Real Estate & Currency Exchange News in France from Propertyshowrooms.com

French Alps property 'a target for Swiss buyers'

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Investors from Switzerland are becoming increasingly interested in purchasing real estate in the French Alps, one estate agency in the region has noted.

According to Alpine-Property, the relative strength of the Swiss franc against the euro makes buying a property in France an attractive option for those living over the border in Switzerland.

"The buyers we speak to tell us that they can now get a lot more for their money by turning to resorts like Chamonix or Morzine rather than their Swiss equivalents," Gareth Jeffries, a representative from the firm, explained.

Due to this surge in interest, the agency revealed that property prices in many of these locations are now higher than they were when the market reached a peak four years ago.

Last month, the Knight Frank Ski Index showed that many of the French resorts have seen real estate values rise over the year to June 2011.

Among the best-performing French ski destinations in terms of sales activity are Megeve, Courcheval and Val d'Isere, the organisation stated.

Could demand for French property be set to rise?

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Demand for property in France could be set to increase following the results of a recent survey by the Worldwide Property Group.

A significant majority of respondents to the survey believe that now is a good time to buy real estate overseas, with France cited as one of the most popular destinations to do so.

Brazil, Spain and the US were also named as favoured countries to invest in property in.

According to the results of the survey, confidence in UK property is also being boosted by the current trend for low interest rates, with 72 per cent of respondents seeing the benefits of depressed base rates in the country.

Meanwhile, in a recent interview with Overseas Property Professional, international mortgage broker Baydonhill has urged UK-based investors to consider the openings in the French market at present.

The firm explained that opportunities are being missed as a result of "common misconceptions" surrounding prices and currency.

Brits can capitalise on opportunities in French property market

Fri, 4 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Opportunities are being missed in the French property market as a result of "common misconceptions" surrounding prices and currency.

Speaking to Overseas Property Professional (OPP), international mortgage broker Baydonhill has urged UK-based investors to consider the openings in the market at present.

Those looking to buy property in France may be interested to learn, for example, that base rates in the country are currently at their lowest level for over 60 years.

"The weak pound has led many to believe, incorrectly, that they cannot secure a French euro-based mortgage without transferring sterling," Baydonhill told OPP.

"UK investors are also not fully aware of the drop in prices relative to the UK, with values having fallen from 2008 levels by as much as 30 per cent in some areas."

The views are echoed by another mortgage specialist in the country which believes that there are still plenty of good deals available to British buyers.

Athena Mortgages has highlighted the fact that not all banks in the country have decided to increase their margins, meaning that there is still an opportunity to capitalise on competitive lending rates.

French property market to benefit from weak euro

Mon, 5 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

British buyers looking to the French property market will be able to capitalise on the current strength of sterling against the euro, Property Wire has reported.

According to Athena Mortgages, the market is currently experiencing a tightening of bank policy towards lending because of the economy, but it is unlikely to deter serious buyers.

John Busby, director of the company, said that the current return on investment for many individuals buying property in the country was "impressive".

"The pound is at a 19-month high against the euro and the horizon for rate increases still seems a way off and mortgage rates remain at their historic lows," he added.

"So for the meantime the buying conditions in France are improving overall."

A recent survey, conducted by HomeAway.co.uk and Savills, claimed that there is likely to be a resurgence in interest in property from wealthy lifestyle buyers this year.

The real estate portal stated that established markets such as France are likely to benefit from the return as many buyers shy away from more risky markets in light of the economic climate.

Euro rate held

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The European Central Bank (ECB) has announced its decision to hold interest rates again.

Yesterday saw the governing council maintaining its three rates at their current levels, a move that came shortly after the Bank of England's decision to keep sterling rates the same.

Explaining the move, president of the ECB Jean-Claude Trichet remarked that the eurozone economy is "stabilising and is expected to recover at a gradual pace," although progress will be "uneven" in the months ahead.

This may suggest that the inflationary pressures in the eurozone will remain low for the time being, which could help keep down the cost of mortgages for those buying property in countries like France.

Revised data from the European Union published this week has stated that the eurozone as a whole saw an economic contraction of 0.2 per cent in the second quarter.

The figures confirmed that France achieved 0.3 per cent growth during the period.

Britons snapping up French property

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

France is attracting increased levels of interest from UK-based property investors, according to experts.

Currency exchange firm HiFX said that last year, the country accounted for more than a quarter of all the enquiries it received from prospective buyers.

Ski resorts such as Meribel and Courchevel were highlighted as especially popular locations, despite their relatively high property values.

Mark Bodega, director of HiFX, commented: "Prices are higher in well-established resorts but the rental yields also remain consistently high."

He added that France's close proximity to the UK was one of the main reasons for its popularity among British buyers.

In addition, he said the fact it is serviced by numerous low-cost airlines has also helped draw people to the country.

Access to France was recently improved further with the introduction of a high-speed rail link by Eurostar.

The service, which runs between London and Paris, allows people to travel from one city to the other in just two hours and 15 minutes.

Britons 'consider commuting from France'

Thu, 8 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The growing accessibility of France is prompting many Britons to consider moving there permanently, according to experts.

Currency specialist HiFX stated that some people from the UK were thinking of relocating to France because transport links were improving, making it possible to commute between the two countries.

This was said to have resulted in a surge of interest in the French property market.

The comments come ahead of the launch of a new rail link by Eurostar, which will reduce the overall journey time for passengers by about 20 minutes.

Mark Bodega, director at HiFX, commented: "It is now increasingly feasible for buyers to have the best of both worlds, living permanently in what was a holiday home and commuting back to the UK when necessary."

The new high-speed rail link between Paris and St Pancras will commence operations on November 14th.

Earlier this week, the London-based station was officially opened by the Queen after an £800 million upgrade.

Accessibility 'affects success of foreign investment'

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The ease of access to a property could have an impact on its success as a holiday home, an expert has suggested.

Mark Bodega, director at currency specialist HiFX, said that investment spots were serviced by low-cost airlines, the future sale value of property could also be higher.

He highlighted the example of Bergerac, a town located in the Dordogne area of France, as new routes started flying there in 2001.

However, subsequent years have seen a boom in its property market due to more people visiting and investing in the area.

Mr Bodega stated that property values in Bergerac had risen by 57 per cent in the last six years, largely because of the accessibility offered by budget airlines.

He added that similar property booms had taken place in areas such as Cyprus and the Canary Islands, as investors could achieve the greatest capital value premium in these markets.

Budget airlines were recently praised by the Association of International Property Professionals for widening the range of choices available to overseas investors.

1 in 4 property enquiries 'are about France'

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

France accounted for more than a quarter of overseas property enquiries in March, a new survey has found.

According to currency specialists HiFX, 27 per cent of enquiries from Brits looking for an overseas property were in regard to France.

However, this is a two per cent drop on the previous three months, when the figure stood at 29 per cent.

Spain came a close second at 25 per cent but, like France, has dropped by two or three per cent in the last few months.

HiFX also said the there had been a rise in the number of emigration enquiries from people keen to escape Britain in the winter.

The league table is based on the number of overseas property enquiries that HiFX receive per country.

As France and Spain continue to top the most popular holiday destination lists, Brits are being urged by MRI Overseas Property to consider purchasing their own "idyllic French hideaway" or a "sunny villa on one of the Costas".

HiFX: France still leads the way in overseas market

Wed, 7 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

France remained the most popular location for Britons looking to buy abroad in January, according to one currency exchange firm.

In its Global Property Hot Spots Report for January, HiFX revealed that 29 per cent of enquiries it received concerned France.

Spain closely followed, accounting for 26 per cent of enquiries ? a fall of two per cent on December 2006.

No other country was able to account for a percentage of enquiries in the region of double figures.

Chris Howard, managing director of 4:Property, told What Investment: "France tends to attract more well heeled investors looking for rural locations, while Spain usually appeals to baby-boomers looking for an apartment on the coast."

He added that demand for French and Spanish property among UK investors is likely to continue as the countries are nearby and familiar.

Last month, property developer Lar Sol claimed that the ease with which Britons can invest in property in Spain is encouraging some of the UK's "best entrepreneurs" to head to the country.