Hi Paddy,
Dont believe all you hear, leasebacks can very very difficult to unload, and only 30% of French people buy their own property the majority rent. There is no problem with buying a regular property as a rental, even if you are many hundreds of miles away, as there are numerous management companies who for a fee take care of the entire property, including finding renters, cleaning , gardening and all the needed maintenance, and if and when you decide to sell it, it goes on the market in the usual manner without any strings attached.
With leasebacks you are not free to do with as you wish, when you wish unlike the ownership of a regular property. Think carefully, it is not a question of being lazy, you just need to know how to do it the alternative way, with no strings attached.