Pretending You're French, is it Cheaper????

[STEVECJ]

Hi all,
Sorry I haven't posted for a while, been renovating with a vengeance!

Can anyone tell me if there is any truth in the rumour, that you can buy your French property at a more realistic (or maybe original!!) price, if you set up a french company, or, buy through a French friend, so as to make the vendor believe he is selling to a French person as opposed to a foreigner. I have heard stories of vendors, 'upping' their asking prices as soon as they're aware that the buyer is foreign, especially if he is British!

Is it me?

Thanks

Steve

[Adriana]

>Can anyone tell me if there is any truth in the rumour, that >original!!) price, if you set up a french company, or, buy >through a French friend, so as to make the vendor believe he is >selling to a French person as opposed to a foreigner.

Nobody can know whether there is any truth in this.
How would you go about proving it?

>I have heard stories of vendors, 'upping' their asking prices >as soon as they're aware that the buyer is foreign, especially >if he is British!

You will always hear stories like that. And there my even be some truth in it, but there is nothing you can do about it.

I don't think it is a question of French against British either, but more a question of getting what a fool is willing to pay - irrespective of nationality.
Human, in other words.

Cheers,
Adriana.

[Maggiemortimer]

We've just returned from a house hunting trip in Poitou-Charente where the first notaire we visited told us that our budget of 2m frances was not enough to buy a substantial house, and that 3m was more realistic. It was quite obvious that she saw Brits as having plenty of money to throw around (we haven't), and had taken absolutely no notice of the 'wish list' we had produced.
All the other notaires/immobiliers were excellent, however, and I suppose you get incompetent agents everywhere.
We are going back to the area to resume our search, but not with her!
Maggie