wrong, or I find faults, I don't plan to act impulsively. If I can't find the right property this year, I will rent. I'd just prefer to avoid the hassle. I did some research earlier and found another house I'm planning to view. It's now on at almost 50% of their original asking price! The price actually looks quite good right now, unless I can spot some major issues in person. Prices may still have some way to fall, but it feels like a buyer's market, with plenty of room for negotiation. If the pound were to continue to rise as it has done today (I'm sure that will be short-lived), I would expect there to be more competition. Edited May 5, 2010 by You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwine Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 http://www.sudouest.fr/2010/05/04/agences-immobilieres-et-banques-visees-81614-3982.php Sudouest 5/5/10 Agences immobilieres et banques visees Estate agents and banks attacked Quote "EH ez da salgi" The Pays Basque is not for sale ! Two EAs windows were smashed at Ascain on the 1/5 Graffiti was sprayed onto three banks in St Pee-sur-Nivelle and similar 'attacks' happened in several other towns in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swissy_fit Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 I know what you're saying, and appreciate it's good advice. I feel I'm between a rock and a hard place though - renting in the short-term is costly, because I have to stop and restart my business, notifiy every Tom, Dick and Harry of my new address, website updates etc.etc. My wife's income will be temporarily diminished, then we'd have to do it all over again. Then there's the logistics of moving the furniture and goods etc. We know we like the Charente area, and will be taking some more time to visit it, but with a second baby soon to arrive, I've got to get out of Paris. Given we have our deposit in euros, and will only need a small mortgage I'm keen to go for it this year. We're actually going to view a few properties next weekend, two of which are being sold privately by slightly desperate British owners. One looks very nice, and is going at a respectable (possibly desperate) price : 13 acres of pasture, garden and woodland, garden well, big swimming pool, all bedrooms en suite (they ran it as a B&B but I imagine it didn't work), quiet woodland road to the house, two barns (one attached to the property for future expansion), the house is surrounded by trees with only a couple of neighbours, but close to the village, and not too far from some more major towns, schools etc and it's renovated to a high standard... blah, blah. Of course it may disappoint in person, but I won't know until I take a look. If it feels wrong, or I find faults, I don't plan to act impulsively. If I can't find the right property this year, I will rent. I'd just prefer to avoid the hassle. I did some research earlier and found another house I'm planning to view. It's now on at almost 50% of their original asking price! The price actually looks quite good right now, unless I can spot some major issues in person. Prices may still have some way to fall, but it feels like a buyer's market, with plenty of room for negotiation. If the pound were to continue to rise as it has done today (I'm sure that will be short-lived), I would expect there to be more competition. Paris and 2nd baby hmmm. OK I can see where you're coming from, and if renting is going to cost a lot for those reasons, fair enough. Also if you're going for a house in the middle of nowhere then the "ambiance" is less important. Personally unless I was trying a back-to-the-land scheme I wouldn't consider any of those (admittedly lovely) houses in the middle of nowhere, I'd go for the centre of a nice small town with shops, restaurants, creche, baby-gym clubs, indoor pools for winter, tennis clubs, choice of schools, public transport for childminders to get to your house etc etc etc. There's a reason the French don't want those places in the country. Those babies will grow up faster than you think...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 As I say, this house really isn't in the middle of nowhere. It's 800metres from the nearby village, and 2 or 3km from a town, and beyond that it's well connected to a few cities. Nothing seems to be that remote in Charente. Paris is one of the least baby friendly places I can think of in France. Sure you've got more amenities than you can shake a stick at, but shops, restaurants and the metro don't cater for babies. The car fumes don't agree with my lungs either, and I've spent a couple of months trying to shake a cough. Don't get me wrong, Paris is a nice place and I appreciate a lot of it, but apartments where I live now go for 8000 euros per square metre. If I wanted another bedroom without moving out into the suburbs I wouldn't have much to show for the dent in my wallet. I didn't necessarily want a house with so much land, and the other ones I'm looking at have a hell of a lot less, it just happened to come with a big chunk and I wasn't go to turn down a viewing on that basis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwine Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 I love Paris i met my future wife there during my student days while working at 'The Herald Tribune' at la Defense she was like myself a 'switchboard operator' it was the same summer when 'Jean Michel Jarre' played his free concert there on a hot summers night My father in law still lives there at 'Chareton des Ecoles ' I could if i wanted to pay cash and could buy a property in the Dordogne or the Charente but i am a "townie" and land or woodland or big gardens in poor area's even with swimming-pools do not interest for me I have no interest for 'village life' either after all i am not a farmer What are your children going to do in the Charente when they become adults ? They will probably leave and go and live in Paris or another French city where there is a job and a future (even though there's pollution but the same applies for any city in europe not just Paris) I prefer to invest my money rather than to throw it away in some dead end property in rural France that even if it has lots of woodland and a swimming-pool is in reality totally worthless BTW Just go for it ! an internet forum can't make the real -life descisions its up to you not me or anybody else to decide Stop comparing house prices in the UK with France they are two different countries and people earn more in the UK than in France they also don't pay for the semi-private 'health -care system here "so if you want to earn good wages you are alot better off in the UK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 (edited) La Defense is an interesting and quirky place... I was there last week to buy a car seat. I appreciate both gleeful_expat and yourself prefer townlife, but there's no need to be quite so judgemental. Variety is the spice of life, and if everybody wanted to live in the towns the world be a boring place. I understand people wanting to live there, and have lived in a town most my life. I've also experienced village and city living. I like tranquility and to sit behind a canvas and paint; it's part of my livelihood... Not everybody's cup of tea, but it captivates myself. It was my wife who wanted a move to the country. We both like the outdoors. She wished to stop working to look after the children as they grow up, and with flexible hours I can play a large part in their lives too; I can get by very well just working two days a week if I so choose, though tend to push myself into working much more, such is the motivation of self-employment. If our children want to come and live and study in Paris when they're older, then we're more than happy to let them have the apartment. I'm not buying as an investment, and I'm certainly not comparing prices with the UK - I know the UK and France are too different kettles of fish; I think any British sellers in France, are learning that too. I'm not interested in earning lots either - I'm happy to continue ticking over as a micro-enterprise, and taking life slowly. Edited May 5, 2010 by You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
non frog Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 We hope to go look at place in the bum hole of nowhere this weekend. (I am as it happens from a farming background and kid free). Looking at things now it seems to me the idiot Tories will win in the UK and screw up the economy for twenty years (Brown would have only screwed it for a decade ). We had thought of going back, even nearly bought a business there a few weeks ago. Not now. I think we will buy a place with some land and at least have food security if nothing else. The 20% or so things are likely to fall here is nothing compared to the 50%+ falls the UK will experience. I lived in Paris for a while and didn't like it. Here in Montpellier is much nicer. Earning good money in the UK is a non starter - you're going to be paying mega tax for ever to bail out the MEW to SUV people and funding the retirement deficit for the next 30 years. I quit London in 2008 when I realised that the money didn't make me happy, we've lived in our "secondaire" ever since. The "taking life slowly and being a micro enterprise" route sounds very nice to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwine Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 I suppose that i could pack in my job and so could my wife and then we could spend our saving by buying a "bum hole" in rural France so that we could plant vegetables then at least will have something to eat The good life or a life of poverty no thanks! Politics is politics they don't rule my life but theres work to do and bills to be paid and cash to be made and as for the slow life of a 'micro-entreprise' the French only invented it to try to stop people from working on the 'black' and it isn't working ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet Posted May 6, 2010 Share Posted May 6, 2010 Redwine, you seem to fail to understand that when people talk about their own personal life and plans, we're not inviting everybody to do the same, nor are we telling everybody this how people should live. I think we understand very well by now, that it's not a lifestyle for you. As to poverty in France - I can't even go to the local boulangerie without having at least one person asking for money. Do you really think everybody living in a town is well off too? Poverty exists everywhere, and is not always obvious. Living in the countryside is not a panacea to the human condition. Nor is city or town life. If you're not happy with your lot in the here and now, you're not going to find it elsewhere. I'd rather try and improve my lifestyle, by living somewhere I want to live, and continue doing work on my own terms, which I enjoy, as opposed to concerning myself about how to make as much money as possible and always dreaming about how I might spend it. It's in our nature to never be entirely content, otherwise how to do we grow? And should it so happen that things don't work out for us; well, we've not burnt our bridges, and we always have other options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
non frog Posted May 6, 2010 Share Posted May 6, 2010 ... theres work to do and bills to be paid and cash to be made ... There are. And sometimes I miss the hustle and bustle of it all. I guess that's life - you only ever want what you haven't got. The ideal - a bit of this and a bit of that - doesn't exist. To be brutally honest I miss London, but the property there is so dire and the whole place so dirty and crowded. Commuting is hopeless, the trains are always late and cost a fortune. I'm just tired mate, but I'm pleased if you're not! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwine Posted May 6, 2010 Share Posted May 6, 2010 La Defense is an interesting and quirky place... I was there last week to buy a car seat. . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_La_D%C3%A9fense La Dèfense for those who don't know Paris and in English as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swissy_fit Posted May 6, 2010 Share Posted May 6, 2010 Redwine, you seem to fail to understand that when people talk about their own personal life and plans, we're not inviting everybody to do the same, nor are we telling everybody this how people should live. I think we understand very well by now, that it's not a lifestyle for you. As to poverty in France - I can't even go to the local boulangerie without having at least one person asking for money. Do you really think everybody living in a town is well off too? Poverty exists everywhere, and is not always obvious. Living in the countryside is not a panacea to the human condition. Nor is city or town life. If you're not happy with your lot in the here and now, you're not going to find it elsewhere. I'd rather try and improve my lifestyle, by living somewhere I want to live, and continue doing work on my own terms, which I enjoy, as opposed to concerning myself about how to make as much money as possible and always dreaming about how I might spend it. It's in our nature to never be entirely content, otherwise how to do we grow? And should it so happen that things don't work out for us; well, we've not burnt our bridges, and we always have other options. Have fun. Fully aware it's horses for courses - I have a brother in the a4se end of Wales, and the only thing he really doesn't like is the climate, I can only just stand visiting him on that distant soggy hilltop, fortunately am very fond of him and his family. If you stick closeish to the coast in Charente you should get a good climate, so no problem there. You misinterpret my remarks, I'm not a city boy, but I don't like villages with no facilities either. You will be a full time unpaid taxi-driver for those babies in no time at all! However you should get plenty of peace in which to paint. Best of luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiterabbit Posted May 6, 2010 Share Posted May 6, 2010 A bit of topic but......................out of interest is anyone moving to the country concerned about comunications? We are staying near Cahors for a month this year and I am having a terrible time trying to get internet access for a reasonable cost. Seems like its not easy to get a pay as you go dongle or similar and even cell coverage is sporadic. Has anyone figured out a solution as it seems I will be potentially faced with a bill in the thousands if I use my UK phone or data plan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thod Posted May 6, 2010 Share Posted May 6, 2010 A bit of topic but......................out of interest is anyone moving to the country concerned about comunications? We are staying near Cahors for a month this year and I am having a terrible time trying to get internet access for a reasonable cost. Seems like its not easy to get a pay as you go dongle or similar and even cell coverage is sporadic. Has anyone figured out a solution as it seems I will be potentially faced with a bill in the thousands if I use my UK phone or data plan. People that live too far from the exchange to get an ADSL connection usually go for a satellite connection. Trying to connect to the net via a cell phone will break the bank. I am not sure what you mean by "pay as you go". All the internet providers will want you to sign up for a fixed term. If you only want occasional use, perhaps an internet cafe or public library usage is for you. There are sites that compare all the offers from the different companies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiterabbit Posted May 6, 2010 Share Posted May 6, 2010 People that live too far from the exchange to get an ADSL connection usually go for a satellite connection. Trying to connect to the net via a cell phone will break the bank. I am not sure what you mean by "pay as you go". All the internet providers will want you to sign up for a fixed term. If you only want occasional use, perhaps an internet cafe or public library usage is for you. There are sites that compare all the offers from the different companies. I am a very heavy user online and like to go to France on occasion for a few weeks with work or holiday or a mixture and normally I need to be very responsive to client emails. Just wondered if they was a way to purchase a plan or similar that allowed unlimited data usage for a month or similar. I had heard that some companies (orange maybe) offered a dongle with an internal sim that you could plug in to a laptop, connect to the internet. You purchase a specific amount of data flow or time I believe but can't see where to purchase so wanted to see what others were doing. I am wondering if I should just buy a blackberry in France and try and find a company with a month to month plan. Cheers, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwine Posted May 7, 2010 Share Posted May 7, 2010 I am a very heavy user online and like to go to France on occasion for a few weeks with work or holiday or a mixture and normally I need to be very responsive to client emails. Just wondered if they was a way to purchase a plan or similar that allowed unlimited data usage for a month or similar. I had heard that some companies (orange maybe) offered a dongle with an internal sim that you could plug in to a laptop, connect to the internet. You purchase a specific amount of data flow or time I believe but can't see where to purchase so wanted to see what others were doing. I am wondering if I should just buy a blackberry in France and try and find a company with a month to month plan. Cheers, Theres a 'cyber cafe' in Cahors its open 7days a week there they also have a website that gives there telephone number and E-mail address etc its called cyber46.com just add on the http etc Maybe they can find a short term holiday solution as i have never heard of month to month internet plans in France Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiterabbit Posted May 7, 2010 Share Posted May 7, 2010 Theres a 'cyber cafe' in Cahors its open 7days a week there they also have a website that gives there telephone number and E-mail address etc its called cyber46.com just add on the http etc Maybe they can find a short term holiday solution as i have never heard of month to month internet plans in France Thanks for the link, I will contact them. BTW here is what I was talking about:: http://www.telestial.com/data.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwine Posted May 9, 2010 Share Posted May 9, 2010 http://www.sudouest.fr/2010/05/07/la-grande-braderie-du-neuf-85007-2147.php SudOuest 7/5 Perigord noir Sarlat Dordogne La Grande braderie du neuf The giant 'jumble-sale' of new property Quote On average prices have fallen by 10% to 20% in the Perigord noir Today new flats are being 'given away' at less than 50% at Sarlat Due to a lack of buyers some new property programmes have been half-abandoned The price of new property has fallen A few months ago any critical media news was not welcome ie the property crisis Today a jumble-sale spirit rules in the town of Sarlat 1.......2.......3 gone Modern houses built 20 years ago classes then as high quality but have since gone out of fashion are being sold today at-35% Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwine Posted May 9, 2010 Share Posted May 9, 2010 http://www.sudouest.fr/2010/05/06/exigeants-et-peu-presses-83976-818.php Sudouest 6/5 La Charente Exigeants et peu pressés Hard to please and not in hurry! Quote The south of the dept and around "Aubeterre" one of the most beautiful villages in france was a top destination of british buyers However the crisis has also passed by here According to 'Karen Fritchely 'and 'Judy Clarke' two british EAs who use the English word "Estate Agent" rather than the French word Thats been two years now that we are seeing a massive departure of the British with new buyers not buying or very little The new buyers are making very low offerers if any at all prices are down by 15% However the British are being remplaced by the Dutch Swedish Australians Last but not least the South Africans or the 'world cup effect on property in the Charente Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwine Posted May 9, 2010 Share Posted May 9, 2010 http://www.nicematin.com/article/cote-dazur/immobilier-les-prix-de-nouveau-a-la-baisse Nicematin 26/4 Immobilier les prix a nouveau a la basse Property The price of new property has fallen Quote We can't see the end of the tunnel! Nice new flats prices down by -2.6% Transactions in the dept are down by 20% Cannes selling delays are up by 43 days compared with last year Menton -15% We haven't seen anybody in our EAs offices in April especially in Nice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agentimmo Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 Update re. my neighbour and their house selling. Got back from a 3 week trip abroad to be told that it has now sold. They move out next week. Up for sale on 1st Jan 2010, it has taken 4.5 months to find a buyer. In 2007, these houses were snapped up within 7-14 days. So, not quite unsellable, but not near 2007 either ie. the peak. Price paid? No idea.....yet I suspect it will be -15% from 2007 peak, maybe a bit more. Neighbour's wife was telling me that they had a serious offer about 6 weeks ago, but was WAY down on their asking price of around 450K. I suspect it's went for between 350-400K euros. Will post further analysis once other neighbour's start to talk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwine Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 . Up for sale on 1st Jan 2010, it has taken 4.5 months to find a buyer. In 2007, these houses were snapped up within 7-14 days. So, not quite unsellable, but not near 2007 either ie. the peak. Price paid? No idea.....yet Neighbour's wife was telling me that they had a serious offer about 6 weeks ago, but was WAY down on their asking price of around 450K. I suspect it's went for between 350-400K euros. Will post further analysis once other neighbour's start to talk The classic French property price problem ! Nobody knows how much anybody pays for or sells there property ! The French notary's gave the first three quarters of 2009 but they refuse or can't give the last quarter of 2009 due to a lack of sales for Nice Even INSEE the Gov't stats agency refuse to give out Nice property sales for 2009 its classed as a secret Hence the need for a real Gov't agency to show the real figures for property sales in France which should be by the end of this year The only info we have is "what the neighbours say" a mixture of "Desperate French housewives " and "Dr House" You say that they sold between 350 k and 400k Take 375k +6% notary fees or 22500 = 397500 euros or 340000 pounds I am taking a cash buyer or 'pigeon' not talking about mortages or bank lending rates at 3,60% last month Renting at say 600 euros divided by 397k = 55 years rent Invest your money at say 3% but i am going off-topic buying at this price today especially in France with mass unemployment and growing poverty just doesn't make any sense ,especially in a falling property market IMHO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwine Posted May 19, 2010 Share Posted May 19, 2010 http://www.lepoint.fr/actualites-immobilier/2010-05-12/dispositif-scellier-les-zones-a-eviter/1085/0/454167 Les zones a eviter The zones to stay away from 12/05 Last summer somebody who worked for the 'credit foncier' a lending property bank published a list of 60 towns where you should not buy due to surplus of property actually a French buy to rent tax incentive for 'investors' This person was sacked for giving a negative image of 'investment property' the list which has over a 100 towns on it has quickly vanished (EA lobby VI's etc) although i do have the list as it came out in a magazine Then LePoint have just brought out a list of 25 towns to stay away from although i have seen several on the original list The average buyer or renter is concerned because all of these empty flats in towns do have a bad side effect ,the local property market is distoted due to excess empty property, a massive surplus of ghost buidings Special mention for Aix-les- Bains Agen Albi Cahors Carcassonne Clermont-Ferrand Grenoble Perigueux Vichy etc BTW The person who was sacked has taken his ex-employer to an industrial tribunal for unfair dismissal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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