Cap d’Antibes Property – French Riviera

Posted on May 16, 2012 by homehunts

The Cap d’Antibes lies on a southern peninsula in the town of Antibes, in the Alpes-Maritimes  department of the south of France, and is one of the most coveted locations in the world to own a property.  The Cap was originally discovered during the Belle Epoque period of the 19th century and has been enthralling the rich and famous ever since.

For those who aren’t fortunate enough to own property in the Cap d’Antibes, the most exclusive place to stay is the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc. This luxurious property was originated by Auguste de Villemessant in 1870, who founded le Figaro, through the construction of private mansion called Villa Soleil.

Pablo Picasso arrived in Antibes in 1946 where he lived for several months in its 12th century castle, which since became the Picasso Museum. Picasso often stayed at the hotel and rumour has it that he designed the restaurant’s new menu in pen and ink in 1955. Other illustrious guests – among an endless list – have included Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie (the hotel is a highly popular venue during the Cannes Film Festival), Winston Churchill, Charles de Gaulle, and Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.

Perhaps the most famous modern-day resident of the Cap d’Antibes is Russian business tycoon and Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich – who, with his US$12.1 billion fortune, is the 68th richest person in the world. In 2004 Abramovich bought the notorious Château de la Croë, which had historically been leased by the Duke and Duchess of Windsor following the Duke’s abdication in 1936.

As the neighbouring town of Juan Les Pins became renowned for jazz music during the twenties, famous musicians and writers frequented the Cap d’Antibes. When the jazz festival was launched in 1960 it was attended by all the greats, including Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald and Ray Charles.

The villa “Les Chênes Verts” was home to Nantes-born writer Jules Verne who is famously wrote “Around the World in Eighty Days” while residing there – the property still exists today.

Properties in Cap d’Antibes are always in demand and whether buyers are seeking an apartment or a sea-facing villa there are a wide variety of property styles to choose from.

In an 18th century chateau, not far from Juan Les Pins, a four-bedroomed spacious apartment can be found which even offers its own terrace. At just under €1.4 million this exquisite property offers atmosphere and style in abundance.

This south-facing Neoclassical villa, built towards the end of the 19th century, offers two swimming pools (one outdoor and one indoor) in an enclosed residential area on the west side of the Cap. It offers five bedrooms and sea views, and is priced at €4.6 million.

Found in a sought after part of the Cap d’Antibes close to the Garoupe plage, this stunning property, sits in immaculately-landscaped grounds. Beautifully-designed interiors, glorious sea views, a Jacuzzi and private beach access are just a few of the benefits of investing in this €22 million villa.

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Investing in Property in the Alps

Posted on April 26, 2012 by homehunts

A recent study by recruitment company APEC found that young professionals considered the Rhône-Alpes to be the most economically dynamic region and the best place to live in France for quality of life. Lyon, the region’s capital and a UNESCO World Heritage site was also considered the most attractive city to live in.

The Rhône-Alpes is renowned for its strong economy and tourist industry. It is a property investment hotspot in France, especially the Haute-Savoie and Savoie as these departments benefit from tourism in both winter and summer where temperatures are usually in the high 20s and 30s. The region offers commerce and quality of life opportunities in abundance.

“The Alps are obviously known for their phenomenal winter sports – with three of the world’s largest linked ranges (each with over 500km of pistes) – but are lesser known for their activities in the summer,” said Chris Leder, manager of the Alps region for Home Hunts. “The Lac d’Annecy is considered to be France’s most beautiful lake with a plethora of water sports and easily swimmable temperatures for the long hot summers.”

Paragliding, downhill mountain biking, fly fishing (Lac Leman hides France’s biggest migratory trout) and hiking are just some of the summer activities on offer. The public and private beaches at Annecy, Lac Leman or Lac du Bourget (Aix les Bains) are perfect for when a more relaxing summer activity is required.

Opportunities for investment in permanent residences, second homes and properties with income opportunities are endless in the Rhône-Alpes. “Independent chalet holidays, gites, bed and breakfasts and restaurants thrive across the mountains all year round,” said Chris. “Obviously one needs to have researched the business, but once you have got the hang of the French system and have the right marketing then the rest will fall into place.”

While prices did stagnate in the Rhône-Alpes for an 18-month period after the financial crisis, sales have picked up over the last 12 months and the market is now considered very stable with property prices consistently increasing.

For property investment, Chris says that buyers should be looking at the smaller resorts that are linked to the high altitude ranges. “The ski resorts are ‘microcosms’ in terms of real estate value, however, most big well known resorts are getting close to saturated and so the best deals are in the smaller villages that are linked in.”

In terms of properties for sale that are currently in Home Hunts’ collection, this waterfront property on Lake Leman for €3,600,000, offers a rare investment opportunity. “It needs a full refurb, but at this price, it’s one of the properties with the most potential across the Alps,” said Chris. “Waterfront properties like this are almost unheard of and any work would be a safe investment. It would make the perfect home for anyone who loves sailing, skiing and the mountains, or who works in Geneva or Lausanne, and is half the price of a similar property on the other side of the lake in Switzerland.”

This property in Chamonix, in the Arve valley, is a stunning master chalet with a guest chalet next door. It is located just 600 metres from the famous Grand Montets cable car in Argentière and comes with planning permission to build a third chalet.

“Properties with this much land and unhindered views of Mont Blanc are almost unheard of on the market in and around Chamonix today,” said Chris. “There is more than enough space for an outdoor pool, helipad or tennis court in the grounds – if I had €5,250,000 this is the one I would buy.”

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The Wealth Report 2012 – where to buy……

Posted on April 25, 2012 by homehunts

Top Findings from Knight Frank’s 2012 Wealth Report

While emerging economies are scoring highly on global growth forecasts and are home to a growing source of mega-wealthy high net worth individuals, according to The Wealth Report 2012 from Knight Frank when it comes to buying a home it is still the familiar places that appeal the most and attract the most attention and investment.

The report’s “Attitude Survey” (completed by Citi Private Bank’s wealth advisors) reveals the most popular second home locations as being the US, UK and France – these countries, along with Switzerland, being the main focus of business for luxury property buyer’s agent Home Hunts. According to the report around 16% already own a ski chalet and 40% already own a beachfront property with 23% interested in owning one.

The top twenty locations in Knight Frank’s PIRI (Prime International Residential Index) index for leading prime property markets, based on the average prices in Q4 2011, is dominated by locations in France (including Courchevel, Cannes  and Val d’Isère) and Switzerland (locations such as St Moritz, Gstaad and Zurich). Monaco is in first place, Cap Ferrat is second, London is third, Paris takes eleventh place, Geneva is ninth and New York is seventeenth.

In terms of commercial property, once again London has proved to be the strongest location as it is viewed by high net worth investors to be a safe haven. According to Knight Frank’s report £9.1 billion was invested in 2011, which, although lower than 2010’s figure of £10.3 billion, is higher than the £6 billion invested in 2009 and £6.7 billion in 2008.

Paris is also in demand, largely from foreign investors, where office rents in Paris have reportedly increased by 17% since 2009. It remains popular as it is a big international city, a perennial business, tourist location and centre of government.

The most important factors when choosing a second home location were revealed to be lifestyle and investment. London ranked first for quality of life (New York was third, Geneva was fourth and Paris was seventh). London was also considered as the most important city now (New York was second, Paris fourth and Geneva seventh) and as the city that will be the most important in ten years’ time (again New York was second, but Paris was seventh and Geneva came ninth). London also ranked first for knowledge and influence and economic activity.

When asked what cities are of growing importance, London scored third (after Beijing and Shanghai), New York was sixth and Paris was in tenth place.

The surveys therefore suggest that the influence of London, Paris and New York (and Geneva for at least the next ten years) is to be sustained along with the appeal for property investment from high net worth individuals.

In terms of who is buying, the report shows that in Europe it is Russians making the biggest impact. The Chinese super-rich were expected to follow the lead of the Russian high net worth individuals, but, according to the report, this development is occurring more slowly than predicted.

However, the booming economies of the emerging countries are benefiting the developed countries, in spite of their debt crises, and many properties in locations from Monaco to Miami are reported as being bought from the wealth in the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China).

While the prime residential market covers approximately 1%-2% of the world’s homes, an elite super-prime category exists within that attracts the wealthiest high net worth individuals in the world. Super-prime locations are New York, Paris, Côte d’Azur, Monaco, French and Swiss Alps, Geneva and London.

Home Hunts, which focuses on prime investment properties in London, Monaco, France, London and New York, can also report an increase in high net worth property investment from around the world, with a particular emphasis on London

“There is definitely an increase in demand from wealthy buyers from around the globe, said Tim Swannie, director of Home Hunts. “Most buyers are looking for apartments or townhouses in ‘super-prime’ locations in London, Monaco, The Alps, Paris and the French Riviera. The investment element is high and so we are focusing on areas that seem to constantly rise and be recession proof, such as Mayfair, Knightsbridge, Belgravia and Kensington in London or certain parts of the French Riviera for example.”

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HH Facebook Photo Competition – Win a Magnum of Champagne….

Posted on April 16, 2012 by homehunts

We will be running a number of competitions throughout the year ahead which will only be open to Fans of our Facebook page – http://www.facebook.com/homehunts

The first competition starts right now! The rules are very simple for our Facebook fans:

1 – Email us your favourite holiday photos (taken anywhere in the world) to photos@home-hunts.com- They can be of anything, whether they are funny, beautiful, unusual or perhaps a little crazy! (maximum 2 photos per person can be entered)

 

2 – We will publish an album of all the photos on May 1st and we will tag you in your photographs.

 

3 – We set an end date to the competition

 

4 – Then it is up to you…. The photo with the most LIKES, COMMENTS and SHARES by the end date of the competition wins a Magnum of Champagne, it could not be easier….

 

You will need to share the photos amongst your friends, encourage them to COMMENT, LIKE and SHARE amongst their friends. The more activity that happens on your photo, the more likely you are to win!

What do you think? Simple eh!  Get looking through your holiday snaps… we look forward to receiving them very soon!

All the best

The HH Photo team
photos@home-hunts.com

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Languedoc Property – Enhance your lifestyle and make a good investment

Posted on April 11, 2012 by homehunts

When recruitment company APEC recently carried out a study of 1,250 young professionals in France, it discovered that the Languedoc-Roussillon is considered to be one of the most economically dynamic regions, along with the Rhône-Alpes, Midi-Pyrenees, Aquitaine and PACA (Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur). Montpellier, the capital of Languedoc and France’s eighth biggest city, was rated as one of the country’s most appealing cities to live in.

Languedoc is the largest region in France and with its sprawling vineyards (three times as many as Bordeaux), stunning landscapes, medieval history, Mediterranean shores, strong access links and stable property prices, it is one of the France’s most popular areas for buyers to currently invest in.

“The region is divided into five departments, each with its own speciality and terrain,” said Ginny Groome, Manager of the Languedoc region for buyer’s agent Home Hunts. “You’ve got the Gard area, which is Provence and obviously a little more expensive; the Hérault which is closer to the Med and reaches Sète; the Aude, which has fantastic terrain for people who love the outdoors as well as the famous medieval city of Carcassonne; the Pyrénées-Orientales, where you’ve got the best of both worlds as you’re on the Spanish boarder as well as the Med; and Lozère with its mountain ranges.”

Languedoc is one of the best regions in France for transport. Airports include Nîmes, Montpellier, Beziers, Perpignan and Carcassonne, and even Toulouse can be used for access into the Languedoc, meaning an airport is often no more than an hour away from anywhere in the region. The TGV stops at many locations, including Montpellier, Beziers and Perpignan, and can take travellers quickly up to Paris or London via Bordeaux or Lyon.

The region is so rich in quality of lifestyle and economic opportunity that buyers are coming from all over the world to make both commercial and personal investment. “The Languedoc has really taken off as you can get as much here as you can on the Riviera,” said Ginny. “You’re on the Med, the weather is the same and there are a lot of micro-climates here, yet prices are lower than on the Côte d’Azur and so buyers are getting more for their money.”

International interest has increased with more Russian and Chinese buyers investing in the region. “The Chinese are particularly looking at vineyards at the moment and the Russians have a lot of money to invest in the larger properties, chateaux and vineyards,” said Ginny.

“British clients are largely looking for second properties in the region so they have the weather and the ease of getting to and from the UK. However, more and more families with young children are also moving out permanently – there are far more British moving out than going back.”

Typically popular properties in the region range from vineyards to chateaux and luxury villas with sea views. This Bastide vineyard property is located near Beziers, and includes five gites, a swimming pool, and a hammam – it is on the market for €2.5 million.

Character chateaux like this Templar chateau, situated 45 minutes from Montpellier, are in high demand in the Languedoc region. With 16 main rooms and impressive architectural features it makes an ideal investment opportunity at just under €1.7 million.

With the Languedoc competing with the Riviera on weather, lifestyle and price, luxury villas by the sea are popular investment choices. This villa, overlooking a private beach, is on the market for €2.65 million and would make a perfect second home while also offering commercial activity potential.

“France is a good investment at this present time in the world, it’s so vast with so much choice yet property prices are still at a reasonable level – buyers know they can make money on their investment,” added Ginny.

 

 

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