San Lorenzo Bellizzi - Even Cheaper Than Guardia Sanframondi

Lotto n. 24 - €1.800

So it's been a while since I posted on real estate in Italy, mainly because we're in "saving up" mode. But this afternoon Seeds From Italy (my source for Italian vegetable seeds) posted a very interesting link on FaceBook. It seems the Commune di San Lorenzo Bellizzi owns a bunch of more or less ruined properties in the "centro storico" and they've just posted a list documenting 25 of 'em.

How cheap? €1.500 to €3.000

You already clicked didn't you? OK. I'll wait.

OK, where the heck is San Lorenzo Bellizzi? It's located in Calabria, near the border of Basilicata:


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Yeah, way the heck down there. Which is actually pretty cool if you're looking for a vacation home off the beaten path but with plenty of great scenery (maybe better than Guardia Sanframondi!), 35 km. from the ocean, and packed with rural Italian character.

Although the good ol' Wikipedia doesn't have much on San Lorenzo Bellizzi, the town does have a website evidently set up by by someone from the town. Like Guardia Sanframondi it doesn't seem to have any actual hotels, but there are a couple of B&Bs and Agriturismo offerings.

What's the downside? The 25 places on the list are all what might be (charitably) called "unique fixer-uppers". Seeing as it's very rural Italy, there are going to be few, if any, people who speak much English. But man, what an adventure!

Oddly enough, there's House Hunters International couple living not too far north in Basilicata. Maybe I'll drop 'em a note and see what they might be up for...