I read somewhere once that sending your children to a French school meant they’ll cry for a year & then thank you for the rest of their lives. Being fluent in another language is such an advantage.
I legit had a friend who was puerto rican but she was born in mainland usa and only spoke english, moved to puerto rico when she was like 8. spent a whole year going to private tutoring and just exhausting spanish classes. and she said... that whole year... she was miserable and hated it. BUT she learned spanish and is almost 30 and is native fluent. she said while it was the worst year of her life, she is so thankful for it! so this is true!!!
French kid/teen in US, you're the STAR, everybody is nice with you... but no friend after 2 years. US kid/teen in France, you're not the star, most people are neutral... but you make real friends in weeks ❤
Another good one! Can you make a video about the practicalities of healthcare in rural France? • do you have a Primary Care doctor or just schedule with whoever you need? • do you pay up front, then get reimbursed? • how is the bureaucracy with regard to healthcare? Keep up the good work!
I enjoy your videos. We are at retirement age, my husband is 🇫🇷 & we’ve lived in the US all these years. We are about to make a trip to 🇫🇷 to see if we are really up to finding a condo, & adjusting to life there. I think the health insurance for the 3 months before I qualify to stay there as married to a 🇫🇷 person is the most important since we are older. Time will tell.
My advice: Learn french! It is soo easy now, with apps and the internet. Listen to French radio, read French books. Earning Norwegian, I did a basic language course and then read norwegian books, first history then crime, because I was interested in both. One Norwegian book on one side, a dictionary on the other. It got very slow, but with a book you learn words more easily.
Best way to learn French : -Watch movies, cartoons (there are many channels in YT) I also recommend you the INA or archives with English or French subtitles ON. -Try to read or listen books, comics or audiobooks. -Exchange dialogs with French speakers or a even a IAbot. -Practise dicté, orthograph, grammar lessons with a teacher.
Start by learning basics ... like with any other languages you need basics to be able to understand a portion of what you hear ... some people start with videos and think it's gonna be enough to learn by listening it... And it's not !
The way I did it when moving to France not speaking the language yet, was to begin working as a busboy in an American restaurant (in Cannes, international enough to support having that), so I didn't need to use any French for work while I was learning the language (and practising it outside of work).
About french school, I may suggest planning to start in September. Ideally spend the first month during summer vacations, giving children some weeks to enjoy the scenery, and then start the school year like the others. It will be tough enough to lean french the accelerated manner, no need to add the stress to drop in the middle of established groups.
About mortgage and cards, we do have credit cards. Most of us have cards that are both debit and credit. But no one uses credit because it's literally "just get in debt man". Credit is so much more useful and less risky
Let me correct you. 😊 All your combined loans must not exceed 33 percent of your total incomes. This will include the mortgage as well. It‘s quite tricky as, if you get a mortgage and want to get an LoA (Louer avec option d‘achat) for a car, you will get into the same situation.
@@reodan616 non votre prêt immobilier ne doit pas dépasser 1/3 de vos revenus. Si ensuite vous devez faire d'autres crédits, c'est aux établissements financiers a calculé votre capacité de remboursement.
@@loustic59vda Non , vous avez tous les 2 raisons en fait, c'est la totalité de tes emprunts ... donc si t'es déjà au taquet sur ta maison à 35 % !!! ( let me correct you too ... maintenant c'est 35 % et non plus 33 % ;) ) ... et bien tu ne pourra plus emprunter pour une voiture. SAUF !!! si t'as un très bon revenu et un reste a vivre confortable malgré les 35 % d'emprunts pour la maison ( dans ce cas là on tombe dans les 20 % de " dossiers exceptionnels " où la banque peut faire sauter le plafond des 35 % maxi ) ... car évidement , kkun qui a 10.000 € de revenus est encore très large avec ses 6500 € de reste à vivre... mais la plupart des gens avec un salaire " normal " ne pourrons pas aller + haut.
bravo , vous avez pris la meilleure décision possible pour la scolarité de votre fille , elle doit déjà etre une éléve comme les autres dans son collége . nice to meet you !
It may sound a little cheeky, but regarding the mortgage market, remember that the US system collapsed the world economy in 2008. So I think the french system is far better. Another point is that most of mortgage have fixed-term rates (which protect the borrower when rates are increasing), and are the most affordables in Europe. Another good thing is that we have many banques "mutualistes" (Crédit Agricole, Crédit Mutuel, Caisse d'Epargne), which are owned by their client. So their main purpose is to protect both the client/borrower and the client shareholder. That IS why may seem excessively prudents.
You’ve told a lot about the amazing adaptation of your gifted daughter. What about yours ? You’ve picked a rural area, so did you make friends locally ? French or international?
I work in France with a pretty limited French skills (I am taking courses and learning), so it's possible. However, I work in a pretty international research institute where the main language is English, so it's not your average job...
If you have a health condition, the insurance may come with a premium. I do not know if this is still the case, though, or if the law has changed in the last decade. I remember that my parents who bought a house 20 years ago at 60ish struggled to get a mortgage because my father was diabetic. Eventually they got the mortgage but paid a surcharge for the loan insurance.
The lack of debt is hard to wrap my head around. I know most people hate debt, but there's also no point to saving all your life to buy things in your eighties.
Thank you so much for all the great information (as always) We always enjoy your content and really appreciate your efforts.😊 And oh my word Raina, I LOVE your scarf!
@@BaguetteBound I love that! Thank you again for all your great content! We're moving to Nice in January and look forward to visiting your area once we're settled!
Oooohhhh, this is something we need to research. We'll include that in the heathcare video I think we're making soon based on the questions so far here. 😉 Thanks for watching!
As an American citizen on Medicare I would say keep it, at least until you're fully settled in your new country. Medicare part A is free anyway (hospital), Medicare part B has a relatively small monthly premium
What should a painter / artist apply under for visa and later permanent residence in France? PS I showed at Gallery St. Severin in Paris and also in Toulouse way back in 1990... Thx?
Sorry guys as my question is not fuly related to the topic but, looking at the roof in the background, i was wondering : are you staying in the Lot by any chance ?
What are you guys thinking about high school? How about university? I love this info about school, our daughter is a year older than yours and an only child too. By the time we can get over to France she will be in Lycée and that’s a whole different ballgame from what I hear. Leaning towards an IB school at this point.
Yes, Lycee is a whole different thing. It's only 3 years. If she knows she wants to go on to university, she'll need a Lycee with a "general" program. An IB school is a great idea, because it's easily recognized by universities around the world, and many of the French schools that offer it have it attaced to a international section with part of the classes in English and part in French. There are links to thèses schools on our resources list. One option is to enroll in a grade lower than her age would usually correspond with to give her time to learn French while "loosing" an academic year. If you know you're moving, I would have her in intense classes now, go to events at Alliance Française If you have one to practice. It will help to prepare. But going to à French school, even if it's hard at first, will be her best chance in her entire life to learn the language.
Incorrect on most mortgage advice you've given. Foreigners can get mortgages, you just have to tick the boxes as you would if you moved to the usa as a foreigner and asked For a mortgage. Three years of self employed taxe returns as a French person/whoever will allow most banks to lend you money normally based on what you can afford with a third of your income.
@@BaguetteBound I appreciate that you have probably have an American (anglophone) based following. But, you make it sound as if it's the fault of the French system, and not the fact that the "expats" meet the criteria needed for such credit applications. I've had quite a few customers (foreigners to France) obtain mortgages/bridging loans and the reason being is that they ticked all the boxes. The banks in France have much tighter parameters when it comes to lending money if you don't meet them - refusé.
I second the question. I and everyone else in my family have EU citizenship (through ancestry) in addition to US citizenship although we live in the States.
Mortgage system has been abandoned in France around the 80s. I'm not sure we understand the same thing though. "Mortgage" in French should be "Hypothèque" which is to put your property as liability. Since the 80s, loan to purchase a housing require a stable and regular income you have to prove with work contract or bank records. The easiest is to go through an estate broker who will check the best option depending on your situation.
i think there's more people in france that speak english, this is just my experience, but I'm so ashamed of my accent that someone would have to hold a knife to my throat for me to speak english even so i can understand and hold a discussion
It's easy for a vehicle from an other EU country because all the rules and certifications are the same. Otherwise it may be very difficult, for example, importing from the US. Some companies specialize to import vehicles but it's very expensive.
I bought a house in France with a mortgage, 2 years ago. Key points: I have dual citizenship (US and France) and a long standing relationship with 2 banks in France. I approached both banks, one doesn't land to US citizens. The other worked with me because I had a very solid case. In France banks will work with you based on your personal relationship with them. In my case,, I put 30% down, own my house with no mortgage in US, borrowed 1 time my salary. I had to provide proof of everything I own, my income, how long I had my job. It took 4 months to go through the process.
Jobs you can do if you don't speak French AND you don't have paper (they take you easy with legal paper) It's food delevering but you get paid 6€/h. Construction worker (they paid good because it's hard and they have hard time to recrute) and Farming (pick up apple, grappe for wine...)
I got a small mortgage over 10 years as an ME. The bank manager decided as it was below 100k, I had to show 3 months of declarations and my previous tax return. Saying that though at the moment not even the french are being giving mortgages.
I wouldn't worry about the kids. They will learn a full immersion language in a couple of month, their brain is a sponge. I would worry more about the parents.
Out of respect for the people of your new country, learn the language no matter what percentage of the population speak English. English is not a God language. Forget keeping asking can i work in English ? Learn the language of the country if not stay in the US
The French language (which is a blend of three languages: Roman, Gaulish and Frankish) is difficult (it's a gendered language) but so beautiful, so rich, well I'm not entirely neutral as I'm passionate about literature ;) frome North of France (Cambrai)
I read somewhere once that sending your children to a French school meant they’ll cry for a year & then thank you for the rest of their lives. Being fluent in another language is such an advantage.
I legit had a friend who was puerto rican but she was born in mainland usa and only spoke english, moved to puerto rico when she was like 8. spent a whole year going to private tutoring and just exhausting spanish classes. and she said... that whole year... she was miserable and hated it. BUT she learned spanish and is almost 30 and is native fluent. she said while it was the worst year of her life, she is so thankful for it! so this is true!!!
Great points. Keep France, French! Never expect a nation to adapt to you. Vive la France!
If one says this in the US, the woke-folk will label you as xenophobic and racist
French kid/teen in US, you're the STAR, everybody is nice with you... but no friend after 2 years.
US kid/teen in France, you're not the star, most people are neutral... but you make real friends in weeks ❤
Guys, the more I watch the more I realize that you are the absolute best in your genre!
Hi Raina and Jason thank you for helping us understand France a little bit more each time you post a video.🥰
Another good one!
Can you make a video about the practicalities of healthcare in rural France?
• do you have a Primary Care doctor or just schedule with whoever you need?
• do you pay up front, then get reimbursed?
• how is the bureaucracy with regard to healthcare?
Keep up the good work!
These are great questions!! Thanks for being so specific. I think it's about time for a video on this. 👍
Raina is definitely getting more French!! She’s wearing a beautiful scarf. 😊
I enjoy your videos. We are at retirement age, my husband is 🇫🇷 & we’ve lived in the US all these years. We are about to make a trip to 🇫🇷 to see if we are really up to finding a condo, & adjusting to life there. I think the health insurance for the 3 months before I qualify to stay there as married to a 🇫🇷 person is the most important since we are older. Time will tell.
My advice: Learn french! It is soo easy now, with apps and the internet. Listen to French radio, read French books. Earning Norwegian, I did a basic language course and then read norwegian books, first history then crime, because I was interested in both. One Norwegian book on one side, a dictionary on the other. It got very slow, but with a book you learn words more easily.
Best way to learn French :
-Watch movies, cartoons (there are many channels in YT) I also recommend you the INA or archives with English or French subtitles ON.
-Try to read or listen books, comics or audiobooks.
-Exchange dialogs with French speakers or a even a IAbot.
-Practise dicté, orthograph, grammar lessons with a teacher.
Start by learning basics ... like with any other languages you need basics to be able to understand a portion of what you hear ... some people start with videos and think it's gonna be enough to learn by listening it... And it's not !
The way I did it when moving to France not speaking the language yet, was to begin working as a busboy in an American restaurant (in Cannes, international enough to support having that), so I didn't need to use any French for work while I was learning the language (and practising it outside of work).
About french school, I may suggest planning to start in September. Ideally spend the first month during summer vacations, giving children some weeks to enjoy the scenery, and then start the school year like the others. It will be tough enough to lean french the accelerated manner, no need to add the stress to drop in the middle of established groups.
About mortgage and cards, we do have credit cards. Most of us have cards that are both debit and credit. But no one uses credit because it's literally "just get in debt man". Credit is so much more useful and less risky
Normally, your estate loan doesn't must take over of 33 percent of your incomes, it is the banking rules in France, imposed by the french law.
A good law to prevent financial ruin.
Let me correct you. 😊 All your combined loans must not exceed 33 percent of your total incomes. This will include the mortgage as well. It‘s quite tricky as, if you get a mortgage and want to get an LoA (Louer avec option d‘achat) for a car, you will get into the same situation.
@@reodan616 non votre prêt immobilier ne doit pas dépasser 1/3 de vos revenus.
Si ensuite vous devez faire d'autres crédits, c'est aux établissements financiers a calculé votre capacité de remboursement.
@@loustic59vda Non , vous avez tous les 2 raisons en fait, c'est la totalité de tes emprunts ... donc si t'es déjà au taquet sur ta maison à 35 % !!! ( let me correct you too ... maintenant c'est 35 % et non plus 33 % ;) ) ... et bien tu ne pourra plus emprunter pour une voiture.
SAUF !!! si t'as un très bon revenu et un reste a vivre confortable malgré les 35 % d'emprunts pour la maison ( dans ce cas là on tombe dans les 20 % de " dossiers exceptionnels " où la banque peut faire sauter le plafond des 35 % maxi ) ...
car évidement , kkun qui a 10.000 € de revenus est encore très large avec ses 6500 € de reste à vivre... mais la plupart des gens avec un salaire " normal " ne pourrons pas aller + haut.
bravo , vous avez pris la meilleure décision possible pour la scolarité de votre fille , elle doit déjà etre une éléve comme les autres dans son collége . nice to meet you !
It may sound a little cheeky, but regarding the mortgage market, remember that the US system collapsed the world economy in 2008. So I think the french system is far better.
Another point is that most of mortgage have fixed-term rates (which protect the borrower when rates are increasing), and are the most affordables in Europe.
Another good thing is that we have many banques "mutualistes" (Crédit Agricole, Crédit Mutuel, Caisse d'Epargne), which are owned by their client. So their main purpose is to protect both the client/borrower and the client shareholder. That IS why may seem excessively prudents.
Brilliant again, thank you!
There is online insurance!
French state has a debt problem but private debt is quasi non existent in France.
You’ve told a lot about the amazing adaptation of your gifted daughter. What about yours ? You’ve picked a rural area, so did you make friends locally ? French or international?
I work in France with a pretty limited French skills (I am taking courses and learning), so it's possible. However, I work in a pretty international research institute where the main language is English, so it's not your average job...
If you have a health condition, the insurance may come with a premium. I do not know if this is still the case, though, or if the law has changed in the last decade. I remember that my parents who bought a house 20 years ago at 60ish struggled to get a mortgage because my father was diabetic. Eventually they got the mortgage but paid a surcharge for the loan insurance.
J’aime bien vos vidéos félicitations ! Parlez-vous français ?
Merci! Juliana parle bien... Jason et moi apprenons !
Love this new format! And thank you for the mention 😊
The lack of debt is hard to wrap my head around. I know most people hate debt, but there's also no point to saving all your life to buy things in your eighties.
Thank you so much for all the great information (as always) We always enjoy your content and really appreciate your efforts.😊 And oh my word Raina, I LOVE your scarf!
Thank you!! I got it from a little tourist shop in Granada Spain when we visited the family we interviewed on the channel. Beautiful place!
@@BaguetteBound I love that! Thank you again for all your great content! We're moving to Nice in January and look forward to visiting your area once we're settled!
banking , banking , please
Can you do a video on if you are retired do you keep Medicare? Love the videos. Bothe if you are adorable!❤❤❤
Oooohhhh, this is something we need to research. We'll include that in the heathcare video I think we're making soon based on the questions so far here. 😉 Thanks for watching!
As an American citizen on Medicare I would say keep it, at least until you're fully settled in your new country. Medicare part A is free anyway (hospital), Medicare part B has a relatively small monthly premium
What should a painter / artist apply under for visa and later permanent residence in France? PS I showed at Gallery St. Severin in Paris and also in Toulouse way back in 1990... Thx?
I've never been asked for a medical to get a mortgage in France.
Great families, loving your videos just one think vould you let him talk?
Sorry guys as my question is not fuly related to the topic but, looking at the roof in the background, i was wondering : are you staying in the Lot by any chance ?
Where is the link with insurance companies?
What are you guys thinking about high school? How about university? I love this info about school, our daughter is a year older than yours and an only child too. By the time we can get over to France she will be in Lycée and that’s a whole different ballgame from what I hear. Leaning towards an IB school at this point.
Yes, Lycee is a whole different thing. It's only 3 years. If she knows she wants to go on to university, she'll need a Lycee with a "general" program. An IB school is a great idea, because it's easily recognized by universities around the world, and many of the French schools that offer it have it attaced to a international section with part of the classes in English and part in French. There are links to thèses schools on our resources list.
One option is to enroll in a grade lower than her age would usually correspond with to give her time to learn French while "loosing" an academic year. If you know you're moving, I would have her in intense classes now, go to events at Alliance Française If you have one to practice. It will help to prepare.
But going to à French school, even if it's hard at first, will be her best chance in her entire life to learn the language.
Incorrect on most mortgage advice you've given. Foreigners can get mortgages, you just have to tick the boxes as you would if you moved to the usa as a foreigner and asked For a mortgage. Three years of self employed taxe returns as a French person/whoever will allow most banks to lend you money normally based on what you can afford with a third of your income.
That might be true in theory, but it's not the experience we've seen in practice for many, many expats.
@@BaguetteBound I appreciate that you have probably have an American (anglophone) based following. But, you make it sound as if it's the fault of the French system, and not the fact that the "expats" meet the criteria needed for such credit applications. I've had quite a few customers (foreigners to France) obtain mortgages/bridging loans and the reason being is that they ticked all the boxes. The banks in France have much tighter parameters when it comes to lending money if you don't meet them - refusé.
Thanks for the video guys, I assume as an EU citizen (in my case Italian) I assume it would be a much easier process?
I second the question. I and everyone else in my family have EU citizenship (through ancestry) in addition to US citizenship although we live in the States.
Mortgage system has been abandoned in France around the 80s. I'm not sure we understand the same thing though. "Mortgage" in French should be "Hypothèque" which is to put your property as liability. Since the 80s, loan to purchase a housing require a stable and regular income you have to prove with work contract or bank records.
The easiest is to go through an estate broker who will check the best option depending on your situation.
i think there's more people in france that speak english, this is just my experience, but I'm so ashamed of my accent that someone would have to hold a knife to my throat for me to speak english even so i can understand and hold a discussion
Great video. We are curious if you buy a vehicle in another country like Italy or Germany, can you register it in France?
It's easy for a vehicle from an other EU country because all the rules and certifications are the same. Otherwise it may be very difficult, for example, importing from the US. Some companies specialize to import vehicles but it's very expensive.
@gsbeak exactly our understanding too. Thanks!
@@gsbeakwhy do you need import the vehicle? Just sell in USA and buy new one in France.
I bought a house in France with a mortgage, 2 years ago. Key points: I have dual citizenship (US and France) and a long standing relationship with 2 banks in France. I approached both banks, one doesn't land to US citizens. The other worked with me because I had a very solid case. In France banks will work with you based on your personal relationship with them. In my case,, I put 30% down, own my house with no mortgage in US, borrowed 1 time my salary. I had to provide proof of everything I own, my income, how long I had my job. It took 4 months to go through the process.
This is really interesting. Thanks for sharing the details of the process.
It is hard to get a mortgage if you do not have a CDI.
😀
Jobs you can do if you don't speak French AND you don't have paper (they take you easy with legal paper)
It's food delevering but you get paid 6€/h. Construction worker (they paid good because it's hard and they have hard time to recrute) and Farming (pick up apple, grappe for wine...)
I got a small mortgage over 10 years as an ME. The bank manager decided as it was below 100k, I had to show 3 months of declarations and my previous tax return.
Saying that though at the moment not even the french are being giving mortgages.
This is so encouraging to hear!!! You're the first I've heard of. But you're right, the mortgage industry is tough here right now for everyone. :/
@@BaguetteBound I have a couple of friends that got mortgages too, all about the same time 5 years ish ago.
I wouldn't worry about the kids. They will learn a full immersion language in a couple of month, their brain is a sponge. I would worry more about the parents.
Kids: you mean, several years, for C level. Without C level French you will stay a social pariah.
Out of respect for the people of your new country, learn the language no matter what percentage of the population speak English. English is not a God language. Forget keeping asking can i work in English ? Learn the language of the country if not stay in the US
The French language (which is a blend of three languages: Roman, Gaulish and Frankish) is difficult (it's a gendered language) but so beautiful, so rich, well I'm not entirely neutral as I'm passionate about literature ;) frome North of France (Cambrai)
Boring 😒😒
Not as much as you.
What a rude comment! If you don't like it move on, please. No one here wants your negativity.
Then don’t watch? lol
An agressive, gratuitous, and useless one liner. As if this nobody thought that their shallow opinion actually mattered. So american.