Mountain Property Defies Trend in French Market

Property in the French Alps is making headlines for its resiliency. While the overall volume of transactions in the country has dropped between 22% to 30% in 2012 v 2011, the Chambre interdépartementale des Notaires de Savoie et Haute-Savoie notes a mere decline of 2% in number of transactions in the region with average prices holding steady.

The strength of the market is attributed to buyers going for larger properties than before, two and three-bedroom luxury apartments rather than the typical small ski-studio as well as a widening market attracted by the invigorating mountain village lifestyle and magnificent lanscape, even if they are not fans of winter sports. An increasing interest from foreign buyers is responding to an appealing return on investment and opportunities on hassle-free leaseback arrangements.