Expert Insight, Breaking News, and Insider Stories on Real Estate in Paris

There is no capital gains tax on the sale of a primary residence in France. For a secondary residence owned either individually or through an SCI, the amount of capital gains owed at the time of sale is determined by

A compromis de vente is a mutual obligation of the buyer (to buy) and the seller (to sell). Literally translating as “a promise to sell,” the promesse de vente is a unilateral obligation to sell. There are two substantial drawbacks to a compromis de vente:
Whether the parties sign a compromis de vente or a promesse de vente, the preliminary contract will always contain the following terms:
The buyer should normally expect to pay fees and taxes of about 6.5-7.5% of the purchase price. These break down roughly as follows:
French banks will lend up to 85% of the assessed value of the property and renovations to most non-resident buyers.
The notaire is a public official with legal training (but different from a lawyer) who prepares and registers official acts such as wills and property ownership transfers. Notaires enjoy a very privileged and highly respected position in French society.
Simon Packard of Bloomberg Businessweek interviewed Paris Property Group real estate founder Miranda Junowicz Bothe. Two years earlier she had warned that the global financial crisis would trigger a slump in the city’s home prices. Last year they rose at their fastest pace in at least two decades. Residential values in the French capital climbed […]