Our First Home

How We Selected Our First Home in Italy

Our journey to finding our first home in Italy wasn’t just about finding the perfect property—it was about finding the place that would allow us to build the life we’d always dreamed of. Our long-term goal is to have three homes in three different countries outside the United States, creating a base for travel, relaxation, and adventure. Since we’re purchasing multiple homes around the world, we needed to be strategic in selecting each one. With a budget of under $50,000 per home, our criteria were clear.

We wanted homes that required little to no renovation, ideally under 1,200 square feet, as we would only be staying in them a few months each year. This meant the homes needed to be small enough to easily decorate but still spacious enough to be comfortable. The most important aspect, however, was the location. We wanted each home to be near the ocean and surrounded by nature, yet still close enough to an urban area to offer easy access to amenities, culture, and excitement.

Why Italy?

When we turned our attention to Italy, we knew the Abruzzo region stood out for a few key reasons. First, it was incredibly affordable—home prices in this area were much lower than other parts of Italy, making it an ideal place for us to invest while staying within our budget. But more importantly, it was a region that resonated with us on a deeper level. Known as “the green lung of Europe,” Abruzzo is famous for its stunning natural beauty, with three national parks, a regional park, and several natural reserves. This area is responsible for purifying much of the air in Europe, and for Danny, who had recently faced a serious health challenge, the connection to nature and clean air was something that deeply spoke to him.

In 2024, during a particularly difficult chapter of our lives, Danny was diagnosed with a rare lung disease that nearly took his life. He spent 23 days in the hospital and began a new, recently-approved treatment for his condition. Fortunately, after almost a year of treatment, Danny went into remission. This experience changed everything for us—it reminded us that life is too short to keep dreaming without taking action. We decided then and there that we were going to make our dream of living abroad happen. The time for “someday” was now.

Finding the Perfect Property

As we dove into researching Abruzzo, we quickly realized how much this region had to offer. Not only was it an area of immense natural beauty, but it was also relatively close to the Adriatic Sea—just 25 miles away. After months of scouring online listings, researching the area, and interviewing real estate agents, we found a property in San Buono that ticked all our boxes: it was surrounded by nature, had beautiful views, and was located in a peaceful, picturesque town.

The search for the right property wasn’t an easy one. We knew we needed the help of experienced professionals to navigate the complexities of purchasing a home in Italy. Over several months, we interviewed real estate agents, notaries, lawyers, and insurance agents—ensuring we found the best people to protect our investment and facilitate a smooth transaction. Finally, after much deliberation, we placed the property under contract and began the process of turning our dream into a reality.

A New Beginning

We are excited to share that we will be closing on our first home in Italy on January 10th, 2025! We managed to find the perfect home in a great area known for their natural surroundings great food and wine.  We were also able to find a property that required no renovation and was under budget.  This marks a significant milestone in our journey, and we want you to follow along as we make this dream come true. We'll be documenting the entire process, from the moment we step foot on the property for the first time to the furnishing and preparation for our new home to be used as a short-term rental while we’re back in the United States helping others find their dream homes.

While we’re there, we’ll also be making the property guest-ready, turning it into a charming vacation rental for others to enjoy when we’re not there. This allows us to generate revenue from our investment, making the home work for us while we’re away, just as we plan to do with future properties.

We can’t wait to share this adventure with you, and we hope our story will inspire you to take the leap and make your own dream of owning a home abroad a reality. Stay tuned to follow our journey—there’s so much more to come as we continue building our future, one home at a time.

Thank you for being part of our journey. We’re excited to see where it takes us—and we can’t wait for you to join us every step of the way.

The Kitchen had recently been remodeled with all new cabinets and appliances complete with built in refrigerator and freezer. Not to mention a stunning view from the French balcony.

the bedroom came with furniture, and the entire home had new insulated double glazed windows and doors as well as a new heating system.

The bathroom had also been renovated with new tile, bidet, commode, walk in shower and even a towel warmer. 

The best part the home has amazing unobstructed views of a national park from the living room, kitchen and bedroom .