Luxury Real Estate

By Benjamin Pradel
From his blog: [TELEVISION 3] HGTV & R. CHAYLA Immobilier - "House Hunters international"

Pie Town Productions est une importante société de production américaine basée à Los Angeles et à Chicago.

Elle cumule aujourd’hui plus de 3200 émissions de télévision de tous les styles. Elle s’est tournée ces dernières années vers des émissions de décoration et de rénovation qui font fureur actuellement dans tous les pays anglophones et dont on commence à voir quelques exemples sur nos chaînes françaises. De leur série d’émissions House Hunters international (n°1 aux usa) diffusée sur la chaine américaine HGTV (Home and Garden Television) ils parcourent le monde à la recherche d’agents immobiliers spécialistes des transactions internationales. Cette émission au format Télé réalité, diffusée dans de nombreux pays anglophones (USA, Grande Bretagne, Canada, Australie, Nouvelle Zélande & Finlande), détaille les différentes étapes de l’acquisition de biens immobiliers par des clients étrangers. Pour les besoins de leurs émissions dynamiques à très forte audience, (91 millions de foyers rien que sur les USA), que vous pouvez revoir sur leur site internet www.hgtv.com ou sur celui de la société de production Pie Town TV (www.pietown.tv), ils filment des achats de biens immobiliers à Paris pour un appartement ayant vue sur la Tour Eiffel, ainsi qu’à São Paulo, Prague, en Jamaïque, Hollande, en Ecosse, aux Bahamas... et en passant par cet épisode qui vient de se tourner au sein de notre agence de Limoux.

Notre agence communique régulièrement sur des supports internationaux en direction notamment des Américains. Les producteurs nous ont donc contacté pour organiser un tournage sur notre activité et afin de détailler un processus d’acquisition d’un logement de caractère dans notre région. Une équipe de télévision a donc débarqué à Limoux, afin de tourner un scénario dans l’Aude. Le tournage a attiré de nombreux curieux, passionné les employés de l’agence et devrait, si l’on considère la forte audience de ces émissions, attirer des investisseurs d’outre Atlantique.

Billet issu de l’article rédigé par “Le Journal de Carcassonne” à qui nous adressons un grand merci, contrairement aux autres quotidiens et médias locaux qui nous ont informés être surchargés pour cause de vendanges !

Rendez-vous pris pour le tournage d’une suite d’ici 6 mois que nous ne manquerons pas de diffuser sur ce blog.











Editor’s Note:
Don’t speak French? Click here for an English version of this blog entry. Benjamin Pradel is an Information and Technology Specialist with R. CHAYLA Immobilier in Carcassonne, France. Founded in 1991, R. CHAYLA has a multilingual team, agencies with cutting-edge technology and exposure on dozens of Web sites. They are known across France, and their international exposure grows daily. They are members of the global Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate network and regular contributors to the Luxury Real Estate Blog. What a positive development! It’s very smart to work with media companies like HGTV to gain exposure for luxury properties. By the way, “House Hunters” is the most popular show on HGTV, I believe.

By Jean-Yves Piton

History, the country of the Cathars, châteaux, sun, Mediterranean, Pyrenees, good food, vines, Canal du Midi and enjoyment of life? All of this is in the Aude. Straddling the Black Mountains, the Pyrenees, the plains of the Lauragais and the Mediterranean Sea, the Aude – a section of the Languedoc Roussillon region – has more than 310,000 inhabitants spread over 6,200 square kilometers. With its exceptional climate, varied countryside and fascinating history, the country of the Cathars invites you to learn more about it.

Carcassonne
Carcassonne is the only town in Europe fortified by a double enclosure that is still inhabited. The oldest parts of it date back to the 6th century BC. This magnificent fortress has been classed as an UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997 and is without doubt the most beautiful jewel in the south of France. 2,500 years of history to be discovered...

Today, the best way to visit Carcassonne is to wander up and down its little streets and, even better, to do so with a guide. There are, however, certain sights which shouldn’t be missed: the Basilica of Saint Nazaire, begun in 925 AD and completed in the first half of the 12th century; the château, built in the 12th century by the Trencavel family, Viscounts of Carcassonne; the Porte Narbonnaise, the gateway recognizable by its two huge towers in the shape of a spur; and finally the Lices (Lists), the area between the two enclosures which used to slope up the hill but was leveled in the 13th century.

The Canal du Midi
14 years to build, 15,000 workmen, 350 works of art (bridges, locks...), 240 kilometers long, this is the work of Pierre Paul Riquet, who began in 1663 in the reign of Louis XIV. The Canal Royal du Languedoc, today called the Canal du Midi, was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. It was built to link the Atlantic to the Mediterranean and is an exceptional architectural achievement to be enjoyed on boat cruises, cycling along the tow-path or simply strolling in the shade of the 300-year-old plane trees.

Medieval sites
There are a multitude of medieval sites to visit in the Aude. From Cathar castles to abbeys, from fortified villages to underground caves, not to mention churches and museums – all bear witness to the area’s rich and varied history.

The Mediterranean
As soon as the sun arrives, the Mediterranean awaits you just 60 kilometers away. You can spend the weekend or even longer on some of the most beautiful beaches in the “Golfe du Lion” either via the motorway or the very pretty road through the Corbieres.

The Pyrenees
The ski resorts of the Pyrenees are just over an hour away. These resorts are just as beautiful in the summer as they are in the winter. In addition to skiing, they offer snowshoe walking, sleigh rides, horse riding, fishing, climbing and rafting.

The Aude
The Aude is also an important wine-making area, producing a wide variety of very different appellations.

First, the oldest sparkling wine in the world (dating back to 1531) is Blanquette de Limoux, using Mauzac, Chardonnay and Chenin grape varieties. It is aged in bottles and is drunk as an aperitif or at the end of a meal.

The vineyards of Limoux also produce a fabulous Chardonnay. A large festival called “Toques et Clochers” takes place each year around mid-April. Some of the greatest chefs and vintners in the world come to this to buy oak barrels of the Chardonnay at auction. The profits from this go towards restoring local church towers (clochers).

The Corbières, with its narrow valleys cutting through the hilly landscape, is home to many well-known wine producers. Its reputation dates back to the time of the Roman occupation and its wines are full-bodied and spicy. They improve with age.

The Minervois is one of the oldest Mediterranean wine areas. Its name comes from the ancient city of Minerve, a Roman stronghold built in honor of the Goddess of Wisdom. Its wines range from the exceptional Muscat de Saint Jean de Minervois, to be drunk with “foie gras” or as an aperitif, to steely whites to accompany seafood and reds and roses to go with barbecues and main courses, and even “cassoulet” for the more spicy wines.

Fitou is a very dense area on the edge of the Mediterranean that produces full-bodied wines with flavors characteristic of the most famous “grands crus.” Wines to be kept and to accompany richer dishes.

Cabardès, on the chalky slopes of the south face of the Black Mountains, combines Cabernet, Merlot, Cot, Syrah and Grenache grape varieties. These wines are known for their aromatic complexity and balance.

And finally the Malepere, a wild area of stony terraces and gentle hillsides, produces wines that are strong, supple and generous with flavors of vanilla and red fruits. Merlot, Cabernet, Grenache and Syrah are combined to make wines to accompany red meats, cheeses and casseroles.


Editor’s Note:
Jean-Yves Piton is the Global Services Membership Manager for LuxuryRealEstate.com. He assists Bente Madtsen, the Director of Global Services, in expanding the LuxuryRealEstate.com brand into even more countries around the world. Wow, this is a long blog entry. There are lots of great details in here about southern France. R. Chayla Immobilier is a member of LuxuryRealEstate.com located in Carcassonne, France.

By Jean-Yves Piton

Bonjour! Avant tout, je voudrais me présenter. Mon nom est Jean-Yves PITON avec LuxuryRealEstate.com. En tant que Chef des ventes grands comptes internationaux, je suis très content de pouvoir soutenir tous vos besoins dans l’immobilier de prestige. Basé sur mes conversations avec beaucoup d’experts immobiliers, le marché de l’immobilier de luxe est en pleine croissance au moment actuel en France et dans l’ensemble de l’Europe. À savoir l’augmentation de la valeur des propriétés de luxe et de l’Euro. N’hesitez pas entrer en contact avec moi par email à l’adresse suivante: jean-yves@luxuryrealestate.com.

Editor’s Note:
Jean-Yves Piton is the Global Services Membership Manager for LuxuryRealEstate.com. He is from France and he speaks French, Spanish and English fluently. He recently joined our company, and he is assisting Bente Madtsen, Director of Global Services, in expanding LuxuryRealEstate.com’s international presence. For all of you who speak French, I hope you enjoyed Jean-Yves’ interesting message. As for me: No entendí nada que Jean-Yves dijo, pero está bien.