France the Next Housing Market to Collapse?

[sextant]

Hi BHC,

Can you tell me for which agency you are working?

Do you know our company: Sextant Properties?

[bhc]

Hi, we do not work with an agency. We are a French registered property company.
The houses we sell we own. France101

[estate]

Expect sales of new houses and apartments to fall to fewer than 90,000 this year, down from 127,000 in 2007 and again to 70,000 to 75,000 in 2009.

[sextant]

Hi,

I don't want to let people believe what you wrote.

The real figure for new build in France is that 500.000 new build were sold in 2007 and it is going to be down to 400.000 in 2008. So it is only a 20% decrease. Moreover the government just announced that they are planning to buy 30.000 new build to help the small developers. So the figures will be more close to 430.000.
You can just my sources on bourse de Paris, action CAC 40, bourse en ligne, investissement : Boursorama

[erikko]

French properties are tempting but i think i have to save more to avail that

[DPA France]

From our point of view in the Dordogne www.dordognepropertyagency.com
compared to 2007, we have seen a definite slowdown in the numbers of buyers in our region. For UK buyers, this is largely due to the obvious factors such as difficulties in selling up back in the UK, dramatic shift in exchange rates, changes to the rights within the health system here for early retirees and the fact that cheaper properties have all been bought up leaving a mature market.

Prices are cooling down but this is much needed to restore some sanity in the marketplace anyhow. Prices have risen by 45% since 2002 here and this could not continue. One thing that remains fact however is that there is always a strong desire to buy here and many more people will be doing so over the coming years. We are currently selling strongly to Dutch buyers who seem to be well placed in the market and there has been a definite upturn in enquiries as people come to terms with the new market conditions and get on with making the move.

After all, most people move here for quality of life, so what's changed?