Advice to Buying a property in Marseille

Hello, I want to buy a property in Marseille and have found 2 possible choices - 1 by the Vieux Port (which has no Syndic and has a cockroach infestation) and one up in Cinq Avenues, which is cheap but has everything...Is there anyone out there who has recently bought in Marseille and could offer me their advice?

Hey! Im Planning to do the same, where did you find the aPPartments? wich one you bought after all?

Hello,

I decided to buy a flat in London instead - with the language barrier, it worried me too much, so I decided to stick with owning a 2nd property in London - not as sunny, but...

Woha! London, nice! congrats! :)

Thank you for your rePly! regards

I wish you well, Marseille is a beautiful part of the world and property's cheap there....I would recommend the 4eme, around Rue Liberation and 5 Avenues...

That is great, thank you! Why would you recommend it? can you give me some tiPs?
Im looking for something busy like city city, nothing quiet or calm hehe

It is warm, sunny for the majority of the year, you are near beautiful countryside and the sea.  There are parts of the city that should be avoided at all costs - 13eme etc - due to high crime rates/gangs.  I would not buy a property there. Marseille will never be Paris, but for all of that, it has its own attractions.  Are you looking to live there? What work will you do? Marseille is a poor city, so I'm not sure of the employment opportunities there.

Yes I was Planning to buy and move there, my husband says its the second large city of the country, so we figured it was good. Is it very Poor now? wich arrodsm should we avoid? I think at first I will have to find some easy jobs, like nanny, bartender, stuff like that.

Hello,

If you and your husband speak French, then you would have more employment opportunities....you will have more options.  I wouldn't know the exact Arrs to avoid, but know which ones are the better to live in - 1st Arr by the view port is great, but noisy at night - it has Belsunce (which is heavily populated with Muslim/Arab and, on the street and at night, is largely male-dominated. Property is cheap there, for a reason.  The plumbing in the properties there are lead!!!!   
The area I would choose is 4th Arr, because it is quiet, it looks nice and is close enough to the centre (approx 0.5 of a km).  Arrs 8/7 are the best ones, property is more expensive there. Arr 5 is OK, too.  I would not live in the 3rd Arr...because it does not look nice and is near St. Charles Station (which I hear is not safe).
Any Arrs that are a long way off are like the Favelas in Brazil (or so I hear) and are no-go areas for Tourists/non-residents.

Well thank you soo much! You have been really helPfull!!