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PROPERTY in the Dordogne is somewhat of an obsession with us and, I suppose, most of my compatriates in the real estate business. Even when we're off-duty it's a bit of a busman's holiday.

Over dinner at friends' the topic of conversation invariably comes around to the state of the French housing market when we're asked to take out the crystal ball and make our forecasts for 2009 almost as payment for the sumptuous meal.

EVERYBODY is in agreement that French property prices are falling. What's not clear is by how much. It would seem that there are as many forecasts on the French housing market as there are economists in France.

Accurate economic data in France lacks the transparancy of some neighbouring economies. Pricing forecasts come from a number of different available sources. The result is a wide ranging set of predictions and statements depending on the data to hand.

Essentially it all boils down to data from two groups, The Optimists and The Pessimists.

IT'S no secret that we are seeing an accelerated decrease in the value of french property since the start of September 2008.

In a BBC news report yesterday, there was mention of a 50% drop in the number of properties in the Dordogne being bought by the British.

Property values in south west France are expected to fall by as much as 15% with regional variations from 10 - 20%.

EVERYWHERE you look at the moment suggests that property prices in the Dordogne are in freefall.

A number of reports released in the last week, however, continue to suggest that a french property market crash is not something we are likely to witness anytime soon.

The number of transactions continues to fall as do house prices in the Dordogne.

NOT a day goes by but there is another earth shattering news item on what lies in store for the European and Global economy.

The Irish seemed to kick it all off by announcing a 100% out-of-the-blue guarantee on bank deposits.

Hardly flavour of the month since the overwhelming NO to the Lisbon Treaty, they throw another spanner in the works with the bank deposit guarantee. That was a beauty.

AN article in today's Independent (UK) asks 'what happens if the low-cost airlines go under?'. How big an impact will airlines who decide to close routes to marginally profitable destinations have on the Dordogne property market?

Certainly, people who have bought property in the Dordogne in recent years considered the proximiity of Bergerac airport when deciding where to buy.

UNTIL recently, Geoff worked for many years in the highly stressful world of film special effects. He jacked it in to travel around Europe for a year with his wife, Laura, a teacher on a year's sabatical, and their two girls.

The girls go to school in Eymet and Sigoules. Geoff wants to write a book. 

Before settling in the Dordogne for the remainder of their time in Europe, the family travelled to some of the most interesting and beautiful places on the continent.