Combination of ‘le credit crunch’ and sterling’s slide causing nightmares for those trying to live the expat dream.

It has long been the stuff of dreams, of bestselling books and sometimes even of profit. The British love of France has led tens of thousands to cross the Channel in search of a better quality of life, a ruin to renovate, or simply to snap up a cheap second home.

But the expatriate community has become the latest casualty of recession, with a ruinous exchange rate biting into the rural idylls of the French countryside just as it has in the "Little England" retirement enclaves of Spain and Portugal. "Cheaper" France is vanishing as the pound slips closer to the rising euro, raising food, wine and energy costs, while devaluing the incomes of those getting wages or pensions from the UK.

"We’re all doomed," said Linda Norton, who lives near Cherbourg in Normandy. "If we can’t grow it, we won’t be eating it next year."

Expats are returning to Britain in their droves, selling houses or leaving them on an increasingly stagnant property or holiday rental market, while sales of homes to UK buyers are down by 50% in some areas.

More than 200,000 British passport holders are registered as resident in France, with more than 100,000 owning second homes and countless others unregistered. The most popular areas are Dordogne, Normandy and, since the Channel tunnel opened, Pas de Calais. There, just 80 minutes’ drive from Calais, surrounded by patchwork flat fields, is the village of Capelle-ls-Hesdin, population a little over 400. It has just three shops; the general store, the butcher’s and the local computer wizard.

Under an icy blue winter sky, the Roziers’ farm looks idyllic: picturesque orange tiled roofs, blue shutters and whitewashed walls. The farmhouse, stable block with tower, huge wood-framed barn and two neat gite apartments frame a vast gravelled courtyard. Chickens, ducks and friendly dogs wander.

Tara and Gary Rozier were a typical London career couple, respectively a nurse and a lawyer, living in a small flat and bringing home 4,000 a month, but "somehow I was still living on my overdraft", said Tara. Now they raise daughters Hannah, five, and Katie, three, in the countryside, running their gites and growing their own vegetables. Both have made huge efforts to learn the language and integrate into the village and, while they fear the numbers of British visitors might dry up, they are not going back.

"We know people who have had to sell up," said Gary, 39. "But if we wanted to sell who is going to pay what it’s worth except someone who was going to run a gite?" They hope that Brits who would normally go further afield will still brave the exchange rate to come to northern France. "It’s still half the price Devon or Cornwall," said Tara.

A few minutes down the road from the Roziers live Kate and Mark Graves with their daughters Royan, 13, and Ciara, 11. They came from Maidstone, Kent, looking for a better quality of family life and have restored an old house with two small self-catering apartments.

"We found it," said Kate smiling. But the exchange rate is hitting them hard because Mark, 39, a chartered surveyor, is one of an army of cross-Channel commuters. He mostly works from home, but travels weekly to his office outside London and is paid in sterling. "I’ve lost 20,000 just in salary this year," he said. To cut costs, the couple have stopped using their central heating and rely on a wood-burning stove for warmth and won’t be going back to the UK to visit family over Christmas.

"It’s a shame," said Kate, 37, "but we have to cut our cloth. The idea of cheap France has gone. We’re not going back like other people we know, though. Anyway, we probably couldn’t sell this house, so we’d be stuffed. There are so many English second homes up for sale."

One of the second-home owners of Capelle-ls-Hesdin, where ferry prices are discussed more intensely than house prices, is Jill Ribbons, 63. She bought her detached, modern house with her sister and spends around a third of the year there, the remainder at her home in Surrey. The retired immigration officer was philosophical about currency fluctuations. "The British expect things to be done for us, it’s that nanny state, we’ll be looked after and nothing bad can happen mentality, so everyone is so shocked when it does," she said.

"I feel you shouldn’t be here moaning about it. We came out here and bought their houses cheap, so to then start complaining is a bit crass. We took advantage. We had everything so smooth for so long."

It’s a sentiment Michael Gibson, 67, recognises. He has lived in France for 11 years. "The exchange rate is biting hard – people came to France because life here was cheaper. They could buy an old ruin with a bit of land, keep animals and grow vegetables. To earn a living, they could look after gite change-overs and maisons secondaires. It was a sort of self-perpetuating merry-go-round. That was then, this is now. The merry-go-round has become a vicious circle. Those of us reliant on pensions are economizing where we can. Fewer shopping trips, wine, newspapers."

George and Iris Belsham, a retired couple, are cutting out their daily English newspaper. They left their village near Canterbury for Capelle-ls-Hesdin when developers began building more houses and groups of teenagers began to hang around the local shop. "Here, the kids are behind doors at night," said Iris, a former PA.

"France was cheaper, quiet and friendly," said George, 76, a former lorry driver. They don’t speak much French, but live happily with their five cats, although they are cutting back on eating out. They know some drastic belt tightening may be ahead. Iris has stopped looking up the exchange rate each morning: "It’s too depressing," she said.

The French, too, are worrying that the British invasion is in retreat. Retired primary teacher Annie Lombardet came to Capelle-ls-Hesdin from Paris with husband, Andres, five years ago. The couple renovated a large 17th-century farmhouse and turned it into a gite

But there are no bookings after the new year. Lombardet said: "I’m not usually pessimistic, but it looks very bad. British people have always loved France and I think it is a pleasure to have them but we will see less, that’s for sure."

© Guardian News & Media 2008 Published: 12/20/2008

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Call for equal partnership in phone link to London fund-raising event attended by 200

Barack Obama has called for the "special relationship" between the US and Britain to be "recalibrated" to make it a fairer, more equal partnership, the Guardian has learned.

Senator Obama, who leads the race to be the Democratic candidate for the US presidency, made the remarks in a telephone address to a fundraising event attended by American expatriates in London.

He has long been seen by British officials as the most Anglophile of the three remaining presidential candidates, but these latest comments are his first public suggestion that the relationship is unequal and ripe for change.

"We have a chance to recalibrate the relationship and for the United Kingdom to work with America as a full partner," Obama told more than 200 American expatriates gathered at the Notting Hill home of Elisabeth Murdoch, the head of Shine television production company and daughter of the media tycoon Rupert Murdoch.

The event, which raised more than $400,000 for the Obama campaign, was intended to be confidential, but several guests have since confirmed the senator’s remarks. A foreign policy adviser to the Obama campaign said the remarks on the US-UK relationship reflected the senator’s general foreign policy approach.

"It’s no longer going to be that we are in the lead and everyone follows us. Full partners not only listen to each other, they also occasionally follow each other," the adviser said.

The general opinion among the Obama foreign policy team is that Tony Blair got very little in return for his support of the Iraq invasion, in terms of promoting his agenda for multilateral action on global issues and for a Washington-led push towards forging a settlement to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Prime minister Gordon Brown’s foreign policy team agrees with that assessment, arguing Blair put too much emphasis on Britain being a bridge between the US and Europe.

"The trouble with being a bridge is that people walk over you," one senior British official said recently. Brown has previously had close relations with the Clinton camp, but his first meeting with Obama, in Washington last month, was said by both sides to have gone very well.

The event in Notting Hill brought together some of the most prominent and wealthiest American expatriates in Britain, particularly from the arts and media, who were served miniature hot dogs and pecan pies before the telephone linkup with the candidate.

Co-hosting the event alongside Murdoch were Kay Saatchi, an art collector and former wife of Charles Saatchi, and Josh Berger, the head of Warner Bros in the UK and Ireland. Among the guests was David Schwimmer, the former Friends sitcom star. Gwyneth Paltrow was due to attend but opted instead to appear on a New York television talk show.

She sent a message that was read out at the event explaining that one of the main reasons she was supporting Obama was that he had a multiracial background, "a name like Barack Obama", and had lived outside the US. He therefore had "experience of other cultures" and was aware that the US could not operate as a lone global policeman, Paltrow said, according to guests at the event.

Obama drew on the same theme in his remarks, saying: "I was brought up by an expatriate [his mother and him lived in Indonesia when he was a boy] and I know what it’s like to look at the world differently."

"He has created an enormous amount of interest among Americans here, because he represents real change," said Berger. "I have not organized one of these events before, but I took it upon myself to get involved because I feel strongly about change and about Barack."

He said Obama had far more support among US expatriates in Britain than Hillary Clinton. "He is someone who is going to be much more mindful about the rest of the world – certainly more than the current administration, which is not hard."

© Guardian News & Media 2008 Published: 5/26/2008   WaPo Finds Expats Happy to Be American Again Since Obama’s … WaPo Finds Expats Happy to Be American Again Since Obama’s Election. Photo of Ken Shepherd. By Ken Shepherd (Bio | Archive) January 16, 2009 – 15:02 ET. Read more… Expat in Bulgaria – online community for expats and foreigners … Please join members of the Atlantic Club of Bulgaria and representatives of American businesses to celebrate Barack Obama’s historic inauguration and the 35th anniversary of the first F-16 flyover.   Read more…

 Mail this post]]> http://expatinfos.com/expats-chat-with-president-obama/feed 0 http://expatinfos.com/health-care-for-the-spanish-expats-community http://expatinfos.com/health-care-for-the-spanish-expats-community#comments Fri, 16 Jan 2009 21:25:00 +0000 whatever http://expatinfos.com/health-care-for-the-spanish-expats-community Health Care in Spain

The health care service in Spain is excellent for both Spanish nationals and ex-pats alike. Find out how you can be sure you can receive treatment if necessary whilst visiting Spain.

Health care in Spain is of a very high standard with good local health centres or Centros de Salud and here on the Costa del Sol we have an excellent central hospital, the "Costa del Sol", at Marbella. In addition to which there are of course many other hospitals both private and public but most ex-pats tend to gravitate towards the "Costa del Sol" and you hear very good reports of the treatment people have received there.

Certainly my own experiences through attending the A & E, or "Urgencias" when the children were little were very positive. On one occasion my son broke his foot and we were in and out within and hour having had the offending foot, x-rayed and plastered.

The staff there are kind and caring and there are translators on hand if your Spanish is limited. They have a very positive attitude to relatives and in fact are quite happy for one to be present at the hospital 24 hours a day.

When my other son of 15 was in with a broken leg he shared a room with a younger boy and they pushed the beds together so that the boys father could sleep there. A bit unorthodox by some standards perhaps but the Spanish are extremely family oriented and they made every effort to include my son in their visits.

Your E111, or European Health Card as it is now called, will suffice for many of your needs in relation to your health care in Spain and in fact both the incidents sited above were taken care of by my E111 even though the latter involved quite a complex operation with my son’s leg being pinned. Follow up treatment needs to be paid for however so private health insurance is advisable if you are living in Spain or travel insurance if you are just visiting. You can apply for this new card online here.

If you are living and working in Spain and therefore paying social security then you will be entitled to the same health care in Spain as Spanish nationals. If you are in receipt of a U.K. pension and intend to live in Spain then you need to get a form E121 and this should be taken to your nearest Instituto Nacional de Seguridad Social (INSS) office for registration. You will then be issued with a medical card which you must produce if you require treatment anywhere and you will then receive this free of charge.

Spanish chemists, or Farmacias, are a great part of health care in Spain and are a good port of call if your symptoms are not serious enough to worry your doctor or take you to the A&E department of the hospital. You will always receive good advice there and probably be recommended something for whatever ails you. If you are receiving prescription drugs at home then bring the packet with you and you will probably find that you will be able to buy your medicines over the counter without the need of a further prescription. I must say however that I think their rather free practice of dishing out antibiotics to anyone who asks is not really to be condoned.

In conclusion the level of health care in Spain for both residents and non-residents is of the highest standard and waiting lists are probably shorter than in the U.K. Accident and emergency treatment is provided free for anyone with a European Health card and the full medical services are available for pensioners who have registered with the appropriate authority and for anyone paying into the social security system.

Article submitted by Ruth Polak the owner of www.costadelsol-vacationrentals.com A web site specializing in holiday villas and apartments on the Costa del Sol and in Rural Andalucia. You will also find lots of information about Spain and Andalucia, in particular.

By Ruth Polak Published: 11/29/2006   Classics of British Comedy In our country Spain, we always emphasize on having a good diet and better health care system is also good. I would lik… – Spain guy on Healthcare battle: Canada vs USA. Read more… 4th Annual Healthcare Expansion Congress Middle East As announced in early 2009, expatriates new to the country must provide evidence of a health insurance registration before applying for a work or visit visa. Read more…

 Mail this post]]> http://expatinfos.com/health-care-for-the-spanish-expats-community/feed 0 http://expatinfos.com/expats-health-issues-in-spain http://expatinfos.com/expats-health-issues-in-spain#comments Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:35:00 +0000 whatever http://expatinfos.com/expats-health-issues-in-spain Retiring In Spain

More people are retiring to Spain from all over northern Europe than ever before, it has become the number one destination for pensioners looking to spend their retirement years abroad. Find out how to avoid the pitfalls and make it a worthwhile and positive experience.

Every year many people from all over Northern Europe, but predominately Britain, consider retiring to Spain. The reasons for this are varied as are the experiences of those who take the plunge and decide to spend their retirement years in Spain. Here we take an objective look at the pros and cons in the hope to make your move and life here as smooth and as satisfying as possible.

The first reason for retiring to Spain probably has a lot to do with the weather. After suffering a cold winter in northern Europe many people look toward warmer climes. Not only is it a lot more pleasant but as we grow older our bodies certainly benefit from the higher temperatures as do our pockets with the lower fuel bills. Many people report that their arthritis and other aches and pains are much improved by their life in the sun.

The cost of living is another important consideration as, although prices in Spain have undoubtedly risen in the last few years, so they have in the U.K and generally speaking ones pension does go further in Spain. Although the winters can be cold and wet they are never as cold as northern Europe so less is spent on fuel. If you are already in receipt of your winter fuel allowance before you leave the U.K. then this can still be claimed from Spain although you will probably find yourself keeping it to help pay the cost of your air conditioning in the summer! Additionally the cost of running a car in Spain is a lot less than in the U.K. so that is another added bonus.

Whilst property prices have rocketed on the Costa del Sol it is still possible to sell your U.K. home, buy somewhere very acceptable in Spain and pocket a sizeable chunk to help cushion your retirement years which is an obvious incentive to anyone contemplating retiring to Spain. Areas of inland Spain are still very reasonably priced and the Costa de Luz is emerging as a good alternative to the Costa del Sol. Property prices there are still affordable but planned development looks as though they may well be set to rise thus making it a good area to invest in at the moment The other reason many people have for retiring to Spain is something less easy to define but none the less important, it is the "quality of life." This may mean different things to different people but even so those who have moved to Spain generally agree that there is an all important something here which has made life better for them. Perhaps it is the more relaxed attitude to life, along with plenty of sunshine and longer daylight hours. Certainly the pace of life is slower here and on the whole less stressful than "back home."

So having decided you are retiring to Spain, what is the next step?

The most important is decide which part of Spain you wish to move to. It is a large and varied country with something to offer everyone. Do you want to live in a typical Spanish community, a small pueblo somewhere or perhaps buy a Finca with plenty of space and peace and quiet, or like the majority of ex-pats would you prefer to gravitate towards the more popular Costas with the peace of mind that you will be surrounded by like minded people?

The Internet gives you the unprecedented opportunity to research areas of interest without having to leave home but once you have decided on the area for you then the foot slogging begins. Try to visit your area of choice at different times of the year and any properties you wish to view at different times of the day, to see where the sun falls etc. In the winter it can get quite cold even on the coast and you don’t want to buy somewhere that sees no sun at that time of the year or alternatively that has no shade in the summer.

Also take into account the surrounding area and neighbors. The Spanish, as lovely as they are, are a noisy, gregarious nation with little understanding of the northern European’s need for privacy and peace. You will not change this attitude, nor do we have a right to try, so if you don’t like it then don’t buy an apartment in a basically Spanish enclave but look for somewhere where you will be surrounded by like minded people. If you are visiting out of season then try to find out what the area is like in July and August as you may not wish to cope with an explosion of tourists.

Take into account the number a visitors you are likely to have and be sure to buy somewhere with sufficient space, it is surprising how many friends you suddenly have when you retire to Spain! You will also of course want your family to visit, in fact the tug of those you have left behind you can be very strong and something you need to think seriously about before taking the final step.

The financial implications of retiring to Spain are also something that need serious consideration. First and foremost you will be able to have your pension paid into a Spanish bank account and by law no commissions are chargeable on such income. The Department for Overseas Pensions in Newcastle will be able to advise you on the procedure. Be aware that the inheritance tax, capital gains and other tax differences are very, very, different from the UK so it is advisable to get good legal and financial advice on these matters and to make out a will. Inheritance tax in particular can be a very thorny issue as in Spain it has to be paid on the death of the first partner and the jointly owned property can not be sold until this has been paid!

In addition be sure to get proper legal advice when purchasing your property. A good legal advisor is worth his weight in gold and may save you a lot of money in the long run. The best way to find a reliable person is by recommendation as unfortunately there are a lot of unscrupulous people only to happy to part a "fool and his money."

The health care system in Spain is generally very good and of course as a U.K. pensioner you have full entitlement to all it offers. You will need to get a form E 121 before leaving the U.K. which you then take to your nearest Instituto Nacional de Seguridad Social (INSS) office for registration. You will then be issued with a medical card which you must produce if you require treatment anywhere and this you will then receive free of charge.

Also bear in mind that after quite a short absence from the UK, National Health services will not be available to a returning or holidaying expat and the European Health card (E111 as was) must be obtained for visits to the UK.

On reflection then retiring to Spain can be a very positive move. Coming as it does at a period in your life when it would be all too easy to sit back and vegetate the pleasure and excitement from all the new experiences can have a very positive effect if well planned and executed.

Try your best to learn some Spanish not only is the mental stimulation good for the old grey matter but it will make your life in Spain more enjoyable and rewarding. The Spanish are basically very tolerant of all the foreigners that regularly and often permanently invade their shores but they do appreciate you making some effort to speak their lingo, it is only polite really.

Remember you are retiring to Spain, it is not Bournemouth with the sunshine! The Spanish culture and attitude to life is different to ours so accept that and don’t make your life miserable by trying to change it. So often you hear the lament, "it wouldn’t be allowed in England" well just accept the fact that you are not in England and people do things differently in different countries. After all it is your decision to retire to Spain so relax and enjoy it.

About the author:
Ruth Polak is the owner of www.costadelsol-vacationrentals.com, a web site specializing in holiday villas and apartments on the Costa del Sol and in Rural Andalucia. You will also find lots of information about Spain and Andalucia, in particular.

By Ruth Polak Published: 1/10/2007   Expat Living – The Credit Crunch In Spain | AlmerimarLife A blog about living and working in Almerimar Spain. All about expats, learning spanish, travel, jobs, vacations, food, lifestyle, property and finance.   Read more…

 Mail this post]]> http://expatinfos.com/expats-health-issues-in-spain/feed 0 http://expatinfos.com/its-not-just-you-but-your-partner-too http://expatinfos.com/its-not-just-you-but-your-partner-too#comments Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:55:00 +0000 whatever http://expatinfos.com/?p=12 Expat Spouses – Overcoming The Challenges That Face Them

When a spouse is assigned an overseas assignment, the partner is faced with many obstacles that are often ignored. Unfortunately at this time not too many companies offer their support to the spouse.

According to research done by Val Boyko into ‘global solutions for international assignments’ at the Families in Global Transition conference in 2004, she found that the partner’s biggest challenges are that they feel:

* Unrecognized.
* Unsupported.
* Let down because of inaccurate or irrelevant information.
* Isolated.

Maybe you or a friend is experiencing life as an expat partner where you thought you would be able to work, but have found out that it was is a near impossibility; or that you have assumed that internet access would be easily available to maintain contact with friends and family only to discover that it takes months to get connected; or you are a newcomer without an expat community around you AND you can’t speak the language.

This happens all the time to expat spouses.

So what is the solution?
Tips for the expat spouse

1. Team Work:

Try and get everyone to work together to understand and accept your needs as a spouse. Speak to whoever is in charge of the expat assignment, build up a relationship with him or her before you move and become as informed as you can. Encourage them to give you honest and accurate expectations so that you can make the best choices for yourself and for your family.

2. Your role:

Find out about the issues that generally face expat spouses. Make yourself aware of the challenges you will meet. Take up the responsibility and to make it your business to know. Do not rely on others to provide you give you what you may need.

3. Support:

Make contact with existing expats in the country you are about to move to through groups, message boards, and online forums. Set up a relationship and support system for yourself even before you land at the airport. Begin to explore possibilities before you head out on your new adventure.

4. Education:

Educate yourself – there really is so much information on the web. Don’t assume that the experience will be similar to your impressions. It often is not! So be curious and pro-active. Do not be afraid to ask for help. Let others know what you need. People want to help and it could be your very lifesaver in a time of need.

And finally…you may want consider hiring your own coach to give a speedy start to your overseas success!

Quote of the week

"Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more successful." Mark Victor Hansen.
Powerful question of the week

"What would you like to happen now, this week, next year.?"

Write it down, be specific and make an action plan to make it happen.

Expat lifecoach
As an Expat Life Coach, my purpose is to support expatriate assignees, their spouses and families in developing tools that will help make the expat experience work for them. If you are skeptical or curious about how the coaching process works, feel free to take up my offer of a COMPLIMENTARY coaching session. After the session, you can take whatever tools you developed to support yourself along your expat journey. Please email me to set up your FREE session.

By: Kimbles

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Kimbles is the resident writer at Xpatpals.com. An expatriate advice resource for expats living all over the world.

Five good reasons to move to France — French Life-expat France

They will soon get bored of filming expat-refugees from France staggering in threadbare clothes from the cross-channel ferries in a state of semi-starvation, and will be looking for new ideas. Read more…