Thank you for bringing up the sidewalk sharing, what's the deal? As someone who has studied group behaviors in large cities, specifically William Whyte's work, I understand how people behave in larger heavily populated places and adjust their movements to accomodate others, but France has me stumped on that one! Any insights would be appreciated.
I've got nothing except that I think that Dr. Seuss book about the north and south going Zax must have been inspired by the French! Here's two recent experiences of mine: I'm out walking dog, who is sniffing at the wall. He's on a leash and clearly choosing a spot to pee, we are barely moving. Woman walks towards us, I see her see the dog while she's 3 meters away. She walks right up to the dog and stops and waits for us to go around her. She wasn't angry or challenging or annoyed, but she wasn't going to alter course. WTF, lady? Second example: I'm out for a short run. I go up a street with a narrow sidewalk, I know there's a car coming up behind me so I can't jump into the street. Ahead three guys are walking shoulder to shoulder using the full width of the sidewalk, they see me, I see them. Normally, I'd expect one of them to fall back or rush forward and move to the side, after all there's three of them and one of me. They don't change position, at the last minute I have to look behind me to see if it's safe to step into the street, while doing so, I trip on the curb and fall in the street. These weren't obnoxious young ne'er-do-wells, they were just three middle aged guys. I'm not angry about any of this, but I really want to understand the mindset. Is it tied up in an idea of equality; we're all equal so why should I move for you? Are they just not in a hurry to get anywhere ever and so maybe they'll meet somebody if they literally bump into them? It's a country full of warm, kind, friendly people so I don't think there's anything hostile behind it but I can't explain it!
Love your balanced take on how countries are trying to manage housing. It’s certainly a complicated beast, as with most things it’s hugely personal as well (at least for the majority of us who don’t have large stock portfolios and multiple properties across the globe)!
This is such a complicated issue. I think I'll just deal with the high percentage of French people owning second homes, which is definitely an interesting topic. You mention 10% but I think I read long ago, in a statistic that is probably outdated, that 15% of French people owned or co-owned second homes! Many of them are indeed inherited, and there is a real desire to want to hang on to old family homes, perhaps especially country ones. But there was also a post-war trend to buy a vacation home of some sort, especially seaside or ocean side apartments or houses. We know a lot of retired people, some getting quite elderly, who made this sort of purchase at the time when holidays were long periods spent every summer at the same place. The idea was to pass them on to their children, but their children want to go to more exotic destinations than Cap d'Agde. I think there may eventually be a glut of this type of lodging.
Our French friends are 55 and over, middle to upper middle class, and virtually everyone owns or partially owns at least two homes of some sort. But as you say, selling these particular homes would not necessarily solve the housing crisis where it is hitting.
I have also heard anecdotally that the French don't mind the Brits and Americans buying homes here because foreigners want the dreamy chateau in the country and the young French generation has no interest in fixing them up.(I'm sure because the work is in the cities plus the price of renovating a home is substantial.) Allowing foreigners to buy them might actually save some of the old architecture.
Oh, definitely! There are plenty of empty houses needing fixing up that don't correspond to what most French people are looking for. One type could be the dreamy châteaux, as you mentioned. Another would be shared-wall houses in not-so-touristy villages -- tons of them are decrepit and have been empty for years. They often have no yard or even balcony, however, and can be pretty dark inside. I don't have much hope for the latter.
Love you both! Keep the torch lights burning!
I think that housing inequality much like income inequality is on the rise globally. You were lucky/smart to get ahead of the curve.
Lucky is the right word. I think trying to time the housing market is like trying to time any other kind of market - a bad bet.
Thank you for bringing up the sidewalk sharing, what's the deal? As someone who has studied group behaviors in large cities, specifically William Whyte's work, I understand how people behave in larger heavily populated places and adjust their movements to accomodate others, but France has me stumped on that one! Any insights would be appreciated.
I've got nothing except that I think that Dr. Seuss book about the north and south going Zax must have been inspired by the French! Here's two recent experiences of mine: I'm out walking dog, who is sniffing at the wall. He's on a leash and clearly choosing a spot to pee, we are barely moving. Woman walks towards us, I see her see the dog while she's 3 meters away. She walks right up to the dog and stops and waits for us to go around her. She wasn't angry or challenging or annoyed, but she wasn't going to alter course. WTF, lady? Second example: I'm out for a short run. I go up a street with a narrow sidewalk, I know there's a car coming up behind me so I can't jump into the street. Ahead three guys are walking shoulder to shoulder using the full width of the sidewalk, they see me, I see them. Normally, I'd expect one of them to fall back or rush forward and move to the side, after all there's three of them and one of me. They don't change position, at the last minute I have to look behind me to see if it's safe to step into the street, while doing so, I trip on the curb and fall in the street. These weren't obnoxious young ne'er-do-wells, they were just three middle aged guys. I'm not angry about any of this, but I really want to understand the mindset. Is it tied up in an idea of equality; we're all equal so why should I move for you? Are they just not in a hurry to get anywhere ever and so maybe they'll meet somebody if they literally bump into them? It's a country full of warm, kind, friendly people so I don't think there's anything hostile behind it but I can't explain it!
I've experienced the exact same thing. I'll post the question in one of my Expat forms and report back.
Love your balanced take on how countries are trying to manage housing. It’s certainly a complicated beast, as with most things it’s hugely personal as well (at least for the majority of us who don’t have large stock portfolios and multiple properties across the globe)!
This is such a complicated issue. I think I'll just deal with the high percentage of French people owning second homes, which is definitely an interesting topic. You mention 10% but I think I read long ago, in a statistic that is probably outdated, that 15% of French people owned or co-owned second homes! Many of them are indeed inherited, and there is a real desire to want to hang on to old family homes, perhaps especially country ones. But there was also a post-war trend to buy a vacation home of some sort, especially seaside or ocean side apartments or houses. We know a lot of retired people, some getting quite elderly, who made this sort of purchase at the time when holidays were long periods spent every summer at the same place. The idea was to pass them on to their children, but their children want to go to more exotic destinations than Cap d'Agde. I think there may eventually be a glut of this type of lodging.
Our French friends are 55 and over, middle to upper middle class, and virtually everyone owns or partially owns at least two homes of some sort. But as you say, selling these particular homes would not necessarily solve the housing crisis where it is hitting.
I have also heard anecdotally that the French don't mind the Brits and Americans buying homes here because foreigners want the dreamy chateau in the country and the young French generation has no interest in fixing them up.(I'm sure because the work is in the cities plus the price of renovating a home is substantial.) Allowing foreigners to buy them might actually save some of the old architecture.
Oh, definitely! There are plenty of empty houses needing fixing up that don't correspond to what most French people are looking for. One type could be the dreamy châteaux, as you mentioned. Another would be shared-wall houses in not-so-touristy villages -- tons of them are decrepit and have been empty for years. They often have no yard or even balcony, however, and can be pretty dark inside. I don't have much hope for the latter.