There are two main types of taxes on French residential properties to be aware of : property taxes (taxe fonciére) and residential taxes (taxe d’habitation). Whether or not you reside in the property, the owner is required to pay the taxes each year, which are distributed to various community projects such as street cleaning, maintenance of school and other community facilities, and rubbish collection. The owner of the property is liable for the property taxes, while the residential taxes can be charged back to the occupier (renter.)

If you’re interested in buying or investing in French real estate, hiring a French mortgage broker will help you demystify how home finance works in France and save you time and money. Expert mortgage brokers have built and maintained strong relationships with numerous French mortgage lenders, so they can provide you with a comprehensive overview of which mortgage products are most suitable for your needs. A French bank will only present the products they are selling to you which may not be suitable. Further, most clients don’t have time or language skills needed to shop around 4 or 5 banks to get a clear picture of a competitive quote. Throughout the entire process of applying for, securing, and finalizing your mortgage option, your French mortgage broker will serve as the intermediary between you and the banks.

It’s possible to handle the entire mortgage application process on your own, but the primary reason that French mortgage brokers are hired is to reduce the time and effort needed to secure a French mortgage. Your mortgage broker will help you save significant amounts of time by providing you various mortgage quotes from different lenders, informing you of the missing documents that are needed to complete the application, and advising you on the pros and cons of each product.