THE news from the Cote d’Azur for any of any of our tycoons trying to sell their villa in the sun isn’t great: the average price for a luxury home on the French Riviera has fallen under €2 million for the first time, well, in a long time, according to a French property index just out.

On the other hand, the fall has boosted sales, so there’s a silver lining. Prices generally are down in France, which means that anyone looking for a place to buy might be in luck.

A change in French law on CGT on February 1st had a dampening effect on the market . . . but the law wouldn’t effect tax compliant Irish owners – because we still have to pay 25 per cent CGT, no matter what, explains David O’Donnell, partner in overseas property advisers McGrath O’Donnell.

Meanwhile property troubleshooter on the Riviera Katherine Garnier is still busy handling more mundane matters: she takes care of people’s properties, going to holiday homes to remove junk mail, open shutters, tidy gardens and generally let people know their place is being looked after.

While she’s doing this, she also checks that there arent any leaks, infestations (bugs are a problem in places like Nice), or simply lights and hot water left on for months. And did we mention squatters? Apparently squatters can move into untended properties. She also keeps a close eye on what’s happening on the Riviera, and sometimes hears about properties that are for sale, but not on the open market. She’s at Katherine-McCrea Garnier, info@katherine-garnier.com