Greetings from Las Vegas…
I’m here speaking at International Living’s Ultimate Go Overseas Bootcamp, which runs today through Monday. If you’re in town for the conference, I look forward to seeing you there.
While I’m in Vegas, I’m closely following updates from two destinations overseas: Italy and Panama.
Let’s start with Panama…
This week, I brought a spectacular off-market deal to my Real Estate Trend Alert group. This was a chance to own stunning, luxurious beachfront homes at incredible RETA-only pricing from just $274 per square foot. And that’s for true beachfront homes…mere steps from the sand…and set on the closest, nicest beach to booming, cosmopolitan Panama City.
If you’re a RETA member and one of the lucky ones who got in, a huge congratulations!
Meanwhile, over in Italy…
This week, my scout, Ciaran Madden, has boots on the ground in the country’s mountainous interior, where he’s been uncovering mind-blowing real estate bargains…
This week, members of my Real Estate Trend Alert group had the chance to own incredible beachfront homes on Panama’s stunning Pacific Riviera at RETA-only pricing. This render gives you an idea of how utterly beachfront these homes are. (Although renders shouldn’t be considered final they give us a great idea.)
If you’re looking for serious bang for your buck on a romantic overseas home, then Italy’s hill towns need to be on your radar.
Italy is one of the most culturally and historically rich countries in the world. It’s also home to some of the most affordable real estate in Europe, and many of the most astonishing deals can be found in its historic hill towns.
Italy’s hill towns are a legacy of its tumultuous past.
These settlements were a solution to the constant dangers of the medieval world. The elevated locations made them easier to defend. And since these towns were more easily protected, many became prosperous.
Of course, the tides of history later turned against hill towns…
The hill towns of central Italy are not only beautiful and culturally rich…they’re also a great place to look for astonishing real estate bargains.
Amid the relative peace and stability that emerged in the latter half of the 20th century, the isolated locations of these towns became a drawback rather than a benefit. The young moved away in search of work and opportunity, leaving too many homes for too few people.
The result is that today, you can find homes in stunning Italian hill towns at prices that sound like someone forgot to add a digit. And these communities can be wonderful places to live, offering cool mountain air, stunning views, and laidback small-town atmospheres.
Earlier this year, I asked Ciaran to scout hill towns in Sicily.
Now he’s continuing our scouting of hill towns in the region to the east of Rome in the center of Italy.
As he’s been traveling across central Italy, Ciaran has been sharing listings with me. I’ve collected some of the most interesting ones below…
Penthouse Apartment in Italy’s Prettiest Village for €107,000
As Ciaran explained in Thursday’s Overseas Dream Home, the mountain village of Ronciglione was named the most beautiful in all of Italy for 2023.
Located about an hour’s drive north of Rome, this village sits on the southeastern slope of a former volcano. From various points around Ronciglione, you catch sweeping views of the lush landscape, the mists rolling off the hills.
This natural environment is a huge part of Ronciglione’s appeal. This region is known for its outstanding produce, particularly chestnuts, porcini mushrooms, pumpkins, and squash. Many of farms there are agri-tourism businesses.
Also nearby is Lake Vico, among the highest in Italy at an altitude of 1,700 feet. This is a caldera lake…it sits in the crater of the dormant volcano. The lake and its immediate surroundings have forests with hiking trails, jetties for launching small fishing boats, and family picnic and barbecue areas that run down to the calm, glistening waters. And on one stretch there’s a fine-pebble beach.
This is an idyllic rural Italian setting, and yet homes in Ronciglione can be remarkably affordable. Ciaran sent me this listing for a penthouse in the village.
This four-bed property is in a residential community within walking distance of the historic center. It spans 1,100 square feet and has a huge terrace with panoramic views out over the mountainous landscape. It’s listed for €107,000.
This penthouse has four-bedrooms, two bathrooms and comes with a parking space in the community. Listing here
Getaways in an Idyllic Hilltop Hamlet from €25,000
After Ronciglione, Ciaran traveled two and a half hours southeast into the mountains of Abruzzo. Along the way, he stopped in the village of Secinaro. This hilltop hamlet of only around 500 people sits on the slopes of Mount Sirente, in the Aterno River valley.
Despite its small size, this village has attracted foreign buyers due to its idyllic mountain setting and stunning views out over the valley. There’s also incredible hiking, as well as several ski resorts located within 20 miles of this settlement.
You’ll find small historic homes in this rural village for shockingly low prices. This quaint one-and-a-half bed home is listed at just €25,000.
This small, 500-square-foot home was recently renovated and appears to be move-in ready. Listing here.
You’ll also find much larger properties on the market in Secinaro.
Ciaran toured this extensive, renovated historic home with a garden and several terraces offering mind-blowing views of the sweeping hills.
In the listing, the agent recorded the size at 1,600 square feet, but admitted to Ciaran she hadn’t measured it and, given it was enlarged in 2007, was likely much bigger. The home is in excellent condition, requiring only minor redecorating and some work to modernize the bathrooms. It’s listed at €130,000.
What a view! And the price for this expansive historic home is just €130,000. Listing here.
A Recently Renovated Historic Home in Pratola Peligna for €140,000
The people of Pratola Peligna are fighting folk…
In 1799, this town nestled in the heart of the Abruzzo region’s Peligna Valley (1,000 feet above sea level) rose up against Napoleon’s invasion of Italy. In the mid-1930s, they rioted against Mussolini’s fascist regime. And from 1943 to 1944, the population established the first organized partisan resistance to the Nazi occupation of Italy.
Pratola Peligna does not suffer oppressors.
Now, though, it’s battling a new enemy: depopulation. Since the 1930s, the population of this town has fallen from 13,000 down to just 7,500. Three years ago, the town launched a €1 homes scheme to arrest this decline. This earned the town headlines in major media outlets like CNN.
While the scheme is now paused, you’ll find plenty of homes on the market here for insanely low prices. Ciaran reported that the historic center of the town lacks the charm of neighboring villages, though it’s still very pleasant (a reason for this is that this region was the target of heavy bombing during World War II and much of it had to be rebuilt).
But in Pratola Peligna you’ll find all mod cons and you have easy access to amazing hiking and ski resorts. Plus, this region is known for producing exceptional wines.
Ciaran sent me this listing of a 1,500-square-foot terraced home. It underwent some renovations in 2023. The home is set within the town but comes with a 400-square-foot garden, which is a rarity in hill towns. It’s on the market for €140,000.
In addition to its garden, this home comes with a terrace offering expansive views of the mountains. Listing here.
A Luxury Villa in the Hills North of Rome
Of course, you’ll find more than bargain properties on the market in these regions. Hidden amid Italy’s rolling hills are incredible luxury villas. Ciaran’s been keeping an eye out for these too in his scouting.
In Sutri, a neighboring town to Ronciglione in the region north of Rome, Ciaran found this listing for a stunning, expansive rural manor.
Spanning almost 5,000 square feet, it has a vast garden with a swimming pool. Inside, there are six bedrooms, six bathrooms and a large living area with a fireplace. It’s listed for €740,000.
The garden around this modern villa spans over one-third of acre, while the home’s elevation position offers stunning mountain views.
Ronan McMahon, Founder, Overseas Dream Home & Real Estate Trend Alert
P.S. If you’re interested in any of these listings you should hire an attorney and do your own due diligence. We haven’t done any due diligence on them.
P.P.S. For more listings of affordable overseas dream homes, click here to follow our Your Cheap Dream Home Instagram account.
Your Daily Dream Home
Gallicano, Tuscany, Italy
This charming two-bedroom stone house in northern Tuscany has three floors of living space and includes a large terrace with views over the countryside near Lucca. The first floor features a main bathroom with bathtub, a guest bathroom with shower, access to and cellar.
On the second floor there’s a fully equipped kitchen, a living room with fireplace, and a dining room. The top floor houses the master bedroom and single bedroom, along with the terrace.
The house is in Gallicano, nestled in Tuscany’s dramatic Garfagnana Valley, beneath the rugged peaks of the Apuan Alps. The picturesque landscape alternates between chestnut forests and terraced olive groves, with the crystalline Lima River cutting through the valley below.
Located 25 miles north of Lucca, Gallicano serves as a gateway to both the natural wonders of the Grotta del Vento cave system and the marble quarries that supplied Michelangelo. The area attracts hikers and climbers to its network of marked trails.
