Mike Adam

I bank with HSBC in France, however, I've been searching around and there is a good guide on banking in France on a site called IFP.  

There are some good Chateau properties in the Bordeaux area on http://www.french-property.com although they might be a bit expensive, however I did see one for 775,000 Euros.

There are some good apartments for sale in Paris, I purchased my apartment in Paris through http://www.french-property.com which I rent out during the summer holiday period. there is also a good guide on this site for purchasing a property in France  http://www.french-property.com/guides/france/. I don't know what your budget is but I have just looked at their site and there are some excellent apartments for sale from 100,000-200,000 Euros. 

I own an apartment in Paris near the Saint Martin canal, which I bought through on http://www.french-property.com, I'm not sure what your exact budget is but there are a lot of good properties going for between 100,000 - 200,000 euros.

Medical costs can be expensive in France as the french Government has increasingly restricted the range of medicines that are eligible for reimbursement by the social security system, and the rate at which they are reimbursed has also been reduced. I found some information on the health system in France that you might find useful. http://www.french-property.com/guides/france/public-services/health/

I also moved to France my young children I found this guide on Internet French Property that has some useful information about education in France. http://www.french-property.com/guides/france/public-services/school-education/

This site will tell you weather information for each region and its departments  

This site may provide you with some information about where you stand with the vendor.... http://www.french-property.com/guides/france/purchase-real-estate/legal/agreement/#3.1