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The blame for the situation that threatens the morale of households and owners who do not sell. Despite lower prices by 4.9% in 2009 and interest rates lower, the French believe that this is not the right time to buy. According to the Ifop survey presented Tuesday by the National Federation of Real Estate (FNAIM), 76% of potential buyers find that prices are too high and 51% it is difficult to obtain credit.

At these fears including rising unemployment, compounded by the lack of property: 60% of potential purchasers can not find property they like. "Many owners receive their property from the market because falling prices have made conditions unfavorable to sellers," admits the Fnaim comprising 13,000 agencies. Only 11% of owners consider that the time is ripe to sell.

600,000 sales in 2010

Despite these very encouraging indicators, Rene Pallincourt, President Fnaim wants to believe. "The crisis is behind us, we are in the period of crisis," says he, adding that this period would be "more or less long. Counting on the sustainability of the tremor recorded in December 2009, he believes in a modest recovery in 2010 which confirmed in 2011.

"There will be no sharp rebound but with low interest rates, purchase conditions improved particularly for households with incomes of about 3,000 euros. More buyers have incorporated that prices will fall more and the period of speculation on the price decline is over, "explains Fnaim. For her, the prices will undergo changes from -3% to +3%, while the value of property in the affected employment areas or remote areas may still fall.

Rene Pallincourt remains optimistic and expects a global increase in sales in 2010. If estimated at 550,000 the total number of transactions in France in 2009, he expects 600,000 in 2010. Estimates superior to those of notaries and the branch network Century 21.

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The world of computers, Hewlett Packard (HP) released Monday at the close of Wall Street, results for the fourth quarter of fiscal offset. The annual net profit fell by 8% to $ 7.7 billion, although the last quarter, it is up 14% year on year to 2.4 billion dollars. Earnings per share (EPS) stood at $ 1.14, in line with analysts' expectations. Revenues, which had already been announced, is 30.8 billion over the quarter, down 8%.

These results compare with those published by other industry giants such as Dell Computer, which introduced a quarterly profit drop of 54% and a revenue and EPS below expectations.

"The company will return to growth in 2010," said HP CEO Mark Hurd, commenting on these results the financial television channel CNBC.Of slowing demand, the group had announced six months ago the abolition of 6,400 jobs, mainly in the products division.

The group confirmed its outlook for the year shifted from October to September, which just started, with sales rising, between 118 and 119 billion dollars, earnings per share excluding exceptional items of between 4.25 and 4.35 dollars.

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Nearly 4 000 passengers per month this summer with tourists, 3 500 this fall against a thousand a year ago. Since the price rose 9.40 euro to 1 euro, whatever the length of the journey, the bus is "furiously trend in the Pyrenees-Orientales. The council did not expect when he decided in autumn 2008, to experiment the bus at low cost.

This success has not sealed the accounts of the county transportation department. "Last year, explains its director, Patrick Remy, revenues amounted to 900 bus 000. This is exactly the same budget line this year. Increased attendance has offset the lower price. We even managed to retain new users. "To balance the accounts, the services have been streamlined, including by replacing scheduled by demand services to avoid driving empty buses.In 2012, all municipalities will be well served. In the wake of the Pyrenees-Orientales, but also the Alpes-Maritimes, 29 departments have chosen this formula for the single rate between 1.50 and 2 euros.