Anthony Bourdain once said that travel changes you. With each journey to a foreign land or place, we take a piece of that place with us. The sights, sounds, smells, smiling faces and unique delicious local fare stay with us forever.

All travel enriches the soul, but sometimes we travel to a place that especially captures our heart for one reason or another – so much so that we entertain the thought of staying and settling down there! Or at least buying a home there so you can come back frequently. Kind of like George Clooney.

Whether you envision packing up your bags and moving to a new country permanently, or would like nothing more than to buy a flat there to visit from time to time – the fact is that you aren’t alone. Foreign buyers are a huge part of the real estate market in just about every developed country in the world – from Europe to South America to the United States.

Given the increased appetite of buyers looking at homes overseas, this post marks the first in our “Buying Abroad” series, where one of our agents in any one of the 49 countries that we serve speaks a bit about buying a home in their country.

Today, we have the pleasure of hearing from broker Paolo Costi with Coldwell Banker Italy about why you might consider buying a home in you guessed it…Italy.

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Worldwide, home is one of the most desired goods, maybe because home is usually a primary requirement of our life, perhaps because it is the place which gives us warmth and safety.

In many nations across the globe, the need to buy a home is heart-felt, like in Italy where more than 80% of families own their home. In other places some people prefer to rent their homes, but either way, everybody feels the need to live under a comfortable roof.

But what about buying a home abroad? And why would you consider buying a home in Italy?

I can preach about how the real estate market is currently a “buyers market” or about how the United States’ strength of the dollar means favorable exchange rates – but there is so much more to buying a home in Italy.

Buying a house in Italy still remains a dream for many foreign people, it’s an emotional affair; to join the land of Leonardo, Dante or to back to more recent times, the land well described by Fellini in one of his best known films “La dolce vita”.

Many Italians consider all these things normal but, it’s not the truth; I would like to share with you a recent experience I had with an American client: While we were walking on Olbia’s roads in Sardinia, she looked around with wonder and emotion, and when I asked her “what happened”, she answered me “It seems like we’re in a movie, I hear Italian, people gesturing, I see narrow streets with small alleys and houses painted with warm colors, I perceive a different pace of life and then the fragrance of food! Italy , it’s really unique!” . Things that I take for granted everyday, for this lady were outstanding.

This experience revealed a lot to me. Italy is a relatively small nation but its potential is huge, because it leaves in all foreigners who visit it an indelible mark and emotions that remain inside.

For this reason, buying a house in Italy does not mean buying an asset, but living a dream. In Italy, the cadence of life is calm, the fragrance of the air is different, the food is the best in the world and different in each region. And then there are its wines, the ancient traditions that date back thousands of years. Merely strolling around produces a feeling of stepping back in time.

But above all, Italy offers an immense variety of possibilities: you can ski in the Alps, dive in the protected marine area of Portofino, have fun in the Adriatic coast or enjoy the beautiful Mediterranean Sea. In Italy you can find cities steeped in history and monuments, like in Rome or Florence. The fashion and nightlife in Milan is world class as well. Italy also has major islands like Sardinia, my land. Here you can find Caribbean sea colors and you can encounter the world’s most important movers and shakers with their large yachts. My clients continue to tell me that the Sardinian sea is quite unique with its emerald green color and the white sand that reminds them of postcards. From north to south, each Italian Region has its own history, with unforgettable flavors and tastes.

For all these reasons, to buy a home in Italy means investment and above all emotion. If you have any questions about buying a home in my beautiful country feel free to contact me or other members of Coldwell Banker Italy. We’re more than happy to help you the discover the wonders of our country.

Ciao

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If Paolo’s enchanting description of one of my favorite countries sounds good, you’ll definitely drool looking at the wonderful flats and villas they have at coldwellbanker.it

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** Header Image Courtesy of: Moyan Brenn at Flickr