Italian Village Offers $1 Homes to Americans Upset by US Election Results – Boston News, Weather, Sports

On November 20, 2024By Pranco

(CNN) — While many communities around the world wonder what to make of Donald Trump’s re-election, a village on the Italian island of Sardinia has sniffed out a potential opportunity.

Like many places in rural Italy, Ollolai has long tried to convince outsiders to move here to revive its fortunes after decades of depopulation. It sells dilapidated houses for just one euro – just over a dollar – to sweeten the deal.

Now, after the outcome of the vote on November 5, there is one website aimed at so-called American expats, offering more cheap homes in the hope that those upset by the outcome will rush to buy up one of the vacant properties.

“Are you exhausted by global politics? Do you want to embrace a more balanced lifestyle while securing new opportunities?” the website asks. “It’s time to start building your European escape in the breathtaking paradise of Sardinia.”

Mayor Francesco Columbu tells CNN that the website was created specifically to attract American voters in the aftermath of the presidential election. He says he loves the United States and believes Americans are the best people to revitalize his community.

“We want and will mainly concentrate on Americans,” he says. “We cannot, of course, prevent people from other countries from registering, but the Americans will have an accelerated procedure. We bet they will help us revive the village, they are our winning card.”

‘Preferential treatment’

Columbu says the village now offers three types of accommodation: free temporary homes for certain digital nomads, one-euro homes that need renovation, and turnkey homes priced up to 100,000 euros ($105,000).

The mayor says he has set up a special team to guide interested buyers through every step of the purchase, from arranging customized private tours of available homes to finding contractors and builders and navigating the necessary paperwork.

He says photos and floor plans of available vacant properties will be uploaded to the website soon.

Over the past century, Ollolai’s population has shrunk from 2,250 to 1,300, with only a handful of babies born each year. Many families left the village during difficult economic times in search of work and a better life.

In recent years the population has fallen further to barely 1,150 inhabitants.

While the village may be desperate to lure newcomers in an effort to stem depopulation, the offer of “preferential treatment” to Americans, as Columbu describes it, may seem a bit controversial.

The website does not mention that having a U.S. passport is a requirement, but the mayor says U.S. citizens will be given preference over potential applicants of other nationalities.

“Of course, we cannot specifically name one American president who has just been elected, but we all know that he is the one that many Americans now want to get away from and leave the country,” Columbo added.

“We have now created this website specifically to meet America’s post-election resettlement needs. The first edition of our digital nomad program, launched last year, was already exclusively for Americans.”

The mayor says the city hall website has recently been flooded with 38,000 requests for housing information, mostly from the United States.

“So we were really looking for a platform that would target American citizens, and to group our different projects together,” says Columbu.

A remote paradise

Ollolai has previously tried to attract new residents with attractive housing projects.

In 2018, as first reported by CNN, the town hall started selling dilapidated vacant homes for one euro. It then rented empty workspaces for a symbolic euro.

Finally, last year it launched a ‘work of Ollolai’ program for digital nomads. So far, four Americans have been housed in fully equipped homes for a symbolic euro. In return, they had to create something for the community, such as a work of art or a book.

The town hall pays the rent on local families’ homes for the remote workers, paying around 350 euros per month for multi-storey, two-bedroom homes. Utilities, bills and municipal taxes are also covered.

But revival plans are not going as well as local authorities had hoped. Since 2018, only ten homes have been sold and renovated for one euro, Columbu says.

“The village remains half empty, we still have about 100 vacant cheap houses for sale, ready to move into. We have mapped them all out and listed them, and soon there will be photos online for buyers to look at.”

Most of the buildings are located in the historic center and come in different sizes.

They are picturesque old farmer’s and shepherd’s houses made from local granite rocks. Some turnkey homes are even furnished and equipped with modern conveniences.

There are no demographic requirements for US applicants; These can be people of all ages, retirees, home workers or entrepreneurs who want to open a small business in the village.

Ollolai is off the beaten track, ideal for those who want to unplug and live a simpler life.

Located in a wild mountain area, it rises on a pristine piece of land where ancient agricultural traditions live on. It features fresh, pollution-free air, few crowds and great views.

In the fall during an event known as cortes apertas (open courtyards) sees stables and old turf taverns open to the public, offering wine, ham, cheese and other delicacies. The area is known for its locally produced Casu Fiore Sardo cheese.

Another highlight of Ollolai’s calendar is a masked carnival with goat-like costumes and archaic rituals held every February.