This one seems to have passed the Google test....Name all the grottos of the island of Capri, in order, starting from a departure point of Marina Grande and circling the island clockwise (right turn out of the harbor). I'm looking for their proper
I've got a good one for you.I was invited by prospective property management clients out to see their recently purchased property, one of 85 planned units in a new-build borgo in Umbria. I handle individual properties - e.g.
Hello everyone! I'm Elisabeth posting from Orvieto most of the year, and from the Amalfi Coast during the summers. I used to visit the forums regularly, but never posted. When I found this new format, I thought I'd give it a try!
This is the law now. You will definitely need to talk with your commercialista to see if there are any special circumstances that affect your particular situation, but yes, ICI has been abolished for prime case. Thanks Uncle Silvio!
As a licensed Italian agent working for the Italian division of a UK company, the best advice I can offer you is: be very careful. Unfortunately a lot of the UK agents in Italy are real cowboys with a rope 'em in mentality. They often don't have mandates on the properties they advertise on their sites, and equally as often are abusivi, meaning unlicensed. They rely on solicitors to handle the transactions (which the clients pay extra for) and are in fact, not even legally entitled to a commission. They also often charge more than the accepted standard commission rate of 3%. They work by doing exactly what you've described - get people over and show them whatever they can turn up at the time.Now, this is not to say that by contrast all Italian agents are angels - they most definitely are not! There are Italian abusivi and sharks as well.Property finding companies are in a legal grey area - if they are only referring to properties and charging fixed prices (hourly, daily, per service, etc.) and not success based commissions, if they don't perform intermediation, and if they are a registered Italian company charging VAT, you can generally feel pretty confident.The very best way to go is to get personal recommendations for good agents in the area you are looking. Don't discount local Italian agents without websites - they may be old fashioned yet also the "kings of their patches", which is what you want. Solicitors, architects and geometra (surveyors) are also permitted to act as intermediaries. So, a good strategy is to find a town that you like and start asking around at bars, restaurants, stores, etc. who are the good agents, avvocati, architetti in the area. Strike up conversations with other expats you see around and ask them if they have recommendations.You can also rely on the integrity of large UK firms with Italian branches or representatives (KF, Christies, Cluttons, etc.) but I obviously can't tell you if they'll have what you're looking for on their books. Generally speaking though, you can work with them as you would back home.Some other things to look out for are:
is the title to the property free and clear?
are there any ongoing planning and licensing issues?
does the property abut any direct farmers?
does the agent (or solicitor, etc.) have any financial interest in the property?
is the agent (or anybody) pushing you to pay part of the sales price in cash - declaring a lower sales price on the deed?
is the agent refusing to give you a viewing schedule in advance of your trip? (a good indication that they don't have mandates, but are just fishing for clients and hope to present "a live one" to an owner they've heard wants to sell)
Feel free to email me with any specific questions. I don't work in Le Marche, but I might be able to come up with a few names of reputable agents over there. Good luck!
Hello Joan,We have a wonderful international community here in Orvieto with lots of English speakers. Many people have second homes like yourselves and quite a few are permanent residents - pretty much an even mix between retirees and married-to-Italians like myself.I don't know Spoleto all that well, but I can tell you that some of the ways that people meet each other here are: morning coffee at the "foreigners bar", at occasional dinners organized by some longtime expats, at our American church, at the "foreigners' choice" scuola materna where many of us have children enrolled, outside early in the morning running or walking the path around the rupe (almost always all foreigners!) and by word of mouth - I have gotten numbers of people I have only heard about and called them up blind.There is a vibrant community of English speaking expats in/around Todi which is closer to you. I know quite a few people in that area. I'll try to remember to post if I hear of any events coming up out there. There are also a lot of British residents around Lake Trasimeno, and there is an English language newsletter, "The Trasimeno Times" which announces a lot of activities. I think they're online too.If you like to go into Rome, I heartily recommend becoming Friends of the American Academy in Rome. I think it's €50 year, for which you can attend all sorts of art, music and other cultural events. You can find info on their website or by getting in touch with Bill Franklin, a friend and the man responsible for the membership program.Feel free to ask more specific questions - I'm happy to help if I can!-Elisabeth
If you are applying to be a full time legal resident, you don't have to show proof of coverage. In fact, you will automatically be covered by the Italian system once you are a resident. After you've got your residency papers from the Ufficio Anagrafe, you just go down to the local ASL office and get signed up. Your tessera di codice fiscale doubles as your health insurance card.If this is your second home and you are not applying for residency, but will rather have a permisso di soggiorno, you skip the Anagrafe altogether. You would have to apply for a permisso di soggiorno at the Questura, and they will most likely ask for your proof of coverage at that point.Good luck!
If you already have an account with Banco Posta, the very easiest thing for you to do is to get a "top up" (ricaricabile) PostePay Visa there. That way you can top it up online through poste.it from your account without having to wait in line. I believe it costs €5 to get one and €1 every time you add funds. Barclays is most definitely more expensive.Good luck.
Hi there,The first thing to consider is if you are legal Italian residents. If so, you can get a credit card linked to your bank account. Cards in Italy are generally not revolving cards issued by independent banks like in America (and I suppose the UK), with the notable exception of Barclays. Most cards are issued in conjuction with your current account, have a modest credit limit to start, and have the entire balance debited from your account on the 15th of the month following. So, all charges for May would be debited on 15 April. Barclays offers a true revolving card with an online application, as does Monte Paschi di Siena to their own clients (M'Honey card).As long as you have a codice fiscale, you can also get a prepaid Visa or Mastercard from several banks and Poste Italiane. I happen to know that these work with PayPal as I have one I reserve for internet use. You just charge up the card in cash at the sportello or from your online banking and use it like a regular Visa or Mastercard.I hope this helps!
Especially down south it seems like the local culture/dialect is a more important identity than the Italian one. My in-laws speak only dialect and it's so funny to hear my 4yo slip into it with them. His whole demeanor changes, apart from the language. All I can say is I find it totally worth it to go (far) out of my way to create opportunities for the kids to know other English speakers. All my efforts pay off in the great satisfaction of knowing that they can hold their own in several languages and cultures. Good luck to you!
My husband is a religious player of Super Enalotto. It is his goal to one day be able to afford the kind of house I sell to other people! For now, I'll post any and all house serf job announcements here ;-)
Comments posted
This is the law now. You will definitely need to talk with your commercialista to see if there are any special circumstances that affect your particular situation, but yes, ICI has been abolished for prime case. Thanks Uncle Silvio!
As a licensed Italian agent working for the Italian division of a UK company, the best advice I can offer you is: be very careful. Unfortunately a lot of the UK agents in Italy are real cowboys with a rope 'em in mentality. They often don't have mandates on the properties they advertise on their sites, and equally as often are abusivi, meaning unlicensed. They rely on solicitors to handle the transactions (which the clients pay extra for) and are in fact, not even legally entitled to a commission. They also often charge more than the accepted standard commission rate of 3%. They work by doing exactly what you've described - get people over and show them whatever they can turn up at the time.Now, this is not to say that by contrast all Italian agents are angels - they most definitely are not! There are Italian abusivi and sharks as well.Property finding companies are in a legal grey area - if they are only referring to properties and charging fixed prices (hourly, daily, per service, etc.) and not success based commissions, if they don't perform intermediation, and if they are a registered Italian company charging VAT, you can generally feel pretty confident.The very best way to go is to get personal recommendations for good agents in the area you are looking. Don't discount local Italian agents without websites - they may be old fashioned yet also the "kings of their patches", which is what you want. Solicitors, architects and geometra (surveyors) are also permitted to act as intermediaries. So, a good strategy is to find a town that you like and start asking around at bars, restaurants, stores, etc. who are the good agents, avvocati, architetti in the area. Strike up conversations with other expats you see around and ask them if they have recommendations.You can also rely on the integrity of large UK firms with Italian branches or representatives (KF, Christies, Cluttons, etc.) but I obviously can't tell you if they'll have what you're looking for on their books. Generally speaking though, you can work with them as you would back home.Some other things to look out for are:
Feel free to email me with any specific questions. I don't work in Le Marche, but I might be able to come up with a few names of reputable agents over there. Good luck!
I'll get in touch. I have already spoken with someone that might be a fit, but it would be great to have more than one possibility.
Hello Joan,We have a wonderful international community here in Orvieto with lots of English speakers. Many people have second homes like yourselves and quite a few are permanent residents - pretty much an even mix between retirees and married-to-Italians like myself.I don't know Spoleto all that well, but I can tell you that some of the ways that people meet each other here are: morning coffee at the "foreigners bar", at occasional dinners organized by some longtime expats, at our American church, at the "foreigners' choice" scuola materna where many of us have children enrolled, outside early in the morning running or walking the path around the rupe (almost always all foreigners!) and by word of mouth - I have gotten numbers of people I have only heard about and called them up blind.There is a vibrant community of English speaking expats in/around Todi which is closer to you. I know quite a few people in that area. I'll try to remember to post if I hear of any events coming up out there. There are also a lot of British residents around Lake Trasimeno, and there is an English language newsletter, "The Trasimeno Times" which announces a lot of activities. I think they're online too.If you like to go into Rome, I heartily recommend becoming Friends of the American Academy in Rome. I think it's €50 year, for which you can attend all sorts of art, music and other cultural events. You can find info on their website or by getting in touch with Bill Franklin, a friend and the man responsible for the membership program.Feel free to ask more specific questions - I'm happy to help if I can!-Elisabeth
If you are applying to be a full time legal resident, you don't have to show proof of coverage. In fact, you will automatically be covered by the Italian system once you are a resident. After you've got your residency papers from the Ufficio Anagrafe, you just go down to the local ASL office and get signed up. Your tessera di codice fiscale doubles as your health insurance card.If this is your second home and you are not applying for residency, but will rather have a permisso di soggiorno, you skip the Anagrafe altogether. You would have to apply for a permisso di soggiorno at the Questura, and they will most likely ask for your proof of coverage at that point.Good luck!
If you already have an account with Banco Posta, the very easiest thing for you to do is to get a "top up" (ricaricabile) PostePay Visa there. That way you can top it up online through poste.it from your account without having to wait in line. I believe it costs €5 to get one and €1 every time you add funds. Barclays is most definitely more expensive.Good luck.
Hi there,The first thing to consider is if you are legal Italian residents. If so, you can get a credit card linked to your bank account. Cards in Italy are generally not revolving cards issued by independent banks like in America (and I suppose the UK), with the notable exception of Barclays. Most cards are issued in conjuction with your current account, have a modest credit limit to start, and have the entire balance debited from your account on the 15th of the month following. So, all charges for May would be debited on 15 April. Barclays offers a true revolving card with an online application, as does Monte Paschi di Siena to their own clients (M'Honey card).As long as you have a codice fiscale, you can also get a prepaid Visa or Mastercard from several banks and Poste Italiane. I happen to know that these work with PayPal as I have one I reserve for internet use. You just charge up the card in cash at the sportello or from your online banking and use it like a regular Visa or Mastercard.I hope this helps!
Especially down south it seems like the local culture/dialect is a more important identity than the Italian one. My in-laws speak only dialect and it's so funny to hear my 4yo slip into it with them. His whole demeanor changes, apart from the language. All I can say is I find it totally worth it to go (far) out of my way to create opportunities for the kids to know other English speakers. All my efforts pay off in the great satisfaction of knowing that they can hold their own in several languages and cultures. Good luck to you!
My husband is a religious player of Super Enalotto. It is his goal to one day be able to afford the kind of house I sell to other people! For now, I'll post any and all house serf job announcements here ;-)