mrsmop

I onced got chased down the street for reading (for maybe 20-30 seconds) an english newspaper in france without paying for it, he caught up with me and demanded to know why I was stealing from him. ( of course - I'd already put the newspaper back before I left the shop). If you touch it you have to pay for it (for some sellers, not all - of course).

Your only hope is to move to wissant!, but even then you'd be very lucky to receive it. Until bbc switch off old analogue transmitters, digital transmitters are operating at very low power. I think 2008-2010, the analogue transmitters will get switched off, then they can put the digital transmitters on high power (otherwise they interfere with each other). If you get a satellite dish, there are lots of free english channels you can receive from either 13E,19E or 28E. (digibox only works at 28E (sky)) 

I've enjoyed very much all language courses by Michel Thomas. R.I.P.     From the Associated Press  Michel ThomasNEW YORK (AP) - Michel Thomas, a linguist who earned the prestigious Silver Star for bravery during World War II, died Saturday. He was 90. The founder of Michel Thomas Language Centers in New York, Los Angeles and London died of heart failure at his Manhattan home Saturday night, said his publicist, Bruce Bobbins. Born Moniek Kroskof in Lodz, Poland, on Feb. 3, 1914, to a family of prosperous clothing and textile merchants, he was sent to live with an aunt in Breslau, Germany, to escape anti-Semitism. Members of his family were later killed at Auschwitz. He moved to France in the 1930s and studied at the University of Bordeaux and the Sorbonne. When Germany invaded France, he joined the French resistance. A biography by Christopher Robbins says that, as a resistor, Thomas was interrogated in 1943 by Gestapo leader Klaus Barbie at a roundup of mostly German Jews who were being sent to Auschwitz. Thomas was spared by pretending he did not understand German. In 1987, Thomas testified against Barbie at his trial for crimes against humanity. Barbie was sentenced to life in prison. Thomas' medal citation said he fought alongside American troops as an attached member of the Army's 45th Infantry Division. The Silver Star, the army's third-highest medal for combat valor, was given for his bravery and for leading patrols in enemy territory. Thomas moved to the United States in 1947. Fluent in 10 languages, he developed a language-teaching method that attracted people from the entertainment, political, academic and business worlds.  

[quote]Ron, I was only talking about the area of France where I live : before the latest property boom took off (1999 - 2000) estate agents here in Brittany had far more houses on their books than clients, ...[/quote] >>These days the market has got so ridiculous that estate agencies actually employ spies to visit properties up for sale by competitors !         I believe you totally about that, have you got any more details. It wouldn't suprise me at all, baring in mind the money at stake here. what are they looking for?      

[quote]Not wishing to offend anyone but this thread is falling into the realms of fanatasy, French Agents not accompanying buyers until recently ..... sellers paying agents fees and buyers paying stamp duty...[/quote] not wishing to offend anyone, stamp duty/ registration fees (what ever you want to call them) do exist in France. The correct name is actually "Droits d'enregistrement". These fees are actually 4.89% in France. Whatever you call it, it's money that goes to the government when you buy a house. Plus notaires fees on top, it comes to around 6-7% in all.    

[quote]"So the french pay 7% when they buy and 7% when they sell"mrsmop,AFAIK only the purchaser pays the Immo fees.[/quote] I meant that they pay 7% to estate agents when they sell and 7% stamp duty/legal fees when they buy.

From my experience the estate agents in France hardly ever send you any property print-out details. Also when they do, they don't include room measurements. 7% for say 300K Euro house = 21000 Euros. £15000. For that amount, I would put my own big advert in the local paper instead.   So the french pay 7% when they buy and 7% when they sell. 

I just saw this, couldn't believe my eyes. -10%=      10% fees? must be wrong. must be 1%. can't be 0.1%.     Tous nos prix s'entendent FAI c'est à dire frais d'agence inclus. Nos honoraires sont : -10%TTC de 0 à 61000 € -09%TTC de 61001 € à 99000 € -08%TTC de 99001 € à 130 000 € -07%TTC > 130 000 €