Updated 3 months ago on . Most recent reply
Local and Overseas investing
Hi all,
My wife and I purchased our first home (single family) in upstate NY in 2020 at a 2.7% interest rate and naturally found ourselves thinking about real estate investing as a result. We have done some renovations to increase value and functionality as potential rental property. We plan to keep this property when we decide to move into a bigger home with growing family. My overall long term plan is to rent this property out when we move and scale up from there.
As a dual US-Italian citizen with family in Italy, I would like to one day own property in Italy that would give me the flexibility to stay there when travelling abroad but also provide some sort of passive income. Does anyone have experience or advice when looking to invest overseas in particular in Italy?
Any real estate investing advice/suggestions on getting started or overseas investing is greatly appreciated! Thank you.
Most Popular Reply
Hey Sean,
First off — that 2.7% rate is gold. Keeping that property as a rental when you move is a smart long-term play. Before you scale, I'd run the numbers today as if it were already a rental. Use realistic rent, subtract vacancy, maintenance, CapEx, taxes, insurance, and even property management (even if you self-manage). If it cash flows comfortably with that low rate, you've got a strong foundation.
On Italy — amazing goal, but go in clear-eyed. Financing can be tricky without Italian income, and a lot of foreign buyers end up paying cash. Transaction costs are higher than people expect, and short-term rental rules vary a lot by city. Management is everything if you’re not there full-time.
If I were in your shoes, I’d scale in the U.S. first where you know the system, build equity and liquidity, then buy in Italy more as a lifestyle asset that offsets costs rather than expecting big returns. Overseas can work — it’s just usually more complex and less predictable than domestic investing.