If you’re interested in homes for sale in Italy – or even looking for land for sale in Italy to build your own – you’re not alone. In fact, Italy is now the # 1 North American buying second home overseas. It’s not just climate and cuisine that’s driving this popularity
- 55% of international buyers looking for a second home in the sun chose Italy as their ideal destination over Spain, France or Portugal.
“ On average, Italian properties are much cheaper than Spanish or Portuguese properties”
Buying property in Italy as an American: can you do it?
With lower transaction costs when buying and a capital gain when selling. If you’re considering buying an investment property in Italy, you can even benefit from a government program that covers some renovation costs to improve energy efficiency – increasing the value of your home while making it more environmentally friendly.
Now the big question is: Can I buy a house in Italy?
The good news is that it is possible to buy a house in Italy as an American. If you are a US citizen, you can buy property in Italy thanks to a bilateral agreement (often called a reciprocity agreement) between Italy and the US. This reciprocity means that since Italians will have the right to buy property in the U.S. without restrictions, Italy will reciprocate the favor by letting U.S. citizens with the same privileges buy homes in Italy. Buying a home doesn’t change the standard visa requirements to stay in Italy – but as a US citizen you can usually stay for up to 90 days without restrictions, making it an ideal place for a holiday home.