The French are famous for their joie de vivre - in recent times, this is perhaps due in part to being spared the economic woes of some of their European counterparts.
According to Aberdeen Property Investors, the French economy remained relatively resilient last year as GDP contracted the least among major European economies.
Typically, real estate in France is also less prone to the sharp market fluctuations of some neighbours. As outlined in the France Real Estate Report Q3 2010, published by Business Monitor International, 'unlike many other euro-zone countries, France did not have a housing market crash, as there was not a significant bubble beforehand'.
Housing finance is still relatively easy to come by in France, even though it has tightened in other markets. Assetz France business development manager Katy Hepworth believes all these factors have continued to hold the interest of overseas investors.
'France provides the ideal investment opportunity for foreign buyers,' she says. 'Mortgage interest rates are among the lowest in Europe, as the country's banks battle to offer the best rates, while 100 per cent loan-to-value [LTV] mortgages are readily available. This is unheard of in many other European countries, where the average is 60 per cent to 70 per cent LTV.
'The property market in France has also shown remarkable resilience in the last few years, with prices only dipping between 4 per cent and 5 per cent. This compares favourably against much larger falls of 30 per cent to 40 per cent in many other European countries.'
Further good news is in store, she believes. 'Market data shows that property prices are continuing to rise in key investment areas, including Paris and the south coast, while the national bank and government have said they are confident that the French economy will continue to gather pace.'