My husband and I bought our first house in France in September 1998, a “to-die-for”, romantic, centuries-old farmhouse on the Lot/Dordogne border.All of the magic of France, the glory of its rolling countryside, the streaming sunlight which filled our country kitchen at La Bruyere, came to fruition because we followed our intuitions and allowed the wind to fill out our sails.
But, this was not without a plan and a good deal of old-fashioned elbow grease. When we arrived back in Portland, Oregon, a video our Dordogne house in hand, we set about convincing like-minded friends and Francophiles that it would be a marvelous plan to cooperatively own the house, each have 6 weeks of use, and to share the on-going expenses.
La Bruyere LLC ("the heather") 1998
Manzanillo Mexico 2009
Our vison is to offer affordable elegant second homes to enjoy in your retirement
(with none of the year-round headaches and expenses). Indeed, finding a new
"place in the sun in Mexico”
brings a sunny smile to my face. Any of you living in the snowy white winters
of Chicago, Ontario or Rochester,
NY may well agree with me!
What's more
fantastic is that by adding Casa Manzanillo and a shared home in Italy, International
Property Share owners will now be able to trade time between France, Italy, and
Mexico.
What is it that we do? We research and buy wonderful unique old properties
all over the world in order to provide a home base for people who love the
idea of their own property but prefer to share the on-going expenses
among 8 or more members. My experience in searching for homes which
"sing" to me, is that they are very hard to find. When I do discover
one, I jump! It is a leap of faith which is sure to delight and enrich
you... we've been there!
Casa Manzanillo, Mexico
About Ginny Blackwell-
I’ve had a love affair with travelling ever since I flew the coop at age 20 and spent a year in Paris studying at the Sorbonne. Over the course of the next ten years we managed to hike, bike or travel through Europe, Canada, Latin America and our beautiful USA. In 1981, I finished a Masters in International Business from AGSIM in Phoenix, Arizona.
The things I love about France, my first home away from home, are numerous, but high on my list is the manner of living slowly. It’s more about relationships than about than getting the job done. I love the poppies in May, the 2CV citroens, the way the French language connects me deeply to its history and people.
When I’m not at one of my home shares in the Dordogne,the Languedoc or Mexico, I live with my husband Dale and our 3 sons in an historic house in Canandaigua New York, quite a change from our farm in Oregon! We loved the idea of walking places vs the minivan circuit and we are spoiled by having family in town and the lovely Finger Lakes around us.
As Dale says, "We are a plane ride away from adventure!". See you there...
How is this different from a time share? It is
completely different. You own your percentage of the property outright
and can easily sell or donate your time to another as well as
participate in the appreciation of the property. You typically have the
use of 6 or more weeks per year. With a time share you are restricted
to specific dates which you can use within certain locations in a fixed
number of years.
Our job is to find the ideal property at an affordable price, handle the multiple requirements for foreign ownership, and provide you with a turn-key property to use and to enjoy.
It's easy to find out more! For further information, contact:
Ginny Blackwell- 36 Howell St., Canandaigua, NY 14424 Tel: (001) 585 905-0849 USA or email: info@frenchpropertyshares.com
