Fourteen Years in a Farmhouse in the South of France

A country drive near our home in the Dordogne

French Property Shares

Life in the slow lane

Fourteen years of serendipity in Southern France

La Bruyere- a shared property in the Dordogne

Lovely La Bruyere- our first fractional in 1998

A lifetime of memories...

For sale: 1/9th deeded share-$59900

Location: 1 ¼ hour east of Bordeaux
Booking system - 3 week high & low season

Contact: Ginny

fpshares@gmail.com
Tel: (001) 585 905-0849 EST USA

The Périgord region of France where La Bruyere is located corresponds roughly to the current Dordogne département. It is divided into four regions, the Périgord Noir (Black), the Périgord Blanc (White), the Périgord Vert (Green) and the Périgord Pourpre (Purple). The geography and natural resources of the Périgord make it one of the most unspoiled regions of Europe.

The area is noted for its cuisine, more particularly its products related to ducks and geese, such as foie gras. It is one of the truffle areas of France, historically the most famous. Périgourdine wines include the famed Bergerac (red and white) and Monbazillac.

Time shares, fractionals, home swaps, rentals, investment properties- there are so many possibilities out there. Sometimes, just jumping in and creating a world of memories is the way to go. That was the case for the Gustaff family of Portland, Oregon who were among the 9 original owners of our very first French home. Now, 14 years and dozens of visits later, Ron and Bernice are reselling their share.

Details:

4 bedroom, 2 bath

La Bruyere means "the heather"

Where time stands still

Ron and Bernice gathered in our Willamette Valley farmhouse in May 1998, shortly after my husband and I determined that we needed to find a creative and affordable way to own property in France. Our lovely old stone farmhouse was found nestled amongst the vineyards and sunflowers of the Dordogne region, near Bordeaux, France. It's also a place where time seems to stop moving. In April 1998, after a whirlwind trip to shop for properties in this region, we knew that this was the one. Light-filled rooms, high beamed ceilings, even a chicken's footprint in one of the ancient tiles. With a second mortgage on our Oregon home, we paid cash for La Bruyere and set about finding partners who shared our fond dream of a second home in France.

What happened next?

A home base to explore Europe every year

Back home in the Willamette Valley, with a warm fire lit, crackers and cheese and a couple bottles of red wine, we let the old video camera rip. "Look at those daffodils lining the driveway to our house", I exclaimed, excited sparks lighting my eyes. La Bruyere, with its wonderful stone walls, vaulted ceilings,a large country kitchen, and expansive garden, had captured our hearts and imaginations.

Ron and Bernice completely agreed. Over the next 6 months or so, our membership of 9 owners was complete and we began to decorate, visit, and manage our jointly owned property. Along the way, deep friendships were formed, creative ideas explored, and most importantly, we had a lot of fun.

La Bruyere

Among other adventures, the La Bruyereans bought, bottled and private-labeled their own La Bruyere wine, the proceeds of which were used to offset maintenance and repairs for our home in France. That was a mighty good wine year!

Our 3 Blackwell boys recall chasing each other through the cornfields and playing hide and seek with French and Spanish speaking children. "Remember when we went to see the re-enactment of the 100 Year War and there was and a cast of 500 soldiers and one of them let me try their helmet on?" "The best pizza in the world is at Chez Nellies in Loubes Bernac!" On and on the memories still linger...

The Gustaff's La Bruyere experience

"It began with a conversation at dinner with good friends. Little did we know that we would be prompted to embark on a 14-year serendipity experience in Southern France.

We purchased a share in an old farmhouse in Loubes-Bernac (near Bergerac, Bordeaux area) with a lovely name, La Bruyere [the heather]. It was exciting to be a part of this venture at the beginning. We only knew one other couple, so meeting and getting to know those who are a part of this 9-member group has been part of the fun. local Duras marketplace

A little background: upon retirement in 1994, we decided to travel while our health and time permitted extended trips and have made at least two trips a year often including the exploration of European countries. We soon learned that having a 'home base' was a good idea, so it was an easy decision to consider La Bruyere.

The area is wonderful for day trips along the Dordogne and daily trips to different markets, which is our favorite thing to do; Eymet on Thursdays, St. Foy la Grande on Saturdays, and Issigeac on Sundays. This region is rich in history and, of course, there is the wine and the food. We don't speak French, but have managed to get along. We have been fortunate to meet lovely people along the way as well who now comprise a group of friends we always see when we're there.

No matter how much we travel, while at La Bruyere, we think the best is sipping coffee in the mornings or wine in the afternoon outside the kitchen or sharing meals served out on the patio in the midst of this lovely setting surrounded by farms and grapevines. Friends and family who have visited us there all agree."

Ron and Bernice

2/12

Questions? Ask Ginny

At International Property Shares, our job is to find the ideal property at an affordable price, handle the multiple requirements for foreign ownership, and provide you with a turn-key property to use and to enjoy.

Does this sound like something you would enjoy?

If so, take a moment to review my fractional ownership questionnaire.You may be surprised to learn that one of our growing selection of properties is just the ticket for you! Also, its helpful to keep in mind several important factors-

Our homes often offer a quality sleeper sofa for extra guests. Additionally, many of the IPS fractional owners can request up to 2 additional free weeks of unused time in any given year (see me for more details). Lastly, with annual dues around 500-800 euros per year, where else can you live in such graceful bliss for about 150E/week?