The "Compromis" to Bare It All

Paris Mannequins, Photo by Erica Simone

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Monday, March 28, 2011 • Paris, France

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Dear Parler Paris Reader,

Over the years I've signed hundreds of real estate transaction documents on behalf of our clients, along with a few for my own purchases. Friday was one of them -- the pre-sale agreement on the Nice apartment I found about one month ago to purchase...but this time it was a different kind of pre-sale agreement -- a "Compromis" de Vente as compared to a "Promesse" de Vente.

The difference between them had never been entirely clear to me. Even the Notaires offered not much more of an explanation than "They use a Compromis de Vente more often outside of Paris." This time was an opportunity to see for myself what makes the two documents different for both the buyer and seller. The primary difference is that the Promesse, is 'unilateral' and commits the purchaser to purchase at the agreed-upon price with an amount to pay (10% deposit) should the purchaser default, whereas the Compromis is bilateral, and commits both the buyer and the seller, with a price to pay by either party should one or the other default.

(In Thursday's French Property Insider, I'll explain the differences in greater detail. SeeFrench Property Insider and subscribe free if you're not already.)

With this document in hand, it's now up to me to secure a mortgage and fulfill my obligations within the time limits set -- in this case by the end of May. I'm already planning for the summer to be spent in Nice doing the renovation...not really an ideal time for such an exercise (heat, tourists and high rents), but as they say, "c'est la vie."

Martine di Matteo, our illustrious Interior Architect, and Veronique Husson, our 'Mosaiiste Extraordinaire,' are traveling with me to Nice mid April for two days to see the apartment, make the plans and meet with contractors. It's barely enough time to have a good "Salade Niçoise," soak up some sun plus formulate the parameters for the massive renovation the apartment will eventually undergo in preparation for vacation rental under the name of "Le Palais du Soleil."

My stay there both days was aborted by a strong maternal urge to be present at the opening of my daughter's first solo gallery showing of her "Nue York Portraits" the evening of April 14th in New York City. It didn't seem so necessary when she first told me of the show, but now that it's received so much press, it didn't seem right to NOT be there. Thanks to Nice having an international airport, one of the last four remaining seats on a flight to New York was secured, just in time to arrive for the evening opening at the Dash Gallery in Tribeca. It's nuts, but the 'proud mother' must be present, "n'est-ce pas?"

Since Erica's first press releases about the exhibition went out late last week, the media, not only in New York, but around the world, has picked up on the "Self-Portraits of a Bare Urban Citizen" unlike anything she expected. The New York Daily News ran a story and NBC interviewed her on camera. It's all rather overwhelming to a young, struggling "Parisienne-Nue Yorkaise" who is thrilled just to earn enough to pay the monthly maintenance on her West Village apartment.

Someone asked me what it feels like to have my daughter's nakedness plastered all over the Internet, in newspapers and in magazines. Another person remarked that he'd "never let his daughter" expose herself like that. I must admit, I never really even thought much about the nudity in this context -- there is so much of it in France that my American puritanical thinking went out the window long ago. And as far as 'letting her'...has any parent ever been successful not allowing their children be who they really are?

The media likes to tout she was "Paris-born," but of course she was American-born, but "Paris-raised" having arrived here just shy of her ninth birthday. She complained bitterly for the first few years that we had uprooted her from her cushy Los Angeles home, until she realized how much she had acquired by living in another culture, learning another language and experiencing a broader viewpoint on life...including the way she feels about her own body.

Paris was an enlightening and enriching foundation for the future Nue Yorker, who at this young age of 25, could never achieve such success in France so quickly -- not under the stultifying system the youth of France have with which to contend. (I'll be writing an article this week for International Living about the subject -- the entrepreneurship in France -- an interesting and challenging topic for an American with strong entrepreneurial ideas.)

Take note of what happened in yesterday's canton elections in France: the Socialist Party was the big winner with nearly 36% of the vote, while Sarkozy's UMP party took 20% and the National Front had 11.7%. This means that entrepreneurship will be struggling even more to keep its capitalistic ideas above water. Whoa to the aspiring youth of France to excel and be who they really are! I suppose there will be those who rebel and seek their fame and fortune in other, more accepting environments?...like Nue York?

A la prochaine...

Adrian Leeds
Editor, Parler Paris
(dueling cameras, with daughter, Erica Simone)

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P.S. If you are interested in learning more about purchasing property on the Riviera, email me at adrian@adrianleeds.com to discuss how we can help you find your "pied-à-terre" or villa in the sun. To learn more about Erica Simone's Nue York Portraits, visit nue-york.com and to subscribe to French Property Insider, visitFrench Property Insider