Every so often I find myself browsing property listings overseas. Who doesn't want to own a castle in Italy? Of course this is a grossly out of my budget kind of dream, but it doesn't make the act of looking at property listings any less enjoyable.
For example, I found one the villas we looked at for our wedding listed. Not surprising since the cost of maintaining such a large property and the cost of property taxes can weigh heavily on an owner.
Villa Vistarenni is rented out as as a hotel and as a location for weddings, but there are only so many people looking for either type of experience. The majority of tourists head to the major cities or to agriturismos. Otherwise, you aim for high income tourism for people who want an all inclusive vacation. Sort of like what is planned for the absolutely stunning Sammezzano Castle.
For example, I found one the villas we looked at for our wedding listed. Not surprising since the cost of maintaining such a large property and the cost of property taxes can weigh heavily on an owner.
Villa Vistarenni is rented out as as a hotel and as a location for weddings, but there are only so many people looking for either type of experience. The majority of tourists head to the major cities or to agriturismos. Otherwise, you aim for high income tourism for people who want an all inclusive vacation. Sort of like what is planned for the absolutely stunning Sammezzano Castle.
Growing up in the Bay Area where property prices are absolutely outrageous, when I see listings such as this one for Castle Carbonana (it comes with rights to the title of Count and Countess of Carbonana!) for only 6.5M Euro, it's a downright steal!
Other temptations in this game of endless budget include a 19 room hotel on the Grand Canal of Venice, or this 27 bedroom villa in Positano.
But it is always the castles that lead me to temptation. $30M for this glamorous medieval Tuscan castle.
And the older I get the more realistic I get about what is actually possible. I used to want to buy a castle to run as a hotel, even a hostel or activity center for the community, but the more I think about it, the more I like the idea of having something smaller. Then there is less pressure for paying the bills and any activity I choose to do in the property can be much more personable. Then I thought about location, and there are so many properties that are in places that are not on the typical tourist trail, which I used to think as a negative, until I realized it is more fun to do something with the local community rather than tourist.
Although I am working on other things for the next few years, I'm content with knowing that dream of running my own cafe/community center in a foreign country is actually very possible. Perhaps Cilento? As long as tourist don't discover the area, I might even still be able to afford property there!
0 comments