Knowledge and Resources

Can I Arrange a Mortgage If I Am Retiring to France? Short answer: yes. Retiring to France doesn’t preclude you from accessing mortgage finance — in fact, French lenders regularly approve loans for retirees, both before and after relocation. The key lies in understanding how banks assess income sustainability, age thresholds, and legal residency. Encouragingly,…

Financing Rural French Property as a Non‑Resident For international buyers, the dream of a farmhouse in the Dordogne or a retreat in the Creuse is often met with a harsh financial reality: the French mortgage market, while robust, becomes significantly more restrictive the further one moves from major urban centers. While non-residents can easily find…

For international buyers and non-residents, the French property market is a top-tier destination for both lifestyle and investment. One of the most common questions we receive is whether it is possible to co-borrow with a family member—such as a spouse, adult child, or sibling—to facilitate the purchase. The answer is yes, but with a significant…

For non-resident buyers, it is not only possible to finance renovation and remodelling works with a French mortgage, it is often a core part of how banks structure higher-end transactions. However, it is important to recognize that securing this type of financing can be challenging. Not all French banks accept the additional risk of financing…

For high-net-worth investors, pledging a US brokerage portfolio to borrow in euros for a French property is sometimes possible, but it is not a standard retail-bank solution. It typically requires private banking relationships, careful structuring, and a clear strategy for managing currency and market risks. To assess feasibility, you need to separate three questions: Will…

For many senior homeowners in France, their property is their most significant asset. The Prêt Viager Hypothécaire (PVH)—often referred to as a Lifetime Mortgage or Reverse Mortgage—is a sophisticated financial tool designed to transform that “frozen” home equity into liquid capital, without requiring you to sell your home or move. However, this is a bespoke…