Why use Foremost Currency Group?
- Get rates up to 5% better than high street banks
- High security
- Dedicated personable broker
- Outstanding market knowledge
- No commission
Monday, 31 August 2015
Behind the scenes at Foremost Currency Group
Why use Foremost Currency Group?
Sunday, 30 August 2015
Off to the market...?!
Visiting a French market can be one of the most enjoyable ways of spending a morning in France.
There are so many different kinds of markets and customs, here are some tips and ready-to-use phrases in French that you might find useful on the next visit!
There are so many different kinds of markets and customs, here are some tips and ready-to-use phrases in French that you might find useful on the next visit!
Sunday, 23 August 2015
House-hunting holidays in the Dordogne from £250 per week
Why not combine a house-hunting trip in the Dordogne with accommodation provided? Dan and Jo Arnold run a lovely B&B in Montpon, 24700. Ideal for house-hunters looking near Bergerac and the west of the Dordogne.
Prices start from £250 per week for September, October, and November for self-catering in a three bedroom apartment (sleeps 6). Or Bed and Breakfast starts from €52 euros per room per night.
The Pomarede apartment is around 40 minutes from Bergerac airport, and 1 hour 10 minutes from Bordeaux airport. Delicious evening meals can also be provided. Please email Jo at jo-arnold@orange.fr or phone 0033 5 53 82 36 19 or mobile 0033 6 73 06 03 77.
Their Facebook page is here: www.facebook.com/pomaredebandb
For an example of some of the properties in the area visit our blog post here: http://blog.allez-francais.com/2015/08/perigorgeous-properties-to-visit-in.html
Saturday, 22 August 2015
Perigorgeous! Properties to visit in the Dordogne
Dan Arnold is one of our agents and has some stunning properties, all within an hour of the Pomarede Bed and Breakfast gite apartments.
Areas covered included Montpon, St Aulaye, Bergerac, Aubeterre and Chalais. And all budgets are catered for…from pretty cottages to stunning Chateaux.
Dan can offer advice on buying your dream home and will accompany you on visits on properties in his portfolio. Dan’s stunning properties include:
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| Fantastic value town house in the village of St Aulaye – gorgeous pool and location |
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| Beautifully presented Perigourdine cottage |
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Fantastic Maison de Maitre in a village location |
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| Beautiful Maison de Maitre in the centre of St Aulaye. Elegant and spacious – includes an additional guest house! |
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| Impressive Villa in first class condition – great renovation |
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| Seriously historic Logis in the centre of Aubeterre |
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| Magnificent Manoir near Chalais |
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Stunning Chateaux and various outbuildings. |
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| Breath-taking Chateau renovated by a famous interior designer |
Dan can be contacted on: dan@allez-francais.com mobile 0033 6 37 69 46 59
Latest currency update as fears of a "Grexit" are beginning to fade
The £ closed the week at below 1.38 € , having been over 1.43 a month ago, a reduction of 3.5%. So what has caused the change? Here is the analysis of Joe Mayhew, Senior Currency Broker at Foremost Currency Group.
Last week the euro managed to gain on the bulk of its counterparts. There are a number reasons for the Single Currency’s recent gains; firstly, now that Greece are beginning to implement the reforms asked of them by their creditors, fears of a “Grexit” are beginning to fade.
The Greek reforms have been pushed through parliament, mostly by Alexis Tsipras taking a significant U-turn on policy and courting rival parties, which has left him extremely unpopular with his own party. This about-face has driven him to set a snap election that could see him ousted from his position of Premier on September the 30th. Whilst this could cause some uncertainty for Greece, the troubled State paid off over €3.3Bn last week to the ECB and the previous duels and mind games, that had been so heavily publicised, now seem like a thing of the past.
Much of the pound’s strength over the past year has been due to speculation over the BoE raising rates. Yet, with Governor Carney still as unreliable a boyfriend as those on Ashley Madison’s (now public) client list, his so-called forward guidance appears as clear as mud. In short this means volatility; sterling rates could remain range-bound for some time and the swings between the peaks and troughs could either see you make a healthy profit on your exchange or make you as red-faced as a social networking adulterer.
One way to take advantage of these swings is to make use of your account manager at Foremost Currency Group. They can act as your eyes and ears keep you up to speed with your cross’s movements and help tailor a strategy to help make the most of your currency. Get in touch with our dedicated broker today to find out about the different types of contract on offer to you or, if you don’t currently have a trading facility, then simply click here http://www.allez-francais.com/finance/currency-exchange to get registered and learn about the options open to you.
Monday, 17 August 2015
French Property Exhibition 2015
The annual French Property Exhibition will be taking place at Olympia, London from 18-20 September.
If you have always dreamt of owning a property in France, this is the perfect opportunity for you to find out more!
The event also includes a seminar programme, giving visitors the chance to gain valuable advice from property experts in moving, buying and financing in France.
At this year's exhibition you can discover more about Allez-Francais, our properties and our partner Foremost Currency Group.
Registration is free - sign-up on their website here
Monday, 10 August 2015
Special offer on Fractional Ownership properties
We are pleased to advise that there is a special offer open to our clients for reservations on our Fractional Ownership properties at the Halcyon Resort, near to Limoges.
The properties are built around a Château hotel, with Michelin starred restaurant, your own 18 hole golf course, and an indulgent world class spa, plus much more. A 2 bed apartment costs £30,000 for a 13th fraction, which entitles you to 4 weeks ownership each year. The properties are price in £ not Euros. A one bed apartment costs £18,500 or a studio £11,500. This is a great opportunity!
- Cashback 5% for 12 months from purchase.
- Should the property not be completed within 12 months from the date of sale, the developer will pay a 0.5% penalty of the purchase price per month to the client until completion of the property.
- Rental = 50/50 split on income
- Rental paid NET (all annual ownership costs, excluding the £100 FOC fee)
- Purchaser to pay the £100 FOC fee upon completion
- 125% assured resale – between year 5-9 after completion
- 150% assured resale - 10 years after completion
- Free furniture
- Free completion taxes
Limited offer – closes 30th September 2015
Changes to the "cooling off" period when buying a house in France
The Macron Law of August 6, 2015 has changed the buyer's cooling off period on a Compromis de Vente (CdV) to 10 days from 8 August 2015, when the required period was 7 days previously.
Quite what benefit there is in this extension is questionable. Will 3 extra days really change anything? Often, because of delays in getting reports completed, and the paperwork done, the buyers have already had at least a week, often much longer, to think things through.
Fairly typical of President Hollande’s Governments tinkering around the edges of policy, (rather as they have done with CGT, or Plus Value). Just to add the cherry to the cake, if the 10th day is a bank holiday, then the period is extended further!
As a reminder also, when a vendor signs a mandat at their house, the cooling off period for a mandat de vente is 14 days. So before too long, it would not surprise me to see the new 10 day period extended to 14 days for the CdV as well.
Consumer Protection is good, but sometimes there is overkill!
Saturday, 1 August 2015
Wills – a new opportunity for French owners & buyers
Since I started selling houses in 2002, one of the biggest challenges as an agent has been advising buyers about the Napoleonic Code legislation, and how it could impact upon the ownership of a property in France.
Do nothing, and the Notaire will draft the Deed, and therefore the succession plans the traditional French way. The problem is that the French do not traditionally pass the house to a survivor upon the 1st death for a couple. They see this as disinheriting their children. There has always been a way around this, either using a ‘tontine clause’, or by a marriage contract called ‘communauté universelle’, that generally insured a jointly owned property would pass to the survivor.
From 17th August, it is going to be possible under new European regulations to allow EU citizens to choose whether the law applicable to their succession should be that of their habitual residence or that of their nationality. This is a major opportunity for people to get their “house in order”, (sorry for the pun), and decide how they wish to leave their property estate. It is important to get professional guidance and we expect Notaires to be busy assisting clients old and new with their arrangements. Please note this only impacts upon the succession, and does not change the laws relating to taxation.
Previously, in the absence of any other arrangements, the property would have been divided as follows :
* Only freely disposable if there are no children, as they are ‘protected heirs’.
In July 2012 the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union adopted regulation 650/2012, ‘Jurisdiction, applicable law, recognition and enforcement of decisions, and acceptance, and enforcement of authentic instruments in matters of succession’. Commonly known as Brussels IV, it was devised to provide increased flexibility in deciding which law would apply in governing succession. The Regulation is binding on all E U member states - except for the UK, Ireland and Denmark who have opted out. This could impact upon French nationals living in the UK, but not UK nationals living in France, so British expatriates in France can choose UK law if they wish. UK residents with property in France, the applicable law will be that of their habitual residence – the UK.
Do nothing, and the Notaire will draft the Deed, and therefore the succession plans the traditional French way. The problem is that the French do not traditionally pass the house to a survivor upon the 1st death for a couple. They see this as disinheriting their children. There has always been a way around this, either using a ‘tontine clause’, or by a marriage contract called ‘communauté universelle’, that generally insured a jointly owned property would pass to the survivor.
From 17th August, it is going to be possible under new European regulations to allow EU citizens to choose whether the law applicable to their succession should be that of their habitual residence or that of their nationality. This is a major opportunity for people to get their “house in order”, (sorry for the pun), and decide how they wish to leave their property estate. It is important to get professional guidance and we expect Notaires to be busy assisting clients old and new with their arrangements. Please note this only impacts upon the succession, and does not change the laws relating to taxation.
Previously, in the absence of any other arrangements, the property would have been divided as follows :
| Inheritors | The « Réserve » | Freely Disposable |
| Spouse | 1/4 of estate | 3/4 of estate * |
| One Child | 1/2 of estate | 1/2 of estate |
| Two Children | 2/3 of estate | 1/3 of estate |
| Three Children | 3/4 of estate | 1/4 of estate |
* Only freely disposable if there are no children, as they are ‘protected heirs’.
In July 2012 the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union adopted regulation 650/2012, ‘Jurisdiction, applicable law, recognition and enforcement of decisions, and acceptance, and enforcement of authentic instruments in matters of succession’. Commonly known as Brussels IV, it was devised to provide increased flexibility in deciding which law would apply in governing succession. The Regulation is binding on all E U member states - except for the UK, Ireland and Denmark who have opted out. This could impact upon French nationals living in the UK, but not UK nationals living in France, so British expatriates in France can choose UK law if they wish. UK residents with property in France, the applicable law will be that of their habitual residence – the UK.
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| image copyright _ella_ |
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