We are seeking to purchase a retirement home in Tuscany with two other couples. Can anyone recommend a reliable agent to assist us? We rented a home last year near Rimagno Sul Arno and loved the area.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15119 posts
I don't know who to recommend specifically. I do have a real estate person I work with in Florence, but I'm not sure he speaks English.
The largest real estate portal in Italy is www.immobiliare.it. Not sure it has an English option, but you can do some searches around to see the properties. Just become familiar with the terms. Use Google translate to find out the English equivalent.
Once you decide on the area, maybe I can look into someone specifically. The process to buy in Italy is less paper intensive than in America, and also cheaper. Generally the commission for the agent is much lower than what the practice is here in California.
I've never heard of Rimagno sull'Arno. Could it be that you meant Rignano Sull'Arno? That's indeed a nice area. The Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi grew up there (he now lives in Pontassieve, not far from it).
Posted by
Abruzzo Mountains
1032 posts
Italia! Magazine, published monthly in England, always includes articles about purchasing real estate and has ads for English speaking real estate agents and property lawyers. That might give you some names to search for references or start with some basic inquiries. I don't have any personal experience with them but there are lots of links to research. The articles seem pretty solid.
Posted by
Boston
1687 posts
Real estate agents work for the seller. They are fine for showing you properties, but if you are making an offer you should have either an English-speaking attorney working for you, or an English-speaking notaio handling the transaction for both buyer and seller.
Posted by
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
8293 posts
There are ex pat organizations in Italy which could be helpful. Maybe a google will lead you to some people who know the drill.
Posted by
San Francisco/Marin County
9420 posts
Internationalliving com might also be a good resource.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23230 posts
Have you researched this subject well? We looked into purchasing in France a number of years ago. After running the numbers, brief contacted with a sales persons and a local attorney, concluded that it would be cheaper to rent if planning to use it for less than 8 to 10 years. Probably not the same in Italy but there were some strange requirements for a non-resident to purchase property. And then you get caught up the Schengen zone restrictions and visas. You need to spend some time with a good English speaking, Italian real estate lawyer just to make sure you understand everything. And, if you have done that, then I apologize for raising the question.
Posted by
Richmond, VA
2 posts
My wife and I bought an apartment in Pistoia, Tuscanny 2014 that we found using the UK website, Rightmove. We found five listings of interest, contacted the listing agents directly.
In June and July of 2014 we looked at those homes and six or seven more. We made an offer on one, and we closed in January 2015 using an attorney from Lucca who speaks English and was listed on the US State Department website for Florence.
It's a complex process. Best to review as many websites as possible for more information. Expect to pay the agent's commission before you close.
Good luck!