On Thursday of last week, we closed on our French house in Lectoure. From early October to January 6, it was quite a journey. I’ve bought and sold lots of houses in the US over the past 40 years, but this transaction was quite different, on multiple fronts.
The most challenging item was to secure a French bank account. Next up, we’ll have to figure out how to use it! Utility bills must be paid from a French account. We were fortunate to find an English speaking French banker in Paris. He was helpful in getting the account set up, but the process took about six weeks. The French are not in such a hurry as Americans.
We are planning to go back to France in early April. Our new friends, Jean and Don, are getting renovation bids for us, and we hope work will be begin soon after we arrive or maybe before. We have been asked by numerous people in France and back in the States, why we bought a house in France. We have had many adventures over the past 41 years. We married in Tucson and moved to Dallas 1.5 years later for a career opportunity for Papa. Ten years on, we moved to Sarasota in 1992, enjoying the city and living on the water. In 2003, we moved to Winchester Ranch, and spent an amazing 13+ years in our beautiful setting on a working cattle ranch. In 2023, we’re ready for a new adventure!
At 64 and 75, this may be our last “big adventure,” and we’ll give it all we’ve got! We’re taking French, applying for a long stay visa, getting copies of our medical and dental records for our French doctor and dentist, reading through bids for renovation work, making lists of furniture and other items to outfit the house, redesigning the garden, and so much more. We’re learning every day! For us, learning is key and we never want to stop!
