Saint-Vincent-de-Tyrosse, a pole of attraction in Les Landes
By Laetitia Rossi - 07 August 2012
Equidistant from Dax and Bayonne, this commune on Route Nationale 10, just a few kilometres from the coast, is home to 6,950 inhabitants. The main town for the canton of Saint-Vincent, composed of 11 municipalities, it is known for its festivals, bullfights, bull-running and arena.
Since the year 2000, Saint-Vincent-de-Tyrosse has undergone extensive changes : the Avenue Nationale and the centre have been restructured while the Casablanca artisanal and industrial zone has been enlarged. The service sector is developing at the same rate as the population. By way of example, 24 new shop-keepers were registered in 2010. Attendance figures break records for the “ferias” in July.
”We have seen a general slowdown, no doubt due to the electoral period,” says Florence Pinsolle of Acimflo. “First-time buyers faced by drastic conditions for obtaining mortgages are more scarce.” Buyers tend to pay cash after selling a property. On the other hand, they demand a minimum level of appointments and take their time “thinking about it”. Long gone the decade of euphoria ; buyers are now in a position of strength. Estate-agents have returned to the fundamentals of the business, giving advice and assistance throughout the entire process. Recently, locally-based clients in the middle management bracket paid 226,000 € for a detached 3-bedroom house of 95 m2 with a garden of 700 m2 and a pool. A couple from another region of France paid 500,000 € for a charming property of 200 m2 in good condition, on almost 2.5 acres of land. It should, however, be noted that transactions of this type are few and far between. In addition to on-site activity zones, Bayonne and Dax provide the main pools of employment. Saint-Vincent-de-Tyrosse offers a full range of shops and amenities, including a healthcare centre and schools up to secondary level, as well as real estate significantly more affordable than on the Atlantic coast or in the Basque country.
Among their latest sales, Marie-Joëlle Froustey and Jean-Louis Haurat of the Michelot Orpi agency mention a studio of 28 m2 acquired for 57,500 € by a rental investor, looking to obtain a net return of 4 %. This example is not representative of the market, where the majority of acquisitions are intended for personal use. In collaboration with another agency in the AMEPI network, they then orchestrated the sale of a property of 95 m2 in grounds of 700 m2, after the sellers had completed renovation equivalent to 8 % of the sales price. This house was snapped up by couple of pensioners from outside the region. This type of client is often drawn by the peacefulness of Les Landes, and this category of properties is in demand. First-time buyers purchased a non-serviced building plot of 1,915 m2, two km from town, for 86,000 €. The same budget is also required for a serviced plot of 500 m2 backing onto the heart of town. Finally, a barn in need of total rehabilitation in grounds of 2,500 m2 found a taker at 115,000 €. The bulk of transactions are priced under 250,000 €.