Americans Bought Abandoned $1 Homes In Italy — Was It Worth It?

Making money should be a routine. The secret to making a million is making better investment.

That’s so cool that the first lady got the chance to return to her grandfather’s hometown.

The first lady did a beautiful renovation in her family’s ancestral home town. You can’t put a price on sentimentality. Wish her all the happiness there!

I really don't understand the people criticising the first lady. She made it clear she wasn't selling and planned to donate the house back to the town upon her death, its clear that she isn't motivated by money. It's her ancestrial village and she clearly wanted to benefit the area. The money she spent largely circulated through the local community as trades people salary. The materials may well have also been local. Once the house goes back to the town, whatever happens to it will result in more money for the community. But you have numnuts going on about "bad investment". She's clearly not thinking in terms of ROI! Maybe have a look at Why Nigerians own Empty Mansions in their Villages. It's not about turning a profit but building something beautiful where your ancestors come from!

I'm a Sicilian myself but do live in Germany. The problem with Sicily is the lack of jobs, obviously, otherwise you could not have had these prices for real estate. So the winner is the person who has already made enough money to be financially independent or the digital nomad who just needs a laptop and an internet connection.

The 15k house with little repairs are the best deals.

Even with all the permitting, insurance, property tax, and requisite renovation costs, visa fees, etc. -- it's a better deal than what you get here! It's at least affordable.

I sit here in Oakland, California near to where a few of these buyers once lived. At 54, I will never be more than a renter, enriching my landlord. It’s fascinating that people fled Italy 100 years ago for a “better life” in America. Now, we Americans are fleeing the US for a better life in Italy. A life we can afford.

The first woman featured has incredible taste and I loved the architecture and design of her home. I’m so glad she was able to honor her great grandfather ♥️

Beautiful homes. With a population of around 5K, you either have a remote-friendly job or are semi-retired to live there.

Meredith's story is especially inspiring - she turned a crumbling property into her dream home and even gave it a historical name to honor her family. Plus she will donate the home when she's gone wow

I remember seeing ads for these 1 Euro homes and fantasized about it lol - this is such a wonderful and honest followup on how that has worked out for buyers. I love the renovations that still keep the original character of the buildings, like the lady that bought 3 diff 1 euro homes. The first lady made hers too ultra lux modern and the scale of everything is very American - its no doubt gorgeous, but makes sense hers cost x10 of the other lady's reno.

American Dream: Save money and move to Europe.

Regarding the cost of renovations, it's apparent that she remodeled everything to very high standards. My hunch is that it could have been done for about half had she not put in a sauna, fancy appliances, connected it to the building next door, etc. My biggest complaint is the lack of natural light. The rooms look rather dark.

As an Italian im happy to see that people from other countries are willing to spend money in our country and help the local economies of this small/almost ghost villages. Thank you so much

I ❤ that these people followed their dreams and did what works best for them. Seeing many negative comments on living in a low population area and the cost of renovations. $400k gets a 1 bedroom apartment in a noisy congested city where i live. I would love to live somewhere that offers beautiful scenery and a slower pace of life. Good on these buyers for being brave!

There are plenty of beautifully renovated properties not too far away from major Italian cities for 100K to 200K range. That's a lot less expensive than trying to renovate a one euro home in a remote area.

wish we could've gotten more of Ernest's story and perspective on buying his premium home. great video nonetheless

I like the idea of not turning the town into an AirBNB spot. People with a connection like the first lady or those wanting to return to become part of the community, to retire, etc should be given priority to these projects. If I were 20 years younger, I'd love to do it too.

Man, that first house was beautiful!! Still cheaper than most major cities here in the states.