Italy’s Sweet Spot Rolls Out The Red Carpet
“Abruzzo is the sweet spot of Italy,” Kat Kalashian, emcee of our Live and Invest in Italy Conference last week, told us in her opening presentation.
“You can find cheaper property in the South. But here in Abruzzo, there’s no trade-off on infrastructure. Property can be unbelievably cheap… but you have lots of amenities… the sea and the mountains… and you can drive to Rome in four hours.”
After Kat’s introduction, two local mayors rolled out the red carpet to attendees. The mayor of Pescara welcomed us in English, followed by Gabriele Florindi, mayor of Città Sant’Angelo, who spoke in long, lyrical Italian sentences… all of which were remembered and translated by Marco, our representative from the Chamber of Commerce.
By the end of his speech, Mayor Florindi had formally invited all attendees to come and experience his village. He was also aware that we’d ranked Città Sant’Angelo sixth in our 2017 Overseas Retirement Index… and is hoping for a higher position this year. (If you joined the group visiting Città Sant’Angelo over the weekend, please drop me a line. I’d love to hear how it went.)
This welcome party set the tone for the rest of the event.
On Day Two, we had an unscheduled appearance from a third mayor, this time from the village of Tocco da Casauria… where he reported a population of three expats who are all treated as locals. Our Italian guests and experts were all keen to put their region on the map… to spread the word about Abruzzo… and to welcome new neighbors who’ll appreciate this part of the world.
Kat told us, too, how she’d noticed on a recent visit to Città Sant’Angelo that more signs in English were appearing in the store windows. The owners may not speak English, but they welcome you in. At the very least, you’re over the first hurdle.
The expats who came to share their stories were in high demand. Especially Raymond Setzer, who—along with his wife Heidi—retired here from Wisconsin almost two years ago. After both his presentations, Raymond had attendees lining up to ask questions.
I can’t include all of Raymond’s words of wisdom here (you can get the full version in our Live and Invest in Italy Home Conference Kit). But here are three nuggets he shared on the ground in Pescara last week…
1. Slow down
Piano, piano (slowly, slowly) is a favorite local saying. And the pace of life in Abruzzo is much slower than you’re used to in the United States (and probably most of Europe). There’s no great rush to get anything done… but things are done well.
“I went into a store and picked a sofa,” said Raymond, “and three months later, I got my sofa. You order, and they build one just for you. It’s the best sofa I’ve ever had. It’s the same with my doors and windows. The quality is remarkable.”
You just have to be prepared to wait.
2. Learn some Italian
“Resist the urge to limit yourself to an English-speaking society,” Raymond warned. “It will diminish your experience. After taking lessons for over a year, I feel much more confident going into stores… even when my rehearsed script doesn’t play out. And, once it becomes known that you’re learning Italian, you’ll have 100 teachers.”
3. Take advantage of low season
From mid-July to the end of August, the rest of Italy comes to the beaches of Abruzzo. You don’t want to compete with these crowds…
“June is a great time to take advantage of the local beaches,” said Raymond. “The water is warm… and, when you go to the restaurants, you’ll get the best tables with a view over the sea.”
It’s hard to believe this was our first event in Italy. We truly were treated as old friends.
If you’d like to hear the full story on this welcoming region where you’ll never be stuck for something to do, now’s the time to act…
While the region is still several years away from being a recognized vacation spot, and perhaps even further from being the household name that Tuscany is, the tide is turning. Our experts predict it won’t be too much longer until the world begins to pay Abruzzo the attention it deserves.
If you weren’t in the room with us last week and missed the chance to experience Abruzzo in person, we have the next best thing…
Our Live and Invest in Italy Home Conference Kit is the most comprehensive resource out there and includes the all-new bundle of expert presentation recordings from last week’s event.
That’s a total of 28 presentations detailing…
- The best way to get the best deal on a rental or purchase…
- Your best options for health insurance in this country…
- How to open a bank account for yourself or your business…
- The top residency visa options… and how to obtain them…
- Several itemized budgets for day-to-day living, for those with budgets big and small…
- Terms for borrowing locally for the purchase of real estate…
- Real-life tales of success from expats already living and doing business in this top emerging retirement and investment haven…
- And much, much more…
This week only, as we work to package all audio recordings and slideshows (plus a set of bonus reports) together, we’re offering more than 50% off the kit with our Special Pre-Release Discount Offer.
And, as a LIOS Confidential reader, you can enjoy an additional US$20 off the price…
This discount is strictly reserved for LIOS Confidential readers, and you can only access it via the links in this email.
This Pre-Release Discount Offer is available until Friday, Oct. 26 only.
Reserve your copy of this one-of-a-kind living and investing in Italy resource here now.
Valentine Fouché
