Les Terrasses Immobilier

réseau immo CAPS Immobilier / Transaxia

Category: Meeting People

  • 5 Years Abroad: FAQs about My Expat Journey

    5 Years Abroad: FAQs about My Expat Journey

    Ok first of all, I wanted to ask, how are you? I just finished up with a volunteering gig at the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games! I had an amazing time working at the Women’s ice hockey.

    While there I worked in sport services, where I witnessed first-hand how the athletes prepare and fine-tune their craft. And, how all of it comes to fruition when they line-up in two-single file lines for the elusive gold-medal match.

    I was also fortunate to meet lots of nice people. Here are some of my team pictured below. Shoutout to Andrea for your hospitality, Rachel (not pictured) for the maple syrup, and Ashley (also not pictured) for the California pins.

    Fun fact: Before all hockey matches the pucks must be frozen.

    Back to France: Five Years and counting

    As I approach my fifth year in the South of France—yes, I made the move!—I’ve been sharing my journey through my blog. In this post, I’ll highlight some of my previous posts you might have missed and answer the most frequently asked questions. Enjoy!

    How am I making a living in France?

    Initially, I didn’t have a job lined up when I arrived in France. I wanted to focus on integration, knowing there would be a steep learning curve for an American Southerner to master the language of Proust. Fortunately, my wife works remotely and we had saved enough to sustain ourselves until I could begin working legally. But once we were in the system and paying taxes in France, we were dumbfounded on how much more affordable life was in France. And being, there was a larger safety net designed for students, families, and young or old people who might qualify, we didn’t have to dig ourselves into a hole financially.

    How did I learn French?

    The hardest for me was learning a new language. I wasn’t that good of a student in high school, so I started with just the necessities and really took advantage of my free time those first few years to immerse myself in the culture.

    The first place I contacted (besides Decathlon for a new bike) was Les Restos du Coeur, a well-known nonprofit. I helped run their bistro/accueil de jour for roughly two years, interacting with people from all backgrounds in French: Armenians, Ukrainians, Senegalese, Moroccans etc.. Our motto was: ‘Whoever walks through the door gets served breakfast.’

    I enjoyed my time there and made some valuable connections. Like a fellow bénévole whose sister was willing to offer me weekly French lessons for free. These one-on-one courses included grammar tricks, reading and pronunciation and lasted for roughly three years!

    On top of this, I attended weekly conversations in French at the local library, cafés and met people through the language exchange website/app Tandem. I’m to the point where I feel comfortable speaking in French and the best part is I never paid a dime.

    But it was only when I started working that it really clicked. Prior to moving to France, I worked in a boutique real estate firm in NYC, and liked it. So when I moved to France, it made sense to stay in the industry. In 2025, I started my own independently operated residential real estate office in Nîmes, the South of France and that’s when I realized je parle français. Volunteering, chatting over tea and coffee, and ordering bakery items did wonders for my self esteem and accent but what validated me the most was receiving my first check for going from start to finish in a French real estate deal. My French still could use improvement, but I feel like this was a huge milestone.

    If you’re searching for a property, here are all the listings that I have at my disposal. I specialize in Nîmes but have connections across the South of France and Paris. And for those still in the research phase, here are some posts that you might find useful.

    Why did I move to Nîmes?

    This is definitely the most asked and first question from people I meet in France. I usually keep it simple and say love. And then comes the notorious, which is better your home country or here? I have to admit after a hundred times, I’m starting to be annoyed by it! So, I’m linking two blog posts that should not only answer this question but plenty others while taking you through a day in the life of what I am doing in Nîmes. I am not only getting to know the Occitanie region. I’ve traveled a bit all over France and spent three winters in Italy. Below you will also find a beautiful picture of the ski-lift in Bardonecchia, my favorite ski village.

    Places like Milan, Rome, or even Bardonecchia are a day-trip away on the TGV.

    How to Make the Move: A Starter Guide

    1. Long-Stay Tourist Visa: This is how I started my journey. It’s a great way to test the waters and explore your options.
    2. Corporate Transfer: If you work for a multinational company, check if they have offices in your dream destination.
    3. Entrepreneurship: A solid business plan can open doors, depending on the country—whether you launch it before moving or after arrival.

    Disclaimer: I’m not a lawyer or an expert, just a happy expat who has helped others navigate the process.

    Resource to Bookmark: This webpage is a fantastic starting point. It breaks down the visa you need and most importantly it comes straight from the government.

    It’s all been worth it albeit sometimes stressful. Mainly trying to understand deadlines and how little your host country cares about the fact you’re Merican and come from the greatest country on the planet. How I was mistaken!

    As I finish here, (I need to go and renew my green card.), I’ll leave you with some inspiration from afar. One of my close French friends just began his own expat adventure on a working-holiday visa. Here is a photo of Jérôme soaking up the sun in Adelaide, Australia.

    Passez une belle journée,

    Chandler

    chandler@lesterrassesimmobilier.fr

    US +1 (423) 488-1063

    FR +33 (0)7 89 05 64 06

  • Redessan, on the outskirts of Nîmes

    Redessan, on the outskirts of Nîmes

    When considering the villages in the vicinity of Nîmes you are going to want to start with these: Caissargues, Manduel, Rodhilan, Calvisson, Caveirac, Marguerittes, which all have better value per square meter on average than Nîmes. Just a short drive straight from the French Rome on a widened 4-lane road that makes for a smooth ride on the modernized Via Domitia, now known as the route de Beaucaire.

    Like in Nîmes, these villages will likely have ferias, with a lot less draw of a crowd. They often happen at the change of the season or during bank holidays. For those who aren’t familiar, you’re in for a treat. It’s your chance to meet and get a feel for the community and its locals in a festival atmosphere which normally involves a bull. My favorite part of this is the abrivado. You have to experience it at least once.

    A passage is made about 15 to 20-feet wide (5 metres) and 3 football fields long and at each end is a horse trailer. One is filled with bulls and the other one empty. Here is where it gets sketchy. An audience accumulates along this passage. Each side is shielded by ‘gates’ but not your typical gate. These are designed to let you pass safely through and just wide enough to make a fat man squeeze. Introducing your contestants (drum roll) who has also the moniker as the crowd who are feeling brave and whimsical to pass through the barrier the day of.

    Like I heard growing up in Kentucky/Tennessee – mess with the bull, and get the horns.

    However, if you look closely enough you’ll see that the bull’s horns are shielded with cases to guard the gardian. He or she is the leader of the manade that raised the bull. His horse and band of farmhands escort the bull in a V-shape from one side to the other as youthful contestants sprint alongside trying their hand at manhandling the beast and if they’re lucky can have a moment to spar/wrestle the horns. The team on horseback are fitted in traditional flowery dress shirts and vests as they gallop sometimes at full speed down the street. Finally if all is done soundly the bulls are ushered into the trailer and tied down tight by their colleague positioned atop the trailer.

    As they dazzle on the streets on their trusty steed, you might be asking yourself, isn’t this France? Yes, but not the France you learned about in High School. I’m no way a historian but geographically speaking Spain is not that far away, and I’ve met a fair share of Nîmois who have Spanish heritage. Next door to the Camargue which is where you will find the majority of manades, also largely contributes to the craze.

    This is all part of the experience! Like the southern French accent you might not love it at first, should you stay however, you will become accustomed to it and learn to live with it. For newcomers who don’t see themselves getting into such events, beware mainly of the corrida. This is where you WILL certainly witness animals being harmed. Also, locals you meet will want to know where you stand on the issue, (i.e whether there is a place for it in today’s crazy world for bullfighting) and this might make for a dreadful, minefield of a convo. Most people I’ve met are generally against it and prefer events like the one below, the course camarguaise or like I mentioned above the abrivado.

    course camarguaise

    On to a lighter topic – the climate. I referenced Wikipedia for a comparison to Nîmes. Redessan receives less rainfall than Nîmes and there is less risk of flooding. Which could be one of the reasons property tax is lower. The downside like with most villages surrounding Nîmes, the capital of the department, they tend to be windier. With that in mind, the average temperatures remain lower which won’t add up to much after all as the summers are boiling!

    Other fun facts : There is a changing of the guards for the mayor of Redessan. The sole candidate, as of writing this blogpost, for 2026 is a middle-aged, taxi driver who when asked about his project for change, he answered to install solar panels on public buildings. And if any of you are thinking about making the move with children, for middle school, your closest one is in Manduel.

    The local economy lives by the vine, agricultural based : wine, abricots, olives, and peaches. The go-to eatery is Le relais de Canard from what I’m told it’s a cheap, great place to dine. Interestingly enough at Cureboussot, caddy-corner to the restaurant, there is a strip of land where an ancient Roman road marker used to sit. The artifact was relocated to be admired in front of the city hall in Manduel. Finding things to do in Redessan seems tough, like I mentioned most events take place in the 500-seat arena or at one of the many local sports clubs.

    What I think you will find is missing from Redessan (apart from the UNESCO listed La Maison Carré), are the wonderful cafés and restaurants that fill les places and cannot be found anywhere but in Nîmes.

    Finally, Redessan is home to its very own TGV station, called Nîmes Pont du Gard station. I had the pleasure of taking a OUIGO train from there to Paris. For those unfamiliar with OUIGO, it’s the low-cost, high-speed rail option. Ticket pricing varies like on the normal TGV service. But, you’ll find way better deals can be had (as low as EUR 16 tickets in the off-season!). The catch is you have to pack a snack/brown bag and water as there is no café car and for the best deals, consider arriving outside of big cities like Marne-La-Vallee (Disney) versus Gare de Lyon when traveling to Paris.

    Thanks for reading and feel free to reach out at my email address, phone number or comments below! I’d be happy to learn more about your journey and answer any questions.

    Passez une belle journée,

    Chandler Bell

    chandler@lesterrassesimmobilier.fr

    US +1 (423) 488-1063

    FR +33 (0)7 89 05 64 06

  • Setting up in France : Finding your 1st apartment

    Okay, so you’ve got your new French bank account and you’ve successfully transferred some of your dollars to euros. Time to celebrate—grab a drink, you deserve it!

    Are you ready to find an apartment? The easiest way to find one in France, a country where the people tend to veer towards the low-tech side of things, is through word of mouth, ads at a bakery, etc.. Seriously, you should try it. Don’t be shy. People in the South are often more than willing to help you. I’d put them up against your run-of-the-mill real estate agency any day. That said, most random people will just point you towards the nearest immobilier agency/realtor but who knows you might just find a landlord within arm’s reach.

    NETWORKING

    Make a connection then you don’t need to worry. This would be an atout if you pull this off. If you are more internet savvy I recommend using PAP.fr as a starting place. PAP (or particulier à particulier) is the English equivalent of for sale by owner, but here in France it is used for rentals as well as sales. You’ll have direct access to hungry landlords who are searching for tenants for their apartments. I believe this is the quickest surest solution to what can be a David & Goliath battle. Plus, it would serve as an auspicious start for your new chapter abroad. 

    Going about it on your own

    While you’re in this pre-search/search mode of your journey – it’s tempting to use this as a way to voyage through listings. Sorry to burst your bubble but you have no idea if these same listings are available to you. The elephant in the room is the infamous French landlord. Before determining viability or vibe-ability, will the owner even consider renting to a non-French person? The answer is likely not the one you want, Why? It’s fairly simple – the laws. I find France like New York in the sense that housing is regulated and most laws are slanted to help tenants.

    Always remember too that you’re competing with the French renters/buyers, and to save you some time, try not be too picky when you start your search. If you can, up your budget a bit, settle for funky over new and sleek, next thing you know, voilà! a first flat with an interested landlord.

    The dossier standard for them includes : a contrat de travail (salaried worker contract, seasonal work, etc.), 3 recent pay stubs, last year’s taxes, and ID. The work contract is an essentiel layer of protection and it’s non-negotiable for lots of landlords. If you don’t have one of these 4 documents, it’s going to be a struggle competing with the field of prospective tenants.

    I’ve learned working in sales at the end of the day everything is a numbers game. Think of the landlords as buyers and you are a stock. They would like the most information possible before investing in you. What speaks to them are the documents they are familiar with. I thought the number in my BoA account would hold more value. I was mistaken. It helped, but with my landlord, he wanted something that said I was here to work, simple as that.

    Feel free to contact me, if you are unsure what to submit, and I’ll look it over with you. I specialize in selling but I’ve also been in your situation and am willing to do what I can.

    I know what you’re thinking – isn’t there a shortcut to finding landlords who rent to expats/immigrants (a sort of green book for foreigners would be useful, huh?)

    It is an idea that is worth pursuing. But for now, if you’re still looking for answers then I’m here to help as I have experienced the struggle of finding a place as a foreigner. It’s one of the reasons I changed careers from commercial to residential real estate – to help others in need.

    Follow my blog to receive more info from an American licensed to sell/rent/manage French real estate. Our business ushers an international clientele to the door to their next Home Sweet Home in the south of France. Also, I’m constantly uncovering properties.

    If you don’t see a listing that interests you, please let me know where you would like to be and I’d love to help you personally or by connecting you with a specialist in the area.

    Warmest regards,

    Chandler Bell

    chandler@lesterrassesimmobilier.fr

    (423) 488-1063

  • Bienvenue chez nous

    Je suis négociateur immobilier et originaire du Tennessee. Diplômé en affaires et communication, je travaille dans l’immobilier depuis 2017. Vous trouverez ici mes dernières annonces immobilières, mon blog, ainsi que d’autres contenus qui pourraient vous intéresser. Je vous remercie d’avoir pris le temps de visiter et j’espère que vous passerez une excellente visite !

    Now for my English speakers

    Welcome to my website! I created this page to share my latest properties in the south of France, my experiences navigating life abroad, and tips on learning a new language from scratch.

    A little more about me, I made the move after having immersed myself 3 times in the Montpellier region. I tackled commercial real estate in Manhattan, and during the pandemic I decided to take a break from it and here we are years later – selling Mediterranean villas, apartments, vineyards and townhomes.

    Je vais écrire dans les deux langues. Vous pourriez trier le blog en français ou anglais comme vous voulez en utilisent les etiquettes.

    Bonne Lecture !