Due to its unique SW location, it is protected from the harsh Atlantic winds in winter by its neighboring, heavily forested department, the Landes. It is sheltered from snow in winter by the tall Pyrenees and it enjoys mild and early springs, beginning at the end of February. The long, languorous summers, continue well into October and finally close with a late autumn before the onset of winter in late November. This part of the Western Gers has what is known as a micro climate. Bathed for nearly 8 months of the year in magnificent sunshine and a relatively dry climate, makes for excellent outdoor recreational activities and almost year round al-fresco dining. Summer day temperatures reach into the high 80´s F and low 90´s F, with spring and fall temperatures hovering in the mid 70´s F. Refreshingly, the nights stay cool! It is as close as I know, to a climate that could be compared to that of Napa and Sonoma valleys in California. No wonder some of the wines here could easily stand alongside some of the gold medal winners of California, but without the same price tag! Yes, it is still very easy to find a good bottle of barrel fermented Cotes de Gascogne wine for fewer than 3.00 Euros and a young red table wine for 1.00 Euro! 

So, for those of you who might like to explore this region, or even have thoughts of an “Escape”, a few things to keep in mind. A little French goes a long way and a little Spanish makes things easier. Although, when I moved here, my French was non existent and my Spanish was rough. Today, I can make myself understood on the phone and can read through most basic forms of correspondence without a lesson in French, although I would still recommend some lessons! For the most part, English is spoken in most of the towns and villages and with the area growing in tourism, it is not difficult to be understood and to get along with plain English.

Many of the GERS´previous homebuyers were from England, Holland and Belgium and so English has become the second language of choice. Today, there appears to be renewed interest from the French, who are moving in from the north of France. Two recent residents are from Paris and Lille. Their reason for moving, same as me, “escape from the big cities and the rat race”.

So, what does all of this do to the price of houses? Well, they are heading upwards, but not at the same pace as other very over priced places such as Provence, where a small 3 bedroom cottage, more than one hour from the coast will set you back more than 400,000 Euros (over 500.000 dollars). Here in the western Gers, you can still find a nice 3 bedroom property for 200,000 Euros and if you don’t mind renovating, it is still possible to buy for 100,000 Euros.
 

For some people though, the thought of owning a second home or vacation property in a traditionally non-English speaking area can be daunting. Dealing with the taxes, insurance, property maintenance, etc. and when only using it 3 or 4 times per year it is often not cost effective. Handling rentals from a long distance can also be difficult. I know, I owned, rented and managed a secondary home in Spain for 5 years. Without good local management it is almost impossible.

However, there is a way to have your cake and eat it too! A concept that is being developed and being implemented here in France will allow for that holiday home ownership without the day to day hands on personal management. It is called the HOME SHARE program. (Entirely different from a Time Share Program!) There is a couple of different way to approach this type of home ownership. One is through the purchase of company stock, where a single property has been purposely purchased for the use of its shareholders. In France it is called an SCI (Societe Civile Immobilier). I.e. 4 – 6 shareholders have co-ownership and exclusive use of the property for a set number of weeks each year, depending on the number of shareholders. Each shareholder would have monthly or quarterly obligations for shared operating and maintenance costs, but would also have the right rent out any portion of their annual use. By being a shareholder, an individual would have the right to sell his or her stock at any given time. The shareholders are governed by a legal document outlining each shareholders responsibility as it relates to the “Homeowners Operating Agreement”. Annual assessed dues normally pay for property taxes, insurance, utilities, property maintenance and a fee for a local property attendant. This takes away the stress of individual ownership, but still gives each shareholder actual co-ownership of the property and annual use, based on the percentage of shares purchased under the original Home Share Offer. Any shareholder wishing to sell his or her stock would first offer them to existing home owners.

A second form of shared home ownership is when a larger property has been purchased. There are often large properties on the market that are not economical for one family ownership. In this case, where a number of outbuilding have been converted into small secondary homes. Again, stock in the entire property would be offered based on the number and size of the secondary converted homes. A number of shares is then allocated to each property that gives that shareholder the exclusive right and use of an “individual” home, with a shared right of  use to the common areas and facilities, i.e. swimming pool, gardens, etc. In this instance a Homeowners Operating Agreement is also drawn up, with annual dues covering the same as the Home Share Plan, with the exception of individual home content insurance and individual heating and electricity usage.

If you are interested or would like more information on the above two real estate programs, please contact me at: rosemary.jaworsky@wanadoo.fr Additionally, if you would like some information on my personal experiences and observations of life in Gascony, I would be happy to answer as many of your questions as I possible can. 

You can also check out: www.gers-gascogne.com{fr} Come and visit and enjoy life as a Gascon.