CONTENTS: INTRODUCTION, WHAT IS A HOTSPOT?, JOLLY HARBOUR, ANTIGUA - ST. JAMES, BARBADOS - GOLDEN SANDS, BULGARIA - DUBROVNIK, CROATIA - DUBAI, UAE - EL GOUNA, EGYPT - FORTALEZA, BRAZIL - ACCRA, GHANA - GOZO, MALTA - BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - KINSALE, COUNTY DONEGAL, IRELAND - LIMASSOL, CYPRUS - CANCUN, MEXICO - NATAL MIDLANDS, SOUTH AFRICA - NAXOS ISLAND, GREECE - MOUNT MAUNGANUI, LEIGH, NEW ZEALAND - NIMES, FRANCE - ORLANDO, FLORIDA - PANAMA CITY, COSTA BLANCA, PANAMA - KRAKOW, POLAND - LAGOS, REDONDO, PORTUGAL - MURCIA, SPAIN - UNAWATUNA, GALLE, SRI LANKA - PHUKET, PATTAYA, THAILAND - FETHIYE, TURKEY - ISOLA D’ELBA, TUSCANY - QUEENSLAND, ADELAIDE
| NIMES, FRANCE | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| C O U N T R Y
D A T A
| Population | 59.55 million persons | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| PopulationGrowth | 0.370% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Land Area | 545,630 sq km | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Currency & exchange rate | 1 Euro = 100 cents (~ 0.664 GBP) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| GDP-PPPMethod | 1,363,697.0 millions of US dollars | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| GDP Growth | 1.42% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| GDP Per Head | 22,900.0 Thousands of US Dollars Per Person | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Financial | Interest Rate | Inflation Rate | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2% | 1.9% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National Bank | Banque de France | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political | During the last presidential elections in May 2002, 80% of the electorate re-elected President Jacques Chirac against the far-right Jean-Marie Le Pen. The local elections were held in Spring 2004 and the next presidential elections are due in April 2007. The current Prime Minister is Jean-Pierre Raffarin with the next parliamentary elections to be held in June 2007. France is a major power in the Eurozone and President, Jacques Chirac benefited from its anti-war stance on Iraq, enjoyed high approval ratings -- in excess of 80 percent -- from a populace largely opposed to the war in Iraq. However, it will play a committed part into the rebuilding of Iraq. The local elections in March 2004 was a profound hammering of Chiracs coalition, with the results showing that the Socialists and other allied parties won 50 percent of the votes cast and 20 of the 22 regions. The result was a blow to Chirac because it reflected popular discontent regarding the country's unemployment rate and economic woes and he will have to made amends on public reform to win back popularity before the 2007 presidential elections. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Social Security | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Languages | French | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Customaries | In France, handshaking and kissing of both cheeks are the usual forms of greeting. Meal times are often long and take a leisurely approach, with most offices traditionally taking lunch breaks for up to two hours. Smoking is prohibited in public transport, cinemas and theatres. Visitors should carry some sort of identification such as EU driving licence or passport as spot checks are not uncommon and it is a requirement by law to carry identification. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ethnic Make-up | Celtic, Latin, Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochinese and Basque minorities | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tax | Income Tax | Capital Gains Tax | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Taxpayers are categorised as residents or non-residents. Non- residents are taxed on French-source income only. The following table presents income tax for the year 2002:
A flat ‘social tax’ of 8% is imposed on 95% of gross salary. Non-residents are subject to a withholding tax on French-source compensation, after the deduction of social tax and the 10% and 20% standard deductions.
Tax brackets are prorated according to actual time worked in France | Capital gains derived from the disposal of real estate and shareholdings are subject to tax.
Gains derived from the disposal of real property held for two years or less are taxed as ordinary income. For real property held for two years or more, are calculated as the difference between sales price and the inflation-adjusted purchase price, which is then reduced by 5% for each year. Further constraints apply and one should investigate further should more information be required. Some exemptions may apply. Also note that a standard deduction of €915 applies to total taxable gains in computing the applicable tax. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Description | France has the fourth largest economy in the world after the USA, Japan and Germany. It has a mixed economy with large agricultural, industrial and service sectors. The GDP is dominated by the services sector, followed by industry. Its major industries are Aerospace, automotive, pharmaceuticals, industrial machinery, food and drink and tourism with its major trading partners being the EU (especially Germany, the UK, Spain, Italy and Belgium) and the US. The government has traditionally played an active role in the French economy, but the recent years of privatisation have slowly dissipated this involvement. The French economy has not been immune to the economic slowdown of the last few years and has been sluggish over the last 3 years and also suffers from a relatively high unemployment rate of 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| L O C A L
D A T A
| Investor Profile: | Cash & Equity Investor Pension Investor Holiday Investor Retirement Investor Downshifter Investor Business Investor | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Category: | Gold | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Population:
| Total | British | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 130,000 | ~300 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Climate: | Hours of Sunshine Per Day in Summer | Days of Rain Per Year | January | July | Average Water Temp. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ten | 45 | 11C | 29C | 19C | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Proximity to: | Airport | Beach | Nearest City | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Nimes airport caters for low-budget airlines and is about 12km out of town. Speed shuttles and taxis are available. | You can drive or take a bus a few km south to find spectacular beaches. | Avignon (or Montpellier) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Restaurants and bars: | You will find plenty of cafes to have a cold drink in the heat of the summer, with the intimacy of the surroundings providing a refreshing atmosphere. Locals also veer of away from the centre of town to take rest at smaller, cosier cafes that are not as expensive as the ones in the town centre. Nimes is not renowned for its frenetic nightlife, but there are many bars and cafes that are open quite late to drift in and out of. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sports and leisure facilities: | There are many places to go fishing or go swimming and canoeing and an hour away on the coast are beaches with water sport facilities, jet-ski or windsurfing. Collias is a good place for rock climbing, as is Saynes. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Transport: | Public Transport | Roads | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The transport in Nimes is quite good, with all of the local buses stopping just outside the train station. Single ride costs €1, and there are detailed maps showing the bus routes at every stop. There are also buses to the airport. You can take trains from Nimes to places all over France and the rest of mainland Europe, with direct trains to Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse and many other destinations. | The roads provide good access to Montpellier, Perpignan, Avignon, Toulouse and to areas further North. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Crime rate: | Low | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Main types of employment | Nimes has traditionally been dominated by a successful textile manufacturing industry. The Nimes Airport is at the centre of much of the new economic activity in the area. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Future plans: | The town's rapid expansion is pushing its boundaries further south. The ‘Allées Jean Jaurès' are a continuation from the Jardins de la Fontaine and have recently opened out onto the plains to the south by crossing under the railway viaduct | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Yield range | 12 – 15% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type of property | Entry Price | Rent- Peak | Rent- Off Peak | Average Annual Yield | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 bed apartment | £45,000 | £600 | £400 | 13% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 bed apartment | £55,000 | £800 | £700 | 15.2% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 bed townhouse | £74,000 | £900 | £700 | 12.9% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Detached | £80,000 | £1100 | £800 | 13.5% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Demand for letting | Peak | Off peak | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| High | Quite high | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Finance and leisure scores: | Total (out of 10) | Financial (out of 5) | Leisure (out of 5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | 5 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Flights scheduled from: | London Stansted, Manchester | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Typical cost of flights: | Peak | Off Peak | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 60 – 80 GBP | 40 – 65 GBP | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operators: | Air France, Ryanair and some other smaller airlines. Also possible to fly to Paris Charles de Gaulle and take a domestic flight. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Description: | Nimes is set against the foothills of the Cévennes and is ideally located for exploring much of the south of France. Nimes boast some fine beaches and the Languedoc Roussillon region combines all the beauty of the sea, country and mountains in addition to the historical treasures and vineyards at the nearby Rhone valley. The mediteranean richness and varied resources around the town provide an inviting and relaxing ambience for the evenings. Cheap entry prices, fantastic yields, low crime rates – what more do you want? Its cheap to get to with regular flights from Stansted & Manchester or driveable within a day. Investing in France is a sure bet. The country itself is an economic heavyweight and investing in the southern part is even more of a sure bet. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hot Website: | http://www.ot-nimes.fr/english/ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Estate Agents: | Name | Address | Tel | Web | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| French Real Estate | The Pool House Bicester Road Stratton Audley Oxon, OX27 9BS | :+44 (0)1869 277677 | www.frenchinvestmentproperty.com
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| Fourgassié Immobilier | 9 Rue Victor Hugo 81200 - Mazamet South France | 05 63 98 85 01 |
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| Agence Vitani | 3 Rue Théron 81200 - Mazamet | 05 63 98 88 75 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| IMMO' Sud Estate Agency | Sandrine Calvet, Place des Couverts, 09500 Mirepoix | 33 (0)561 682.649 | www.immo-sud.com/
immo-sud-calvet@wanadoo.fr | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Letting Agents: | Name | Address | Tel | Web | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| IMMO' Sud Estate Agency | Sandrine Calvet, Place des Couverts, 09500 Mirepoix | 33 (0)561 682.649 | www.immo-sud.com/
immo-sud-calvet@wanadoo.fr | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| French Real Estate | The Pool House Bicester Road Stratton Audley Oxon, OX27 9BS | :+44 (0)1869 277677 | www.frenchinvestmentproperty.com
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