Amberlake Partners Monaco

 

If it isn’t apparent by now, being in the luxury real estate world on the French Riviera for over a decade, I am more than a little obsessed with properties in the region (including Monaco) both historic and brand new.

Being Canadian means that most of my clients are North American, mainly from the USA. Whether renting a luxury villa rental or buying a primary or secondary home comes with a lot of questions and confirmations on how the real estate world works in France.

The main question for those interested in real estate here is, “If I buy a property, will that entitle me to an automatic visa?” The short answer is no, that it doesn’t.

Of course, you can still visit your property if you are coming from North America, there is the 90/180-day rule as a tourist. Meaning, that under the terms of Schengen, non-EEA nationals cannot spend more than a total of 90 days within a total period of 180 days without a visa. Furthermore, once you've used up your quota of 90 days, you cannot return to Schengen until 90 more days have passed.

But there are 200 visas one can apply for to suit your lifestyle, some for a year or more with extensions depending on an individual’s circumstances.

The second question I get is, “How easy is it for an American to get a mortgage?”

Americans can get a French mortgage under some circumstances, but it is extremely difficult. The 'Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act' (FATCA) is part of the US tax code and was introduced in 2014 to help counter tax evasion. French banks find the cost of complying with this to be prohibitive.

But, here is some good news on that subject.

As a foreigner, depending on the country clients come from, this can be difficult to navigate as the rules in France and Monaco to obtain a mortgage are (as with any country) completely different compared to what a client might be familiar with in their homeland.

This past summer I met with the owners of Amberlake Partners, a fully authorized wealth management company based in Monaco.

Co-founded by Michael Fiorentini and Jagdeep Kapoor, Amberlake Partners is led by individuals with extensive experience in banking, real estate investment, and financial services. Michael's background includes over 14 years of experience in banking, while Jagdeep has over 21 years of experience in real estate investment in Europe.

With this being Monaco, there are any number of wealth management offices, but what sets this firm apart from the others is their experience that comes from listening to their client's needs, while proactively acting upon their requests using their knowledge about their industry while offering diverse and comprehensive solutions.

They guide clients through the Structured Products universe, assist in constructing portfolios that align with individual investment profiles, help integrate an ESG portfolio allocation, consider alternatives like Real Estate, Private Equity, and Hedge Funds, and assist with banking needs such as account opening, financing, order placement, and account consolidation.

With an in-house methodology, Amberlake Partners provides an alternative to traditional investment approaches, giving clients access to original investment ideas.

Their focus on true open architecture aims to reduce costs across investment portfolios, maximizing returns for their clients. Drawing on their experience in the financial services industry, they conduct business with the utmost confidentiality, using proprietary tools to help clients track and understand their investments continuously.

One of the many things that immediately caught my attention with this wealth management company is that since most of my clients are from North America, from time to time, there can be issues when trying to obtain a mortgage for a local property purchase.

That problem though has now been solved thanks to the initiative taken as Amberlake Partners have recently been granted a license from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a Foreign Registered Investment Advisor (RIA).

This significant achievement makes Amberlake Partners the first wealth management firm in Monaco to acquire this status which definitely makes them stand out and above the rest.

Until now, US individuals have faced challenges when it comes to securing loans from private banks for the purchase of luxury residences in France. The reason? The lack of an investment manager authorized to invest the collateral of their loans.

Amberlake Partners, with their new SEC license, is now able to bridge this gap. Since they can provide investment advisory services to US persons, which can enhance their financial power and facilitate their property acquisition journey in France.

This is a total game-changer for those of us in the real estate industry in France and Monaco as it helps make the property process quicker, easier, and more direct for our US clientele base.

Amberlake Partners are devoted to maintaining the highest standards of compliance. Their SEC registration details can be found at https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/322274.

Their approach begins with a free-of-cost analysis and planning phase, followed by the signature of an advisory mandate, investment proposals, cooperation with private banks, and continuous follow-up. They are there every step of the way, ensuring a smooth and efficient investment process.

But best of all, Amberlake Partners is completely LGBTQ+ friendly. To them, it’s about having the person’s financial planning needs met without having to navigate what you can disclose and without fear of being turned away.

At Experience The French Riviera, we are pleased to be able to have Amberlake Partners as part of our extensive network of partnerships in France and Monaco to help assist our clients.

Connect with me at Info@experiencethefrenchriviera.com for a personal introduction.