month of March , 2008

PENNY Zoldan is one of the most recognised names in the world of French property and is a regular contributor to magazine and newspaper articles.

Since starting Latitudes French Property Agents in 1989, Penny has helped thousands of people find a new home in France, and that experience has also been condensed into a book, Buying Property in France (see review).

Here Penny offers her thoughts on what the coming year may hold for people looking to buy in France and why the country has such an appeal to many.

Which? the consumers association has published a guide for overseas property investors, which warns of the dangers of inadequate planning.
It said with the number of UK residents who own a second home overseas increasing each year, its new Buying Property Aboard guide provides important information.

"Dogs are the new children," Djuna Woods says when I reach her in her Coldwell Banker office in Menlo Park.
Although Woods' words have precious little to do with real estate, as an elevator pitch it's hard to do better than a single sentence which cleverly defines her target client and makes a sweeping generalization about our culture.

French land registry goes online, with English speaking version for foreign buyers

Tax authorities in France have now placed land registry plans online, which will be a useful tool for those considering investing in French property.

The new resource will allow potential buyers to view land and building plots and their surface area measurements, and users will also be able to order hard copy plans or print them from the site.

While there are still a few gaps in coverage at the moment, the whole country is expected to go online in a few months.

As the so called yob culture in the UK continues to grow we are seeing signs that more and more of the UK population are considering moving abroad permanently, and many have already taken the step. So what is actually happening?

INTERESTING that everywhere you look in the last few weeks there are reports of an inevitable downturn in the French housing market. For the most part, it seems that these reports eminate from the popular press in both Britain and France.

AN INTERESTING article in the Telegraph today talks about the just released List of the World's Best Quality of Life locations. The survey covers 192 countries and I'm very proud to say that Ireland, not surprisingly, came in at number 10. Britain is in 37th place.

The survery was based on factors such as cost of living, health, climate, environment, economy, culture, safety, infrastructure and freedom.