How do people in Italy look for real estate to buy, and the kind of prices they should expect to pay?

Are there any good web pages listing apartments for sale and average prices by town, or how should I start?

Start from here....
http://www.lifeinitaly.com/real-estate/

cheers
G

How do people in Italy look for real estate to buy, and the kind of prices they should expect to pay?

Are there any good web pages listing apartments for sale and average prices by town, or how should I start?

There are many ways to look for real estate property. Prices vary depending on type, location and size.

The important thing is to have a plan and to do your homework thoroughly before you embark on the house hunting journey. You should take a focused view and decide exactly where you want to live and why you want to live there. More important - how much can you afford. This is important.

There are many ways to look for real estate property. Prices vary depending on type, location and size.

The important thing is to have a plan and to do your homework thoroughly before you embark on the house hunting journey. You should take a focused view and decide exactly where you want to live and why you want to live there. More important - how much can you afford. This is important.

Now we get back to my original question! ;)

I know the amount of money I can save before moving. I know a rough estimate of the mortgage I could get with the "average" Italian salary... Now I would need to know the choices of what I could get with that money. Will my money be enough for an apartment in a medium-sized city, or do I need to focus my search in the smaller towns of the same area?

For example here in Finland there is a national search from (currently) 40,000 properties, which represents about half of what is for sale. I can search by region, by city/town, by price, by size... That's the kind of information I'm hoping to find from Italy, but is there anything like it available, or do I need to go through all the local agencies' websites (or even worse, physically go to the local offices)?

quote > ..know a rough estimate of the mortgage I could get with > the "average" Italian salary...
Well in Rome or Milan you are lucky if you can find a garage .... I do not know how Italians afford Real Estate.

Then it depends on your work and the location - Small town tend to cost a lot less - The range is very large so you should be better off just first having a talk with somebody about the general area etc
Yu can try to look for prices
http://www.immobiliare.it/

However I would ask somebody who you can trust to give you some directions.

How do people in Italy look for real estate to buy, and the kind of prices they should expect to pay?

Are there any good web pages listing apartments for sale and average prices by town, or how should I start?


Ciao Tero

Go to our company real estate websites www.prendocasa.it and www.remax.it we own both agencies, see if you find something you like and send me your email. I have many condo apartments for sale in Calabria. These apartments make good rental income properties because they are located in high tourist towns example: Tropea, Pizzo, Capo Vaticano, Lamezia, etc...

Our company provides rental management contracts for owners who are interested in renting out their apartments when they are not in use by the owner. We also provide pre approved mortgages for our clients.

Salve
Frank Tarsitano
www.italysouth.org

Now we get back to my original question! ;)

I know the amount of money I can save before moving. I know a rough estimate of the mortgage I could get with the "average" Italian salary... Now I would need to know the choices of what I could get with that money. Will my money be enough for an apartment in a medium-sized city, or do I need to focus my search in the smaller towns of the same area?

For example here in Finland there is a national search from (currently) 40,000 properties, which represents about half of what is for sale. I can search by region, by city/town, by price, by size... That's the kind of information I'm hoping to find from Italy, but is there anything like it available, or do I need to go through all the local agencies' websites (or even worse, physically go to the local offices)?

Ciao Tero...

There is a national government database that gives guideline prices on a sqm basis according to type and location, although prices quoted here are currently about a year old and need to be updated.

My advice is not to take the scatter gun approach, but focus on an area where you would like to be and then refine your search. Once you have done this let me know and I can poiont you in the right direction.

One thing you need to consider with mortgages in Italy is that with foreign nationals the banks are not only interested in whether you have sufficient income to pay the loan, but also they like to secure the loan with other assets.

My advice is not to take the scatter gun approach, but focus on an area where you would like to be and then refine your search. Once you have done this let me know and I can poiont you in the right direction.

One thing you need to consider with mortgages in Italy is that with foreign nationals the banks are not only interested in whether you have sufficient income to pay the loan, but also they like to secure the loan with other assets.


Thanks everyone for the tips where to start searching!

I do intend to move permanently into Italy, and I have a rough estimate where I would like to settle (somewhere around the Tuscany-Umbria-Lazio area), but the exact location is yet to be determined... That depends on the prices of property and the availability of jobs. I would probably have to be based in a medium-sized city to get anything like the kind of engineering/design job I have in Finland.

Don't worry, I don't intend to take a 100% mortgage in any case!:D

Americans purchasing Italian real estate

With wise planning and sound business judgment, the purchase of Italian real estate may represent an excellent investment for the US buyer even in a down housing market back home.

For residential and commercial purposes, Italy has recently reformed its legal system with the purpose of creating a more favorable legal and tax environment for foreign investments.
In light of the substantial differences between the legal and tax systems of the United States and Italy, the US buyer should always seek the professional advice of a competent dually admitted Italian/US attorney. The attorney will help the buyer understand the operation of the system, evaluate the legal and tax consequences in the buyer’s US position arising from the foreign investment, structure the investment to take advantage of the applicable tax treaty, negotiate the terms of the transaction on the buyer’s behalf, protect the buyers interests vis- a- verse counterparts and guide the buyer through all stages of the transaction, always closely coordinating with the local Italian notary.
Concretely, US buyers have many viable options to invest in Italian real estate, depending upon their subjective characteristics, private individuals, pool of investors or companies as well as their underlying purposes, residential, commercial or financial.
How and Who can Purchase Italian Real Estate?
In broad terms, US private individuals can purchase Italian properties and or real estate assets: under their own personal name, in joint name together with their spouse or co-purchasers, in the name of somebody who will eventually inherit the property from them; or Indirectly through an existing or newly formed Italian company; through an existing or a newly formed foreign company or by financially participating in a Italian REIF.
US companies purchasing properties and or real estate assets directly under their own corporate/institutional name: or through an existing or newly formed foreign company and by financially participating in an Italian REIF.
In all scenarios, the buyer should always be assisted by his /her attorney who sill suggest and tailor more appropriate solution or to the specific needs of the buyer in an effort to minimize future legal problems and maximize final commercial/financial results.
In light of the excellent performance of the Italian real estate market over the past few years, US investors should carefully examine the opportunities that the recently reformed regulatory and fiscal regimes of the Italian REIF’s can provide, and actively consider their participation in an Italian Reif as a tax-attractive option to diversify their portfolio of foreign investments.
Salve
Frank Tarsitano
www.italysouth.org
Real Estate Broker and Land Developer

Thanks everyone for the tips where to start searching!

I do intend to move permanently into Italy, and I have a rough estimate where I would like to settle (somewhere around the Tuscany-Umbria-Lazio area), but the exact location is yet to be determined... That depends on the prices of property and the availability of jobs. I would probably have to be based in a medium-sized city to get anything like the kind of engineering/design job I have in Finland.

Don't worry, I don't intend to take a 100% mortgage in any case!:D

Ciao Tero

I would suggest you really look at the job situation first as this will determine where you will live. Alternatively you could go freelance if there is a good demand for what you do, but don't assume that you will end up getting the type of Job you have in Finland (unless your company sends you to Italy of course).

It doesn't matter if you don't need a 100% mortgage, Italian banks will still want to secure any loan.

Yes, of course finding a job first is essential, and a few months of renting is necessary to see the kind of areas where I would live in.

So I would first have to have a job before I can look for a place to live, and I would need to have a place to live before I can look for a job. :D

Try looking at sweetitalyestates.com
Let me know if you find something.