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Drop everything you’re doing, sound the alarms: The French government is offering $5,600 to those willing to relocate their lives to the historic Hauts-de-France region.
The goal is to bring in new people to help revitalize the region, known by some as Picardie. It’s an area that stretches from the outer limits of Paris all the way to Champagne and toward the Bay of Somme. It’s known for its royal history, incredible botany, outdoor activities, and miles and miles of scenic roads to drive.
In order to get your check, there are a few qualifications you have to have to meet first—and they do narrow down the opportunity pool quite a bit. For anyone interested, it has to be their first time buying a home or they must be a new resident to one of the Aisne municipalities included in the offer. It gets trickier: The homes that fall into this opportunity must have been active on the market for three years. If you do manage to get through the first hoops, buyers must sign a contract promising they’ll stay in the home for at least five years. If they don’t follow through, they’ll have to pay $1,100 back to their given municipality for each year in violation of the agreement.
Related: Exploring the Beautiful Towns of Southern France
The current state of the homes are dire, but according to a report on French news site, The Local, authorities are confident they’ll bring in plenty of people open to making the necessary renovations. Market prices for homes in this area are low, but the cost of whipping a historical stone home into shape can get high quick. Another thing to keep in mind: The region is rural. There isn’t one municipality that currently has high-speed Internet (but officials are hoping that’ll soon change). What you will find is everything you’ll need to get by: schools, daycares, medical centers, grocery stores, shops, and restaurants.
