Do you know BmyKey.com ?
If you are looking for houses and other properties for sale or for rent in France it’s on BmyKey!
Lovely design and very easy to use. On BmyKey find the property of your dreams! The web site is available in French and English. Soon it will be in Spanish ! The properties are from French estate agents and French private vendors.
On the BmyKey site you can see the locale of all the French properties for sale or rent throughout the country especially in Normandy, Aquitaine, Brittany, Calvados, Auvergne, Picardy, Burgundy, Pays de la Loire, Paris, Midi-Pyrenées or the cities of Caen, Nantes, Saint Malo, Le Havre and Rouen .
You can also look up all the facilities and services near the property concerned (schools, doctors, shops, nurseries, etc)!
Look Up all our French properties and property in France
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According to recent figures’, the second homes represent in France nearly 1 house out of 10! And nearly 3 million French have one of them.
The majority of the second homes are near the sun ( I mean in the south of France) like Paca, Languedoc Roussillon and the Rhone Alps… Then we go back to the north (with less sun 
) in Brittany…
But, as it’s getting so expensive in France, the French do not hesitate to buy abroad. For the price of an apartment in the south of France, they can reach a villa with a lovely garden in front of the the sea! It’s a quick decision for them! They don’t hesitate any more and can go even further like the Caribbean or in the Seychelles.
I went to see by curiosity the prices of villas for sale in Madagascar. And, I discovered unexpecting prices. For exemple, a villa of 217 m2 with large garden for 80.000 euros! In South of France, the same would be over 800 000 euros!
Considering the success of the second homes, a exhibition devoted to second homes was created in 2006. It is called “Second Place” and it takes place in Belgium. More than 5.500 visitors last year.
The exhibitors come to make you discover residences from all over the world (Cyprus, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Greece, South of Africa, Belgium, Portugal…)
The living room opened this year in March and the next edition will take place from the 28th of September to the 30th of September , 2007.
For more informations :
Living room “Second Place”
In Brussels Expo, in Belgium
Entry: 9 euros
More infos: http://www.secondplace.be/
And you, do you have a second home in the Caribbean? 
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But, where is Langouët ? It is located in the department of Ile-et-Vilaine in Brittany (Bretagne) and, little indication, the commune includes 699 hectares and 537 inhabitants. And yes it’s possible that small towns have great ideas!
Langouët takes the initiative and shows the good example by building a school and an ecological housing estate (solar panel…). And, in addition to being ecologist, it is sparing!
Look at the video to understand (the video’s French).
I really think it’s a great idea, specially for kids who learn how to respect the environment as young as possible. A future generation in osmosis with nature !
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We wanted to find out how an Englishman adjusted to living in France. Many thanks to Adrian who answered our questions. Adrian is 55 years old and has lived in France for 3 years. Before that he was living in Cornwall, in the far west of England, where he ran a bub with his wife.
Why did you leave Cornwall?
Cornwall is increasingly expensive and does get very busy. We wanted to change our life style. Today we live in a cottage in the “apple brandy” Calvados region.
At the beginning we thought we might live in Brittany (being Celtic it resembles Cornwall) but we could not find the ideal house. Thus we turned to Calvados and have no regrets. Moreover, if we decide to spend a few days back in England, it does not take long to get to the to the ferry terminal.
What do you think of the price of the real estate in England ?
House prices have become ridiculously expensive and especially in the south of England ; towns and cities like Portsmouth, Bournemouth and Brighton on the south coast . London, of course, is unbelievably expensive and this creates problems for first-time buyers.
Did the French people welcome you?
In general, yes, especially as my wife has been involved in the village’s projects .In addition, her French is much better than mine. But, of course, a few of them didn’t try to get to know us. It’s rather different in England where neighbours come to see new people. …
What do you like and which places do you visit in Normandy?
We love the tranquility and its rural side. We often go to St-Lô for the restaurants and it’s also close to our home. We also love St- Malo and Cherbourg. Our next trip will be to the Loire region which is so beautiful.
Have you got some friends, here?
Yes, we have French and English friends. Moreover, my neighbours have become good friends. The man is English and his wife is French.
Do you speak French ?
I try to speak as much French as possible with the locals but I’m not sure that they always understand me. It’s not an easy language. For example, I’ve got English friends who have been living in France for at least 12 years and they still find it difficult to ask ” deux bières s’il vous plait” in a pub.
Why do you think that English people don’t stay in France more than 3 years ?
The biggest problem is that they cannot find work . Before one comes to live in France one needs to take advice and do some research. It is so difficult to find a job immediately.
If you had the chance, what would you change in France ?
To make sure that the English qualifications, diplomas etc are valid in France and everywhere in Europe! For example my wife had a lot of trouble finding a job as a nurse’s aide whereas she is a fully qualified under the English system.
Do you miss England?
Yes, but we do go back to visit and then return to Normandy . This is perfect. The best of both worlds. I will not return to Cornwall on a permanent basis. If we were to move, then it would be to south-west France. We would like to go near Toulouse.
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