Good News and Bad News

The good news is we sold the house.  The bad news is we sold the house.

Actually, it's pretty much all good news.  Long time readers of this blog will know that we originally put the house on the market about two and a half years ago.  The market here has been just as bad as in the U.S. so it is not surprising that it took a while for it to sell. 

A young Italian couple from our village bought the house so now it will have people here to take care of it full time. We have mixed feeling about letting it go but after moving to Whidbey Island, with our half acre of landscaping to care for there, taking care of this place just became too much.  We love the grapes, olives and grass but would rather come here to relax and travel within Italy and Europe. 

On Thursday we begin looking for a new place.  Our criteria includes a little roomier living area and kitchen, two bedrooms, two baths, a garage and outdoor entertaining space.  We also want to be closer to Lucca so it is easier for guests to come and go.  Being out here in Partigliano has been fun but it is always a bit of a hassle for guests.  They either need a car or we need to ferry them around.  We are hoping to have a place that allows for more freedom coming and going.  We also would like to be able to bicycle down in the flatlands. 

The movers are coming on May 18 to empty the house and put everything in storage.  Then we will have a week to tidy up any loose ends before we leave Italy on May 25. 

The entire sales process in Italy is much different than it is in the U.S.  Generally, the buyer gives the seller a deposit of 1/3 of the purchase price.  If the seller back out of the deal they owe the buyer twice that amount and if the buyer backs out the seller keeps the deposit.  We actually skipped that step because the buyers needed to get a mortgage.  For the final contract everyone meets in the office of the notaio (notary).  An Italian notary is actually a sort of a lawyer and he does what is handled in the U.S. by an escrow officer and the title insurance company. 

So, this afternoon Dom and I, our translator/facilitator, the buyers, their geometra (agent) and the notaio all met to go over the contract.  It was a bit different than when we bought the house as the notaio had everything on his computer.  A large flat screen monitor was mounted on the wall so we could all read the contract and see what corrections and changes he made as we went along.  Finally, when everything was agreed, he printed the contract and everyone signed.  A representative from the bank was also there to handle the mortgage.  We actually received a check for part of the purchase price and the lender will wire us the rest of the money in 1-2 weeks after the deed is filed.  We will be able to pick up a copy of the certified deed in a week or so.

Afterwards, Dom, I and Doris Fortino, a local REMAX agent and our sales facilitator, went for a celebratory drink at a nearby wine bar.  Doris is a real estate agent and is also helping us find a new house. 

We are looking forward to the next phase of our Italian adventure.

Facciamo le spese (Running Errands)

The new Permesso di Soggiorno with its fancy sleeve.


Dom admiring an old but immaculate Moto Guzzi parked in front of a shop in Borgo Giannotti.

Yesterday was a day of running errands. In the morning we had a 9 am appointment at the Lucca Questura to pick up our new Permessi di Soggiorno (long stay permits). We arrived a little after the hour and got in line about 5 people back. Amazingly the line moved quite quickly. Within twenty minutes we had our shiny new cards in hand and were on our way to the next stop. Since we renewed our PdiS two years ago they have implemented a new system. Now they give you a credit card type document covered with interesting looking holograms and embedded information. They will certainly be easier to carry than a thick full size document. The latter made quite a wad when folded up and stuck inside our passports.

After that we went to Borgo Giannotti so Dom could get a haircut. I walked over to the post office to mail a card and then wandered around the area until I came across Dom. Our next stop was Media World for new CDs. Then we went to Flash Computer to sign up for ADSL (DSL service). Yes, we plan to finally spring for high speed internet. It has been available here in the village for at least a year but we kept thinking the house would sell so… Unfortunately, the person we needed to speak with was not there so we needed to go back in the afternoon.

Of course, now that we have signed up for it the house will probably sell right away. Things are picking up on the house sale front. We have had one showing since we came back and we hear that the market is heating up.

The weather was high overcast but it was warm enough for lunch on the patio. Dom found a problem with the bathroom sink plumbing so he worked on that while I caught up on email. Later we went out again. Back to Flash Computer, a stop at a real estate office in Ponte a Moriano and then on to the ferramenta in Diecimo for a plumbing part. They did not carry it so we went on to Ghivizzano to a plumbing supply store.

Back at the house Dom made the repair while I called my mother for a nice chat. We had a quiet evening in.

For Sale - House in Italy

Last week my sister suggested that I post a few pictures of our house for those who have never been here and to refresh the memories of those who have. Rather than doing exactly that here is some information about our progress trying to sell our house including a link to a web listing with eight pictures.

About a year ago we decided to try to sell our house in Partigliano and relocate to a spot closer to Lucca. Much as we love our village, house and land, since we moved to acreage on Whidbey Island we have learned that two part-time houses with lots of work is an exhausting proposition. After trying to care for both places for two years we decided we needed one place that was lower maintenance. Thus, we decided to simplify our Italian life.

Last spring we began to market the house in earnest. Since there is no multiple listing system in Italy, we contacted a number of real estate agents and eventually listed the property with five of them. While there has been some interest and the house has been shown several times no one has shown serious interest. Recently we decided to try splitting the house and barn into two listings. Today we spoke with the agent from whom we bought the house and set a price of €220,000 for the house and most of the land and €50,000 for the barn and small part of the land. Actually, the land split is totally negotiable depending on what a buyer wants.

As of today, our web listing with Italy magazine has not yet been updated but soon will be. Click here to view pictures of the interior and land.

The market here in Italy is much the same as that in the U.S. There are lots of properties available and not many buyers. Luckily, we are not desperate to sell immediately.

In the meantime, we are content to enjoy our house while we still have it. We are particularly pleased that we have an excellent olive crop this year and are enjoying the wine we made the past two years.