Maybe you’re buying property in France or maybe you’re just curious about the vocabulary. Whatever it is, it doesn’t hurt to know these French terms.

The first term to come to mind when buying a house is the mortgage. In France, as elsewhere, there are different kinds of mortgages. The standard kind of mortgage is known as un prêt amortissable or un prêt classique. In this mortgage, you finance typically 80% of the home value and pay back the principle plus interest over a set amount of years.An interest-only mortgage is known as un prêt in fine.

There are also different terms of repayment and financing, including un prêt modulable, or a “flexible mortgage” in which your repayment plan changes depending on your financial circumstances.

Un prêt à taux révisable cape is a certain kind of mortgage that offers varied interest rates, typically capped at around 2 or 3%.

In France, the annual percentage rate (APR) of your loan, or the real rate that you have to pay back your principle, is known as le Taux Effectif Global (TEG). 

When you enter into a contact on a property, this is known as the promesse de vente or a compromis de vente. A survey is known as un diagnostic immobilier. Of course, as elsewhere, there are fees that need to be paid when closing on a house that are not related to the mortgage or interest. In France, these fees are known as les frais de notaire, and they can be substantial. These include certain registration taxes, called droits d’enregistrement, and other taxes.

As you can see, in many ways buying a home in France is similar to buying a home in the UK or the United States, for example. But there are also many differences. 

Our "Buying Process" pages go into much more detail and are worth a read but it may be a challenge to read all of them in a month, so any particular questions you have just ask away using our "Ask Alex" service for free or send us an email / Contact Us form.

Blog submitted by: Alex at The French Property Network - Cle France.

This blog was originally posted on The French Language Blog pages.

Le réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre (New Year’s Eve)

The New Year (le nouvel an) is fast approaching. After a less than stellar 2017, I for one will be saying vive 2018! 

In France, as elsewhere, New Year’s Eve (called le réveillon du jour de l’an) is typically celebrated with friends. It’s common to celebrate the new year with champagne and fireworks. But did you know that, unlike in English, New Year’s Eve also has a different name?

In French, New Year’s Eve is also known as le réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre.

But who was Saint Sylvester?

Saint Sylvester was Pope (Pape) from 314 to 335 AD. Not much is known about his life, although the church grew in power during his tenure, erecting such monuments as Santa Croce in Jerusalem and the old Saint Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.

Most of our common knowledge about Saint Sylvester is through unverified (and potentially fictional) stories about his relationship with the Emperor Constantine. One fictitious story stated that, upon administering blessed water, Sylvester cured Constantine of leprosy. Supposedly, it was Sylvester’s miracle that influenced Constantine to convert to Christianity.

The Feast of Saint Sylvester is celebrated around the world on December 31, because this was the day he died in 335. Today, many countries around the world, and not just France, refer to New Year’s Eve as Silvester, or a similar name in tribute of the ancient pope. For example, in Germany, Christian households traditionally celebrate Saint Sylvester’s Day by melting Silvesterblei (Silvester lead) in a spoon and dropping it into cold water, then divining the year ahead based on the shape of the cooled metal. In Switzerland, men dress as Silvesterklaus and ring large bells to welcome in the new year. 

In France, la Saint Sylvestre is celebrated with friends, good food, champagne, and firecrackers or noisemakers. But there is one more tradition that is often reserved for this special day: le baiser sous le gui (kissing under the mistletoe). Unlike in some Anglophone cultures, where kissing under the mistletoe is a Christmas tradition, this ancient ritual is reserved for la Saint-Sylvestre in France. 

Bonne année!

Blog submitted by: David at The French Property Network - Cle France.

WISHING EVERYONE A HAPPY FESTIVE PERIOD

Best wishes to everyone form all of us here at Cle France, we wish everyone Joyeux Noel et Bonne Année....

We are open 24/7 on-line so keep enjoying all the beautiful French property for sale and all our information about buying a house in France as usual on the website, but we may take a few days to get back to you if you send in any questions / requests over the Christmas period as we too will be enjoying the festive period with our feet up!

Happy Christmas from Sharon, David, Simon, Alex and all the team at Cle France.

Best wishes to everyone from all of us here at Cle France, we wish everyone 'Joyeux Noel et Bonne Année'....

We are open 24/7 on-line so keep enjoying all the beautiful French property for sale and all our information about buying a house in France as usual on the website, but we may take a few days to get back to you if you send in any questions / requests over the Christmas period as we too will be enjoying the festive period with our feet up!

If you’re looking for your dream home in France it is best to keep in touch with our network of agents and experts, please feel free to 'Like Us' or 'Follow Us' on our social media platforms and stay up to date with all the latest property news and competitions.

AND We have just added automatic uploads of all 'New on the Market' properties to be posted on Facebook, Twitter and Linked-In so if you have not visited us on these social media platforms then do it now and Like-Us, Follow-Us or Link with Us to make sure you get the most up to the minute news and you don't miss that perfect French home when it comes along.

Click on any or all of the above to make sure you get up to the minute news on all things to do with French Property and you don't miss that perfect French home you are searching for.

Cle France wish everyone 'Joyeux Noel et Bonne Année'.

Sterling Jumps on Brexit Breakthrough, GBP/EUR at 1.15

The pound climbed against the euro (GBP/EUR) on Friday as the UK and EU made a breakthrough on Brexit. The GBP/EUR exchange rate managed to break the 1.15 level—a six-month high—as an agreement on the Irish border and other issues was reached, allowing talks to move onto trade.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker stated:

"Both sides had to listen to each other, adjust their position and show a willingness to compromise. This was a difficult negotiation for the European Union as well as for the United Kingdom."

The situation regarding the Irish border seems to allow Northern Ireland’s regulations to remain in 'full alignment' with EU law. Arlene Foster, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader said:

"There is no red line down the Irish Sea and clear confirmation that the entirety of the UK is leaving the EU, leaving the single market, and leaving the customs union."  

To take advantage of this positive exchange rate shift, contact FC Exchange on +44 (0)20 7989 0000 and discuss how you can maximise your international money transfer.

The pound to euro (GBP/EUR) exchange rate is trending at levels of 1.1480.

Current rates:

Friday 8th December 2017 at 09:50

£1.00 GBP = 1.1480 EURO

£1.00 GBP = 1.3470 USD

£1.00 GBP = 1.7938 AUD

£1.00 GBP = 1.97701 NZD

£1.00 GBP = 1.7336 CAD

£1.00 GBP = 18.3886 ZAR

Just imagine if YOU could forecast the exchange rate?

No one can do that of course but being well informed is a good start and knowing the events coming up that may influence the exchange rate may help you with your planning.

The latest quarterly currency market forecasts from the international money transfer experts, FC Exchange, are now available. The reports are essential reading for anyone buying or selling a property, in fact anyone making international money transfers.

The currency markets will always fluctuate, but last year saw unprecedented levels of volatility. The currency forecasts review the factors that have contributed to the uncertainty we have seen and look ahead to the issues that could affect currency markets in the next quarter and throughout 2017.

Grab your Free Report here... 

Do you want more information ?

So if you need to buy or sell sterling and would like to be kept up to date with all the latest data releases and exchange rate movements then feel free to contact myself Ben Amrany. If you are buying or selling a house in France we will make sure your monies are in the right place at the right time, we work hand in hand with you and Cle France.

For more information on the currency service I can provide please feel free to contact myself...

Ben Amrany from FC Exchange follow this link or phone and ask for myself and quote "Cle France" on 020 7989 0000.

You may contact me directly using this form (click here) with your requirement and I will explain the options that are available to you in getting the best exchange rate.

For everything you need to know about French property visit www.clefrance.co.uk