Hello and congrats on your beautiful home! Curious about the visa/residence permits you had when you left the USA. Does purchasing a home in Italy allow you to reside in the county permanently and become an Italian citizen? Thanks for the great info!
Hello and thank you! We will be doing a video on this in the very near future. In short, Stijn is a Belgian citizen so a lot of my being able to be here has been because of that. We're sort of an out of the ordinary story so we will go into all the details in a future video. Thank you so much for watching and leaving a great comment 💞🇮🇹 Debbie and Stijn
@@ouritaliandestiny7955 Wonderful, I look forward to hearing about it! By the way, I have family on my mom's side in Perugia, Latina, Lazio & Fermignano, Marche...which I believe is north of you guys! We're 2yrs to early retirement & planning to slow travel for a year to see how it works out & making that part of Italy one of our first stops! Love your videos & enjoyed your visit with John & Bev, as we follow them too, as well as "Brian and Carrie" who are slow traveling & also from here in the states! Take care!
@@borntoroam2468 Awe, Perugia is only 45 minutes to the east of us, the others a bit more. We went to Marche a few weeks ago and posted a video, Yucca is Yummy! Another gorgeous part of Italy!! Let us know when you will be in our area, we love showing it off💞 We absolutely loved meeting John & Bev and having them as our guests for a few days. We recently started following Brian and Carrie as well! 💞🇮🇹Debbie and Stijn
@@borntoroam2468 Thanks for following us all! Good luck on your early retirement! We highly recommend an adventure and hope we get an update on how it's going in the future!
We are curious too on the residence requirements, also I’m assuming based on your video their was no financing involved ie. mortgage. I’m curious how involved that process would be. Looking forward to your next videos! ~great job! ~Cara 😊
Hi! My wife and I are really curious about prices in Italy. We really like your Vlog, but noticed that you never say how much anything costs. For example, your Italian house and your kitchen remodel. Pricing information about these items would be super-informative and helpful to your viewers. Thanks and we love your vlogs!
Hi Britt! Good point. Our house was 185,000€ and our kitchen about 15,000€ We're so happy you're enjoying our videos and we strive to make them better with great suggestions from our viewers like you!
@@ouritaliandestiny7955 that's actually expensive when looking at Italian prices (depending what you get obviously)..but normally you can get a decent place for anything around 50,000 to 120,000 or thereabouts...
Thank you for sharing your experience. Interestingly enough, that crop still belongs to the seller even after sealing the deal with selling the property. On the other hand, it sounds fair to those people, who took care of trees or plants throughout the year.
That house you point out at 1:40, I swear I saw that on idealista or gate-away last year. I've been searching those two sites for homes for sale for about a year now and I swear I recognize that one. My husband and I hope to move there in about two years.
Short, sweet and to the point ! Why can't more you tubers be like you, instead of waffling on about diddly squat. Much appreciated, Thnx and enjoy your new life...
It’s a blessing to buy a villa in Italy and live there,I moved from Italy to the U S A now I can say that I prefer The U S. The hospitals are lacking. Doctors even if is free medical for everyone but the system is broken . Waiting for cat scans X rays takes weeks to schedule .I love Vacationing in Italy but when it comes to actual living and comforts love my life in America . Parking and wide roads makes it less stressful for me here .Our American schools are well equipped for sports activities heated and air conditioned ,I could go on and on.
Except that healthcare is broken in the U.S and has become unaffordable. It is the only country in the world where you can go bankrupt because of medical bills despite having insurance. I love my country, but it is becoming a country of have and have nots. And that sadly is never sustainable.
We are trying to purchase property remotely and it is very rare for a realtor to respond in Italy. Any possible purchase will require a fiscal code. If purchasing remotely you do not need to go to an Italian Consulate in the States. Unlike the States you will rarely get the home address or numerous photos of the property. Agents are extremely reluctant to give out specific addresses....if they even respond. The process can take 3 to 4 months. The Ecobonus program has slowed the Notary process even more in Italy. August.....nothing happens with the purchase of a property. It is very common to have no kitchen and large pieces of wooden furniture left in the house. If there is a cellar specify that it must be empty and contents removed from the property. As of this writing the currency conversion is equal. It would be a great time to buy. Just be very, very patient. Customer service in Italy is not a given.
Happy Anniversary and congratulations to you both for another wonderful video!! We thought it was fascinating that in the buying process that if the Seller backs out the Buyer/s receive double their deposit back.. Very important to list everything in the RE Contract on what's included inside the home and outside, including harvesting of trees!!.. Wishing you two a successful Fall Harvest from your Olive grove and look forward to next year in 2023 helping you harvest and have fun together while we are there!!
Just happened on your site!! What beautiful home and what a exciting life you are living. So happy for you and your husband. Enjoy watching your adventures.
Nice home! I just came to a verbal agreement with seller and pre compremesso and compremesso is being written by my attorney and a notaio. Hope to close in September when I’ll be in the area visiting. I’m a dual citizen and plan on living there in a few months. Congratulations on yours!
@@ouritaliandestiny7955 I’m buying in Scalea, Calabria. I looked everywhere for years. Fell in love. Meets all my needs. Only three hours high speed train to Rome. 7% flat tax zone. Plus many other …..
We feel very lucky Lorrie that our buying process went so smoothly and quickly! We know two people that weren't so lucky. One finally got into her her new home just last month after 2 months of waiting after she signed the purchase agreement and another lady still hasn't closed on her property she sold back in March. 💞🇮🇹
Sounds like an interesting experience, Debbie and Stign. We just went though the process, but back here in the US. We left them our kitchen though! Happily they purchased most of our furniture too. Since we downsized we would have had to scramble otherwise. Interesting about the penalties for backing out of selling. Also interesting about the sellers being there for the showing. We were gone and the realtor handled it. We were happy however to meet them as the agreement was signed at their request. I also wanted to make sure everything was clear. They are a lovely young couple! Loved hearing about your experience in Italy. Next year, you'll have a wonderful Olive Celebration!
We're so happy you had a pleasant experience and your buyers were so sweet Dave and Kathy. We were very lucky as well after all the horror stories we've been hearing about others who bought a house in Italy. Thank you so much for watching, Debbie and Stijn
Right guys, just starting to binge watch more of your videos. This is really interesting, especially the addresses issue, we’ve noticed that. Also interesting about the sellers showing you round, rather than the agent. We would love to by abroad one day so all of this is really great. How lovely that you had the previous owners round for dinner. Also really interesting about the harvesting unwritten rule. Fab video, looking forward to getting through more of your videos 🍻
So happy to hear you're enjoying our videos!! If you ever feel the need to have a look in our area please let us know, your room will be waiting for you!! Debbie and Stijn
Beautiful Video ❤️ I think the pandemic and economic crisis have taught people the importance of multiple streams of income, unfortunately having a job doesn't mean financial security. I really appreciate the transparency and giving people a fighting chance during these troubling times.
You are right! I lost my Job during the pandemic, I lost almost everything I had including my savings. I started an investment which today is the reason I have my own business.
I agree with you 100%. Did you know that the unemployment rate increased significantly between 2020-2021. people found themselves unemployed. we should not depend solely on wages and salaries.
@Adnan Khan I thought I was the only one who knew Alicia Seda Rich. Her techniques are quite exceptional. I had the privilege of meeting her at a Summit in Singapore. It feels really good to see you talk about her.
I started with about 7,000, which I could afford at the time. Now I have €. 200 k as generated ROI, and it's been only a year. The most interesting part of it is that you don't need a lot of money to start with. Alicia is the best Professional Broker I know, she has a way of making huge profits in just one week.
We're so excited for you. Can you give us a general sense of the cost of similar home like that? I understand that you don't want to give an exact price, but maybe a range?
Lol 😂 I just love the point about the harvest! Who would have known? Not me! I’ve been looking at an olive grove and now I’m thinking…don’t get too attached to the beautiful olives for at least a year as they’re still not really yours! You’ve got to love those customs ♥️🥰🇮🇹
You would never even give it a second thought. Yep, those olives definitely wouldn't be yours this year Marisa😂 Glad we could help to avoid the heart break💞🇮🇹 Debbie and Stijn
That was very interesting about the olive harvesting. I'm assuming (and I suppose you are as well) that the seller's right to harvest ends after a year. I think your new channel focus will be interesting to a lot of people. Good job.
Yes, we would assume, but never take anything for granted in Italy😂 So glad you are enjoying our content. We will still be having some travelling videos as well! We still have the rest of Italy to explore! Thanks for watching Jay and Tanya💞🇮🇹 Debbie and Stijn
Excellent video guys, congrats on the purchase! Would you be able to make a video on the process of dealing with realtors? Real Estate Websites? I've heard they take a long time to reply back sometimes, or you need certain criteria to begin the buying process? (If buying remotely from the U.S.) Thanks again for all your help, salute! 🍷
Most all of my closings here in the states have had both buyers and sellers present . To sign papers and turn over keys. I only had one closing where the sellers where but there .
E' vero c'è molta burocrazia nel sistema italiano. Però alcune leggi servono a tutelare e dare garanzie alle persone. E' normale che nei primi periodi dovrete imparare le modalità dettate dal sistema italiano. In generale la prima casa è molto tutelata dal nostro sistema legislativo. Il troppo caldo non è al momento regolamentato ma speriamo che presto le temperature ritornino ad una normalità ........................ 🤣🤣
Cool video. Is there any inspection that takes place prior to closing to reveal any huge problems? Are there mineral rights that do or do not pass with the property?
I have never heard anyone talk about mineral rights so I'm not sure about that. You can certainly have various kinds of inspections done before purchasing, particularly recommended for older homes. Every home that is sold requires a habitation license which includes validation that there are no illegal structures present but that's part of the fee you pay the notary.
Lol! We literally were handed like 10 different key chains with some having ap least 10 keys on them🤣😂 it was hysterical! We're excited to have that dang olive harvest party this year!! 😂🤣 Thank you guys for watching💞🇮🇹 Debbie and Stijn
No-one actually explains the requirements to obtain a Visa to reside in Italy. As Australian Pensioners (in our 70s) who would be able to purchase a property, have savings BUT apparently only INCOME is counted and our pensions fall short. If retired, noone mentions the income required to apply for residency.
Good to know. Will be noted if we ever say to ourselves that “we could live here” in Italy. Warning…we say that to many of the places we have visited in the states. 😍😂😂
What type of annual property taxes are imposed on you? Is it like in the U.S. ? Does it increase annually by a fixed percentage or an appraised amount? Thanks for sharing.
The property tax on primary residences is zero currently. You do pay on a second home but I couldn't tell you how much, certainly a lot less than in the US though.
Great video! This is probably a silly question but why didn’t your agent disclose that piece of information re the olive trees? That should have been highlighted!
She knew it but didn't think they would want to harvest them because there were only 12 trees and it was a bad year for olives. Still no excuse we agree. So our point exactly, if you are buying something with any sort of something that's harvestable, especially olive trees, make sure you settle on an agreement who gets the harvest. We know many people with the same story! Gotta love Italy 💕🇮🇹😂
Hello, I've enjoyed your comments about finding and purchasing property in Umbria. I'm thinking of doing a simalar thing and wondering if you could suggest a town where a reasonable apartment might be found. Iill not have a vehicle so walking to shops, markets, and cafes will be essential. I am also very focused on art and antiquity (therefore leaning towards Umbria). Any suggestions would be helpful for early visits and securing a long term property.
Thanks for the insight. I currently surf the Idealista web site for properties in the Tuscan, Umbrian and Marche area. I live in Colorado/US and know enough to realize that Italian real estate is different. Here of course we have the full price or above option, or lose the potential property. How would you compare listing price to contract price in Italy? I feel that buying while across the Atlantic is worse than having boots on the ground and not being in any hurry. I am not against renting first, then looking. Cash in hand of course. So many places that could be had that are not even listed. How are your driver’s licenses going? I am prepping three years in advance for that ball of fun.
Hi Brian, good to hear from you again! All 3 of those areas are beautiful but Umbria comes in on lower costs for everything compared to Tuscany and being right next door, you get the best of both worlds! It would definitely be better to be on this side of the pond, especially because of all the little things that crop up in these older houses. Some regions have some good tax benefits as well, but I'm not clear on all of that. Listed prices here I think are merely to see if they can get away with it. Our house was originally listed for 280,000. Euros 3 years ago then reduced and reduced again. We found it on the last reduced price of 195,000 and ultimaly in the end we paid 180,000 euros + taxes and fees. Its very common for a house to sit on the market for up to 5 years. So the closer to that mark you're likely able to get a great deal. Of course you'll more then likely have to install a kitchen🤣😂 Stijn has an EU drivers license and I'm in the process of exchanging my US one for a Belgian one, the I will exchange that for an Italian one! No test for me Phew! Thank you so much for watching and your great comment! 💞🇮🇹 Debbie and Stijn
@@ouritaliandestiny7955 Keep in mind : If you had not allowed them to harvest previous season ,the people in the village would have known . You see, in Italy everyone is family 😉
Hello, great video, thank you! Can you please tell me what is the real estate agent fee in Umbria? By the way, do you know someone you would recommend? My husband and I are traveling to Umbria very soon! 🌺
The US is one of the few countries that requires you to always file a tax return regardless of where you live. Italy has some agreements with the US regarding certain income types and how those are taxed. There is some debate about social security income but we are fortunate that the taxation of our income is done in the US since it's a government employment retirement. I would suggest you speak to a tax accountant (called commercialista in Italy) prior to moving if the taxes are a big factor. Generally speaking you should expect taxes to be higher wherever you move as a US citizen, what you 'get' for your taxes is generally also higher. Now that we are residents in Italy we will have to start filing taxes over here as well.
We bought in a town called Piegaro, price range roughly 200 000 euro. When buying from a private party you will need to work with a notary who draws up the contracts and does the research to ensure the seller is the owner etc. You then meet with all parties and all sign the document that explains the property that is being transferred. Generally there is also a realtor involved. The fees (notary, realtor etc) to consider are roughly 4-6% of the property value.
Hi Mike, you pay them at time of purchase and yearly, however, currently for primary residences annual property taxes are at zero percent, Which apparently is temporary and has been "temporary" for a very long time. Great question! Thank you so much for watching 💞🇮🇹 Debbie and Stijn
We paid 185,000 euros for 2 bedrooms ,2 bathrooms, and an office. It's about 1600 sqft of house and an acre of land. Thank you for watching! Debbie and Stijn
We have individual units for the living room and both bedrooms so we can cool only the areas we spend time in. Electricity is quite expensive here compared to the US so I prefer this versus the central air commonly used in America.
I’m currently trying to purchase a property in Chiati, Italy I’ve sent 5 emails directly to sales person and have not gotten a response I don’t know what todo is this customary . I’m a Real Estate sales person in America and that’s not something we do we respond with in hours of an interested possible customer. Any advise
You can buy a house at any point, but there are a few requirements. We had to have a codice fiscale which is a sort of social security number for starters. Because we didn't need a loan I'm not sure if there are other requirements or not. We would recommend renting in the beginning so you can get a feel for the area and what you really want in a property.
Great video, I’ve been planning on buying one or two properties in Italy here soon. My biggest question is with managing the Italian mortgage. Do you have any suggestions on banks? Also I always thought that I needed minimum 40% for the down payment, but you explained that you put down 10%. Can i buy a home in Italy with 10 or 20% down as a US citizen buying in Italy?? Thank you for your help.
We're so glad you enjoyed our video! We're not sure how borrowing money here works as we paid cash for our house. The down payment was to secure the offer and here in Italy if the buyer fails to proceed he loses his money and if the seller fails to proceed the buyer gets his money back double! Pretty cool little deal.
@@ouritaliandestiny7955 thank you for the info. That seems in line with what I had previously knew, but I was hoping you guys knew something different about borrowing and mortgage down payments. Look forward to your future videos.
@@JefitoBazanella As a follow up, we did inquire about getting a mortgage for a second home here and there was a 40% down payment requirement (max 60% loan to value). Additionally, mortgages have a limit on the age of the borrower (mortgage timeline cannot exceed 80 years of age for any borrower) and in order to get a slightly better rate there was a requirement to have a monthly amount direct deposited into the associated bank account. This would have gotten us about a 6% rate (6 months ago) which was still pretty terrible so we didn't proceed.
@@stijnt2377 thank you for the information!! This also seems to be the same info as what I had researched before. The only difference was I didn’t realize that the rate was so high. I will have to continue to search around for mortgage rates in Italy.
Hi there Debby and Stijn, seriously working on moving to Italy from Australia and loving all of your videos! Congratulations on your decison to stay and purchase an awesome property! And great renovations! As have a long question wondering if you'd share an email address please? All best and keep enjoying under the Umbrian sun! : )
Absolutely not required but being a cash buyer helps, as it does in the US. We know many people who bought with a mortgage though, generally an Italian lender was used in those scenarios. Your realtor can recommend local institutions to work with depending on location. We inquired about getting a loan for an investment property and found the rates high and max loan to value very low (55-60%) so it was not something we pursued.
Does the current political climate in Italy concern you at all. We are visiting very soon and were planning to find a place to retire, and suddenly I'm seeing so much concerning a very radical political situation happening. Will this adversely affect expats retired there?
@@ouritaliandestiny7955 I hope it won't keep us from moving there. Currently, the news here says it is the first time someone so radical is being elected since Mussolini. Thanks for replying
We did consider it briefly but between the cold winters, very steep and narrow roads and relatively high cost of living we never really looked at it too closely. It was also the very first region we saw in Italy so perhaps mentally we weren't ready yet to commit 😊
Not really. If you at least know the basics like me (Debbie) you can at least shop, go to the bakery etc. But it will be important to speak the language if your having work done. We needed a translator in the beginning but Stijn took Italian lessons and he can converse with everyone! No translator needed.
@@ouritaliandestiny7955 Thanks for the reply, that helps....we are planning a trip to Italy for about a month to see how we like it. Need to start taking some classes now before we go.
@@ouritaliandestiny7955 Thank you, but not on the same day with the owners? I want to buy a house in Abruzzo and i don`t want to do anything wrong. So thank you very much for sharing your experience! 🥰 I already knew most of what you told, except for the Olives...no olive trees at the house i want to buy 😀 Did you have an english speaking notary or went it thru a translator?
@@wonderwhy224 Yes, we were together with the owners, very common here. Our translator was our realtor. The papers are read in detail, in Italian and English! I think the process took about 2-3 hours. Wishing you the best in the purchase of your new Italian home💕🇮🇹
All we have is our personal experience, which we share on this channel. Despite some of the struggles we face with burocracy in Italy we are still super happy to have made the decisions we made since all of the other aspects easily make up for this.
Hello and congrats on your beautiful home! Curious about the visa/residence permits you had when you left the USA. Does purchasing a home in Italy allow you to reside in the county permanently and become an Italian citizen? Thanks for the great info!
Hello and thank you! We will be doing a video on this in the very near future. In short, Stijn is a Belgian citizen so a lot of my being able to be here has been because of that. We're sort of an out of the ordinary story so we will go into all the details in a future video.
Thank you so much for watching and leaving a great comment 💞🇮🇹
Debbie and Stijn
@@ouritaliandestiny7955 Wonderful, I look forward to hearing about it! By the way, I have family on my mom's side in Perugia, Latina, Lazio & Fermignano, Marche...which I believe is north of you guys! We're 2yrs to early retirement & planning to slow travel for a year to see how it works out & making that part of Italy one of our first stops! Love your videos & enjoyed your visit with John & Bev, as we follow them too, as well as "Brian and Carrie" who are slow traveling & also from here in the states! Take care!
@@borntoroam2468 Awe, Perugia is only 45 minutes to the east of us, the others a bit more. We went to Marche a few weeks ago and posted a video, Yucca is Yummy! Another gorgeous part of Italy!!
Let us know when you will be in our area, we love showing it off💞 We absolutely loved meeting John & Bev and having them as our guests for a few days. We recently started following Brian and Carrie as well!
💞🇮🇹Debbie and Stijn
@@borntoroam2468 Thanks for following us all! Good luck on your early retirement! We highly recommend an adventure and hope we get an update on how it's going in the future!
We are curious too on the residence requirements, also I’m assuming based on your video their was no financing involved ie. mortgage. I’m curious how involved that process would be. Looking forward to your next videos! ~great job! ~Cara 😊
Umbria is magic, I can tell you as an Italian. Some say it’s the heart chakra of the Earth
@@tizianabelotti7957 it truly is💞🇮🇹
Bella casa sul serio, complimenti
We left 'crazy' land and moved to Italy in 2021 - no regrets here. Keep up the good work
Thank you so much 💞🇮🇹
Hi! My wife and I are really curious about prices in Italy. We really like your Vlog, but noticed that you never say how much anything costs. For example, your Italian house and your kitchen remodel. Pricing information about these items would be super-informative and helpful to your viewers. Thanks and we love your vlogs!
Hi Britt! Good point. Our house was 185,000€ and our kitchen about 15,000€
We're so happy you're enjoying our videos and we strive to make them better with great suggestions from our viewers like you!
@@ouritaliandestiny7955 that's actually expensive when looking at Italian prices (depending what you get obviously)..but normally you can get a decent place for anything around 50,000 to 120,000 or thereabouts...
Thank you for sharing your experience. Interestingly enough, that crop still belongs to the seller even after sealing the deal with selling the property. On the other hand, it sounds fair to those people, who took care of trees or plants throughout the year.
It is truly a unique tradition here in Italy.
Thank you so much for watching💞🇮🇹
We will be paying close attention to your videos. Settling in Italy was our first thought. Now we plan to travel until we find the perfect place.
That's how we did it!
Love the Cicadas sounds!
Beautiful isn't it? 💞🇮🇹
That house you point out at 1:40, I swear I saw that on idealista or gate-away last year. I've been searching those two sites for homes for sale for about a year now and I swear I recognize that one. My husband and I hope to move there in about two years.
Oh that's funny. Wishing you the best of luck on your search💞
Short, sweet and to the point ! Why can't more you tubers be like you, instead of waffling on about diddly squat. Much appreciated, Thnx and enjoy your new life...
Awww, thank you 💞
It’s a blessing to buy a villa in Italy and live there,I moved from Italy to the U S A now I can say that I prefer The U S. The hospitals are lacking. Doctors even if is free medical for everyone but the system is broken . Waiting for cat scans X rays takes weeks to schedule .I love Vacationing in Italy but when it comes to actual living and comforts love my life in America . Parking and wide roads makes it less stressful for me here .Our American schools are well equipped for sports activities heated and air conditioned ,I could go on and on.
America is pretty special.
Except that healthcare is broken in the U.S and has become unaffordable. It is the only country in the world where you can go bankrupt because of medical bills despite having insurance. I love my country, but it is becoming a country of have and have nots. And that sadly is never sustainable.
Love it
I wish I would be younger
I am 68, just retired and lost my husband a year ago. Scared to do this alone
Blessings and Congrats!!!🎉
It definitely was a big leap of faith at 63. Thank you so much for watching and your lovely comment 💞🇮🇹
We are trying to purchase property remotely and it is very rare for a realtor to respond in Italy.
Any possible purchase will require a fiscal code. If purchasing remotely you do not need to go to an Italian Consulate in the States.
Unlike the States you will rarely get the home address or numerous photos of the property. Agents are extremely reluctant to give out specific addresses....if they even respond.
The process can take 3 to 4 months. The Ecobonus program has slowed the Notary process even more in Italy.
August.....nothing happens with the purchase of a property.
It is very common to have no kitchen and large pieces of wooden furniture left in the house.
If there is a cellar specify that it must be empty and contents removed from the property.
As of this writing the currency conversion is equal. It would be a great time to buy.
Just be very, very patient. Customer service in Italy is not a given.
Did you get a fiscal code ? Seems even when renting a moped, one needs a fiscal code.
So truth!
Great video! We'd like to see your harvest party this year and also the process of pressing it for the oil.
Thank you!
Oh we will definitely be sharing the whole oil harvest process.... as long as we have a good crop😂
💞🇮🇹Debbie and Stijn
Olive tree parties sound fabulous! Great video. 💗
Right? I can't wait to have one this year! Thank you for watching our video and we're so glad you enjoyed it💞🇮🇹Debbie and Stijn
Thank you for the last tipp regarding the olive harvest. It will definately be helpful.
We were definitely shocked but understood 💞🇮🇹
Happy Anniversary and congratulations to you both for another wonderful video!! We thought it was fascinating that in the buying process that if the Seller backs out the Buyer/s receive double their deposit back.. Very important to list everything in the RE Contract on what's included inside the home and outside, including harvesting of trees!!.. Wishing you two a successful Fall Harvest from your Olive grove and look forward to next year in 2023 helping you harvest and have fun together while we are there!!
Thank you so much Terri!
Just happened on your site!! What beautiful home and what a exciting life you are living. So happy for you and your husband. Enjoy watching your adventures.
Thank you so much Lela and welcome to our channel!! 💞🇮🇹
Debbie and Stijn
Very interesting! I’d love more videos from your new place.
We do have others! 💞
Congratulations!! So beautiful home!
Thank you so much!
@@ouritaliandestiny7955 I would like to visit you one day!! Is it possible? Where's the location?? Bless you
@@erohesa8928 Lovely, we are in Umbria 💞🇮🇹
I don’t blame you for wanting to live there!
We love it!
🎉❤ Is very great informative video thank you
So glad you enjoyed our video and thank you for watching 💞🇮🇹
Nice home! I just came to a verbal agreement with seller and pre compremesso and compremesso is being written by my attorney and a notaio. Hope to close in September when I’ll be in the area visiting. I’m a dual citizen and plan on living there in a few months. Congratulations on yours!
Oh how exciting!! I bet you just can't wait to be here! What region will you be living in?
Thank you so much for watching 💞🇮🇹
Debbie and Stijn
@@ouritaliandestiny7955 I’m buying in Scalea, Calabria. I looked everywhere for years. Fell in love. Meets all my needs. Only three hours high speed train to Rome. 7% flat tax zone. Plus many other …..
Wow! That seems like it was so simple! 😮. What a treasure to be living your dream every day! 😍
We feel very lucky Lorrie that our buying process went so smoothly and quickly! We know two people that weren't so lucky. One finally got into her her new home just last month after 2 months of waiting after she signed the purchase agreement and another lady still hasn't closed on her property she sold back in March. 💞🇮🇹
Sounds like an interesting experience, Debbie and Stign. We just went though the process, but back here in the US. We left them our kitchen though! Happily they purchased most of our furniture too. Since we downsized we would have had to scramble otherwise. Interesting about the penalties for backing out of selling. Also interesting about the sellers being there for the showing. We were gone and the realtor handled it. We were happy however to meet them as the agreement was signed at their request. I also wanted to make sure everything was clear. They are a lovely young couple! Loved hearing about your experience in Italy. Next year, you'll have a wonderful Olive Celebration!
We're so happy you had a pleasant experience and your buyers were so sweet Dave and Kathy. We were very lucky as well after all the horror stories we've been hearing about others who bought a house in Italy.
Thank you so much for watching, Debbie and Stijn
This was very helpful, thank you!
Thank you for watching 💞🇮🇹
Right guys, just starting to binge watch more of your videos. This is really interesting, especially the addresses issue, we’ve noticed that. Also interesting about the sellers showing you round, rather than the agent. We would love to by abroad one day so all of this is really great. How lovely that you had the previous owners round for dinner. Also really interesting about the harvesting unwritten rule. Fab video, looking forward to getting through more of your videos 🍻
So happy to hear you're enjoying our videos!! If you ever feel the need to have a look in our area please let us know, your room will be waiting for you!!
Debbie and Stijn
thank you for sharing. I learned something new!
It definitely was a new experience and learning process. Thank you so much for watching! 💞🇮🇹
Debbie and Stijn
Very interesting information share
MORE like this please!😍
Thank you! Definitely more to come💞🇮🇹
Debbie and Stijn
Very nice video Excellent home 😍 So unique .
Thank you so much Emre!
Great tips!!
We're so glad you enjoyed our video! Thank you so much for watching💞🇮🇹
Beautiful Video ❤️ I think the pandemic and economic crisis have taught people the importance of multiple streams of income, unfortunately having a job doesn't mean financial security. I really appreciate the transparency and giving people a fighting chance during these troubling times.
You are right! I lost my Job during the pandemic, I lost almost everything I had including my savings. I started an investment which today is the reason I have my own business.
I agree with you 100%. Did you know that the unemployment rate increased significantly between 2020-2021. people found themselves unemployed. we should not depend solely on wages and salaries.
@Adnan Khan I thought I was the only one who knew Alicia Seda Rich. Her techniques are quite exceptional. I had the privilege of meeting her at a Summit in Singapore. It feels really good to see you talk about her.
I started with about 7,000, which I could afford at the time. Now I have €. 200 k as generated ROI, and it's been only a year. The most interesting part of it is that you don't need a lot of money to start with. Alicia is the best Professional Broker I know, she has a way of making huge profits in just one week.
We're so excited for you. Can you give us a general sense of the cost of similar home like that? I understand that you don't want to give an exact price, but maybe a range?
We paid 185k euro plus taxes and fees for our place.
Thank you. This has helped me make my mind up. so kinf
You're very welcome!
Great video
Thank you!
real good video. hello from phoenix az
Hello and thank you!
Lol 😂 I just love the point about the harvest! Who would have known? Not me! I’ve been looking at an olive grove and now I’m thinking…don’t get too attached to the beautiful olives for at least a year as they’re still not really yours! You’ve got to love those customs ♥️🥰🇮🇹
You would never even give it a second thought.
Yep, those olives definitely wouldn't be yours this year Marisa😂
Glad we could help to avoid the heart break💞🇮🇹
Debbie and Stijn
@@ouritaliandestiny7955 I'm well prepared now! Thank you so much...PS told David and he wasn't one bit perturbed 😄😍
@@talesfromtuscany 🤣😂🤣
That was very interesting about the olive harvesting. I'm assuming (and I suppose you are as well) that the seller's right to harvest ends after a year. I think your new channel focus will be interesting to a lot of people. Good job.
Yes, we would assume, but never take anything for granted in Italy😂
So glad you are enjoying our content. We will still be having some travelling videos as well! We still have the rest of Italy to explore!
Thanks for watching Jay and Tanya💞🇮🇹
Debbie and Stijn
Excellent video guys, congrats on the purchase! Would you be able to make a video on the process of dealing with realtors? Real Estate Websites? I've heard they take a long time to reply back sometimes, or you need certain criteria to begin the buying process? (If buying remotely from the U.S.) Thanks again for all your help, salute! 🍷
Most all of my closings here in the states have had both buyers and sellers present . To sign papers and turn over keys.
I only had one closing where the sellers where but there .
Oh, well that's interesting. Maybe in Nevada both aren't there. We've never bought a house in the States when both were there. Good to know!
Would love to move to Umbria.
@@karenorozco8917 it is the best region in Italy, in our opinion 💞🇮🇹
E' vero c'è molta burocrazia nel sistema italiano. Però alcune leggi servono a tutelare e dare garanzie alle persone. E' normale che nei primi periodi dovrete imparare le modalità dettate dal sistema italiano. In generale la prima casa è molto tutelata dal nostro sistema legislativo. Il troppo caldo non è al momento regolamentato ma speriamo che presto le temperature ritornino ad una normalità ........................ 🤣🤣
Cool video. Is there any inspection that takes place prior to closing to reveal any huge problems? Are there mineral rights that do or do not pass with the property?
I have never heard anyone talk about mineral rights so I'm not sure about that. You can certainly have various kinds of inspections done before purchasing, particularly recommended for older homes. Every home that is sold requires a habitation license which includes validation that there are no illegal structures present but that's part of the fee you pay the notary.
Well I am Italian ans I am scared of buying in Italy, because of the red tape, but you video sort of made me more comfortable.
It was really an easy process for us we felt. Wishing you all the best!
Love your content, it is so informative for those of us planning to buy soon. Can you recommend a realtor for house hunting in Umbria?
Oh thank you so much! We of course recommend Tara Acheson in Panicale for the Trasimeno area of Umbria. She was our agent and she was wonderful!
@@ouritaliandestiny7955 So sweet of you to share, thank you!!! ❤️
loved your videos. you guys look beautiful together. we love u here in Iran
Thank you for watching!
Very informative. It’s so different compared to the US. Lol two pounds of keys. Give me my olives 🫒. Enjoyed thumbs up 👍
Lol! We literally were handed like 10 different key chains with some having ap least 10 keys on them🤣😂 it was hysterical! We're excited to have that dang olive harvest party this year!! 😂🤣
Thank you guys for watching💞🇮🇹
Debbie and Stijn
No-one actually explains the requirements to obtain a Visa to reside in Italy. As Australian Pensioners (in our 70s) who would be able to purchase a property, have savings BUT apparently only INCOME is counted and our pensions fall short. If retired, noone mentions the income required to apply for residency.
Stay tuned, we will explain that in an upcoming video ☺️ Thank you for watching 💞🇮🇹
Good to know. Will be noted if we ever say to ourselves that “we could live here” in Italy. Warning…we say that to many of the places we have visited in the states. 😍😂😂
🤣😂🤣 I always did that in the States (or wherever I am) as well😂🤣 This time I meant it!! And Stijn totally agreed💞🇮🇹
I watch the Umbrian Sewist (on TH-cam), she left America and moved to Umbria.
Never heard of her, we'll have to check out her channel.
What type of annual property taxes are imposed on you? Is it like in the U.S. ? Does it increase annually by a fixed percentage or an appraised amount? Thanks for sharing.
The property tax on primary residences is zero currently. You do pay on a second home but I couldn't tell you how much, certainly a lot less than in the US though.
7 months? Did you have a permesso di soggiorno in order to stay that long? Bravo, well done! I so envy you two.
No we didn't, but Stijn is an EU citizen and I received a 5 year residency card for Belgium. Thank you for such a great question and watching!
Just subscribed and was wondering if you needed to know Italian for all of this.
Welcome to our channel 💞 Yes, definitely helpful!
Great video! This is probably a silly question but why didn’t your agent disclose that piece of information re the olive trees? That should have been highlighted!
She knew it but didn't think they would want to harvest them because there were only 12 trees and it was a bad year for olives. Still no excuse we agree. So our point exactly, if you are buying something with any sort of something that's harvestable, especially olive trees, make sure you settle on an agreement who gets the harvest. We know many people with the same story! Gotta love Italy 💕🇮🇹😂
@@ouritaliandestiny7955 the 2022 crop will be even better 😊
Hello, I've enjoyed your comments about finding and purchasing property in Umbria. I'm thinking of doing a simalar thing and wondering if you could suggest a town where a reasonable apartment might be found. Iill not have a vehicle so walking to shops, markets, and cafes will be essential. I am also very focused on art and antiquity (therefore leaning towards Umbria). Any suggestions would be helpful for early visits and securing a long term property.
Thanks for the insight. I currently surf the Idealista web site for properties in the Tuscan, Umbrian and Marche area. I live in Colorado/US and know enough to realize that Italian real estate is different. Here of course we have the full price or above option, or lose the potential property. How would you compare listing price to contract price in Italy? I feel that buying while across the Atlantic is worse than having boots on the ground and not being in any hurry. I am not against renting first, then looking. Cash in hand of course. So many places that could be had that are not even listed. How are your driver’s licenses going? I am prepping three years in advance for that ball of fun.
Hi Brian, good to hear from you again!
All 3 of those areas are beautiful but Umbria comes in on lower costs for everything compared to Tuscany and being right next door, you get the best of both worlds! It would definitely be better to be on this side of the pond, especially because of all the little things that crop up in these older houses. Some regions have some good tax benefits as well, but I'm not clear on all of that. Listed prices here I think are merely to see if they can get away with it. Our house was originally listed for 280,000. Euros 3 years ago then reduced and reduced again. We found it on the last reduced price of 195,000 and ultimaly in the end we paid 180,000 euros + taxes and fees. Its very common for a house to sit on the market for up to 5 years. So the closer to that mark you're likely able to get a great deal. Of course you'll more then likely have to install a kitchen🤣😂
Stijn has an EU drivers license and I'm in the process of exchanging my US one for a Belgian one, the I will exchange that for an Italian one! No test for me Phew!
Thank you so much for watching and your great comment! 💞🇮🇹
Debbie and Stijn
If it's not in the contract than they have no right to harvest, custom or not ;) Hope you got to harvest the next year 🤠
@@kimaholland3423 We did💞🇮🇹
@@ouritaliandestiny7955 Keep in mind : If you had not allowed them to harvest previous season ,the people in the village would have known . You see, in Italy everyone is family 😉
Hello, great video, thank you!
Can you please tell me what is the real estate agent fee in Umbria? By the way, do you know someone you would recommend? My husband and I are traveling to Umbria very soon! 🌺
Thank you! Typically the fee would be 3%. We know a great realtor in Panicale, she was ours😊
How are taxes handled in Italy? Do you have to report anything to the US?
The US is one of the few countries that requires you to always file a tax return regardless of where you live. Italy has some agreements with the US regarding certain income types and how those are taxed. There is some debate about social security income but we are fortunate that the taxation of our income is done in the US since it's a government employment retirement. I would suggest you speak to a tax accountant (called commercialista in Italy) prior to moving if the taxes are a big factor. Generally speaking you should expect taxes to be higher wherever you move as a US citizen, what you 'get' for your taxes is generally also higher.
Now that we are residents in Italy we will have to start filing taxes over here as well.
Can you do a contingency on your house selling before you move to Italy?
We're sure you could, you probly wouldn't be an attractive buyer though.
which city you bought this house and what is the price range? required documents and procedures?
We bought in a town called Piegaro, price range roughly 200 000 euro. When buying from a private party you will need to work with a notary who draws up the contracts and does the research to ensure the seller is the owner etc. You then meet with all parties and all sign the document that explains the property that is being transferred. Generally there is also a realtor involved. The fees (notary, realtor etc) to consider are roughly 4-6% of the property value.
Just curious. Now that the property is yours, how are property taxes dealt with? Are they paid only at purchase or do you have to pay taxes yearly?
Hi Mike, you pay them at time of purchase and yearly, however, currently for primary residences annual property taxes are at zero percent, Which apparently is temporary and has been "temporary" for a very long time. Great question!
Thank you so much for watching 💞🇮🇹
Debbie and Stijn
Can you share how much you paid? How large it is etc.? Land mass size? Thanks, very good video!!
We paid 185,000 euros for 2 bedrooms ,2 bathrooms, and an office. It's about 1600 sqft of house and an acre of land.
Thank you for watching!
Debbie and Stijn
I noticed the next three days in Umbria temperatures reach 106 degrees F. That can get uncomfortable. Does your home have central air conditioning?
We have individual units for the living room and both bedrooms so we can cool only the areas we spend time in. Electricity is quite expensive here compared to the US so I prefer this versus the central air commonly used in America.
Great video, if i may ask, how much did you pay for your beautiful home. I am just starting out in my questalso to buy, in italy. Thanks
@@mariofazioli7534 thank you! We paid 185,000€ before fees.💞🇮🇹
Nice have lots tree 🌲
Thank you! We love living in the forest 💞
I’m currently trying to purchase a property in Chiati, Italy I’ve sent 5 emails directly to sales person and have not gotten a response I don’t know what todo is this customary . I’m a Real Estate sales person in America and that’s not something we do we respond with in hours of an interested possible customer. Any advise
Oh gosh! Maybe try our agent Tara Atkinson. If you send me an email I can get you her information.
Is financing an option? Or all cash is the only option
Financing is an absolute option. We just happened to have the cash.
Is it easier to buy before or after you've become an expat
?
You can buy a house at any point, but there are a few requirements. We had to have a codice fiscale which is a sort of social security number for starters. Because we didn't need a loan I'm not sure if there are other requirements or not.
We would recommend renting in the beginning so you can get a feel for the area and what you really want in a property.
Great video, I’ve been planning on buying one or two properties in Italy here soon. My biggest question is with managing the Italian mortgage. Do you have any suggestions on banks? Also I always thought that I needed minimum 40% for the down payment, but you explained that you put down 10%. Can i buy a home in Italy with 10 or 20% down as a US citizen buying in Italy?? Thank you for your help.
We're so glad you enjoyed our video! We're not sure how borrowing money here works as we paid cash for our house. The down payment was to secure the offer and here in Italy if the buyer fails to proceed he loses his money and if the seller fails to proceed the buyer gets his money back double! Pretty cool little deal.
@@ouritaliandestiny7955 thank you for the info. That seems in line with what I had previously knew, but I was hoping you guys knew something different about borrowing and mortgage down payments. Look forward to your future videos.
@@JefitoBazanella As a follow up, we did inquire about getting a mortgage for a second home here and there was a 40% down payment requirement (max 60% loan to value). Additionally, mortgages have a limit on the age of the borrower (mortgage timeline cannot exceed 80 years of age for any borrower) and in order to get a slightly better rate there was a requirement to have a monthly amount direct deposited into the associated bank account. This would have gotten us about a 6% rate (6 months ago) which was still pretty terrible so we didn't proceed.
@@stijnt2377 thank you for the information!! This also seems to be the same info as what I had researched before. The only difference was I didn’t realize that the rate was so high. I will have to continue to search around for mortgage rates in Italy.
Hi there Debby and Stijn, seriously working on moving to Italy from Australia and loving all of your videos! Congratulations on your decison to stay and purchase an awesome property! And great renovations! As have a long question wondering if you'd share an email address please? All best and keep enjoying under the Umbrian sun! : )
So happy to hear that you're enjoying our videos Jenna! Our email is debbieandstijn@outlook.com Hope to hear from you soon!! Debbie and Stijn
Is all cash required? Can you finance a house through a bank? CAn a USA bank be used or can an Italian lender be used?
Absolutely not required but being a cash buyer helps, as it does in the US. We know many people who bought with a mortgage though, generally an Italian lender was used in those scenarios. Your realtor can recommend local institutions to work with depending on location.
We inquired about getting a loan for an investment property and found the rates high and max loan to value very low (55-60%) so it was not something we pursued.
Hi, can you tell me please how much this house???? ❤❤❤
185,000 euros💞🇮🇹
@@ouritaliandestiny7955 wow it is good price i thought in this place price from 5000000
How to u get renew visa live there ? Only can have 3month visa for visited 🤔🤔🤔
Stijn is an EU citizen and I was able to get a residency visa for 5 years because I'm his wife😊
Does the current political climate in Italy concern you at all. We are visiting very soon and were planning to find a place to retire, and suddenly I'm seeing so much concerning a very radical political situation happening. Will this adversely affect expats retired there?
We honestly don't even know what's going on here politically. So no concerns here.
@@ouritaliandestiny7955 I hope it won't keep us from moving there. Currently, the news here says it is the first time someone so radical is being elected since Mussolini. Thanks for replying
Things are only going to get better in Italy, & worldwide!
Hello 👋
Ciao!
How are you able to come there for 7 months continuous?
Stijn is an EU citizen, born and raised in Belgium and I have a Belgian residence card good for 5 years! Great question! 💞🇮🇹
Do you need to be an EU passport holder to purchase a home in Italy?
Great question. Absolutely not.
Thanks... you visited the Piemonte. Did you also consider that region too?
We did consider it briefly but between the cold winters, very steep and narrow roads and relatively high cost of living we never really looked at it too closely. It was also the very first region we saw in Italy so perhaps mentally we weren't ready yet to commit 😊
is it hard to get around if you don't speak Italian
Not really. If you at least know the basics like me (Debbie) you can at least shop, go to the bakery etc. But it will be important to speak the language if your having work done. We needed a translator in the beginning but Stijn took Italian lessons and he can converse with everyone! No translator needed.
@@ouritaliandestiny7955 Thanks for the reply, that helps....we are planning a trip to Italy for about a month to see how we like it. Need to start taking some classes now before we go.
@@mjbowhunter Good idea! Let us know if you will be n Umbria, it's beautiful here💞🇮🇹
No notary?
Oh yes! It was a long drawn out process the day we signed at the notaio's office💕🇮🇹
@@ouritaliandestiny7955 Thank you, but not on the same day with the owners? I want to buy a house in Abruzzo and i don`t want to do anything wrong. So thank you very much for sharing your experience! 🥰 I already knew most of what you told, except for the Olives...no olive trees at the house i want to buy 😀 Did you have an english speaking notary or went it thru a translator?
@@wonderwhy224 Yes, we were together with the owners, very common here. Our translator was our realtor. The papers are read in detail, in Italian and English! I think the process took about 2-3 hours.
Wishing you the best in the purchase of your new Italian home💕🇮🇹
@@ouritaliandestiny7955 Gracie Mille ❣
Are you his wife or mom?
Wife 😁
Stop with the exaggerated stereotypes, worse bureaucracy in the world is pure NONSENSE. There are many worse countries just in the EU.
All we have is our personal experience, which we share on this channel. Despite some of the struggles we face with burocracy in Italy we are still super happy to have made the decisions we made since all of the other aspects easily make up for this.