Latest Ski Property Releases

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

Success of New Ski Properties in Le Grand Bornand Prompts More of the Same

14th February 2012

The success of the French Alpine ski apartments which form part of a new four-star leaseback development in Le Grand Bornard’s family-friendly ski resort of Le Chinaillon has prompted the developer to build another one in the village.
With all but two of the 180 apartments sold within the 12 traditionally-styled chalets completed in December in Le Village de Lessy – the earlier résidence de tourisme built by MGM French Properties – the firm has announced plans for a further 120 apartments in a new mountain-side résidence, Le Roc des Tours.

This computer-generated image shows how MGM’s new résidence de tourisme, Le Roc des Tours in Le Grand Bornard’s family-friendly ski resort of Le Chinaillon, will look when it is completed next year.

“Construction work on the south-facing apartments overlooking the ski slopes is due to start later this year and the first phase of 55 properties will be ready for occupation before the end of next year,” says Richard Deans who heads MGM’s UK sales office in London’s Regent Street.
Located an altitude of 1,300 metres in the Les Aravis ski area, midway between Mont Blanc and Lake Annecy, Le Chinaillon is five minutes away by car or local bus from the Savoyard market town of Le Grand Bornand. Geneva Airport is less than an hour away by road.
Le Chinaillon is said to be one of the most family-friendly ski resorts in the region. It has year-round popularity, with skiing and snowboarding giving way to walking and golf in the summer months, as well as sailing and water sports on Lake Annecy.
“The news for skiers is that if talks between rival mountain villages finally come to fruition, Chinaillon’s 90 kilometres of tree-lined ski runs could be linked with the 130 kilometres of nearby La Clusaz and Saint Jean de Sixt,” reports Richard.

Unusually for an MGM résidence, a bar and restaurant will be incorporated within the new development. Other facilities will include a sauna, jacuzzi, steam and fitness rooms. An ÔdesCimes spa and beauty centre will have a variety of massages and body treatments on offer.

Off-plan prices of the new apartments at Le Roc des Tours range from €217,000 for a one-bedroom property with a floor area of 37 sq m to €435,000 for three-bedroom home of 75 sq m. Prices exclude French VAT at 19.6 per cent which is waived under the leaseback scheme.
MGM offers investors a variety of leaseback options. Typically a two-bedroom leaseback apartment comes with a guaranteed gross annual rental income of around €5,500 as well as three, four or six weeks of personal use of the property. MGM’s flexible approach means that dates can be arranged to meet the requirements of clients.

For more information about the properties available from MGM at Le Roc des Tours, Le Village de Lessy and elsewhere in the French Alps, contact the company’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.mgmfrenchproperties.com

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.mgmfrenchproperties.com

MGM introduces Britons to another little-known ski resort in France - Villard de Lans

21st March 2011

Leading French Alpine developer MGM is expanding it activities into new areas of the mountains this year as it starts construction work on a record 11 new ski resort schemes. Many of them – like the recently announced new residence de tourisme La Grange aux Fées in Valmorel, a ski resort within the Grand Domaine area of the French Alps linking the Tarentaise with the Maurienne – are little-known to Britons although French people regard then as popular year-round holiday locations.

This month MGM took the wraps off a new development in the centre of Villard de Lans, a traditional and lively agricultural town in the heart of the Vercors mountains just 30 minutes drive from Grenoble Airport. “The spectacular scenery and breathtaking views make this a very special place,” says Richard Deans, sales consultant in the company’s London office (+44 (0)207 4940706). “It’s one reason why Villard is popular for a host of outdoor activities ranging from hot air ballooning and mountain biking to golf, paragliding and tennis.”

In winter Villard attracts skiers of all abilities, from beginners to advanced. The resort boasts 28 ski lifts providing direct access 130km of downhill skiing on 32 individual pistes from altitudes up to 2,170m where snow levels are reliable. All this will be on the doorstep for those who opt for one of the 92 apartments MGM plans to have ready for occupation by the end of next year.

Computer-generated image showing how MGM’s planned new residence de tourisme, La Perle d’Ourèa in Villard de Lans, will look when it is completed.

Unusually the company is offering buyers a choice of 23 one- to four-bedroom apartments for outright purchase, giving owners unlimited year-round use, alongside 69 leaseback apartments in a new residence de tourisme, La Perle d’Ourèa. The prices of the apartments available for outright purchase range from €210,000 for a one-bedroom apartment to €353,000 for a four-bedroom duplex property.
Those opting for a leaseback apartment benefit from a discounted price. Typically the price payable for a one-bedroom apartment of 35 sq m listed at €215,000 is reduced to €180,000 because French VAT at 19.6 per cent is waived under the leaseback scheme.
Owners at La Perle d’Ourèa can occupy their properties for eight weeks every year – split between four weeks in the ski season and four in the summer – while receiving a guaranteed income throughout the 11-year term of the leaseback arrangement.
They also have use of all the four-star facilities within the residence, 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. The prices include underground parking and cellar storage as well as use of locker rooms, a laundry and drying rooms.

All the properties are being offered for sale off-plan by MGM’s London office, telephone 0207 4940706, email london@mgm-immobilier.fr or visit www.mgmfrenchproperties.com

MGM’S Plans for new ski properties boost this season's anniversary celebrations in La Rosière

2nd March 2011

While this season’s skiers in the French Alpine resort of La Rosière celebrate its first half century with torchlight processions and games on the slopes, as well as festive mulled wine and hot chocolate at its 50th Anniversary Ice Bar, the region’s leading developer MGM has marked the occasion by announcing plans to build new ski properties for sale in the centre of the Haute-Tarentaise village.

Occupying the site of the former ’sixties-built Roc Noir Hotel, the new Lodge Hemera residence de tourisme will comprise 29 apartments for sale just 250 metres from the nursery slopes. Also planned are seven hotel suites in an adjacent building.
Sporting traditional external finishes of timber, render and natural stone, the leaseback apartments are available to buy off-plan now. They are priced at €238,294 for a one-bedroom property rising to €468,227 for a three-bedroom home. These prices, which exclude French VAT of 19.6%, waived under the leaseback scheme, include underground parking and cellar storage as well as use of locker rooms, a laundry and drying rooms.

This computer-generated image shows how Lodge Hemera, the new MGM residence de tourisme in La Rosière, will look when it is completed at the end of next year.

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 more details call MGM on 0207 4940706, email london@mgm-immobilier.fr or visit the websitewww.mgmfrenchproperties.com

New family-friendly eco-village is the first and biggest of its type in the French Alps

21st February 2011

Plans for a major new ski property development within the first and biggest eco-village of its type in the French Alps are announced by the region’s leading developer, MGM.
Kalinda Village – comprising a brand new residence de tourisme of 250 ski-in, ski-out apartments for sale on a leaseback basis and an adjacent 28-bedroom hotel – is described as a ‘state-of-the-art example of sustainable development.’ It forms part of the €150 million transformation of the old village of Tignes les Boisses into a modern ski centre re-named Tignes 1800.
When it opens for business at the end of 2014, Tignes 1800 will, in effect, be a new ‘gateway’ to all the established areas of the wider Tignes ski resort. Val d’Isère will be just five minutes away by road.

An aerial view of the site to be developed to create the new eco-village and ski centre of Tignes 1800, and the nearby Lac du Chevril.

The new eco-village was planned in response to the need for new accommodation for 1,500 skiers in one of the most popular skiing areas in Europe while responding to the challenge of building a sustainable development. This included a strong desire to heat the properties in a cost-effective way which conserves fossil fuels and has low carbon emissions, despite being located in one of the coldest places in Europe. Winter temperatures typically are around minus 20°C.
Each apartment will have exceptionally high levels of insulation with low-cost under-floor heating being supplied by an innovative new plant – the first of its type in the French Alps – run on wood waste pellets fuelling a 4,000 kilowatt boiler supplying heat to all the buildings in Tignes 1800.

The family-orientated pedestrianised village of Tignes 1800 will include a tourist information centre, ten shops and a ski school. There will be a choice of bars and restaurants with frontages both on the village square and the piste. A conference centre will be located within the new hotel. Four-star facilities within the residence will 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.

A computer-generated view showing how Kalinda Village at Tignes 1800 will look when completed. For details of the properties available to buy off-plan call 0207 4940706 or visit www.mgm-constructeur.com

MGM’s apartments are expected to have special appeal for British families who can start buying the properties off-plan now. Prices, which exclude French VAT at 19.6 per cent, waived under the leaseback scheme, start at €205,000 for a one-bedroom apartment with a floor area of 37.5 sq m rising to €822,000 for a five-bedroom property with a floor area of 158 sq m. Construction of the residence will start in the spring this year and 78 apartments in the first phase will be ready for occupation at the end of next year.

For more details call MGM on 0207 4940706, email london@mgm-immobilier.fr or visit the website www.mgmfrenchproperties.com

2011 is the year of change for a little-known ski resort in the French Alps

9th February 2011

Valmorel, a ski resort within the Grand Domaine area of the French Alps linking the Tarentaise with the Maurienne, is little-known to Britons but that is set to change this year as the London office of developer MGM starts encouraging Britons to buy some of the 86 apartments the company will start building there in the spring.

This computer-generated image shows how MGM’s new residence de tourisme
– La Grange aux Fées in Valmorel – will look when it is completed at the end of next year.

They will form part of a new residence de tourisme – La Grange aux Fées – located close to the centre of the village and occupying an elevated position with panoramic valley and mountain views. The new ski-in, ski-out residence alongside the chairlift will have easy access to the resort’s is 150 km of pistes.

Valmorel, a two-hour drive from Geneva Airport at a ‘snow sure’ altitude of 1,400 metres, is reached by a scenic drive up through picturesque ancient villages and old orchards. The family-friendly pedestrianised resort, popular for holidays all year round, was built in the 1970s in the stone and timber style of a traditional Tyrolean village.

MGM’s leaseback apartments range in size from 25 sq m studios to 100 sq m four-bedroom duplexes. They are available now to buy off-plan.
Prices start at €213,000 for a one-bedroom apartment rising to €518,000 for a four-bedroom, three-bathroom property. Two-bedroom apartments (51 sq m) are €288,000 and three-bedroom properties (63 sq m) are €360,000. These prices exclude French VAT at 19.6 per cent which is waived under the leaseback scheme.

Included in the price is underground parking and cellar storage as well as use of locker rooms, a laundry and drying rooms. Four-star facilities within the residence will 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.

Construction work on the new residence in Valmorel will start as soon as the current ski season has ended. The apartments will be ready for occupation in December next year.

For more details call MGM on 0207 4940706, email london@mgm-immobilier.fr or visit the website www.mgmfrenchproperties.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.mgmfrenchproperties.com

New Ski Homes in Les Arcs are in 'The Most Beautiful Area in the French Alps'

22nd November 2010

The finishing touches are being put to new ski-in, ski-out homes in Les Arcs, said to be the “most beautiful and sought after area in the French Alps.”

Pictured are earlier phases of the MGM development at Arcs 1800 where construction work is almost complete on the final phase of 40 ski-in, ski-out homes at L’Iseran. Photo:MGM

Built by the French lakes and mountains property specialist MGM, the scheme – on schedule for completion in December – comprises the third and final phase of the company’s development Les Alpages de Chantel, 300 metres from the centre of Arcs 1800 where more than 50 properties have been bought by UK buyers.
Named L’Iseran, the latest traditionally-styled chalet clad externally in timber and stone contains 40 spacious apartments ranging in size from studio flats to five-bedroom apartments. Most have panoramic views of the mountains.

This computer-generated image shows how the final phase of MGM’s development at Arcs 1800 will look when completed. Photo:MGM

Available for outright purchase, the apartments have fitted kitchens and bathrooms, pine internal finishes and tiled and parquet floors. Each home comes with cellar storage, a ski locker and underground parking. Regulation standards for acoustic and thermal insulation have been exceeded.
A very unusual feature for a development with ski properties available for outright purchase is the inclusion of an indoor swimming pool for use by owners.

All but six of the ski-in, ski-out apartments at L’Iseran have been sold. Those remaining are available at prices starting at €323,000 for a two-bedroom property rising to €464,000 for a three-bedroom apartment.

Facilities in Arcs 1800, the biggest and sunniest west-facing resort area in Les Arcs, include shops, a cinema and an ice rink. Shuttle buses provide a link with other parts of the resort. In summer an 18-hole golf course and opportunities for hiking and biking are among attractions.
The ski resort at Les Arcs, which opened 42 years ago, today forms part of the Paradiski skiing area with 420 km of pistes. Two years ago they become accessible from Les Arcs with the re-opening of the Vanoise Express, the double-decker 200-passenger cable car linking Les Arcs with La Plagne.

Just 200 metres below L’Iseran is Arcs 1600 with its seven-minute funicular railway link to Bourg St Maurice, the destination of trains from St Pancras during the ski season.
For property owners flying to France, the airport nearest to L’Iseran is Chambery, one hour and 45 minutes by road. The airports at Lyon, Grenoble and Geneva are all a two hour and 45 minute drive.
MGM has welcomed the news from British Airways City Flyer that new ski season flights from London City Airport to Chambery will operate from December 18 until the end of March.

Says Richard Deans of MGM’s UK sales office in London’s Regent Street: “For City workers the new service brings the ski slopes of the French Alps within easy reach for a weekend trip. It also makes inspection trips easy for those wanting to take a look at the property investment opportunities available in the region where the market growth we are seeing now will gain momentum as the start of the ski season gets closer. Property prices in the French Alps already are back at the pre-credit crunch levels of 2007 and current demand makes further rises inevitable.”

For full details of the properties available from MGM, call 0207 4940706, email london@mgm-immobilier.fr or visit the website www.mgmfrenchproperties.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.mgmfrenchproperties.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.mgmfrenchproperties.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.mgmfrenchproperties.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 websitewww.mgmfrenchproperties.com