Latest Property Releases

Summary of the latest French investment opportunities as we hear about them.

New Ski Properties in La Rosière Selling Fast

26th September 2011

Just five months after announcing plans to build new ski properties for sale in the centre of the French Alpine resort of La Rosière, leading developer MGM reports that more than a quarter of the 38 properties have already been sold off-plan. Occupying the site of the former ’sixties-built Roc Noir Hotel in the centre of the Haute-Tarentaise village, the new Lodge Hemera résidence de tourisme will be just 250 metres from the nursery slopes when it is completed at the end of 2012.

Sporting traditional external finishes of timber, render and natural stone, the leaseback apartments are priced at €221,572 for a one-bedroom property rising to €426,421 for a three-bedroom home. These prices, which exclude French VAT of 19.6 per cent, waived under the leaseback scheme, include underground parking and cellar storage as well as use of locker rooms, a laundry and drying rooms.

When the residence opens next year, owners also will have use of all its four-star facilities, including an indoor pool, fitness suite, gym, sauna, jacuzzi and steam rooms, as well as a beauty centre with a variety of massages and treatments on offer.

La Rosière was built on the former Roman road through the Petit Saint Bernard Pass linking France with Italy. Occupying a sunny south-facing mountain ‘balcony’ at an altitude of 1850 metres, the resort has access to 150 km of pistes within the Espace San Bernardo ski area which embraces La Thuile in Italy. La Rosière is a 50-minute bus ride from Bourg St Maurice, the destination for Eurostar trains direct from London’s St Pancras International station during the ski season. The nearest airport is at Chambéry, two hours and 45 minutes by road. Geneva Airport is three hours and 45 minutes away.

For details of the apartments still available to buy in the new Lodge Hemera in La Rosière call MGM on 0207 4940706 (UK), email london@mgm-immobilier.fr or visit the website www.mgmfrenchproperties.com

Demand prompts MGM to step up plans to build more new homes in the French Alpine village of Samoëns

5th September 2011

With off-plans sales already achieved for more than half of the 70 new apartments planned for a popular Alpine village in France’s Grand Massif area, the region’s leading developer has brought forward plans to start building work to ensure the properties are ready for occupation by the end of next year. The development will be MGM’s sixth development in the village of Samoëns, an archetypal French working village with the focus on its central square, church, fountain and old market building.

[ Image left: A view of the site on which developer MGM is about to start construction work on its sixth development in the French Alpine village of Samoens. For details call 0207 4940706 or visit www.mgmfrenchproperties.com ]

“Samoens is one of the region’s most scenic and traditional villages which attracts Britons all year round,” says Richard Deans, sales consultant in MGM’s UK sales office in London’s Regent Street (tel +44 (0)207 4940706). He reports that work will be getting underway soon on the construction of the new scheme, Les Chardons Argentés. It comprises nine traditionally-styled chalets together containing 70 apartments ranging in size from 43 sq m one-bedroom properties to four-bedroom, two-bathroom duplexes of 110 sq m. All come with underground parking and storage space.

Available for outright purchase – not leaseback – and incorporating an indoor pool for use by residents, the apartments will be within walking distance of the village shops, cafés and restaurants in the centre of Samoens. Nearby is a cable car providing access to the Grand Massif’s 265 km of ski slopes.

Pictured at the heart of the archetypal French working village of Samoens is its square, church and
old market building where the work of its famed seventeenth century stonemasons is clearly in evidence.

The chalet buildings which comprise MGM’s Les Chardons Argentés will feature modern interiors and spacious accommodation. Externally they will be finished in timber and stone, continuing a local tradition spanning hundreds of years. In the seventeenth century, the stonemasons of Samoëns were in demand throughout Europe and as far afield as America.
“For British buyers, part of the special appeal of Samoëns is its easy access from the UK,” says Richard. “It is only one hour by road from Geneva Airport, making it ‘four hours door-to-door’ from London. Travel by car from the UK is easy; drive-time from Calais is about seven-and-a-half-hours.”

The prices of apartments still available at Les Chardons Argentés start at €251,000 for a one-bedroom property. For more details call MGM on 0207 4940706, email london@mgm-immobilier.fr or visit www.mgmfrenchproperties.com

New luxury holiday homes in Combloux offer a year-round haven with spectacular views of Mont Blanc

14th June 2011

Among the most striking buildings on the 20 km pilgrimage trail from Combloux to Notre Dame de la Gorge in the Haute-Savoie region of the French Alps – and in stark contrast to the Baroque architecture of some 16 churches, chapels and shrines along the way – will be a brand new résidence de tourisme which, says developer MGM, will be the answer to the prayers of those seeking sanctuary in a comfortable holiday home for use throughout the year.

Combloux in the Haute-Savoie region of the French Alps where developer MGM plans to build a brand new résidence de tourisme which will offer buyers a comfortable holiday home for use throughout the year.

In contrast to the onion-domed bell towers of the historic churches, the ten chalets together containing 87 one-, two- and three-bedroom leaseback apartments in the new ski-in, ski-out résidence – Les Diamants Blancs – will be finished with locally sourced wood, stone and granite. Many of the apartments will have panoramic mountain views when the résidence opens for business at the end of next year.

“The best view will be the one of Mont Blanc from the terrace of the large swimming pool which will be a feature of this résidence,” says Richard Deans of MGM’s UK sales office in London’s Regent Street. Among other four-star facilities within the résidence, available for use by owners, will be a fitness suite, gym, sauna, jacuzzi and steam rooms, as well as a Wellness centre with a variety of massages and treatments on offer. Located at an altitude of 1,100 metres, 28 kilometres from Chamonix, Combloux offers skiers access to 445 kilometres of slopes at altitudes up to 2,535 metres.
“This range of slopes makes the resort suitable for families and attractive to those who prefer a bit of a challenge,” says Richard.

One of the views which owners of the apartments in MGM’s new Combloux résidence will be able
to enjoy from the pool terrace.

By road Combloux is just one hour from Geneva Airport and 75 minutes from Chambery Airport. Lyon Airport is a two-hour drive.
Off-plan prices at Les Diamants Blancs start at €191,250 for a one-bedroom apartment with a floor area of 36 sq m rising to €577,500 for a 130 sq m four-bedroom property. The prices, which exclude French VAT at 19.6 per cent – waived under the leaseback scheme – include underground parking and cellar storage as well as use of locker rooms, a laundry and drying rooms.

For more details on the properties at Les Diamants Blancs call MGM on +44 (0)207 4940706, email london@mgm-immobilier.fr or visit www.mgmfrenchproperties.com

The MountainPassions team recently skied Combloux and the other resorts in the Evasion Mont Blanc ski area - see our independent reviews by clicking the resort name below:
Combloux - a back-to-nature affair, takes some beating for anyone looking for an unspoilt natural setting.
Megeve - those with the means to enjoy the very best that Megève can offer will find levels of luxury which will more than satisfy the most demanding clientèle.
Saint-Gervais - a solid choice for beginners, families and intermediates who value dramatic scenery and plenty of long cruising runs.
Les Contamines - Confident skiers value the purity of this protected natural mountain environment and a dramatic setting for their skiing experience.

New Year-Round Holiday Homes in the French Alps

12th May 2011

The popularity of France’s Grand Massif area – home to some of the region’s most scenic and traditional villages which attract Britons all year round and the fourth biggest ski area in the French Alps and – has prompted the region’s leading developer to bring forward plans to build more apartments there.
Richard Deans, sales consultant in the Regent Street, London office of leading French developer MGM (+44 (0)207 4940706) reports that work will be getting underway soon on the construction of the company’s sixth development in the village of Samoens, an archetypal French working village with the focus on its central square, church, fountain and old market building.

The scheme, Les Chardons Argentés, comprises nine traditionally-styled chalets together containing 70 apartments ranging in size from 43 sq m one-bedroom properties to four-bedroom, two-bathroom duplexes of 110 sq m. All come with underground parking and storage space.

Already more than 20 of the apartments have been sold off-plan. Available for outright purchase – not leaseback – and incorporating an indoor pool for use by residents, the apartments will be within walking distance of the village shops, cafés and restaurants in the centre of Samoëns. Also nearby is a cable car providing access to the Grand Massif’s 265 km of ski slopes.

“Growing numbers of British families are opting for properties in locations like these where they can pursue a lifestyle which enables them to integrate with local people while enjoying a huge variety of outdoor activities throughout the year,” says Richard. Summer activities include paragliding, white water rafting, archery, riding, cycling, fishing and golf. The more traditional hiking and climbing are among other pursuits on the doorstep. In the winter months dog sledging, raquette trekking and climbing frozen waterfalls is available in addition to skiing.

Samoëns, whose seventeenth century stonemasons were in demand throughout Europe and as far afield as America – their work is in evidence throughout the village – has all the facilities needed for year-round living in an established community.

Image left: French developer MGM is starting construction work on its sixth development in the archetypal French working village of Samoëns.

Located within the Haute Savoie region between Geneva and Chamonix, along the wooded valley of the River Giffre, it offers access to ski slopes at altitudes of up to 2,500 metres. As many of them are north facing, they retain their snow for longer periods than many other resorts. Within a one-hour drive are other popular ski resorts such as Chamonix and Megeve as well as the historic and picturesque lakeside town of Annecy where sailing and watersports are popular in summer. See the MountainPassions own ski resort review for Samoëns.

The apartments in MGM’s Les Chardons Argentés feature modern interiors and spacious accommodation within traditionally-styled and contemporary chalet buildings finished in timber and stone. “For British buyers, part of the special appeal of Samoens is its easy access from the UK,” says Richard. “It is only one hour by road from Geneva Airport, making it ‘four hours door-to-door’ from London. Travel by car from the UK is easy; drive-time from Calais is about seven-and-a-half-hours.”

The prices of apartments still available Les Chardons Argentés start at €240,000 for a one-bedroom property. For more details call MGM on 0207 4940706, email london@mgm-immobilier.fr or visit www.mgm-constructeur.com

MGM takes the wraps off plans for an exclusive small ski property development near Chamonix

9th February 2011

Plans for an exclusive new small development of ski apartments close to Chamonix have been unveiled by the leading developer in the French Alps, MGM.

This computer-generated image shows how the Résidence Le Tétras Lyre in Les Houches will look when it is completed.

The Résidence Le Tétras Lyre – named after the Black Grouse which frequent the area – will comprise just eight two- and three-bedroom apartments within a single, traditionally-styled chalet in Les Houches, just one hour by car from Geneva Airport.
Off-plan prices of the apartments, which have floor areas ranging in size from 59 sq m to 120 sq m, start at €370,000 for a two-bedroom property rising to €580,000 for a three-bedroom duplex. Prices include underground car parking and secure storage space for skis and snowboards. The development is scheduled for completion before Christmas this year.

The picturesque rural village of Les Houches at the foot of Mont Blanc has attracted growing interest as a base for skiing holidays in the winter months following the decision to include its ski lift on the Mont Blanc ski pass, giving access to 354 pistes in one of the best-known ski areas of the French Alps.

Says Richard Deans, sales consultant in MGM’s London office: “Les Houches has an attractive skiing area which suits everyone, from beginners to experts as well as snowboarders. It winds through pine forests down to the village so those staying at the Résidence Le Tétras Lyre will be able to ski to the door.
Chamonix, only a few minutes away by bus, car or train, and St Gervais – about six kilometres away – together provide an even wider variety of skiing as well as an abundance of other winter activities.”

Popular throughout the year, the variety of summer activities available in the area around Les Houches include fishing on the nearby Lac des Chavants and playing volley ball on its bank. White water rafting, mountain-biking and paragliding, as well as more traditional hiking and climbing, are among other pursuits to be enjoyed.

For more information about the Résidence Le Tétras Lyre in Les Houches call MGM on (UK) 0207 4940706, email london@mgm-immobilier.fr or visit the website www.mgm-constructeur.com

A Thousand New Ski Resort Properties in the French Alps are Planned by MGM

8th November 2010

More than a thousand new ski resort properties are to be built the French Alps in a bid to keep pace with growing demand.
Although full details have yet to be announced, the region’s leading developer – the Annecy-based MGM Group – says it has plans to start work on new schemes in 11 locations as soon as this winter’s ski season is over.

The MGM Group is to build more than one thousand new ski resort properties in the French Alps in a bid to keep pace with growing demand. As soon as this winter’s ski season is over, construction work will get underway to create 11 new residences de tourisme, like this one built by the company in Le Grand Bornand. Photo:MGM

Richard Deans of MGM’s UK sales office in London’s Regent Street says that, for the company, this will be the biggest ever number of new developments to get underway in a single year. “Several factors have combined to achieve this,” he said. “Several planning applications which have taken some time to reach the approval stage now have the go-ahead and, with market growth across the French Alps gaining momentum, we decided to draw a higher than usual number of sites from our land bank so that we can start creating new apartments for occupation in less than two years from now.”

Richard reports that demand has pushed property prices in the French Alps back up to the pre-credit crunch levels of 2007.
He says: “While current demand makes further rises inevitable, currency exchange rate fluctuations may temper the high levels of demand we saw in the summer. Sales in July and August this year were the best I can ever remember.”

All of the new developments will be residences de tourisme with the properties available being sold on a leaseback basis. This enables purchasers to receive a guaranteed annual rental income during the first 11 years of their ownership while also enjoying several weeks of personal use of their property each year.
Four-star facilities within MGM’s residences usually include an indoor pool, fitness suite, gym, sauna, jacuzzi and steam rooms, as well as a beauty centre with a variety of massages and treatments on offer.

Plans for the 11 new residences have been welcomed by the MGM Group’s specialist hotel management company – La Compagnie de Gestion Hoteliere (CGH) – which was established five years ago to provide a letting and management service for owners. CGH, which quickly gained recognition as one of the leading companies engaged in mountain tourism, offers accommodation packages which have attracted business from more than 115 European tour operators and others in North America, Russia and the Middle East seeking accommodation for their clients.

Some of the new residences will be built in resorts and villages where MGM already has a strong track record of successful development. They include Tignes, Samoens, Cohennoz, Les Carroz and St Martin de Belleville. Others, which are new locations for the company, include Combloux, Chatel and Valmorel.
In all cases, these developments will be state-of-the-art in terms of sustainability and fuel economy, says MGM which has signed-up to the principles of HQE (Haute Qualité Environmental) – the international construction industry’s high environmental quality standard which aims to integrate the principles of sustainable development defined at the 1992 Earth Summit. The company also is a founder member of Sustain Worldwide, set up earlier this year to promote sustainable development in the international property industry.

The prices of MGM’s properties depend on size and location. The average price currently is around €380,000. For full details of all the properties available from MGM, and the leaseback schemes it offers, call 0207 4940706, email london@mgm-immobilier.fr or visit the website www.mgm-constructeur.com

Luxurious new 5-bedroom ski-in, ski-out chalets form part of the plan for MGM's latest year-round residence in the French Alps

3rd November 2010

This computer-generated image shows how MGM’s new ski-in, ski-out residence de tourisme,
L’Oree des Neiges in Vallandry, will look when it is completed.

Two luxurious new five-bedroom detached ski chalets each priced at €1.25 million will form part of a ski-in, ski-out residence de tourisme planned by developer MGM in what is said to be one of the property hotspots in the French Alps.
L’Oree des Neiges, which is to be built close to the shops and restaurants in the centre of Vallandry – a village of traditional architecture in the heart of the Tarentaise valley – also will include a further two chalets together containing 23 apartments.
Ranging in size from one to four bedrooms, the apartments – as well as the two detached chalets – are being offered for sale on a leaseback basis with a guaranteed rental income.

All but nine of the new apartments, which will be ready for occupation before the end of next year, have already been sold off-plan. Prices, which start at €350,000 for a two-bedroom apartment, exclude VAT which is waived under the leaseback scheme. They include cellar storage, a ski locker and underground parking.

Says Richard Deans, MGM’s London-based sales consultant: “Vallandry is a year-round resort which attracts a wide range of experienced and family skiers in the winter months.”
“As one of the property hotspots in the French Alps – located at an altitude of 1,600 metres – Vallandry has taken off in recent years following the opening of the Vanoise Express, the world’s longest single span double-decker cable car linking the village with Les Arcs and La Plagne to create the Paradiski area. Its 425 kms of slopes are set to rival the Three Valleys.”

At other times of the year visitors to Vallandry can enjoy outdoor activities which include walking, mountain biking and horse-riding – all with dramatic panoramic views – as well as climbing and rafting. An 18-hole golf course is located alongside the residence.
The nearest airport is at Chambery, 90 minutes away by car. The airports at Lyon and Grenoble are both a two-hour drive. During the ski season the Eurostar Snow Train links London St Pancras with Bourg St Maurice, a bus ride away in the valley below Vallandry.

For more information about the MGM properties available in Vallandry call MGM on 0207 4940706, email london@mgm-immobilier.fr or visit the website www.mgm-constructeur.com

Bespoke New Homes In Annecy Show Developer's Conservation Pledge In Action

29th July 2010

This computer-generated image shows how La Reserve in Annecy will look when it is completed. The development in the historic lakeside town will be a showcase for environmentally-friendly development, says developer MGM.

Bespoke new homes planned for an historic lakeside town in the Haute-Savoie region of France will be a showcase for environmentally-friendly development.That is the claim of leading French Alpine developer MGM which has just started work on exclusive new luxury apartments at La Reserve in the historic and picturesque lakeside town of Annecy.

Comprising two three-storey buildings together containing 17 one- to three-bedroom apartments in the residential area fronting Annecy’s prestigious Avenue d’Albigny – dubbed ‘the Champs Élysées of Annecy,’ it is said to be the town’s ‘most enviable address’ – La Reserve follows the success of MGM’s first three developments in the area.

In the latest scheme – La Villa d’Artagnan – all but one of the 18 homes ranging from one-bedroom apartments to a four-bedroom duplex have been sold but MGM is retaining its show apartment so that off-plan buyers at La Reserve can see the variety and calibre of the finishes available.Says Richard Deans, sales consultant in MGM’s London office: “La Reserve, which features a contemporary external and internal design, is highly unusual as buyers can choose from a huge variety of kitchens, bathrooms, doors, tiles and other finishes to personalise their bespoke home.”

All the properties will have spacious balconies or terraces, many with views of the lake and mountains.Environmentally-friendly features range from geothermic under-floor heating to the use of water-based products in place of conventional solvent-based ones. In many case MGM has opted for building materials which can be recycled in the longer term.

Prices of the apartments at La Resrve, which will be ready for occupation in the summer of 2011, start at €560,000 for a two-bedroom apartment of 64 sq ft. Investors could expect to achieve a monthly rental income for a two-bedroom apartment of in the region of €1,600 to €1,700 during the ski season and summer months, says Richard.
For full details of La Reserve call 0207 4940706, email london@mgm-immobilier.fr or visit the website www.mgm-constructeur.com

Work starts on the creation of Le Centaure, an eco-friendly development by MGM Constructeur in Flaine, French Alps

May 12th 2010

Construction work is getting underway at Flaine in the French Alps where MGM is building 66 new ski apartments at Le Centaure (pictured here), a residence de tourisme described by the company as ‘state-of-the-art in terms of sustainability and fuel economy.’ For details call 0207 4940706 or visit www.mgm-constructeur.com

The MGM development of sunny south-facing apartments will be located at the heart of the resort which was conceived in 1959 and constructed in the sixties by Eric Boissonnas and Marcel Breuer in the Bauhaus style of modern architecture. . Externally, the architectural style of the new residence Christian Hauvette has designed for MGM is modern to comply with strict local regulations. Energy-saving features include solar panels on the roof and reinforced exterior insulation.

The apartments at Le Centaure range in size from 27 sq metre studios to 75 sq metre three-bedroom duplexes. They include apartments specially adapted for use by disabled occupants. These apartments have larger floor areas in all rooms, especially the bathrooms and lavatories which have handrails.
Residence facilities include a 25m x 10m indoor swimming pool – and a smaller children’s pool – with floor-to-ceiling glazing to give dramatic views of a nearby mountain waterfall. There will be a sauna, jacuzzi, steam and fitness rooms. A spa and beauty centre will have a variety of massages and body treatments on offer.

Off-plan prices of the properties at Le Centaure start at €159,000 for a studio, rising to €426,000 for a three-bedroom duplex apartment. The prices, which include parking, cellar storage and a ski locker, exclude VAT waived under the leaseback scheme.

Information: Call MGM’s UK office at Kingsland House, 122 - 124 Regent Street, London W1B 5SA, telephone 0207 4940706, email london@mgm-immobilier.fr or visit the website www.mgm-constructeur.com