France Voila - a great day to be alive.

France Voila - a great day to be alive.



For me this is the most exciting newsletter I have ever written. Three weeks ago I had a series of heart attacks - ten minutes later I was in intensive care, was treated quickly, had springs and pipes put into me and repaired, I got back home on Thursday.



I doubt I would be writing any more newsletters if we still lived in Britain. Last year my Mother last year suffered painfully for months due to the inefficiency and indifference of the UK health service - so although France is riddled with bureaucrats, knows very little about hard work or customer service and is heavily regulated and taxed - it works - and I owe my life to the efficiency, dedication and common sense of the French medical system - two years ago this August the same service in France saved my son Jack's life.



Why does a private scan cost £1,100 in the UK and exactly the same thing cost £25 in France - my Mother waited nine months, in acute pain, for a scan that never happened in the UK. She then came to France to live with us, as she could no longer walk - within three months she had an operation and last week could walk for the first time in years without even a stick and went swimming. Total cost to her - zero - as she has paid (into the UK health service) all her life.



It is Fathers day here today and my kids still have a Father and have gained a Grandmother - bright sunshine - Mediterranean diet - it is good to be alive.



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In this newsletter



1. En Gard - the Book I Wish I had Written

2. Rental Standards in France

3. Buying to Invest, using a syndicate - be careful

4. Property Investment Through a Company

5. Car Seats for a baby in France

6. Property for Investment, overheating and a Major Issue for Pensions.



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1. En Gard - the Book I Wish I had Written.



This book is a must-read for anyone thinking of selling up and moving to France. This is exactly what Alistair Scott and Sandy Thompson did in 2002, they sold their home in Brighton and moved into a traditional stone village house in Languedoc, no drains, no water but plenty of dreams.



Their story of the first two years is a hot-pot of Yorkshire improvisation and local Gypsy culture marinaded in plenty of Pastis.



To read the rest of this article, please go to



http://www.fblog.com/?q=node/view/227



En Gard - the Book I Wish I had Written



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2. Rental Standards in France



Tony
I am currently buying furnishings for an apartment that I am going to rent out and need some advice on the regulations linked with renting out a property in France i.e. furniture/electrical regulations, etc Would you be able to help with this please?



To read the rest of this article, please go to



http://www.fblog.com/?q=node/view/226



Rental Standards in France



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3. Buying to Invest, using a syndicate - be careful



Hi



I've been receiving your brilliant info mails for a while now and am sure I've missed the one article that would answer this question (or questions) but I really need some advice. Some friends and I are looking to set up a syndicate to purchase a property in the south of France. We have basic info gleaned from various magazine articles and Internet info but
what we really need is more in depth info on group property purchases/capital gains tax/mortgage restrictions either UK based or France based...any suggestions would be most gratefully received.



To read the rest of this article, please go to



http://www.fblog.com/?q=node/view/225



Buying to Invest, using a syndicate - be careful



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4. Property Investment Through a Company



Tony



I perused your web sites and there was a lot of helpful info on them. My wife and I are real estate investors in the U.S. (she will soon have her French citizenship papers) and I am trying to understand the cash-flow involved in investing in French property. Specifically, we were thinking about buying something suitable to be rented as one or two Gites, and having local managers for rental and maintenance. I need better info on rental/vacancy rates and need to understand my expenses better. Sorry for the general question, but where would you suggest I look?



To read the rest of this article, please go to



http://www.fblog.com/?q=node/view/224



Property Investment Through a Company



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5. Car Seats for a baby in France



Is a car seat for baby under 2 years old in the vehicle compulsory in France?



To read the rest of this article, please go to



http://www.fblog.com/?q=node/view/223



Car Seats for a baby in France



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6. Property for Investment, overheating and a Major Issue for Pensions.



It seems there are already more estate agents in France than propeties for sale so for Tour Operators (who now call themseves Travel Organisers) to jump onto the band wagon because their bookings are crashing through the floor looks like desparation to me. Next they will be selling used cars and double glazing perhaps.



For over a century French farmers in the South of France have been keen to unload their surplus property as it was a liability. When we moved here in 1991 we knew of farmers who had craftily added 50 acres of land and buildings to the deeds and "tricked" unsuspecting foreign buyers into owning more than they thought they had paid for. Ah, those were the days!



Supply and demand ultimately can be the only criteria for property investment. France seems unique in "Western countries" in having an increase in the birthrate, so real population growth (not just the British Barbeque Brigade) means more real demand for services and property. Now all the French have to do is to learn how to work and to encourage business.



To read the rest of this article, please go to



http://www.fblog.com/?q=node/view/222



Property for Investment, overheating and a Major Issue for Pensions



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Our business is our advertising sites for property and rentals at



http://rentalsfrance.com/



RentalsFrance



http://francevoila.com/



France Voila



Please make use of these sites for rentals and real-estate (and please do look at the adverts, they keep this newsletter going).



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Plans for "Da Vinci Code" tours and tours to Cathar, Templar and "Holy Grail" sites in Languedoc are advancing.



mailto:tony@frepro.com



tony@frepro.com



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