Newbie meet-up (Montpellier)

My husband and I will be moving to the Montpellier area this summer. I will be visiting Montpellier for a week starting 20 January and would love to meet any American expats who would share their experiences. I'm particularly interested how one deals with what seems to me like the Catch 22 of having to secure a place to stay in order to get a long-stay visa, before being able to be there and look for a place. Thanks.