Hello from a warm and sunny Liguria!

In early March, spring appeared suddenly, tempting us all to ‘cast our clouts before May is out’. The local dialect has the same saying: ‘Ni de Masu, ni de Masun, nu ve traghei de pelisun’ (i.e.don’t throw off your furs until after May). The bottom line is, of course, that if two traditional sayings advise calm during a warm March, then one should take notice, and so no ‘clouts’ have yet been cast!

And speaking of languages… As well as learning Italian, British visitors would do well to learn what I have come to call ‘Italenglish’ - English words that have entered the Italian language but which mean something entirely different. A few examples: a ‘pile’ is a fleece, a ‘plaid’ is a blanket, a ‘trench’ is a raincoat, a ‘self’ – my personal favourite – is any DIY service. Many’s the petrol station with ‘self’ proudly displayed outside, meaning you can use an automatic machine to fill your tank when the petrol attendant isn’t around. Another favourite is ‘feeling’. Two people are said to have ‘feeling’ if they get on, so someone will smile and say to you as you chat with their elderly grandmother: ‘Avete feeling!’ i.e. ‘You two have feeling.’

Things are now revving up for next month’s Easter celebrations. Easter in Italy is the BIG one. No other festival comes close. During Easter week, particularly from Maundy Thursday until Easter day, Italy is seething with processions, festivals and masses held at churches around the country. In my own town Maundy Thursday is the big event. That night, the men of the town, divided up into four hooded and cloaked fraternities – the Greens, the Blues, the Blacks and the Reds – process around town, chanting and holding candles and torches. An English friend who was invited to join in last year was quite blown away by the whole experience. He wrote to me afterwards: “One of the problems of the holiday (in a good way) is that it has been almost impossible to describe to anyone what I actually did - once I get into fraternities and dressing up and processing around the town with several Rasputin look-alikes it all starts to sound a bit farfetched to anyone listening. ”It’s one of the times when you forgive Italy for not being very contemporary!”

Every region in Italy has its traditional Easter dish. Unfortunately for me, here it’s goat. I’m not a big goat fan. It’s really like eating a very, very scrawny lamb. What’s worse, the head is considered a delicacy, and in my family they cut it in half so that my partner and his brother-in-law don’t squabble over it… It can be worse. Another favourite dish around here is boiled thrush. An enthusiastic 12-year-old once demonstrated how to eat this in an effort to persuade me to try some. You pick the boiled thrush up by its beak, tap open the skull with a teaspoon etc. etc. I’ll go no further, but as you can imagine he didn’t succeed in selling the idea to me at all.

Despite the warm weather, we were forced to order a new tank of LPG gas. This is always a painful experience, as gas is so expensive. The current price is 81 cents a litre. Paying 20% VAT on fuel doesn’t help either. We do everything we can to avoid using gas, and try to heat our houses only with wood-burning stoves. Pellet stoves have also become very popular. Italian houses aren’t particularly well insulated either and I’ve stopped counting the number of times that foreigners ring me to say they think they have a leak in their gas pipe because they’ve used 1,000 litres of gas in two weeks for the heating, or a Dutch couple who rang me once to say they were using a tank of gas every 4 days to heat their house so there must be a problem. They are always a bit put off when we tell them they’re wrong, there’s no leak and advise them not to have their heating on 12 hours a day if they want to use less of it.

Energy is a big problem in Italy. At the moment, Italy imports its LPG from Russia. In order to solve this problem, the Berlusconi government has decided to give the go ahead to build between eight and ten nuclear power stations, with the first one completed by 2020. Italy has been a nuclear-free zone since the 1987 referendum when Italians voted against nuclear power in the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster. It’s a shame really, when Italy could do so much more with solar power. Germany has a third of the sunshine that Italy has, and produces 37 times more energy from solar panels. One of the situations when you wish Italy was a little more contemporary…

This month’s feature tackles disability in Italy. This affects both those with disabilities who are thinking of moving to Italy as well as those who wish to retire to Italy and may have mobility problems in the future. The star of the story is Peter, the man we met last month still tackling a speeding fine after four years of bureaucracy.

Happy Easter everyone!

Gianna

Gianna Williams
Italy Buying Guide
The Overseas Guides Company
Gianna@OverseasGuidesCompany.com

Peter's Licence Story

Being disabled in Italy is quite a challenge, for geographical and historical reasons if nothing else. The winding streets of old medieval villages, complete with steps and cobblestones on steep inclines, make the going tough for all but the most athletic among us. Larger cities are becoming more switched on. The new underground system in Turin is complete with glass lifts to take people right down to the platform, where the underground train slides right up to it, with no ‘gap to mind’ in sight. However, this is the exception to the rule. The going is generally very tough and Italians have not yet come to grips with making accessibility a priority.

Peter, whom we met last month struggling with a four-year speeding fine, is disabled and confined to a wheelchair. On a trip with him on the motorway last year, we stopped for lunch at an Autogrill – ‘Italenglish’ for motorway service station – and were immediately stopped in our tracks. There was, indeed, a ramp for wheelchairs, but that January day in Piedmont, the service station staff had neglected to clear it of ice (the steps leading up to the entrance were, of course, clear and salt had been thrown down). Once in the building, Peter decided to go to the washroom, only to find that the disabled toilet – a very nicely fitted, modern facility once you were in there – was locked, and was forced to go through a long rigmarole before finding the person with a key and with the time to unlock it for him.

Two months ago, a large department store in Imperia, Liguria, made national headlines when a 21-year-old woman in a motorised wheelchair was asked peremptorily to leave the premises because her wheelchair was dangerous to other shoppers and might ‘run over them’. The young woman left the shop in tears, and a friend accompanying her called the police. Later a public outcry forced the shopkeeper to publicly apologise to the woman. The managing director of the department store chain personally accompanied her along the aisles of the shop to make amends.

Having moved to Italy, Peter decided to convert his British disabled driver’s badge into its Italian equivalent. The British disabled parking permit had just been renewed for a further four years. Peter takes up the story:

“By this time, I have become inured to the Italian way of doing things and so I had already set aside a wheelbarrow of documents, from my birth certificate to the certificate attesting to the fact that I am alive, the famous Certificato di esistenza in vita (Certificate of living existence). [Editor’s note – I had to have one of those done when I passed my driving test in Turin in 1986! My favourite Italian bureaucratic invention – it’s almost heart warming to think it still exists!]

Thus armed, I started to enquire from those supposedly ‘in the know’ to find out the best way to undertake my difficult mission. I contacted the council, the captain of the Carabinieri, my GP, the head of the local traffic wardens and anyone else I thought might be helpful. As I feared, the responses were all different and rather vague.

I therefore gathered another wheelbarrow full of documents (Identity card, passport, driver’s licence, British disabled drivers parking badge – valid till 2011 – x-rays, statements confirming my condition issued by UK and Italian physicians) and started my pilgrimage. Contrary to initial indications, the local police didn’t want to have anything to do with the matter and indeed no one else showed the slightest interest. By then I was in state of total despair, but our cleaning woman, whose uncle knew someone who knew someone who had had a similar problem, suggested I contact the Local Health Agency, ASL.

Having exhausted all other avenues, I followed her advice. In the offices of ASL, an office worker and a doctor gave me a cursory glance, gave my documents a longer glance, and in 10 minutes the two of them made a copy of everything I had brought with me, did not question my disability and issued a certificate. Armed with this powerful tool, I appeared in front of the local police officer who had rejected my previous inept approach and he issued my badge. Elation, celebrations, champagne and fireworks! Alas, little did I know then that my troubles had just begun.

A few months of blissful ignorance had gone by when an ominous looking envelope was received by registered mail. It was the Italian equivalent of the DVLA, the Motorizzazione, who was summoning me in front of a Health Commission which would decide, seeing as I had been granted a disabled parking badge, quote “my psycho-physical ability to drive a motor vehicle.

As you can imagine, finding out where to go, what documents to secure and/or produce, etc, took the best part of one month. I brought along:

- the card with my Tax Number – the famous codice fiscale - something that follows you wherever you go

- 2 passport-size photographs

- my Italian health service ID card (exhibit this every time you see a doctor or get a prescription)

- ID card issued by the borough

- a € 14.62 Tax Stamp

- a receipt proving that I paid € 30.99 to the Motorizzazione at the Post Office

- receipt for a further payment of € 9.00. Actually I wasn’t sure about this one but I decided to err in excess

- all official certificates and documents (excluding those issued privately by GPs, clinics and specialists) relating to my illnesses

Of course, being a place devoted to the medical assessment of disabilities, there are no ramps or lifts to gain access to the floor where ‘things happen’ but only nice polished marble steps. Here that unique Italian flair called ‘flexibility’ comes into its own: the commissioners (Mohammed) will come to me (the Mountain). So, a nice lady collects most of my paperwork of which she is busily making photocopies, and I am wheeled into a little barren room where seven people await me.

I presume they are doctors: four stand behind me and I shall never see their faces, three sit in front and all start a conversation in which I am not called upon to participate. From the heated exchanges I gather that what is being debated is whether I need a special car for paraplegics, whether or not I can see or hear, and whether I really understand what is going on. In the end one of inquisitors asks me if I am presently driving a car, if I can move my legs and toes while another asks me: “Of course you can see, can’t you?”

Enthusiastically I respond ‘YES!’ at which point the Magnificent Seven agree that I should:

- continue to wear my spectacles when driving and
- always drive an automatic car

At this point I am given another form (a blue one this time) which I am told should result in getting a new driver’s licence, valid for two years. Since I can hardly believe my luck, I ask confirmation and I am told: “Take this form and two photos, together with your current licence, to any office of ACI (the Italian equivalent of the RAC) and you will get your licence.”

Overcome with emotion and glee, my wife wheels me to the car… We encounter a slight hitch because the head of the commission’s car is blocking our disabled parking spot, but this hurdle is quickly surmounted. Off we go to ACI, ready and eager to put an end to our misery. Alas, not so! The Man wants more forms, certificates, authentication of documents, etc. I am taken home by my wife, speechless, preparing to emigrate to Nauru. But then in the middle of the night, an illumination, the heavens open and a voice tells me:

“You know somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody else who works at the local Motorizzazione. Go forth and overcome!!!”

Lo and behold! A quick call to the somebody, who calls the other somebody, who alerts the key somebody and the following morning, bright and early, there I am: all I have to do is to fill a form, pay more stamp duty and, I am told, my licence will be ready in 10 days!

And, silly me, I believe it.”

http://www.ItalyBuyingGuide.com/property.htm
and we will put you in touch with really good professional people to help you in your search.

Where to for the £ against the euro?

by Smart Currency’s Charles Purdy.

Where to for the £ against the euro? This is a question I am often asked and, to be honest, it is near enough impossible to know what the answer is, especially at times like this when all economic reason seems to have been either discarded or disowned.

There is a belief that by the end of the year we will see sterling rise to €1.20/£1. That could be…but I think we have an equal chance of being at €0.90/£1 by the end of the year.

There are three main reasons why the future exchange rate for sterling is so uncertain. Firstly, sterling is unloved and is not one of the big boys, such as the €, the US$ and the Japanese Yen, when it comes to world trade. Secondly, the IMF views us as the most likely of the industrialised nations to be last out of the current recession; we have a government which is running a huge budget and balance of payment deficit. Thirdly, our economy is dependent on the financial sector, which is clearly in trouble.

With so much uncertainty I think it is important not to second guess what is going to happen – rather work out a plan which will limit your downside risk [and remove some, if not all, of the stress] based on where we are now. Unless you are a committed gambler, I suggest you make sure that you don’t suddenly have to find another £5,000 to cover the increased cost of buying those euros for your house purchase should sterling continue to lose even more ground against the euro.

Also you shouldn’t risk the value of your monthly pension going down even further. We know that, even with deflation on the horizon, every lost € hurts and can reduce your enjoyment of a “life in the sun”.

If you haven’t had a chance to discuss in detail what the alternatives are for either larger or more regular payments, and how to minimise your currency risks, then please give us a ring and we will be happy to talk about your possible options.

To read the latest on Serling and the Euro go to: http://www.ItalyBuyingGuide.com/Currency260309.htm

Why overseas property buyers lose money...
...and how you can avoid it!

This 10-page educational report outlines:

• Case Study: When Property Buyer, Mr Reed, Purchased an Overseas Property, he Made Three Mistakes that Cost Him £10,256...learn how you can avoid them...
  
  
• How the Banks make HUGE profits from their long-standing unsuspecting customers
  
  
• Ways to safeguard yourself against adverse fluctuations in exchange rates (or in other words, helping you to keep your money in your pocket)
  
  
• The entire process of moving money from the UK to any overseas location, so that you're armed with all the knowledge you need to make intelligent decisions about your money
  
  
• How you can ultimately save £100’s and £1000’s so that you have ample money to buy furniture and white goods…
  
  
• More case studies of people that lost money due to foreign currency strengthening against the pound, so that you learn from other peoples mistakes rather than your own!
  

And just a couple remarks about the report from our readers...

" We have found your free report to be extremely helpful... Wendy Watson"

"I have read and absorbed the information in the stories outlining the mistakes which the uninitiated can make when transferring currency. It is very illuminating and essential that any one,like myself, who is in the process of buying an overseas property should be aware of. I would go so far as to say that every agent selling overseas properties should be compelled to advise their prospective purchasers that it is paramount that they use a currency expert such as yourselves. Regards, Eric Thomas"

To get a copy of the report at no charge go to: http://www.smartcurrencyexchange.com/freereport.htm

To get a Better-than-Bank rate go to: http://www.smartCurrencyExchange.com/smartsquotation.htm
or call Carl on 08081 630 102 freephone.

A Magnificent Property near Genoa Airport

On the rolling hills of Finale Ligure, conveniently located less than one hour's drive from Genoa International Airport and 1½ from Nice Airport, is Borgo dei Gabbiani, a little hamlet set amidst olive groves and surrounded by stunning views.

Borgo dei Gabbiani has been created within 10 acres of land. All apartments will have sea views and gardens with patio or terraces for year round use, thanks to the mild year round Ligurian climate. The development also features a heated swimming pool and communal grounds.

The planning of the apartments provides for either one or two bedrooms. However, it is still possible to change the lay-out of the apartments and increase their size and number of bedrooms - a great opportunity to get exactly what you want from a new build. The apartments are available either off-plan or key-ready. Completion of the project is scheduled for 2009/2010.

Prices vary depending on position and size: One-bedroom apartments start at €195,000. and two-bedroom apartments are priced from €236,000.

If this is of interest to you, please give me a call on 0207 898 0549 or fill in the form at:
http://www.ItalyBuyingGuide.com/property.htm

I will be delighted to have a chat about this or any other property in Italy you may be interested in.

Why it’s still a good idea to buy in Italy!

There are many really good reasons still to be buying property in Italy. No matter what your reasons are for buying a home – to retire to, for those long, lazy holidays, for a rental property – I always advise buying a property that you will be able to sell at a later date should you so choose.

We all know those times when life throws you a curve ball, when the unexpected happens. You do not want to be saddled with a property when it comes time to move on! Investors seeking to enter the tourist property market in Italy were given boost in November last year when the Daily Telegraph Travel Awards 2008 listed it as the reader's most popular European destination.

Here are just a few reasons why Italy is a good property investment market:

1. The Italian economy looks well placed to weather the recession, despite the alarming credit crunch in other European countries, it has been claimed. According to Reuters, the nation's economy as a whole has been largely unaffected by the global economic downturn and forecasters are ruling out a property bust. One of the reasons for this is that in Italy people have traditionally been inclined to fully pay for houses at the time of purchase rather than take out a mortgage. In addition, the European Commission has predicted Italy's economy will contract just two per cent this year while the likes of the UK, Ireland and Germany are expecting far higher losses.

2. British people visiting Italy can still enjoy an affordable holiday, despite the current exchange rate. This is according to the Telegraph, which explains that although the falling value of the pound has made holidaying in the eurozone more expensive, Italy still has much to offer budget-conscious visitors.

"Some things remain good value, including train travel, wines direct from vintners, organic groceries and village trattorie off the main tourist trail," the newspaper states. Italy was named best European country by Telegraph readers in the publication's annual travel awards, indicating that the nation's appeal has not been diminished by the economic downturn.

Getting to Italy is now more straightforward than ever before, with direct flights to 26 destinations available from UK airports. Earlier this month, low-cost carrier easyJet announced plans to launch a new route between Liverpool and Naples from June 1st.

3. Golf Tourism is becoming big news world wide, and Italy is joining this very popular tourism option. The "Golf & More" campaign has been aimed at promoting the sport to visitors in the regions of Liguria, Bolzano, Tuscany, Sardinia and Sicily reports Golf News North East. The development of golf in Italy would open up a new market for property investors looking to rent out holiday properties.

In a feature on the golf courses being promoted, the publication said the Friuli Venezia Giulia area is well suited to small parties, while the courses at Lignano and Grado are notable for their challenging holes. Many of these areas also have attractive scenery, from mountains to beaches, plus good tourist facilities, it stated.

4. It is predicted that Southern Italy is set to see increased interest in the property market over the coming months despite the credit crunch, it has been claimed. A property firm specialising in the region stated that despite the economic downturn, there is no shortage of buyers looking to purchase property. There are still many people buying abroad and the weather, the lovely coastline and a strong rental potential makes the region attractive to buyers. Beach front properties can still be bought that cost less than half the average price of a home in the UK.

5. Areas like Tuscany have an enormous amount of interest for visitors. It has been estimated that a two-week visit would not be enough to see all the treasures of just one of its most famous cities, Florence. Adam Buckley, the Independent's travel writer, said Florence alone had more to see than a normal trip could allow for.

He commented: "You could spend a fortnight here and still not see every one of the masterpieces to be found in Florence's museums and churches." In addition to this, he suggested, the Italian region offers other outstanding attractions in the cities of Siena and Pisa, at beach resorts such as Elba and in the walking available in the southern Alps.

Such features may attract property investors interested in tourist lettings to the region, which recent research has shown is the most popular in Italy. This would make properties more expensive but very attractive to a rental option.

6. And a last thought: Evidently Italy is one of the most popular countries for Britons looking to marry abroad! Director of overseas weddings firm, Marry Abroad, Charlotte Hand said the atmosphere and scenery of the country made it a venue many people enquired about via the company's website.

She stated: "Italy is one of the most visited countries in terms of hits on our site - it is a fantastically romantic country and real backdrop to any wedding." This of course means enormous rental opportunities, including for the wedding part and honeymooners!

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if I can be of any assistance in helping you find the property of your dreams. Just phone me on 0207 898 0549 or go to:

http://www.ItalyBuyingGuide.com/property.htm

and fill in the firm. I would be delighted to hear from you.

Holidays Uncovered

I have found such a wonderful website that I just have to share with you! It’s called Holidays Uncovered and contains no nonsense reviews by people just like you and me. Personally I will never book a hotel again without referring to this website!

I tested it by typing in a hotel I had actually visited and up it came with a couple of reviews. One had pretty much my thoughts on the hotel, but funnily enough it seems that not all the rooms were as good as the one I had stayed in. After reading that I would insist on seeing the room before checking in…and how useful is it to know that?

The site includes most countries worldwide. Not only are there comprehensive hotel reviews but general travel reviews with all sorts of interesting bits ’n bobs, best to see, a weather chart and a forum that you can join. I was reading this sneakily while at work, but this weekend I plan to dash off a few reviews of hotels I have stayed in around the world – it’s the least one can do for one’s fellow travellers!

I recently visited Ladakh in Himalayan India – my second visit actually to this really out of the way place. I feel honour-bound to share with folk the two or three really spectacularly good hotels that I discovered there – through much trial and error I might add!! If you want to have a look, go to:

Holidays Uncovered

and do add your reviews too – it’s the right thing to do!

Rent or advertise a rental property

Do you have a holiday home that you want to rent out? OR

Do you want to take a ‘test-drive’ and stay in a holiday home – in other words, ‘try before you buy’? I found that holidaylettings.co.uk is an excellent resource.

This site really has to be one of the most easy and clearly laid out sites that I have seen – within a few seconds I was viewing a lovely property in Italy…plus instructions as to how to get there, where to eat….this could become addictive! Over 2 million holidaymakers visit the site each month, so that speaks for itself. And if you are advertising your own property that is really music to the ears isn’t it?

To find a property to rent, you can use various search criteria and restrict your choices to location, dates, price and various other options. Late deals, early bargains, holiday ideas – it’s all here. If you know what you want it’s here, and if you don’t, they will help you to find it!

As for renting a property out…Rather than getting tied into a monthly direct debit or a commission type payment there is only a small annual fee required. For the fee, you’re allowed a full page of text with up to 20 photos, an availability calendar and an easy system to get the information onto the website.

Before recommending the site to you, I did a bit of background research…The company has been around since 1999, and have grown continuously since then - by an amazing 100% in each of the last 4 years! Over 17,000 owners advertise over 28,000 properties on the site and they have over 2 million visitors to the site every month.

I’ve been informed that HolidayLettings.co.uk also has an excellent reputation for telephone customer service provided by real people in their Oxford, UK office. They were ranked in the top 10 of the most visited property websites throughout 2008, ahead of all other UK holiday home letting sites, by Hitwise, the leading online intelligence service.

As they mention on their website, low-cost airlines and holiday rentals listing sites have made holidays in Europe and beyond much more affordable to the independent traveller. Plus of course those hit by the credit crunch may well be seeking to rent abroad rather than going the expensive hotel route – have a look and see what you think.

If you want to rent out a property, one of my associates managed to get a deal for Guide Readers… If you enter the following promotional code you can get 15 months of advertising (of your property) for the price of 12 months – Code: 45749. Or, just go to: Holiday Lettings

Italy Property Buying & Investment Guide

'Firstly, I want to thank you for the small investment I made in buying your guide and how much it has saved me and how easy it has made everything! You saved us about 3,000 Euros in using Smart!!
If you would like me to do a quote for your guide I would be more than happy to pass on how great you have been.

Our offer has been accepted 4,000 EUROS under the price and we have just had fantasic advice from Natalie at Smart Currency Exchange and have purchased all the Euros we will require for the purchase and all the fees and duties.

I don`t know what we would have done without you, we will keep you informed.

We are just awaiting our proposta d`acquisto to sign and when the vendor has signed we send our deposit off. We are hoping to complete in 3 months so we will be with keys for spring, how exciting.

Have a great weekend.
Kendra & Tony'

If you haven't already purchased our excellent FULL Guide why not get a copy today?

Go to: http://www.ItalyBuyingGuide.com/Guide.htm

To get a Better-than-Bank rate go to: http://www.smartCurrencyExchange.com/smartsquotation.htm
or call Carl on 08081 630 102 freephone.

Top Tip

If your seller suddenly incurs large debts with their bank, the bank can slap an ‘ipoteca’, a mortgage, on their property. If that ‘ipoteca’ is not paid by the vendor before the sale, it will be sold along with the house and you will be held responsible for paying that debt. A mortgage is taken on a house and not by the individual, so make sure your solicitor completes a mortgage search (they should do this as a matter of course) to ensure you are not saddled with someone elses debt.

For help with Mortgage's go to: http://www.ItalyBuyingGuide.com/mortgage.htm

Goodbye for now

Have a great month…and if you haven’t done so already please purchase the Italy Buying Guide to ensure you know everything there is to know about buying in Italy!

I hope you have enjoyed reading this months newsletter. I love receiving your feedback so please send me your articles/questions/comments. I read them all and will be delighted to help you.

Kind regards,

Gianna

Gianna Williams
Italy Buying Guide
The Overseas Guides Company
Gianna@OverseasGuidesCompany.com