FRENCH PROPERTY TIPS http://www.frenchentree.com 14 July 2004 Bastille Day http://www.web-holidays.com/bastille/ Welcome to the July issue of French Property Tips, the email newsletter from FrenchEntrée.com. Our aim is to provide you with a monthly digest of news, views, articles and other information which might help you with a French property purchase or a move to France. You registered to receive this newsletter at our site - if you do not wish to receive it please follow the unsubscribe link at the bottom of this text. Please DO NOT mark or report this newsletter as SPAM in your email system - this can cause service providers like AOL to block the entire newsletter, preventing other subscribers from receiving it. FrenchEntrée.com does not sell or pass on your details to anyone else. CONTENTS 1. French health reforms - the proposed changes 2. New documents on tax, residency, conveyancing 3. Making payments "sous la table" 4. French property insurance for holiday homes 5. Bad day for French Egg 6. Cheap ferry fares offer 7. Property rental horror story 8. Tour de France bluffers guide 9. Short-term French mobile phone contracts 10. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall book competition 11. The renovation rollercoaster 12. FrenchEntrée.com fireworks 1. An overview of the proposed reforms to the health system In May 2004 the health minister Philippe Douste-Blazy, a former cardiologist, announced his proposals for the reform of the health service and particularly to cut the health budget deficit. They are presently being debated. Peter Owen, FrenchEntrée Healthcare Topic Host reports.... http://www.frenchentree.com/fe-health/displayarticle.asp?id=1470 2. Library documents on French property tax and law A number of new articles are available to download from the FrenchEntrée.com library. These include some very useful reference items on French Inheritance & Tax Planning, French Residential Conveyancing and French Tax Facts for 2004. http://www.frenchentree.com/fe-legal/displayarticle.asp?id=474 3. Should you ever pay money under the table for a property? David Anderson of Sykes Anderson examines the legalities of buying direct from the vendor when an agent is already involved and the practice of making undisclosed "sous la table" payments... http://www.frenchentree.com/fe-legal/displayarticle.asp?id=1439 4. French property insurance This article outlines what insurance cover owners of holiday homes in France need and why you should fully understand what is covered with regards to holiday letting, unoccupancy etc. http://www.frenchentree.com/fe-finance/displayarticle.asp?id=1430 5. Egg to pull out of France Online bank Egg announced on 13 July 2004 it was to close its loss-making operations in France after just two years in the market, with the loss of up to 450 staff... http://www.frenchentree.com/fe-finance/displayarticle.asp?id=1480 6. Cheap ferry fares offer via Dover to Boulogne To celebrate the launch of the new Dover - Boulogne fast ferry service SpeedFerries has been offering 50,000 return tickets, for a standard car including up to 5 passengers, for just £50. http://www.speedferries.com/ 7. Never rent or loan your property - a personal horror story French Law protects occupants against 'abusive' or 'inhuman' evictions. Unfortunately, the law can be used by people extending their stay or unauthorized occupants to deny use/access to your property. A personal account of this experience... http://www.frenchentree.com/fe-property/displayarticle.asp?id=1432 8. Le Tour de France - a beginners guide Le Tour de France. Everybody has heard of it. There is a kind of magic to the phrase, the stuff of legends. But how much do you really know about it and what does it mean to the French? FrenchEntrée investigates... http://www.frenchentree.com/fe-home/displayarticle.asp?id=1427 9. Mobile phone contracts for expats & visitors Transatel, the Multi-country Mobile operator, has launched a special short-term subscription especially developed for foreigners or expatriates visiting France or holiday-home owners. This subscription aims at those who want to use a mobile phone regularly whilst in France... http://www.frenchentree.com/fe-techcorner/displayarticle.asp?id=1441 10. Win a Signed Copy of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's new book FrenchEntrée Downshifting Topic Host Tracey Smith offers a competition for readers to win a signed copy of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's new work, "The River Cottage Meat Book", which retails at £25.00... http://www.frenchentree.com/fe-downshifting/displayarticle.asp?id=1326 11. On the renovation rollercoaster Simon Underwood and Chrissie Ferguson are having a very welcome week off. For the last 9 months they have been restoring, renovating and converting their beautiful house and barns into luxury accommodation, with pool, hot tub and tennis court, for tourists in south west France... http://www.frenchentree.com/fe-downshifting/displayarticle.asp?id=1299 12. Fireworks at FrenchEntrée.com As the Bastille Day celebrations begin FrenchEntrée is pleased to report rocketing numbers of visitors to the site. Over 22,000 visitors in the last month viewing 185,000 pages, and growing at 10% per week. Do you know someone who would like to promote their services on our site? http://www.frenchentree.com/fe-advertising ***Sponsors Link - Moneycorp*** Thinking of buying some euros? Want to get some advice or ask for a free quote? Follow this link to request information from our Currency Zone sponsor Moneycorp http://www.moneycorp.com/FrenchEntree/frenchEnt_callme.asp ************************************************* ***Sponsors Link - BUPA*** Thinking of moving to France? Why not get a free quote for expat health insurance from one of the world's leading healthcare insurers? Follow this link to request information or get an instant quote from our Health Zone sponsor BUPA. http://www.frenchentree.com/_system/_system/scripts/adredirect.asp?BannerID=12 ************************************************* ALSO on FrenchEntrée.com Running a gite business - the 90 page guide http://www.frenchentree.com/fe-gitebusiness/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=401 Cottage to let for house-hunters or holidays in Dordogne/ S.Charente http://www.frenchentree.com/french-holiday-cottage-dordogne/home.asp Healthcare in France - A Guide for the Expatriate http://www.frenchentree.com/fe-health/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=764 A watercolour painting of your French home? http://www.frenchentree.com/fe-maisonsecondaire/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=1438 HOW TO GET IN TOUCH Editorial & Press enquiries: mailto:editor@frenchentree.com Advertising: mailto:sales@frenchentree.com Directory: mailto:jennie@frenchentree.com Contribute a story or article and claim your FREE book: http://www.frenchentree.com/fe-contribute/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=90 A bientôt Guy Hibbert Publisher FrenchEntrée.com mailto:guy@frenchentree.com If you wish to unsubscribe then please use the link below: http://www.frenchentree.com/fe-newsletter/home.asp?status=unsubscribe