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While it sounds reasonable enough, many people think of the Cote D’Azure as a single swath of land that hugs the Mediterranean Sea. In reality, each town and village on the Riviera is distinctly different and offers a different lifestyle. Antibes and Juan-les-Pins is a good example. The two are so close they merged and now are considered a single municipality. They share space on the maps handed out by tourist information and brag about each other’s accomplishments. A train trip from Antibes to Juan-les-Pins takes two minutes; on foot it takes 25 minutes. But while the towns are neighbors and partners, they have very different personalities. In many ways they are reminiscent of a mismatched couple – Antibes is the quiet, reserved partner with old-money values and Juan-les-Pins is the flashy, fast-paced, nouveau riche partier. Located between Nice and Cannes, Antibes and Juan-les-Pins have about 90,000 permanent residents. That number doubles when tourists flock to the area in the peak summer months. Antibes has the largest yachting marina in Europe and enormous ships dock there year-round. It is not unusual to see a helicopter land on or take off from one of the yachts. Antibes’ quaint old village has narrow winding streets with colorful flowers that climb the walls and spill from windowsills. A Provençal food market with local fruit and produce is open every morning. Restaurants and shops line the narrow streets. In the summer, several of the town’s squares are filled with tables as the restaurants take advantage of the weather. Antibes is the home to several fantastic museums, including a Picasso museum. Many famous artists made the area their home and donated their works to the place they grew to love. The Cap d’Antibes, the area’s exclusive and expensive tip, was a favorite playground for artists and Hollywood’s celebrities in the 1940s and 1950s. It still has its share of famous faces hidden behind the gated mansions. Recently Russian billionaire Andrei Melnichenko married model and former Miss Yugoslavia Alexandra Kokotovic on his estate. Entertainers at the affair included Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera and Julio and Enrique Iglesias. Vladmire Putin was a guest at the days long party. Juan-les-Pins, on the other hand, is a beach resort. Its Promenade du Soleil winds along the sandy beach for miles. During the summer, restaurants set out lounge chairs and serve meals at tables on the sand, just feet from the sea. It is a town that parties into the morning hours all summer long. Jazz à Juan, a music festival that draws some of the biggest names in jazz, take place each July in a park above the Mediterranean. A fireworks competition lights up the sky once a week for a month. Water sports proliferate the seaside community. Locals say waterskiing was invented in Juan-les-Pins. During the winter, however, Juan-les-Pins all but shuts down. The restaurants along the water pull up their tables and chairs, shutter their glass fronts and wait out the winter. Many of the seaside apartments are also shuttered throughout the winter and at times the area seems like a ghost town. During winter Antibes is the thriving community. Its stores and restaurants remain open year-round and the market simply changes the produce it sells. Mushrooms, winter vegetables and fresh olive oils dominate market tables in the fall and winter months. The quality of life on the Cote d’Azure is excellent. The weather is mild year round and it is sunny nearly every day. The food and wine is spectacular and very reasonably priced. The sea is as blue as they say and the snow-capped mountains are often visible in the distance. In the summer the sea provides the sporting activities, in the winter the mountains do. It takes about an hour to reach a ski slope from Antibes. But the lifestyle takes some getting used to. Shops, post offices and municipal buildings close from noon until 2:30 or 3 making errands difficult outside of morning and evening hours. In the summer, tourists clog the roads, making travel difficult. Most buy a moped and avoid the car traffic during peak months. Mounds of paperwork are required for any transaction and some of the rules seem bizarre. For example, official documents -- such as marriage licenses and birth certificates -- can’t be more than three months old. Additionally, housing prices are high and taxes can eat away at business profits. With that said, the positives of living here far outweigh the negatives. Housing Market - The housing market in Antibes and Juan-les-Pins has steadily increased by about 10 percent annually, making it an expensive corner of the world to find a home. Real estate agents throw their hands in the air when asked if it will continue to increase or if it has leveled off. “Antibes is a special market, it’s a small village with all the advantages of a big town and people are willing to pay for that,” said Martine Roufiac, a real estate agent with Catherine Mamet in Antibes (real estate agents are called Agent immobilier in France). “We are between Cannes and Nice, very close to an international airport, we have sandy beaches, we have pebbled beaches, we have the Cap d’Antibes…There are activities in Antibes all year round and people find that attractive.” In France, apartment size is not counted in terms of the number of bedrooms, but by the number of “pieces.” A three-piece apartment consists of two bedrooms and a living room. The kitchen and bathroom (usually separate from the toilet) are not counted as pieces. In Antibes, a new, two-bedroom (three piece), 65 square meter apartment within walking distance of a beach, with two balconies, a swimming pool, garage and storage room costs between 260,000 and 300,000 euros. Sometimes tennis courts are available at these apartments. Two-bedroom apartments are available in older buildings for less. If you are willing to forgo the pool and accept a façade that is a little worn the price goes down to around 230,000 euros. The price is about the same in Juan-les-Pins. Houses are significantly more expensive. A charming three or four bedroom, house in Antibes or in Juan-les-Pins costs between 450,000 and 2 million, depending on its location. On the exclusive Cap d’Antibes the price is unlimited. Of course many of the houses there have extras such as private beaches, a 10-car garage, a disco and a movie a theater. Antibes Juan-les-Pins is located near an international university and the largest technical park in Europe, which provides a steady demand for rental units. The market for both long and short-term rentals is excellent. Some Juan-les-Pins landlords with seafront apartments get as much as 4,000 euros a week during the peak weeks of July and August. This rental market has been helped in a large part by the expansion of cheap airlines into the area. Bargain airline Easy Jet flies from London to Nice 35 times a day during the summer. It is not difficult for foreigners to purchase property in France – it is difficult for everyone. There is a lot of paperwork and dozens of forms that must be filled in triplicate. But it is comforting to know that French laws protect buyers from fraud. Buyers are more protected than sellers in France. For example, after signing for a piece of property, called a Compromis de Vente, the buyer has seven days to cancel the contract without penalty. It is also
possible to sign an agreement contingent on obtaining a bank loan. The
terms of the expected loan are included in the contract in what is called
clause suspensive. If the loan falls through for any reason, or the buyer
does not like the terms of the bank’s loan, the contract can be broken
without penalty.
Ideally the notary acts as an independent agent, checks for liens on the property and makes sure any outstanding mortgages are paid before the seller gets paid. The notary is also expected to check for any planned developments that could negatively impact the value of the property, such as construction of a major highway or a large commercial project. Of course, it is always good to also investigate this yourself. A deposit of 10 percent is usually required when the papers are signed and the deal is near completion. Local property
taxes (taxe fonciere) are minimal. In Antibes, the average taxe fonciere
is around 600 euros a year. If you live in the property you are also required
to pay an occupancy tax (taxe d'habitation). This is around the same amount
as the taxe fonciere, but it may be a little higher or lower depending
on your financial situation. If you don’t live on the property then the
tenant pays the tax. It is adjusted upward or downward depending on salary
and number of children under the age of 18.
Cost of Living - Like everywhere, moving to France involves some start-up costs. In order to obtain a long-term visa the French government requires applicants to prove they have enough money to support themselves while in France. Plan on being able to show that you have around 1,000 euros per adult per month to live for a year. This can be done by showing a pension, a bank account with a substantial amount of money or by presenting proof of employment. Those who do
not have a European union residence must apply for a carte de sejour, or
residence card. The card costs Americans about 220 euros. Applying for
the carte de sejour is not difficult, but it is time consuming. Often officials
will issue cards valid for three months and will require you return for
another three-month extension. Other times they will issue a one-year card
without comment. It all depends on who is at the counter when you arrive
and what kind of day they have had. It’s best not to argue, but to smile,
remain calm and patient and to thank them before you leave. The patient
and persistent resident will eventually receive a 10-year carte de sejour.
Apply at the nearest prefecture, or local government office.
On average, if you buy produce at the market, shop in large supermarkets, look for bargains and avoid small 7-11-type stores it isn’t difficult for a couple to eat well on 300 euros a month. The same is
true for restaurants. There is a wide-range of food and service available,
most are reasonably priced. In Juan-les-Pins, for example, a modest meal
at a casual restaurant the beach (with your feet literally in the sand)
can cost anywhere from 9 euros to 100, depending on what you order. A 9-euro
order might include muscles in a red or white sauce a salad and fries or
a pizza; twenty euros will buy a steak or fresh grilled fish. Wine is cheap
in France, sometimes cheaper than water.
Schools - In general the educational system in France is excellent. The most common complaint from ex-pats is that teachers are too rigid in their teaching methods and too strict with students. The system focuses primarily on teaching the basics, creativity and individuality is not emphasized, which often bothers parents of school-aged children. There are several international schools in the Antibes/Juan-les-Pins area. These schools cater to ex-pats with native-English-speaking children and provide an excellent alternative to public schools. The schools focus on teaching so students become bi-lingual quickly. They also have an international curriculum that is easily transferable if the students return to their home countries. Tuition ranges from about 8,000 euros a year to 10,000. There are several excellent public schools in the area for small and middle school children. This is not the case for older students. Antibes/Juan-les-Pins has grown so rapidly in the past few years that the area’s only high school is bursting at the seams. Most ex-pats in the area send their children to private international schools. Finding your way - Language is always a problem when attempting to navigate the system in a new country and France is no exception. Prior to moving learn as many words and phrases as possible. The Cote d’Azure is an international community, but many people do not speak English. In France the government offers assistance to help outsiders adjust. For non-Europeans who have not yet secured jobs, 200 hours of free language classes are available. To become eligible newcomers must first secure a carte de sejour. Next they must register with ASSEDIC. ASSEDIC is an organization created to help foreigners find work, learn the language and become a productive member of French society. The Agence National Pour L’Emploi offers job training, resume writing and job searches. Finally, the Office des Migrations Internationales (OMI) assesses your language, mathematic, reading and writing skill levels and determines the number of language classes you will receive. It’s also a good idea to join some local “welcome wagon” type groups. In the Antibes/Juan-les-Pins area Adapt in France holds workshops about everything from opening a bank account to buying property. Members of the group gather for coffee several mornings a month and workshops are held a once a month. There is also a language exchange where native French-speakers and native English-speakers help each other perfect the other’s language. Contact director of the organization at: adaptinfrance@club-internet.fr. Accueil des Villes France is an organization created by the French government in 1901 to help families from France and abroad adjust to a new home. The group offers reasonably priced language lessons and a broad range of activities. Click here for more information. Finally, there
are several good websites that can help you collect information about France
and there are dozens of real estate agents who speak English. Spend some
time on the Internet and get a sense for the types of dwellings available
and the price ranges. See links below.
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