Newsletter 104

I really do try to reply to all mail, most are questions about property or living in France. I publish comments in this newsletter which I believe are of interest and may help find answers to questions put by others wanting to come to France. By linking the points I make to our weblog at http://www.fblog.com Fblog I hope readers will click on the adverts which help support our overheads.



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 sales (and do click on the adverts).



=======



1. Of Aire and Angels

2. All UK property Prices

3. We Want To Invest In French Property

4. Calculating Capital Gains Tax

5. Problems With Our Leaseback

6. Resale Of Leasebacks

7. Do I Have To Wear a Speedo

8. Sky TV In France




=======



1. Of Aire and Angels



I am writing late this week as we took a couple of days off to visit some of the castles and sights just down the road from us. One of the problems in living in the center of Languedoc is that the history and scenery become part of our daily life and often we "can't see for looking".



When we rented our apartments we relied on our guests to tell us about the things they discovered and places they saw, rarely making time to go ourselves and believing we would go next week/month/year and of course we never did.



Many visitors have come to us to visit and look for the secrets at places like Rennes le Chateau, many evenings talking and many bottles emptied. The interest created by "The Da Vinci Code" and other recent books is creating more interest.



Our home is in the center of many of the most important Phocean, Jewish, Roman, Visigoth, Cathar and Templar sites. Languedoc is also strongly influenced by Islam from the learning and knowledge that was protected here when the rest of Europe was in the "dark ages". Troubadours, "courts of love", enlightenment and the rennaisance happened here centuries before Italy, but just like Ferrari and Formula 1 today, Italy had to change the rules to keep on top.



This week Carole and I, with our son Jack and Daughter Miranda, managed to get away to see a little for ourselves, Clio stayed at home to feed the animals. Our first stop was at Rennes le Chateau. Once a powerful and important place, today it is still magnificent with a legacy of a mystery. The story of abbe Berenger Sauniere is well documented and is the origin for the recent best seller "The Da Vinci Code.




To read the rest of this article, please go to



http://www.fblog.com/?q=node/view/191



Of Aire and Angels



=======



2. All UK property Prices



OurProperty goes Live

After months of hard work the OurProperty site is finally launched. The site is a free information resource that provides you with the sale price of any property bought and sold in England and Wales since April 2000.



They aim to make government information easily accessible for the general public, and hope that you find the site easy to use and the information easy to digest. So why not go ahead and find out how much the neighbours really paid!




To read the rest of this article, please go to



http://www.fblog.com/?q=node/view/190



UK Property Prices



=======



3. We Want To Invest In French Property



Tony
We are interested in South West France: Midi - Pyrenees, Aquitaine or Languedoc-Roussillon.
We want a village house, apartment or cottage. 2 -3 bedrooms with a small garden or courtyard. We are prepared to do a little DYI and updating but not major structural renovations. We want to be able to rent the property out. It is not our intention to live in France but rather make it a little investment.




To read the rest of this article, please go to



http://www.fblog.com/?q=node/view/189



Investing in French Property



=======



4. Calculating Capital Gains Tax



Hi Tony,



Enjoy the newsletters - very informative. We bought a house in France 18 months ago. Unfortunately my company is likely to relocate me to the US and we're thinking that maintenance of the house and garden will be too much from such a distance - even a relatively new house. Selling so quickly was not part of our plan so I've not considered what it will cost. If we have any kind of capital gain, can you tell me how much tax we would have to pay?



To read the rest of this article, please go to



http://www.fblog.com/?q=node/view/188



Capital Gains Calculator



=======



5. Problems With Our Leaseback



Hi Tony,



We bought a leaseback last year, and have had many problems with the agents and their ability to explain procedures...I ask a question, no one has an answer, it takes 2 months to get the answer, etc. Of course, this was not the case until the purchase was completed!



Now, we are trying to understand the procedure for the return of VAT....which when selling the property was just a routine process, now it is quite complicated...and a year later we are presented with tax forms.



To read the rest of this article, please go to



http://www.fblog.com/?q=node/view/187



Leaseback Problems



=======



6.Resale Of Leasebacks



Hi Tony,



Hope you've got time to answer a quick question for me.



I have a Leaseback property in Cannes (Remember I contacted you recently as I was struggling to get someone in for the weeks I had reserved for the film festival! - still no luck on that either!)



I know your not a great fan of Leasebacks but a couple of your comments have got me worried! - Your comment on the re-sale value being that of a secure rented property not the freehold value - do you mean if you wish to sell during the 9 year lease it is tied to or afterwards when technically you are free from the tie?



To read the rest of this article, please go to



http://www.fblog.com/?q=node/view/186



Leaseback Resales



=======



7. Do I Have To Wear a Speedo



Tony



I have a very big question! it is about this class trip we are planning! we want to go to France and I have heard that boys have to wear speedos in the public swimming pools! no boxer shorts, is this right is this some sort of rule?
please help me!

udo



To read the rest of this article, please go to



http://www.fblog.com/?q=node/view/185



Be Cool in the Pool



=======



8. Sky TV In France



Dear Tony,

Have searched in vain through the 1,000 articles in your archives for info on Sat TV, maybe I have missed the article?



We have a village house in Burgundy and according to a TV specialist there most Brits with holiday homes who want to view predominantly British TV channels buy the receiver box in the UK, but knowing which or what box to buy is the problem.



To read the rest of this article, please go to



http://www.fblog.com/?q=node/view/184



Sky TV



=======