$12,000 houses in Italy: Two Surprisingly cheap villages

Rome: Admit it: You’ve read about those villages in Italy selling houses for a euro and wondered if it was too good to be true. (Spoiler alert: It is too good to be true.) Or maybe you tried to buy one of the $9,000 houses for sale in Biccari, Italy. (Bad news—tens of thousands of other people also tried to buy one.) Now two more Italian villages are giving you a shot at la dolce vita—on the cheap.

Carrega Ligure, a village in northern Italy, and Latronico, a small town in southern Italy, have announced that they are selling turnkey houses for bargain prices starting at €10,000 (about $12,000). These are houses that have been abandoned by their owners, but unlike the dilapidated one-euro houses that have been making the news in recent years, these are places that are ready to move into.

Located in a pristine national park, Latronico is known as the “village of wellness” because of its clean air and thermal baths. In Latronico, you can view houses on a website called Your House in Latronico, which connects prospective buyers with owners. Prices start at €10,000 (about $12,000) and go up to €30,000 (about $35,900). As an example, €12,000 (about $14,360) will buy you a two-story house with panoramic views that’s ready to move into.

According to the town’s deputy mayor, Vincenzo Castellano, the local authorities created the platform to match supply with demand. “People can view and choose the property most suited to them. And it’s constantly being updated. Locals keep emigrating so more houses are regularly added,” he said.

To further entice buyers to buy dilapidated buildings, the town of Latronico won’t charge you any taxes for 10 years if you invest €20,000 in revitalizing a property.

The other place getting in on the cheap house scheme is Carrega Ligure. Straddling the regions of Piedmont, Liguria and Emilia Romagna, this small town in the Apennine mountains is home to just 90 people. It’s quiet: There are no bars, supermarkets, shops or restaurants. But there’s plenty to attract buyers, including gorgeous landscapes and plenty of peace and quiet.

In Carrega Ligure, you’ll find cheap homes that are ready to move into, along with dilapidated houses that need to be redone. It’s a bit more challenging to view the houses in Carrega Ligure—the town has created a website, however, interested buyers need to email the town hall in order to get more details or to be connected to owners. But here’s the best news of all: In both towns, prices are negotiable.