Real Estate: Where are the English of yesteryear?  Directgestion.fr 21 Apr 10 The latest statistics of Notaries of France reported a decrease in the number of foreign investors in the French property market. The share of foreign buyers of real estate in France stood at 4% in 2009 against 5% in 2008. The presence of foreign investors is concentrated in a few departments, mainly in South-West (Creuse, Dordogne) and in the Alpes-Maritimes. The British are still "the largest contingent of foreign investors" in France, although their number was significantly reduced compared to the period from 2004 to 2007. While they accounted for 40% of foreigners buying in France in 2004, the share of English has declined to 24% in 2008 and 17% in 2009. In contrast, the share of Italians and Belgians in 2009 increased to respectively to 14% and 11% against 12% and 9% in 2008, while the Moroccans (5%), Spanish (3%) Tunisian (2%) were stable last year.

Work on the Odeon Tower in Monaco resumes  20 Apr 10 lemoniteur.fr The order from the commune of Beausoleil that prohibited further work on Monaco’s 170m Odeon Tower has been lifted. The Odeon Tower is being built by France’s Vinci Group with some of the work located in the French border town of Beausoleil. The Odeon Tower, which will have 49 floors, is a €370 million considered one of the major real estate investments in the principality. Initial work began last summer.

Ligurians with low incomes and Riviera villas targeted  ivg.it 25 Mar 10 6,000 warning letters have been sent out to Ligurians who own property on the French Riviera. Until now, the owners of a property abroad were not obliged to declare it if it did not produce income. They are now obliged to do so. Those who own a house outside of Italy and rent it, have always been obliged to pay income tax on the proceeds. Italy's tax authorities commented, “We want to encourage offenders who have not yet done so to comply by taking advantage of a tax amnesty by 30 Apr 10.” One case investigated by the authorities revealed a local businessman declaring just €3k earnings whilst owning a 7 room villa on Cap d'Antibes.

Monaco Remains World’s Most Expensive Home Market  International Property Journal 23 Mar 10 For the second year in a row, Monaco ranks as the world’s most expensive residential real estate market, with prices averaging from $4,300 to $5,900 a square foot. In fact, it was no competition. London was a distant second, with prices topping out at $4,400 a square foot, according to the just released 2010 Knight Frank Wealth Report. Paris was a distant third, offering a relatively reasonable range of $2,400 to $3,300 a square foot. Kevin Brass.

Lloyds and RBS 'open business' to property industry at MIPIM telegraph.co.uk  21 Mar 10 Last Week at the annual Mipim property conference in Cannes key meetings were being held in hillside villas and hotels away from the limelight of the Palais des Festivals and La Croisette of the French Riviera town. The hosts? The two UK banks with the potential ability to pull the strings of the market. Lloyds Banking Group and Royal Bank of Scotland were using their hillside retreats to stress to clients and key agents that they were effectively "open for business" for new property lending and opportunities. Wags joked that the last few years have been like a horror story for the property industry, that the banks had become real-life incarnations of "The Hills have Eyes". However those attending the meetings returned to the hub of the conference with optimism, a stack of business cards and stories that Diana Brightmore-Armour, Lloyds' leading lady of corporate lending, was hosting a top-level dinner for some of the bank's biggest clients. Graham Ruddick.

MIPIM marks the end of the mini-boom  Property Week 19 Mar 10 The big talking points at MIPIM this week were: European Hotspots - Paris: investor demand is growing but yields are yet toProperty Week 19 Mar 10 The big talking points at MIPIM this week were: European Hotspots - Paris: investor demand is growing but yields are yet to fall; Poland: surprised everyone with its resilience, until people appreciate its size. European dogs ; Germany: investment activity fell from €60bn in 2007 to €12bn in 2009.  Russia: a complete property disaster. Ireland looks after its own. There is speculation that its asset protection agency, NAMA, will offload billions in UK property by the end of the year, while holding real estate in Ireland in an attempt to shore up prices. Our bet is that MIPIM marked the end of the mini-boom, as property pauses for breath until the autumn, at least. Giles Barrie.

The first model of Nice's new eco-valley unveiled at MIPCOM  Nice Matin 17 Mar 10 An ambitious project to reshape the Var plain took shape at MIPIM in Cannes. Until now just a concept, Nice’s eco-Valley is gradually taking shape. Its originator, the Industry Minister and Mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, unveiled Tues, the first model of this ambitious project of sustainable development. After opening the MIPIM market for real estate professionals, Estrosi said the new eco-development project would not be in competition with Sophia-Antipolis. The area will be a laboratory environment, creating another way to live, work and travel for 120,000 people based around a new transportation hub. Jean-Paul Fronzes.

Read more about the Meridia project for Nice's Var valley as reported by Rivieralife.tv in Nov 09

Mipim 2010 property show is more than just fun in the sun  timesonline.co.uk 17 Mar 10 The sun is shining, the yachts are docked and the wine is flowing, but there is a nervousness among the world’s property elite at this year’s Mipim shindig in Cannes. They can’t quite believe that the recovery will last. Business in London has been pretty buoyant in the past few weeks and, with the banks ready to offload some large, attractive properties, life looks a little bit sweeter for the commission-dependent. Rebecca O’Connor.

Austerity set to reign at annual Cannes real estate jamboree FT.com 16 Mar 10 Mipim, this week's famously excessive annual property jamboree in the south of France, is set to be the quietest for some time for those from the UK property market. For most boarding planes, trains and automobiles for the annual pilgrimage to Cannes, the traditional extravagance of the Riviera will turn to economy as expenses are restrained and diaries overloaded. Even if property values in parts of the market are recovering to pre-boom levels, confidence in the future is not there yet if numbers of attendees are any guide. Although the organisers say that the 18,000 or so official delegates will only be slightly fewer than last year - which was noticeably quiet - there are a number of well-known absences. Dan Thomas.

Expect pantomime and poker-faces at MIPIM 2010  Forexyard.com 15 Mar 10 The biggest names in European property descend on the French Riviera this week for an industry gathering that promises to lay bare just how far the stricken asset class has travelled on the road to recovery. The annual pilgrimage to MIPIM (Marche International des Professionnels de l'immobilier) in Cannes is one that few cash-strapped real estate investors can afford this year, but even fewer can afford to miss. After more than two years of freefalling property prices, investors, developers and brokers are back hunting for deals and are primed to deploy an arsenal of expensive props to mask the battle scars that could spook potential new business. Lingering issues such as debt, European economic health, and the possibility of a double-dip recession remain, however. Sinead Cruise / Reuters.

MIPIM 2010: In uncertain times, property leaders toast to the future  bridgingandcommercial.co.uk 11 Mar 10 As debate on the state of the property market recovery rages on, industry insiders are gearing up to attend the prestigious 4 day MIPIM show in Cannes next week. The show attracts leaders from across the field, who meet in glamorous Mediterranean surroundings to “collaborate on real-estate solutions to meet the diverse demands of the international market”, according to the event’s press release. In 2009, there were 17,658 real estate professionals, 1,871 exhibiting companies, 3,575 investors and 350 corporate end-users in attendance at the show. In the midst of real estate meltdown, participants were reminded to ‘stay calm’ and ‘don’t panic,’ as they shuttled between casinos and yachts.

South of France: Sad sellers praying for Spring  themovechannel.com 09 Mar 10 Sellers in the South of France are waiting for better weather before putting holiday homes on the market, it has been claimed. When predictions were being made about the overseas property market at the beginning of January 2010, there was one thing not accounted for - the effect of the weather. Unique Living has reported that in the South of France there has been a dramatic decrease in new homes coming onto the market. "We normally expect to take instructions of between five and 10 properties a week along the French Riviera in January and February. This has dropped to around two per week", said Serge Cowan, the company's MD. Catherine Deshayes.

French block Odeon groundworks in Beausoleil  Monaco Today 08 Mar 10 Beausoleil has issued a ‘stop’ order on the construction of Monaco's 49-storey Odeon Towers project that borders the French town. The ‘stop,’ affects work on the foundations on the French side of the border with Monaco. It would appear that the order to halt work came from the town planning department of the Beausoleil town hall, and not from the mayor himself. Beausoleil mayor Gérard Spinelli remains on bail facing charges of accepting a bribe of €120,000 to not oppose the Odeon Towers project. Ian Brodie.

Riviera pad costs 50 million dollars for Russian who didn't buy it  Times Online 01 Mar 10 €40m will buy you a sumptuous mansion on the Riviera in these chastened times. Russia's richest man lost that sum plus a lot of face today when a local court refused to return his deposit on the grandest villa of them all. Mikhail Prokhorov, 44, worth $9.5bln according to Forbes last year, was told that he could not reclaim the funds that he put down on the Villa Leopolda, the spectacular property at Villefranche which he promised to buy in 2008. He backed out of the record sale, for €390m, early last year after the recession struck the mineral business on which his fortune was based. Charles Bremner. See Property Oligarchs

Knight Frank analyses property prospects for France  Propertytalklive.co.uk 26 Feb 10 "In the core Cote D’Azur market prices have corrected and we foresee stability for the coming period. Despite lower levels of interest at the start of 2009, including less UK buyers for the South of France, the second half of the year witnessed increased activity (20-30%) by a coalition of Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, Belgian and Russian purchasers. Noticeably, since the start of 2010 there has been a return to the market by UK based purchasers (73% of total registrations) looking to pursue their lifestyle requirements in the South of France, assisted by low interest rates and lower capital values. Paul Humphreys.

Irish quit the Cote d'Azur  Irishtimes.com 25 Feb 10 Many Irish  people who flocked to the Côte d’Azur in the noughties to buy properties in the sun are now selling up – but still making a profit, according to estate agent Bernie Ennis. Under financial pressure at home  they are trying to release the equity they sank into second homes on the Riviera. Agents like Ennis, of World Homes Investments in Dublin, sold apartments and villas on the Riviera as prices rose between 2000 and the peak in 2008, many by as much as 70 per cent. They have fallen since then, but not by much more than 10 per cent. Frances O'Rourke.

Property in France: the new hot spots  Telegraph.co.uk 19 Feb 10 With prices falling, there has never been a better time to snap up a historic French property. After a few years of flirting with "emerging" markets that have now retreated into obscurity, British buyers are tentatively dipping a toe into overseas property again. Cote d'Azur - Property prices on the coast fell by about 15 per cent last year. Provence - For those who want to be within an easy drive of the Cote d'Azur but pay 20 to 30 per cent less for their property, Provence still has some pockets to be exploited by expats. Zoe Dare Hall.

Big Projects Back at MIPIM 2010  NewsBlaze.com 17 Feb 10 MIPIM 2010 is set to welcome a host of new real estate projects as the international property market emerges from the global financial downturn. Delegates to MIPIM 2010 will discover a complete range of city redevelopments, refurbishment projects and new buildings. And four of the most ambitious developments that will be presented come from South Korea, Egypt and Nigeria. Reed MIDEM Press Release.

MIPIM Conferences Welcome Eclectic Speaker Line-Up  PR Newswire 17 Feb 10 Poland's Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Economy, the Mayor of Stockholm, the Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme UN-HABITAT and the CEO of the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector, are among the personalities who will be taking the floor during the MIPIM 2010 conference programme. Reed MIDEM Press Release.

Monaco’s M1 pays £175m for West End block  FT.com 16 Feb 10 The largest office deal in London’s West End market since 2007 completed on Tuesday with the acquisition of the art deco Victoria House on Bloomsbury Square by M1 Real Estate, the company backed by a former Lebanese prime minister. M1 paid about £175m ($276m) for the block. Monaco-based M1 Real Estate, which acquired Credit Suisse’s headquarters in Canary Wharf last year, bought the building on the east side of Bloomsbury Square from Moritz Group. Daniel Thomas.

MIPIM Investor Registrations Up 12% Over 2009  GlobeSt.com 12 Feb 10 The first major European real estate trade fair of the year, MIPIM taking place in Cannes in early March, has received 12% more international investor registrations than in 2009 which, it says, points to improved confidence in the real estate market. Some 2,300 international investors have registered for the 21st edition of MIPIM on 16-19 March. Allan Saunderson.

Monaco Has Highest Real Estate Prices Among European Resort Cities  Realestatechannel.com 01 Feb 10 Monaco has the highest real estate prices among all the European resorts, suggests a study carried out by the Russian consulting agency "MAR Consult". Currently the cost of one square meter in high-class apartment buildings in the principality amounts to EUR 84,500 euro. The second place is occupied by France, where the cost of one meter is 38.3 thousand euros, followed by Spain (13 thousand euros for 1 sq. m.) and Denmark (12.9 euros for 1 sq. m.). The most expensive European apartments are located in Monte Carlo's luxury Seaside Plaza. Michael Gerrity.

Giant Ikea looking likely for Ventimiglia  Webtimesmedia.com 25 Jan 10 Swedish furniture giant Ikea, unable to locate in the Alpes-Maritimes, could open in Ventimiglia on the Italian side of the border. Ikea received approval from Ventimiglia, Imperia province and the region of Liguria to create a giant 75 000 m² store. The first draft for a failed project in Mougins was for 17,000 m2. The proposed site is Roya Park well served by trunk roads and motorways. The project only needs the consent of the owner, Trenitalia, the state owned Italian railway, to organize the auction of the land. If it goes ahead, it would become the largest store in Northern Italy creating 700 direct jobs and 150 others. Jean-Pierre Largillet.

For sale: 1960s-designed modernist villa in the south of France  retrotogo.com 12 Jan 10 Had some money left to you? Won the Lottery? or just plain rich anyway? If either of those applies to you, check out this 1960s-designed modernist villa in the south of France. Designed in 1961 by Claude Parent, one of France’s most revered modernist architects, it mixes raw concrete and glass walls for the structure, throwing in a stunning view of the French Riviera from its location at the summit of Cap d’Antibes. Yes, perfect for the jet setter in all of us. The property was listed in France in 1989, which gives you an idea if its originality.

Monaco to build into the sea to create more space  Telegraph.co.uk 28 Dec 09 Prince Albert II of Monaco is planning to reclaim land from the sea with a ground-breaking scheme that will allow the tiny population to expand. He has launched a drive to build into the Mediterranean to create an area around 12.5 acres. It will extend from the Fontvieille district at the western foot of the "rock". The £10 billion plan was first floated last year but dropped due to the financial crisis and the "green" Prince's concerns it would damage the marine environment. But the prince has now decided the time is right to try again and is planning a smaller development. Henry Samuel.