Christiano here,
I have read all of your post,(and will keep reading them) as we would like to follow in your foot steps someday soon.
We are both US citizens and may have a harder time moving or buying a house there. But we will give it a try. I am a builder but Fl. is so slow now.
I know that in Costa Rica
I been twice with $1100.00 you can get a good house w/elec and cook/maid. I wanted a car so my brother sent it in parts that way I got away without that big tax.
Well I will look for your post
Thanks
Christiano 11/12/09

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I have a horror story for you US citizens desiring retirement in Italy. Make sure you know how much and can prove income on a monthly basis tothe tune of €3.500,00 per month or about $5,000 per month. This is not on any website and to me appears capicious and arbitraray. And it does not matter if you own your own home. My personal horror story is that my partner and I acquired a home in Italy for retirement beginning 2010. In applying for the US VISA Residenza Elettiva required to get your Permissso di Sogiorno Resdenza Elettiva in Italy, another whole other process. I received my VISA but my partner did not meet the income qualifications to get a VISA. This is our horror story. We are trying to figure out if there is an appeal process otherwise my partner is limited to 6 months a year spread out so as not to disturb the Italian balance of life. We are down in the dumps over this and know of no way out, our retirement is dashed. I have found it no law that you must have €3.500,00/month income guaranteed for the Residenza. If someone can guide me to that law I would be grateful. I wonder who I could appeal to.

Dear SJT,

I am so glad that I have been looking/learning at all the post here. We knew that there is red tape in going to Italy to live but the more I read, the more this dream is going away. Here is how I look at it, if Italy want me to spend 200,grand on a house ,then more to keep it up make it EZ to retire not harder.
We spend $5,500 to live here in Fl. a mo. house, taxes, elec.

But as I read your post EACH of US need 5G's a mo. BIG BUCKS. I am 50 and my wife is 34 hell that's around 2.4 mill. for us. So i can't beleive that law. Please post if someone answer back THANKS
Christiano

My comune wanted me to show proof of income for my residency application, but the amount required was so low that even just the British state pension more than covered it, and that's a pittance! From what I have seen, all the requirements are written down, but if you get the wrong person on the wrong day etc etc.
If anyone is having trouble with the bureaucracy, there are agencies who do nothing else but help people get through the system.

Sir TK,GREAT
You are a life saver and thanks form Florida. We said that, what SJT said just could not be right he must have cough a bad day,, a 5,000. day!!
Then to know there is a agencies to help is great.

Christiano

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Hello everyone!
I live in Sicily since 2007, close to Palermo, in a small village called Balestrate.
After all these years I think Sicily is wonderful and much more affordable the Umbria and Tuscany (I come from Tuscany myself). Not to mention that the weather is great, food is excellent and less expensive and if you like to work in the garden you could even raise your own vegetables.
They are still a lot of good houses to buy and if you're a handy man then you could do what Sicilians are doing and build a house your self.
Of course first of all you should book a holiday here, in May, September or October and see for your self what I'm talking about. Use the time also to make some friends as they'll help you find your way easier.
Learn a little bit of Italian before you come in holiday and give it a try!
Palermo is proud to have a great hospital famous for the collaboration with the UPMC Pittsburg (is called ISMETT) and everybody there speaks English. Not to mention that west Sicily is yet to be discovered by tourist so living here is paradise.

Hello Balestrate,
GREAT
Its so good to see & hear you have made it in Sicily. In the past post I heard so many things, good & bad. I know for US citiens we may have to have a hard time more red tape,will bring more cash LOL! But for us we will look into it this coming fall.
My Papa & grandfather were born in Roca Palermo (hope I spelled that right) just outside Palermo so that will be our first stop.
I am a builder GC,in Fl. so to find land or to find an old house to fix up is just great. But someone told me you will not find a the supply like in the USA (blocks,cement,lumber) is this true?
Good luck, hope to hear from you again.

Christiano

Hi again!
If you want to built in Sicily is always handy to know somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody This way you could get good advise about where to buy for a good price and who's having good quality materials.
By the way I think it's still on: in Salemi you can buy a house for 1 euro as long as you'll rebuild it according to the old splendor. And if you can do almost everything on your own that will save you a lot of headaches

SO TELL ME MORE ABOUT THIS 1 DOLLAR HOME THING!! We are keeping this home here in Fl. just in case and after reading countless post here and listen to my wife for months i think we will build in Costa Rica, the BIG thing is flying 2:15 from here, ....to Italy 15 1/2 hr form Fl.! But this just may be game changer as we only have 100G's to spend.

I can't tell you how great it is to have people /friends on this site like you
send any info. you can.

Christiano

Retiring to Italy

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I read your post and we too would like to move to Italy would love to buy a house, but as I learn more & more, this just may be only a dream. Here in Fl. if you have the $$$ you can buy anything. Over there the red tape seem to be endless.
Our 1st trip (1mo.)will be 2010 to test the waters in Sicily as we like warmer weather.
I will keep looking for your post to learn from you & others. Thanks

Mandy & Christiano our pic enclosed but hell knows where, I am new here still learning how to send a pic.

post in Oct.
We are new here to the site and are planing a trip in fall of 2010. So like some of you I need to learn alot before I mess up!
We live in WBP Fl.now but dreaming of Italy. I have been reading all I can but it not like hearing 1st hand from people that are or were there.

My wife is stuck on Costa Rica & I have been there 2 times yes you can live good & well on $1000. per mo. but my heart is in Italy.

So I am asking if anyone that has tryed this dream please let us know how it was.

Christiano

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Christiano

I'm an Italian resident and still use the NHS whenever i'm in the UK.. I even broke my foot riding my motorcycle there and recieved hospital treatment without any probs. I gave them my mothers address as residence. Also i have a doctor in Italy that i've used a couple of times. they've never asked for the details of my UK doctor.
My fiancee is Italian and when she came over to the UK 5 yrs ago she used our local GP and NHS clinics without giving up her Italian residency. I think the rules between member states is so confusing that even the healthcare system doesnt make a big deal about it.