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Real Estate Bargains Found in Southern Italy’s Least-Known Region – InternationalLiving.com

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InternationalLiving.com report reveals that property in one of Italy’s most undiscovered regions can be bought for as little as $13,000.

Baltimore, MD (PRWEB) August 26, 2013

InternationalLiving.com has uncovered a range of properties for as little as $13,000 in the Basilicata region of Italy.

Basilicata is possibly the least-known region in the country. Located at the ankle of the boot, it borders with Puglia, Calabria, and Campania and is the most sparsely populated part of the country.

“Here time-worn towns rest on their hilltops and carry on a way of life that is quickly fading in other regions,” says InternationalLiving.com writer Valerie Fortney Schneider, who bought a property there herself and paid just $32,000.

“We opted to purchase in the central part of the region, near the regional capital of Potenza, a few minutes from my ancestral village,” Fortney Schneider says.

Because the area has lost residents in the past half-century, there are lots of properties available, but you have to make an effort to find them.

“Most towns don’t have real estate agents. We found our little 300-year-old casa in the village of Trivigno thanks to the village’s former mayor. Neighbors have homes for sale by word of mouth, ranging from $26,000 for fixer-uppers to $137,000 for part of a once-noble palazzo to restore,” says Fortney Schneider.

The palazzo has two interior courtyards and a centuries-old iron key to open the door. It sits at the top of town and has great views.

An hour from Trivigno, to the northwest of Potenza, is the pretty, pastel town of Muro Lucano, which is big enough to have a real-estate agency. Here houses line up along a steep ridge in an orderly jumble, looking more like a sunny coastal town than a hill town. Mount Vulture looms up behind as a dramatic backdrop.

“Muro Lucano is where Aglianico, the region’s most famous wine, comes from,” Fortney Schneider reports. The town’s historic center is a warren of narrow lanes that unfold below the 13th-century castle. There are artisan shops, sidewalk cafés, and a handful of excellent restaurants to enjoy.

“The lifestyle is leisurely and friendly and homes can be had for a song. I looked at one newly restored apartment going for only $13,000. It’s unfurnished as are most properties in Italy. And it’s small—about 500 square feet. But it feels more spacious because it is set on two levels, with the entry way and kitchen on one level, and the living room and bedroom down a short flight of stairs. It’s the perfect little vacation bolt hole.”

On the eastern side of Basilicata is the region’s most famous and fascinating city, Matera. A UNESCO World Heritage site, it is thought to be Europe’s oldest continually-inhabited town.

Here a two-bedroom apartment with arched brick ceilings and a panoramic balcony needing restoration is going for $34,000, while a habitable home with two bedrooms, a fireplace, a balcony, and a big rooftop terrace is listed for only $57,600.

The full report on the property market in Basilicata, which appeared in the August edition of International Living magazine, can be read here: Property Bargains in Italy's Basilicata Region.

Editor’s Note: Members of the media have full permission to reproduce the article linked above, once credit is given to InternationalLiving.com.

Media Contact: For information about InternationalLiving.com content republishing, available source material or to book an interview for radio, TV or print with one of our experts, contact Associate Editor Carol Barron, 772-678-0287 (US), CBarron(at)InternationalLiving(dot)com or visit the Media Center. For automatic updates on the most current stories, follow International Living Media on Twitter.

For more than 30 years, InternationalLiving.com has been the leading authority for anyone looking for global retirement or relocation opportunities. Through its monthly magazine and related e-letters, extensive website, podcasts, online bookstore, and events held around the world, InternationalLiving.com provides information and services to help its readers live better, travel farther, have more fun, save more money, and find better business opportunities when they expand their world beyond their own shores. InternationalLiving.com has more than 200 correspondents traveling the globe, investigating the best opportunities for travel, retirement, real estate, and investment.

### Reported by PRWeb 2 days ago.

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