What foreign buyers should know before they sign in Italy.
Honest, in-depth notes from Italian insiders on the documents, money, renovation traps, tax breaks and headlines shaping the market right now.
FEATURED · THE €1 HOUSE
The €1 house in Italy: what the headlines don't tell American buyers.
A house for the price of an espresso sounds like the deal of the decade. The €1 is real. Almost everything around it is the part that costs money.
TAX & COSTS
Italy's 7% flat tax for retirees: who actually qualifies in 2026.
The town threshold just rose to 30,000 residents. Here's what that opens up, and the income it really covers.
INVESTMENT
The Airbnb crackdown: what the CIN code and 26% tax mean for your rental plans.
National registration, key-box bans and a higher flat tax are reshaping short-let returns. Read before you bank on income.
LIFESTYLE
“AmerExit”: why record numbers of Americans are buying in Italy.
Searches for moving to Italy hit all-time highs. What's driving it, and where the new arrivals are actually landing.
TAX & COSTS
The real cost of buying in Italy, beyond the sticker price.
Budget 10–20% on top. Notary, taxes, two-sided agent fees and the line items buyers routinely miss.
DOCUMENTS
Catasto vs reality: when the floor plans don't match the house.
Cadastral mismatches are common in older Italian homes. Which ones are harmless, and which should stop you.
TAX & COSTS
Prima casa vs second home: the tax difference that can cost you thousands.
2% versus 9% registration tax hinges on residency. Most non-resident Americans won't qualify, here's why.
BUYING PROCESS
The proposta d'acquisto: what you're really signing before the deposit.
The purchase proposal feels like a formality. Once accepted, it can bind you to buy. Read this first.
VISAS & RESIDENCY
Buying a house does not let you live in Italy. The visa does.
Ownership and immigration are separate tracks. The 90/180 rule, and the residency routes that actually work.
VISAS & RESIDENCY
The Elective Residency Visa: the route most American retirees take.
Built for stable passive income, scrutinised hard by consulates. What it asks for and what it forbids.
REGIONS
Sicily's €1 towns, ranked by whether you'd actually want to live there.
Sambuca, Mussomeli, Troina and beyond. Airports, hospitals, community, and the gap between fame and life.
RENOVATION
“Needs work” in Italy: reading the renovation warning signs.
Telling a cosmetic refresh from a structural money-pit before you fall in love with a ruin.
TAX & COSTS
Can Americans get an Italian mortgage? Yes, but slower.
Italian banks do lend to US buyers. The income checks, deposits and timelines to plan around.
TAX & COSTS
US tax when you own and rent in Italy: FATCA, FBAR and the IRS.
The IRS taxes worldwide income. The reporting that catches American owners off guard, explained.
REGIONS
Lake Como on a non-billionaire budget: where buyers actually look.
Past the celebrity villas, the towns and price points real second-home buyers are choosing.
RENOVATION
Buying a ruin to rebuild: realistic timelines and budgets.
What a full restoration really costs and how long it really takes, managed from another country.