The Alps forever
The owners of houses in the Alps were undoubtedly pleased with the July news that the next Tour de France cycling race will pass through this area. Last year, cyclists spent a whole night in Haute-Savoie, in the town of Le Grand-Bornand. The city, lying on the way between the Mont Blanc mountain range and Lake Annecy, turns into a huge ski base in winter, and in summer hiking enthusiasts, bikers and other representatives of sports subcultures rush here. The French company MGM is building the Le Village de Lessy complex here, consisting of 12 traditional-style chalets with 180 apartments. Prices for these objects, calculated for both the winter and summer season, start from 190,000 euros.
According to the head of the MGM sales department, Natalie Turcher, year–round use of real estate is increasingly interested in buyers - for example, in the villages of Le Carroze, Samoine and Saint-Foy, which are located near the ski slopes.
At the foot of the mountains there are more and more resort complexes designed specifically for year-round use. The slogan "Skiing in winter, sun in summer" is popular here, allowing owners to relax themselves and receive income from renting out objects. At one of the highest mountain bases in Europe (2100 m above sea level) – the Grande Motte resort in the city of Tignes – desperate brave men can go down the "black" level highway all year round. Tignes is located next to the Vanoise National Park, which in summer becomes a popular place among hikers. Most recently, MGM completed the construction of a four-star residential complex Le Nevada within the framework of the Tignes-Val Claret project. The residence with 50 apartments and a swimming pool, saunas and Finnish baths fits well into the extensive infrastructure and is connected to ski slopes, shops and restaurants. The cost of the objects starts from 442,000 euros for an apartment with two bedrooms, a cellar, a place to store ski equipment and parking.
At the turn of cultures
France borders with six countries – Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium, so it's enough to buy French real estate to feel like a real cosmopolitan.
In the southwest of the French hexagon, next to the slopes of the Pyrenees and the sunny beaches of the Mediterranean, the department of the Eastern Pyrenees is located, from which Spain is just a stone's throw away.
Many people, like Penny Zoldan, CEO of Latitudes, are in love with the French Riviera, including because of its proximity to the homeland of pizza, pasta and parmesan: "Somewhere between Cannes and Mentone, a stone's throw from Italy, property owners find themselves at the junction of two completely different cultures. One day spent on the other side of the border creates a feeling of incessant celebration."
Agency Latitudes offers a modern villa in Valbon for 710,000 euros. For this money, the buyer receives a plot of 2000 sq. m., on which there is a swimming pool and a three-bedroom house, just 60 minutes away. driving from Italy. The more modest project Le Domaine des Gardes is located no less successfully – in the city of Cannes-la-Boca, 30 min. from Nice airport and an hour's drive to the border. It offers modern villas with two and three bedrooms at prices starting from 341,000 euros.
There is every reason to consider the Riviera a successful investment project. Thus, the Holiday Lettings company indicates fabulous figures on its website: among potential tenants, the demand for real estate in Saint-Tropez is 143% higher than average. Nice attracts 77% more tenants, and it is expected that thanks to the recently opened tram line, developers and property buyers will begin to develop new urban areas. Nice will not leave those investors who are looking for objects with an ever-increasing value indifferent. In the latest report prepared by the French National Association of Realtors (FNAIM), there is an annual price increase of 9.1%.
The next place to pay attention to is the south of the Atlantic coast of France. Julia Trokkaz, head of Beyond Biarritz, describes the local real estate market as follows: "Residents go to Spain for cheap gasoline, wines and alcohol, cigarettes and food. However, playing on the price difference is not the only reason to cross the border. Penetration into another culture brings great pleasure. Leaving the French region of the Atlantic Pyrenees, you will be able to explore a variety of "tapas" – Spanish snacks, explore the sights of the Basque Country and visit the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao."
Troccaz is selling a house with Latin American motifs, located in the town of Cambo-les-Bains, 15 km from the border with Spain. The property is in perfect condition, for 840,000 euros, the buyer will have at his disposal five bedrooms, a swimming pool and a large garden. Nearby, in the picturesque town of Sibur, on the top floor of a house in the Basque style of the XVII century, two-bedroom apartments are for sale for 280 000 euros. The owner will be able to enjoy the seascapes, classical architecture, live in the city center and feel at the turn of two cultures.
Urban motifs
Unlike country houses, which are often empty in winter, apartments in a large city, such as Lyon, Toulouse or Montpellier, are usually used all year round. Tricia Maison, a specialist at VEF, notes: "One of the most reliable investment projects is the purchase of real estate in the city center. With reasonable investments, the investor provides himself with excellent rental income and a great opportunity to make money on resale."
The most attractive in terms of payback are considered to be objects in such dynamic cities as Marseille and Nantes. In Paris, there are also good prospects for those who want to buy real estate for the purpose of subsequent sale. The main thing is not to make a mistake with the choice of the object and its location: apartments in the center of the French capital are offered for about 8000 euros per 1 sq. m. In the provinces, of course, prices are lower. So, in Bordeaux, a modern house costs about 4,000 euros per 1 sq. m, and spacious one-bedroom apartments on the secondary market are sold at a price of 300,000 euros. In the town of Brianson in the Upper Alps, apartments still smelling of paint are for sale at a price of 140,000 euros. And MGM offers many projects in Annecy: prices for one-bedroom apartments start from 264,000 euros.
To lawyer Niall Coburn, a one-bedroom apartment in Paris, in Montmartre, very close to the Sacre Coeur Basilica, brings 1800 euros per month with 80% employment. Coburn entrusted the management of real estate to Bonapart Consulting, which helped him with the search and purchase of this object.
The apartments are located in a classic building, which especially attracts foreigners. To pay 300,000 euros, when buying an apartment, Niall Coburn issued a mortgage for 15 years. Today, he comes to the French capital only once a year, but after going on a well-deserved vacation, he is going to visit Paris more often.
