Buying Real Estate in Italy Visiting Italy is nothing short of breathtaking. The beautiful countryside, dense and active cities, and rich culture that Italy has to offer is why millions of people worldwide travel vast distances to see the wonderful country. As we visit Italy and see firsthand what the country has to offer, those dreams of visiting Italy instantly evolve to living in Italy, to owning a farmhouse to vacate to, a country villa to retire in. And why not? Italy has perfect opportunities for the thrifty investor as long as proper protocols and procedures are enacted in order to truly benefit from investing in real estate in Italy. Throughout this article we will go over necessary information when buying a house in Italy. Choosing which area to buy real estate in may seem difficult. Frequent vacations to the same area in Italy can help familiarize yourself with an area. Choosing whether you buy a house in the country, suburbs, or city should naturally depend on your lifestyle habits and general interests. While you are still visiting Italy and even while back home, check out the real estate for sale in the area you are visiting to get a general idea of the market. Reference this information with similar areas in Italy to compare local real estate markets. This is a basic procedure but is very beneficial in knowing the current trends of real estate in Italy. The most important part of buying Italy real estate is that you must hire a local lawyer. Even buying real estate in the U.S. can be overbearing and Italy has a completely different process than other countries. It can seem like a labyrinth of procedures and paperwork that truly needs a local lawyer to be able to interpret. It is imperative to hire local Italian real estate lawyers who know the laws inside and out to prevent any