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People are always asking me how I get around. I take the metro, bus or bike. It 's not possible sometimes to cycle if I am having to wear smart clothes and don't want to arrive "glowing".
The Metro is not so pleasant in the heat but the transport system in Paris is super efficient. Suffice to say, I know it like the back of my hand.
I know what they mean. Every month seems to bring a new "Immo special" and I have to admit, the headlines do seem a bit similar.........
I heard one of my clients asking her husband if the area we were talking about exploring was near the "rat shop". I knew at once excactly where she meant - a conversation ensued about the shop which wins the award for "Most Grisly Window Display" hands down.
I'm most impressed by the rats which are displayed in the window, labelled with the date and place of capture, still caught in their traps. "Genuine rat from Les Halles market, captured 1962" etc.
rue des Halles, just before Place Saint Opportune.
At the housewarming party in rue Nobel, 75018
Los Angeles based Fashion Editor, Laurie Pike engaged Bonapart to help buy her first Paris property in Lamarck Caulaincourt. Almost a year later, I asked the Montmartroise par l'adoption some questions about the experience.
How did you feel when you got the keys to your property?
Like a grown up.
What happened after renovation, furnishings, utilities?
Five Magnums of champagne at the crémaillère and Paris Blog party.
How do you manage your apartment?
Using a great manager who is based in Paris.
Who stays at the apartment?
Americans who already know the city and the language. True Francophiles who prefer Montmartre to the Marais.
How much do you charge and how do you market the apartment?
450 euros a week. The apartment is listed with Bonapart Consulting's portfolio Craigslist and word of mouth is also a factor.
Have you had any disasters/funny stories?
The first tenant on the first day got the key stuck in the lock and had to be rescued. Another tenant couldn't understand why the manager wouldn't drop watching the World Cup when France was winning to show her how the microwave works.
How often do you come to Paris?
Four times a year.
What advice would you give to others thinking about investing in Paris property?
It's all about having a great manager. Use Yves!
Your favourite.....:
Restaurant
Lena et Mimile, 32, rue de Tournefort 75005.
Boutique
La Reve, rue Francoeur 75018 - Designer clothing re-sale.
Secret Paris Place
Delicieux for the best view and a cheap lunch.
A French Vet will establish a health record booklet called a "livret International de santé" and update any shots necessary to French regulation. The good news is, France is NOT a quarantine country but you will need a current rabies vaccination dated within 5 days of your departure date. Also required is a health certificate from the departing country issued within 5 days of departure and both must be signed by a registered Vet. A pet's identification to be tattooed in it's ear.
Just remember to tuck your dog in a cute basket if you are travelling by Metro. Otherwise, they're interdit!
I'm waiting to hear about a building that's coming up for sale in a great area, near the Bourse (Paris Stock Exchange). I love it because it's central so has potential for tourism rental or longer terms stays for business people and is smack bang in the centre of Paris. There will be various apartments available but it depends on the decision of the current occupants - when a seller puts their property on the market, certain authorities have the right to purchase the property in priority. This is called the "Droit de Droit de préemption".
There are two rights of Droit de préemption - the right quoted by the Law of 31st December 1975 and the right granted by the Law of 6th July 1989. The Law of 1975 relates to "occupied" premises and gives the tenant a "lot de copropriété" a right of pre-emption when the landlord sells occupied premises for the first time following the division of the property into a condominium. The landlord sends a notification to the tenant who has one month within which to reply. Where he wishes to buy the property he has two months to complete the purchase or four months if the tenant requires a loan.
The Law of 1989 relates to unoccupied premises. The landlord who wants to sell his empty premises has to send a notification called "congé pour vendre" to the tenant six months before the end of the lease and the tenant has two months within which to reply. The same rules apply as those in the 1975 Law should the tenant wish to purchase.
The Laws of 1975 and 1989 provide security for the tenant if the Landlord sells the property without notifying the tenant or sells the property at a lower price. The tenant can within one month following completion take priority over the purchaser.
There is also the "Droit de préemption Urbain" (DPU). The Mairie's (Town Hall) office can exercise the right where the property or land is required for development purposes including public works, leisure facilities etc.
Sadly the Marais is not what it once was, a beautiful place to stroll and soak up the architecture, sophisticated boutiques and escape from crowded Beaubourg.
I've just about had it with people raving about this foodstuff and I hate fat falafeled pigeons that dive bomb outside the shops. 
I couldn't believe it when I was almost mown down by a over hormoned teenager roaring up and down the rue des Rosiers on the type of Quad bike I last saw my Uncle driving back home on the farm.
Plus the place is turning into a shopping mall. The worst I've seen is the new Lee store which has used the beautiful old facade of the building in a most heart rending manner to flog it's tawdry trousers.
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