French property region guide

PROVENCE ALPES/COTE D'AZUR

Vaucluse (84), Bouches-du-Rhone (13), Var (83), Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (04), Hautes-Alpes (05), Alpes-Maritimes (06)

It's all here folks!  Beautiful scenery, idyllic beaches and exciting nightlife - at a price.   The region extends from between the Rhone to the west and the Italian border to the east.  To the south there is the Mediterranean sea and to the north are the Alps.  The fashionable Riviera of course attracts the rich and famous but there are also beautiful mountainous areas further inland where you may still be in for some relatively reasonable prices.

The area is great for investment and there is a continually thriving property buying and rental market.  Marseille is the regional capital and also France's oldest city.  The first four of the above departments make up Provence.  Bouches-du-Rhone does experience the "mistral", the biting wind which comes down from the Alps whilst the Var has the attraction of good sailing and wonderful beaches as well as being one of the sunniest regions of the south.  Les Alpes Maritimes includes the famous Cote d'Azur which stretches from Cannes to the Italian border.  Prices here are as high as Paris but behind this region lies the department of Alpes-Haute-Provence where property is cheaper.   The Riviera around Nice is expensive as it is not subject to the "mistral" wind but Alpes Maritimes is more reasonable with plenty of old abandoned houses still waiting to be renovated.

Tourism is a major industry in much of Provence and with a sizeable English speaking population in Marseille, there may be business possibilities due the large number of wealthy expats living here.  There is a thriving rental market and much industry around Provence's coastal villages and vineyards. 

An area which has inspired artists and writers through the centuries, it still attracts visitors from around the world and is likely to remain a solid investment area for some time to come.

Alexis Goldberg is co-author of The France Buying Guide published by the Overseas Guides Company.  Alexis owns a second home in the tiny bastide of Montjoi, in the Tarn et Garonne department of the Midi-Pyrenees, South West France.  Alexis is passionate about helping others follow in her footsteps to France.  The France Buying Guide was created to help people step by step to successfully buy a property in France.

To get more information on the France Buying Guide please go to www.francebuyingguide.com/france.htm