This town in the Landes with 30,300 residents, almost double in its urban area, stands on the road to Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle, at the edge of the forest, at the very gateway to the agricultural region of La Chalosse. In 1946, the installation of Air Force Base 118 gave a real boost to the population, as well as the town’s housing facilities...

In 1962, the local authorities pushing back the boundaries of the forest, preferring construction of houses rather than high-rise flats. This residential area, located to the east, is very popular, at the expense of the town centre. The local economy is based on food products (“foie gras” and corn), though the public sector is the largest employer with one of the highest ratios of public servants in France. They work in the Préfecture, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Regional Directorate of Agriculture, the DDE or the General Council. In addition to Air Force Base 118, the army also has an information and recruitment centre here, along with mobile and county police stations. It is expected that, by 2011, another 380 jobs will be created, while the detention centre, inaugurated this year, has created 1,000 jobs. The University of Pau and the Pays de L’Ardor hosts an IUT and Faculty of Law, next to the IUFM and the Ecole Supérieure du Bois.

“The Agen-Bayonne axis contains two types of landscapes : forests to the north, hills and farmland to the south,” says Dominique Vincent of ACI Agence Contact Immobilier. “The town, a 1-hour drive from the coast and 90 minutes from the first ski-slopes in the Pyreénées-Atlantiques, is almost wholly dedicated to main residences.” Employees in the public sector can pay on average 150,000 €, a sum enabling them to acquire a house. A 1-bedroomed apartment in good condition of 45 m2 recently sold for 78,000 € ; a fairly new studio of 28 m2, fully fitted, changed hands for 48,500 €, while a 2-bedroomed apartment costs around 115,000 €. In the case of apartments, the square metre never exceeds 2,000 € and large surface areas are rare. Families prefer houses like this unpretentious example of 85 m2 (4 main rooms) with a garden of 500 m2, proposed at 150,000 €. Thanks to very frequent demographic movements, Mont-de-Marsan has hardly noticed the crisis. Of course, the town
loses some of these migrants whose only goal is the pursuit of sunshine and a pleasant life-style. The opening in 18 months’ time of the Pau-Bordeaux motorway and, in the longer term, the TVG railway line should strengthen the market.

“Especially as it offers good value for money,” comments Elodie Pujos of Immobilier Saint-Roch Orpi. The convenient neighbourhoods of Beillet, Saint-Médard and Chorié are also the most sought-after. To the north, particularly in Roquefort, two types of purchasers co-exist : the first spends 110,000 to 150,000 € on building his own home, or 90,000 € for a new “pavillon”, whereas the occasional resident, always French, will treat himself to a farm of 160 to 200 m2 in 2.5 acres of land, for between 200,000 and 300,000 €. Very numerous in the past, investors are currently more hesitant. A sound investment is motivated more by the prospect of rental income than a desire to reduce taxation.

“Twelve km from Mont-de-Marsan, at the crossroads of Le Tursan, La Chalosse and L’Armagnac, Grenade-sur-l’Adour offers an attractive setting, a wide range of amenities and a good choice of cultural and sports associations,” add Nicole and Emilie Laboudigue of Laboudigue Immobilier. The military, who can educate their children up to college level here, appreciate the area and set their sights on houses, on or off estates, from 180,000 to 200,000 €. They prefer picture windows, light and airy interiors, contemporary kitchens and modern comforts to 20-year old Landaise-style houses. Some sales are transacted outside the agencies. People being transferred to the locality, not well-informed about prices, would neverthless have everything to gain by seeking the advice of experts. Arriving with similar budgets, some decide to buy a building plot, a rare commodity, priced at 45 €/m2 on estates and 25-30 €/m2 on the outskirts of the town. Young people ready to take on renovation work buy village houses at 90,000-110,000 €, while self-employed professionals, such as doctors and dentists, prefer beautifully refurbished residences on the banks of the Adour, with terraces and small gardens. Finally, high-class properties with several acres of land attract clients who can afford to pay from 300,000 to 450,000 €. Aware of the value of their family assets, the locals are undertaking tasteful renovations.