Would investing in French property be a wise decision?

Welcome to Fluther!

As with ANY land: location, location, location.

i’m looking at the site- this is my dream too. Is this for an investment or are you going to spend time there? Are you fluent in the local language? As an investment, you would have to allow the % for it to be managed and marketed.

Je ne sais pas. I would definitely take a hard look at the properties and make sure there are no hidden flaws.

This article in Le Monde from last November says that prices are on the rebound, but raises the possibility that this may be a false start and that prices will dip a bit more in 2010. It says that apartments dating from the ‘60s and ‘70s aren’t moving well because they’re not energy efficient. It also says that real estate in Normandy isn’t rising as elsewhere because the British have pulled out of the region and dumped their vacation properties. Marseilles, Grenobles and Alpes-Maritimes are also still lagging.

If you’re considering buying rental property, management agencies will skim about 8% of rental income, and take a commission on finding renters and arranging maintenance. Don’t consider by-passing an agency and renting it out yourself; there are way too many byzantine laws involved, and you can easily get screwed. On the positive side, French property taxes tend to be quite reasonable.

And if you’re thinking of living there, consider this: means the doctor will come to your house if you have a problem, and it won’t cost you anything; in fact, the doctor will come to your house for free even if you’re not a citizen; they like people, including visitors, to be healthy.
Unless you’re against universal health care, not bad.