France Real Estate

If you are contemplating buying property in Europe, you’ll find that few other European countries can match what France has to offer, especially when considering price. The choice of properties selling for less than $100,000 is incredible. And we’re not talking about only ruins and renovation projects, either.

France Articles

Restore a French Historic Home (Grants Available)
Posted on January 29, 2012 by Barbara Diggs

Six years ago, I received a birthday present worth over $70,000. No, I’m not friends with Oprah. We had recently fallen in love with—and bought—a crumbling, pigeon-infested, 150-year old maison bourgeoise in northern Burgundy, France, only two hours away from our apartment in Paris.
A Property Empire in Paris for $45,000
Posted on August 31, 2011 by Adrian Leeds

I was lucky, not smart, when I bought my first Paris apartment, but it was still the smartest thing I ever did. I simply didn’t want to move from my 17th-century pied-à-terre in Le Marais district when the owners wanted to sell.
Live Well in Europe: Where to Find the Good Life for Less in France, Spain, and Italy
Posted on August 29, 2011 by International Living

Europe has so much to offer a potential expat…great food, a diverse choice of cultures, stunning countryside where life is quiet and relaxed and the buzz of everyday life seems a million miles away, awe-inspiring mountains for skiing and soft, sandy beaches for wiling away summer days…

But isn’t Europe expensive? That’s the observation we hear most about Europe and the answer is that Europe can be expensive…unless you know the right places to look!

In this report we’ll tell you about our favorite places in “Romantic Europe” and hope to make you dream of new places in the “Old World.”
A Romantic Corner of France from $92,000
Posted on August 22, 2011 by Steenie Harvey

Wednesday is market day in Piégut-Pluviers, a town in the north of Aquitaine’s Dordogne département. A French country market is a gastronomic Garden of Eden, so leaving these stalls of foie gras, saucissons and cheeses feels like being cast into the wilderness.
Fractional Ownership the French Way
Posted on May 24, 2011 by Gregory Mose

La Bruyere is one of those dreamy, remote French farmhouses that make you ache for your own place in the sun. You get exposed stone, terra cotta roof tiles, and an idyllic rural location with the restaurants and shopping of Bergerac just a stone’s throw away. This sort of house makes you want to ask the owners, “How on earth did you find this place?”
Finding Real Estate in Paris: What You Need to Know
Posted on May 4, 2011 by Adrian Leeds

One thing to keep in mind when searching for properties, which we find true primarily in such a competitive market as Paris: properties advertised on websites, in magazines and even agency windows have either been sold and have not been yet removed from the advertising or have been on the market a long time…for good reason.
Renting Your Paris Apartment for Profit
Posted on May 4, 2011 by Adrian Leeds

Paris rentals come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. An apartment rented unfurnished is a very different animal from one that is rented for vacation use completely equipped for as little as a few days or by the week.
Cover Story: Corsica–The Affordable French Island You’ve Never Heard Of
Posted on January 26, 2011 by Steenie Harvey

The luminous hour before sunset is special. Every bay is a brilliant turquoise. Villages take on a honeyed glow; vineyards are dusted with gold; mountain crags flare orange. Out to the west, rocky islets change from dusky pink to a deep blood-red.
Corsica’s Seaside Towns and Island Villages
Posted on January 20, 2011 by Steenie Harvey

Teetering above the north-west coast, the villages of the Balagne region in Corsica, France, have a grandstand view of white yachts, silver sands and luminous blue sea. I spent one day of my October trip driving between these settlements.
Corsica: The Best of France and Italy in One Enchanting Island
Posted on January 19, 2011 by Steenie Harvey

Fresh air, fish stew, red wine. I’ll sleep. Tonight’s lullaby is the murmur of waves and the tinkle of masts in Macinaggio’s harbor. Earlier I’d walked the village’s Sentier Douane, a seashore footpath once used by customs officers hunting for smugglers. Views are spectacular: the turquoise Mediterranean, a crumbling Genoese watchtower, the tiny trio of Finocchiarola islets.
“My House in Provence More than Pays for Itself”
Posted on December 30, 2010 by Maria Trenzado

The hardest thing about owning a home in France is leaving it. From the moment I looked through a viewfinder at the age of eight and saw slides of rolling French landscapes, I’ve been hooked. But it wasn’t until 2004 that my lifelong dream of owning a place in France became reality.
Corsica, France: The Mediterranean’s Unspoiled Idyll
Posted on November 16, 2010 by Steenie Harvey

Fresh air, fish stew, red wine. I’ll sleep. Tonight’s lullaby is the murmur of waves and the tinkle of masts in Macinaggio’s harbor. Earlier, I’d walked the village’s Sentier Douane, a seashore footpath once used by customs officers hunting for smugglers.
How to Grab French Property at a Fraction of Its Value
Posted on April 12, 2010 by Adrian Leeds

There’s a wonderful 1972 French film called Le Viager. Its comic plot revolves around an unscrupulous French doctor who becomes so convinced one of his patients is about to die that he persuades the supposed invalid to enter into a very particular type of annuity contract.
France’s Prettiest Villages—Fantasy Homes for Less Than $100,000
Posted on June 25, 2009 by International Living

The warm sun on your face, the aroma of crushed grapes, a view toward the Pyrénées mountains… For a wine lover, I can think of no bigger thrill than owning a vineyard. Especially if that vineyard is in southwestern France.
Live Inside a Storybook: Buy in France’s Secret Southwest
Posted on June 25, 2009 by Steenie Harvey

Everyone loves bargains. But despite the economic downturn, you might think the romance of living in a restored mill in the South of France costs quite a bit more than $230,000. As for a chateau for less than $450,000…surely that’s pure fantasy?
France’s Best-Kept Property Secret Just 90 Minutes From Paris
Posted on February 2, 2009 by International Living

Where can you find a solid stone village house of 1,400 square feet, ready to move into, for $84,000? Your neighbors make a world-famous white wine, and on your doorstep is a nature reserve and one of Europe’s last wild rivers.
Your Alpine Ski Chalet for $94,000…Plus, Guaranteed Rental
Posted on November 20, 2008 by International Living

Worried about the credit crunch and having to cut back on your spending? Don’t let it stop you taking vacations—I’ve found a way for you to enjoy winter vacations…and make them pay for themselves.
Buy a Home in Provence and Save $42,000
Posted on November 14, 2008 by International Living

If the name Provence makes your heart soar but has your wallet diving for cover, I have some good news. I’ve found new property in the heart of this lavender-filled region that not only costs you less, but also brings you income in euros. And it’s just a few miles from the most prestigious vineyards of the south.
Your Home in a Wine Paradise for $36,000
Posted on October 28, 2008 by International Living

Imagine waking up in your own cozy 18th-century house, looking out over a green patchwork of vineyards. You stroll down to the medieval square for an espresso and gaze down from the ramparts at the Loire river and its ever-changing banks. You buy lunch from the local market, choosing earthy cêpe mushrooms, tender lettuce, free range duck, and fresh creamy cheeses just right for your crusty baguette—and, of course, a bottle of your favorite wine, cost price from the producer.
Bordeaux: Paris—Without the Label
Posted on August 13, 2008 by International Living

If you like red wine, chances are you enjoy a drop of good Bordeaux. And if you like cities with a history, a laidback lifestyle, and drop-dead-gorgeous architecture, you won’t be able to resist the old port city where this wine was shipped from. And the good news is that property prices in Bordeaux are less than half those in the capital.
The Cheapest Homes in France’s Wine Country
Posted on August 4, 2008 by International Living

One of France’s biggest draws is the food and wine. France tends to hold tight to tradition, both on the plate and in the glass, and there are thousands of wine appellations for you to work through. Some of the lesser-known French wines are made in the Loire valley, and I’ve been finding out how house prices downstream compare with those in my white wine village of Pouilly sur Loire.
Turn Every Dollar You Invest Into $1.20…Instantly
Posted on July 18, 2008 by Ronan McMahon

In today’s investment markets, a sure thing is hard to come by. In 10 years of investing in and scouting non-U.S. real estate markets, I’ve discovered something that comes close just once. And the phone call I had with a contact in Paris last night convinced me that this strategy remains the closest you’ll get to a sure thing in the international real estate investing game.
A Parisian Hotel That Pays YOU
Posted on June 30, 2008 by len

Monday, June 30, 2008Paris, France Read more about the French leaseback program in International …
Did You Know a Paris Apartment Could Be This Cheap?
Posted on June 4, 2008 by International Living

Properties in the Batignolles-Epinettes section of Paris are set to boom. Wednesday, June 4, …
French Coastal Properties: 19.6% off
Posted on June 3, 2008 by len

The beachfront homes in Biarritz are affordable and could earn you an income with …
The low property prices in this secret corner of Paris won’t last long
Posted on March 23, 2008 by International Living

As a long term investment, Paris property is low risk and has always appreciated steadily. Give or take a small bubble bursting in the mid 1980s and late 1990s—it’s not a speculative market. Property prices for the city as a whole rose a healthy 8.7% in 2007—good enough to attract hard-nosed investors and romantics.
Turn Every Dollar You Invest Into $1.20…Instantly
Posted on March 7, 2008 by len

International Living presents: You can create a safe retirement investment plan, secure a gorgeous …
Get a Luxury Apartment in Paris for $134,000
Posted on March 6, 2008 by International Living

Thursday, March 6, 2008Paris, France Read more about real estate in France in International …
The low property prices in this secret corner of Paris won’t last long
Posted on February 28, 2008 by Simon Perez

by Leigh Fergus As a long-term investment, Paris property is low risk and has …
A Paris Pied-a-terre…for $103,000
Posted on February 1, 2008 by International Living

You could own a little Parisian home in this building for $103,000… Monday, Feb. …
France for less than $58,000…if you act now
Posted on January 31, 2008 by International Living

by Leigh Fergus The Creuse, in the unspoiled region of the Limousin in central …
France for less than $58,000…if you act now
Posted on January 23, 2008 by International Living

The Creuse, in the unspoiled region of the Limousin in central France, is still something of a secret, even among the French who live farther away—it’s the one department that they find hard to identify on a map. French people in the know come here to escape the crowds and enjoy a purely rural existence. Maybe this is why property prices have stayed so low.
Beware: Guaranteed Rental Returns Exist in Only One Place
Posted on December 14, 2007 by len

Saturday, Dec. 15, 2007 Learn more about overseas real estate in International Living Postcards–Saturday …
Don’t make a mess of your heir’s inheritance
Posted on November 26, 2007 by Lief Simon

How you take title to and hold a piece of real estate in another country can be as important as how much you pay for it. If you’re not careful, you could end up in a situation where your heirs have to go through probate in one or more foreign countries—something that, believe me, you don’t want them to have to do.
Spotlight On…
Posted on September 27, 2007 by International Living

This month, we go to the farthest corners of the globe to spotlight affordable property buys in cities as diverse as Queenstown, New Zealand, Punta del Este, Uruguay, and Limoges, France
Real Estate
Posted on July 25, 2007 by International Living

Real Estate in France Magnificent Real Estate and Property in France The …
Why we stopped waiting for “someday” and took the leap to make our Mediterranean dreams come true
Posted on May 22, 2007 by International Living

Van Gogh was right about Mediterranean light. As my husband Jim and I dined under a pizzeria’s royal-blue awning, everything seemed to glow—the terracotta buildings along the promenade, the sable palms, the bougainvillea… Even the sandy cobblestone streets had an impressionistic radiance. Our senses were on pleasure overload, but our happiness came from deeper within. We had just signed a contract to make our dreams of living in the south of France a reality.
Two Hot Tips…And Four Pearls Of Wisdom…For The Would-Be Global Real Estate Investor
Posted on August 1, 2005 by Lief Simon

Real estate investment guru Lief Simon shares hot tips and must-know pearls of wisdom for the would-be international investor. Learn why Panama and Croatia are the real estate word’s new darlings and how to structure your investments for capital gains purposes.
Real Estate Secrets: Six Tips on Where and How to Invest Overseas
Posted on August 1, 2005 by Lief Simon

The next Spain…What not to do in Paris…Where to avoid paying taxes…Real estate investment guru Lief Simon shares his tips for 2005.