Our Gallic neighbor has not fully escaped the liquidity crisis, but the marketplace for property in France does remain strong. This is essentially due to modest borrowing levels in France, with only a few local householders even having mortgages. Trisha Mason, Director of French property agent VEF, claims : ‘Overall there’s been a decrease in costs of homes in France of only 3 to 5 percent, with the French south still showing gains.’ She adds that, notwithstanding a break in 2008, interest from UK customers has picked up again this year. He explains : ‘There are opportunities out there to buy properties in France at good reductions particularly if you purchase from a British seller, as they are endeavoring to benefit from the strength of the euro.’ Moneycorp, the currency exchange expert, reports that enquiries about France from possible English purchasers essentially rose by over 34 % during 2008. Continue reading →