TC

Some truly appalling advice re mortgages and so on. As a Uk resident in full time employment you are completely eligible for a mortgage in France, and with a 50% deposit as long as your disposable income matches income I imagine the banks will be very happy to lend. There are dozens of English speaking Mortgage brokers and Bank contacts throughout France. BNP Paribas International are a specialist Non Resident lender and do NOT exclusively deal with wealthy clients. I can PM you loads of good contacts. As for advising against borrowing in France due to exchange rates, that makes no sense whatsoever??? So it is being suggested that transferring the full purchase cost at a poor exchange rate rather than transferring a few hundreds pounds a month is good economic sense. Also, extracting equity out of your UK home will do one of two things, increase your debt burden on your asset and in all likelihood max out your borrowing limits in the UK, thereby making getting any other finance more difficult in the UK. (eg, borrow a large extra sum on your house to buy a house in France, only to have some major maintenance issue occur on your UK home, you approach your bank to borrow money to rectify and they refuse because they have already lent you extra money against your house.) And I wont mention the folly of borrowing at a high ratio to asset value?? If you secure on your French property this ensures you maintain a safer debt ration on each asset, the mortgage rate can be fixed at an very competitive rate for term in France, the mortgage rates are comparable to UK and the Euribor is historically far less volatile too, if you opt for a variable rate mortgage, French mortgages do not increase the monthly payment if the rate goes up, but instead increase the term (far safer than the UK model of sudden mortgage payment increases). I wish you all the very best in achieving your dream and I hope you find a house. Best advice is to research the areas you wish to buy (ease of access, local amenities, weather, cost of getting there and can you get there all year around easily). Dont be tempted to buy a house with loads of land 'because it is so cheap' as maintaining it will become a burden if you are not there all year around (however a garden is very important when coming to resell, so make this a must have),  and I stress this with the best intentions. DO NOT just be led by price, all too often people buy a BARGAIN only to forget all of the other reasons they wish to own a home in France. Look at properties that meet your needs, then decide which is most suitable and if it happens to be a little more expensive, ask yourself is it still in budget and am I going to LOVE being there. Then begin negotiations. Dont be frightened of making an offer under asking price, but be prepared to come up if it really is the house you want. Finally, it never ceases to amaze me how people on French living Forums, who probably own property in France constantly tell people how you can get bargains everywhere, the irony is they are indirectly talking the value of their own homes down too :-\

Many thanks for your comments.   As I said in my post I live in rural France and abide by French cultural mantras etc, however I am incensed at what happened this morning and feel that one should be able to at the very least offer some heartfelt opposition. Is there any advice on how I can make a formal complaint via authorities that may at least pay lip service to my feelings. I am not trying to ban hunting, I think this is impossible but what happened this morning was just plain sick. I know the farmer who's land the animal was on had grown quite attached and was probably against it too, but he probably had no say.   Once again thanks for the comments. I have calmed down a bit now but wish I had known this morning as I would definately gone and made a nuisance of myself.  

Only just seen your post.   We are both under 40. Live near St Mathieu and I am a massive Motogp fan, have bike over here too. Come on James Toseland!!!    

I have lived in France now for 5 years and feel my love affair with the country was spoiled somewhat this morning. Before I start I am not an avid anti hunter, in fact I have been to the local hunt dinner but this morning took the biscuit. I live just outside the village of St Mathieu in the Haute Vienne and we have had a celebrity deer for the last few weeks. This animal has adopted a small herd of dairy cows and become almost tame. The local community have watched with interest as it has become part of the community. Well you can probably guess where this is going. The local head of the Chasse decided it wasnt natural so two weeks ago had it chased off by dogs, quite reserved I think. As predicted it returned a week later. Well this morning by decree of some faceless beauracrat it was decreed because of public safety (a few cars a day stopping on a quiet lane to look) it had to be shot. All done at an early hour and no obvious publication of said order. The animal was virtually domesticated and just stood in the middle of the field like a sittting duck. Now I have to laugh at the public safety bit as we are forbidden all winter from taking walks in the woods because of idiots with guns, and with the hunting season a week or so finished they just cannot end their blood lust. I am absolutely gutted and have had my love affair with my adopted home immensely soured. Please dont reply telling me it is part of local culture etc, as I said I am not anti hunt, I am however anti IDIOT.

Me too. I have been reading up and I was wrong it isnt based on gross income it is based on income after running expenses. So wondering how I can get my new range cooker  offset against income???????? Only joking.

I am hoping my calculations are wrong too. I have posted the same figure forecast for 2009 as for 2008 and the cotisation increases four fold. As for 2010 I despair. Please tell me I can offset against the required amount otherwise I fully understand the French mentality for not doing more than is necessary, but what a bizarre way to run a country. Screw the people who want to get up and make a living. Bizarre. P.S I am not new top France just new to running a larger business and knew cotisations were high but over 60% of GROSS income is untenable surely.