Everyone knows everyone, and everyone knows everything in the villages and small towns in France. At least, that's how it seems. Anyway, you can
sometimes find out a lot about the local housing market by talking to the locals. Hotels, chambres d'hôtes, cafés, restaurants, campsites are the best
places to do so because you can build short-term relationships here. By the way, local is entirely relative. The gossip area often extends for miles
around.