Introduction
There are 22 different regions in France. Each region has its own culture, history and local culinary specialty, so there is bound to be one that fits in with your requirements. Also, the climate varies a lot in France - from mountain to coastal climates - so take time to choose one that suits you. Once you have narrowed down your choice to one region, it is strongly recommended that you rent a house first before you leap in and buy a property. That way, you will get to know the area intimately and pick the perfect location for you and your family.

Locations to buy in France
France is broken down into many regions and has a variable lifestyle. France occupies a large area and ahs many appealing districts. Brittany in the North, French Riviera in the South, Paris for cosmopolitan enthusiast and, of course the French Alps ski resorts such as the fashionable Courcheval, which can also be quite lovely in the summer.

Mortgage
You can obtain a mortgage (hypothèque) from all major French banks or from a bank in your own country.
The lender will need to check your financial position and so will look into your employment, tax, income and residence status. It is useful to have the following documents readily available when applying for a French mortgage: passport, birth certificate, last three months' credit card and personal bank statements, and proof of deposit (ie, savings account statement). If your application is well supported with documentary evidence, it is easier for the bank to process quickly.

French mortgages are usually shorter than those in the UK, and a 10- to 15-year mortgage is common. The repayments are thus higher than those on a 30-year mortgage. As a rule of thumb, you cannot spend more than 30% of your income on repayment of mortgages or other loans in France, and you may find it difficult to borrow much more than this.

In France mortgages are repayment only so you pay off equal amounts of capital and interest each month. Fixed interest rates are the most common, but variable and combination interest rates are available. When you take out a French mortgage you are obliged to get a life insurance policy. A full survey is not usually needed as an appraisal of the market value of the property is sufficient to determine the mortgage offer.

It is possible to apply for a mortgage before you have found the property you wish to buy, thus ascertaining how much you will be able to borrow before you begin your search.

All contracts for the property should state whether the purchase is subject to a mortgage offer (this is not possible if you buy at auction, where your bid is binding). If your first application fails, you have to seek a second mortgage application from another lender. If you are unsuccessful you can avoid the contract and get the deposit back, which is called la loi scrivener.

Mortgage offers are always given in writing, with an 11-day cooling off period. You have 30 days to accept the offer and the purchase must be completed within four months of accepting.

Property Prices in France Guide
Range Varies, for example:
From £20,000 / €30,000 for rural properties in need of renovation
From £40,000 / €60,000 for apartments/studios
From £80,000 / €118,000 for suburban homes
From £80,000 / €118,000 for Ski apartments and chalets over £100,000 / €148,000.
From £150,000/€220,000 for South of France properties

Cost of Living in France
The standard of living in France is high, with good salaries. The cost of living in Paris is considerably higher, with premium property prices. Therefore, one would require a larger income if one were to live in the French capital. On average, the cost of living in France is lower than the EU average, particularly in the rural areas. Although the general standards of living are quite high in France in areas heavily populated like Paris, Cote d'Azur, Riviera etc. Areas within rural communities tend to be a little cheaper to live in and as such are becoming quite popular with overseas buyers.

Buying property in France
Once an agreement on price is reached by both buyer and seller, a solicitor or notary will draw up a legally binding contract which both parties would sign.
Normally a 10% deposit would be paid at this point (which would be held in a secure account until the completion). The property would be withdrawn from the market and the legal system would commence its checks etc. At this stage if you were to back out of the contract you would lose your deposit.

Normally the final contract would be signed by both parties at the Notary’s office and at this stage the deeds would pass to the buyer and the land registry updated. The balance of the purchase price would be paid to the Notary who will then pay the vendor. You will need to provide the Notary with a copy of your birth certificate translated into French and, if applicable, a copy of a Marriage Certificate, also translated.

Solicitor / Lawyer
A lawyer is recommended to protect your interest and conveyance the property title when buying real estate in France. We recommend that you enlist the services of a Lawyer or Solicitor in the purchase of your French Property, preferably one who speaks English. This will help to protect your interests in the purchasing procedure. This will be in addition to needing a Notary who is mandatory for property purchases

Fees
Expect to pay around 10-15% over the selling price;
The Notary fee around 3%, transfer tax 7.5% (less than 1% for new properties) and registration fees around another 6%.
The vendor should pay the Real Estate Agents fees. CHECK!

Property Tax in France
Property taxes are levied on property plus residential tax for living as a owner occupier or as a tenant (renting or not). Both are calculated on the average property rental values.

Snippets:
The TGV trains (trains à grande vitesse) run to Strasbourg, the south and west coasts, and whisk you to Paris in under three hours. The normal train services are also very good, which puts Normandy at only three hours away from the capital. There are usually cheap flights to Paris from many local airports
Property prices are much more stable compared to the English property market, with prices really only rising in line with inflation and not adding much value to the property in real terms.
Somewhere to spend your holidays or somewhere to retire when the time comes.
There are more taxes for a start, including income, wealth, property, capital gains, and residential taxes.
Late payment of taxes incurs a charge of around 10%, so make sure you pay your dues on time!
52 weeks of commercial rent, you will have to declare and pay income tax on the rental income (revenu foncier) even if you live abroad. Property tax covers your contributions to local services like rubbish removal and street lighting and varies greatly depending on the region: oddly enough, the Paris area has some of the lowest rates in the country. You pay wealth tax if your annual income exceeds €720,000. Residential tax applies to properties with a rental value over €4,600 on 1st January. Even if you rent or sell the property from 2nd January onwards, you have to pay the full year, not the new tenant or owner. Capital gains tax (CGT) is rather more complicated: suffice to say that the sale of second residences incurs CGT and the EU tax authorities are working together to track anyone who tries to dodge paying it!
Crédit Agricole has a 25% share of the French mortgage market. If you would like the information and documentation relating to the mortgage to be written in English, try Abbey National, Barclays, Banque Woolich or Banque Populaire, who all provide an English service, and Crédit Agricole has a dedicated service for English-speaking clients based in Calvados called BritLine.
Property prices in France continue to rise at a remarkable rate, and improved (and cheaper) travel facilities are opening up previously neglected areas.