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00:01This view is priceless.
00:04Imagine a world of bargain dream real estate.
00:08Just $41,000.
00:11What?
00:11This is unheard of for the States.
00:13Global destinations.
00:16Bonjour.
00:17I'm going to embarrass myself.
00:19From Ajorie.
00:20I love it.
00:21Great way to meet Inezus.
00:22Yeah.
00:23This architecture is amazing.
00:26And local expert know-how.
00:28The cost of this in the States.
00:32I think it would be double for sure.
00:33The cost of living here is so much more affordable than the US.
00:36It is definitely a bargain.
00:39You can afford to live your dream.
00:42I can't believe this is going to be my new home.
00:45At a price you never thought possible.
00:47You did incredible.
00:49This is exactly what we came all this way for.
00:58To stay here hugged.
01:01While the day is no longer.
01:02The moon from the sun makes our smiles.
01:06Michael, will you get a picture of me?
01:07Yeah, of course.
01:08There you go, yeah.
01:09Cute.
01:10Yeah.
01:11What do they call these again?
01:12Truly.
01:13Truly, wow.
01:14Yeah.
01:14Well, they truly are.
01:16Beautiful, I guess, right?
01:17We've been friends for over 20 years.
01:19We're like family.
01:20Our mothers are good friends and we're both artists.
01:23We want to be in Puglia because of the blooming art scene, the contemporary art scene that a lot of
01:28my friends have been telling me about.
01:30Look at the sun sigil there, so beautiful.
01:33For me, the opportunity to do something unknown is actually why I'm here.
01:39Just to be totally clear, we are completely friends.
01:42We never slept together.
01:43I think 20 years ago we kissed like three times and that was it.
01:48Puglia, just an hour's flight south from Italy's capital Rome.
01:53With 500 miles of stunning coastline, dramatic architecture and incredible light, this region has been a magnet for artists for
02:03centuries.
02:04Even though there's a property boom going on in the sun-soaked heel of Italy's boot, you can still find
02:10a dream home for under 150,000 US dollars.
02:15Finding these friends their shared dream bargain home requires a man with plenty of local knowledge.
02:20I'm Sicilian, you know, but Puglia is part of the south of Italy, so we're not that culturally far.
02:27Italy offers a lot of opportunities for Americans choosing this dream.
02:33It's very easy to stay in Italy, especially for who is choosing Italy as the main resident.
02:39This region currently has the fastest growing property market in Italy.
02:44And savvy property hunters are turning their attention to the affordable homes they can find here in Puglia.
02:51Okay guys, why Puglia? Why now?
02:53I've had this dream for over a decade. I mean, the first time I came to Italy I felt like
02:58home.
02:59But now in my life I'm at a space and time where I can actually make this happen for myself.
03:03Okay.
03:04I've been waiting for this for many years.
03:06My art practice has been growing and some new inspiration is really going to invigorate it to grow even more.
03:12So guys, please tell me, what about your expectation, your budget?
03:15Our budget is between 100 and 150,000 US dollars.
03:21Yeah, it'll be a 50-50 split.
03:23The property that we're looking for would be at least a two bedroom and two bathrooms.
03:27I would absolutely love to see a Truly. I've never been in them before.
03:32And I'm really hoping that our budget is going to stretch to be able to afford one.
03:36You're giving me a very flexible budget. So I think, you know, this region offers a lot of different architectures.
03:44So I'm pretty sure I will find something you can really fall in love easily.
03:48I want to fall in love.
03:50You will.
03:54Finding traditionally older properties with more than one bathroom can be a challenge here.
03:59So Elena and Michael are starting their search at the furthest tip of the heel.
04:03A region loved by artists for its light.
04:07The village of Montesardo.
04:10Largely because this region is less developed than further north.
04:14House prices are between 30 to 35% cheaper than the national average.
04:19And there are plenty of bargain homes for sale.
04:22I wanted to show you something because I think it's very important to see the architectures.
04:27You can have...
04:28It's a castle.
04:29Stunning.
04:30Look how beautiful it is.
04:32The pink.
04:33It's beautiful.
04:33It's pink.
04:34It's full of colors.
04:35Look at this bell.
04:36And light.
04:37And plants.
04:38It's an actual castle.
04:40Yeah, it is.
04:41Okay, guys.
04:42This is the very heart of this town.
04:45And, as I know, there is a new international population.
04:49So there will be other Americans and people from all over the world already living in the area.
04:54So, yeah, it's gonna be cool.
04:56And this is the property.
04:58Okay, the reason why I took you here is just because this property is amazing.
05:03It's just $138,000.
05:05It's right in the heart of this old town.
05:08And it's pristine.
05:09It looks amazing.
05:10Lucky number seven.
05:11Lucky number seven.
05:13Just a short walk from the castle, this 968-square-foot historic house was built from the local limestone called
05:21Tufo.
05:22All essentials are within walking distance, and it's being sold fully furnished.
05:30Wow.
05:32Look at this.
05:33This old stone.
05:35It's like we're living in a castle.
05:37I love it.
05:38It's a mini castle.
05:39Yeah, a mini castle.
05:41This basin must be as old as the stone there.
05:43Look at that.
05:44Incredible.
05:44I wonder if it works.
05:45Oh my gosh, it works!
05:48That's amazing.
05:49You can paint out here and use that as your basin.
05:52Yeah, it's an easel.
05:52The light is actually perfect for painting.
05:55Yeah, yeah.
05:55For real.
05:56It's beautiful.
05:56So this is really incredible.
05:58I love it.
06:02Okay.
06:03Cute.
06:05Look at these ceilings.
06:06It's incredible.
06:07Known as Volta a Bote, these vaulted ceilings are characteristic of the region.
06:13So far, I think it's so charming.
06:15It actually has a feeling of home, which is what I want, you know?
06:18This makes me feel held.
06:20It's like a warm hug, this room.
06:22Right.
06:22This hug of a home was built around $1,700 and is set around a courtyard with a living
06:30dining area, bathroom, and two bedrooms.
06:34A similar sized apartment in New York City could cost up to $1 million.
06:40So this is a steal.
06:43Oh my god, it's so cute!
06:45Mmm.
06:46I mean, just having this stone is amazing.
06:48Oh my god.
06:49This is so charming to me.
06:50Yeah.
06:51Oh my goodness.
06:52I love it.
06:54It's actually so darling.
06:57Okay.
06:58I think this qualifies as a tiny bathroom.
07:00It's pretty small.
07:01It's pretty small.
07:03Piccolo.
07:04Piccolo.
07:05Yeah.
07:05What's that mean again?
07:06Small.
07:06Uh-oh.
07:07Wait, what is this staircase doing in the middle of the room?
07:10There's a wall right there.
07:12I think that's a ceiling actually.
07:13Does it open?
07:15Okay.
07:16Uh-uh-oh.
07:18Oh no.
07:30Okay.
07:31Uh-uh-oh.
07:33Oh no.
07:35The stairs lead to what would be your bedroom.
07:38Yeah.
07:39Wait, this is the second bedroom.
07:40No bed.
07:42Okay.
07:42I mean, I would definitely get this bedroom, just saying.
07:46Yeah, but this isn't the other bedroom.
07:48We're in the same room.
07:49Oh no.
07:50And what about privacy for this person?
07:53Oh, you don't get privacy.
07:54No, no.
07:55It's actually just a one-bedroom.
07:56I'll sleep up there with the dogs.
07:57That sounds good.
07:58I can just put in earplugs at night and I won't hear it.
08:05Okay.
08:05Guys, what do you think?
08:06Yeah.
08:07What do we think?
08:09I mean, we're kind of sharing a bedroom, basically.
08:12Oh well, you have to be, you are artists, you are creative, so you will figure out how
08:17to rearrange these spaces.
08:19We're familiar with each other, but not that familiar.
08:21Okay, let's see something else then.
08:23Let's go.
08:34Okay guys, I have to queue here because I want you to experience something.
08:39It's a typical Pullian dance, which will involve you in a very amazing way.
08:47Okay.
09:15It's amazing, the spirit of the people in Pullian is so beautiful.
09:18Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop.
09:22Back on the road and we're heading into central Pullia, to the Yttria Valley, otherwise known
09:29as Truly Country.
09:31Dating back to the 14th century, these unique dry stone buildings would have housed farming
09:36families and their livestock.
09:39Look all around.
09:41Do you see these beautiful house shapes?
09:44Wow.
09:44Little magical temples.
09:46They're beautiful.
09:46It's very much out of like a little story book or something like that.
09:50So beautiful.
09:51I feel like I'm in a fairy tale.
09:55And finally here we are.
09:57Oh my gosh.
09:59Wow.
10:00Wow.
10:01Look at the view it's going to have.
10:02Look at this.
10:03Oh, cute.
10:04It's like a little heaven.
10:05Little, yeah.
10:07It's so beautiful.
10:08Oh my God.
10:08It's really special.
10:09I can really actually see.
10:11It's so beautiful.
10:13And my favorite number is three and six, actually.
10:16Oh wow.
10:16That's a sign.
10:17No, it actually is true.
10:18It's so true.
10:20The price is 162,000 US dollars, which is not far from your budget.
10:28I think this could be something very special for us.
10:32Yeah, I'm a bit speechless.
10:33I don't have a lot to say.
10:34Now I want to go see inside.
10:35You know, I think that we've been here.
10:37Really?
10:41Built sometime in the 19th century with a more recent extension, this detached hilltop Trullo
10:48features a roof with two cones.
10:55Wow.
11:00It's actually amazing.
11:02The space.
11:03It's so big.
11:04Being in the middle of the countryside, all the essentials are a short drive away.
11:12Oh boy.
11:14Super cute.
11:15Oh my God.
11:17Really cute.
11:18Wow.
11:19Oh yeah.
11:19And there's the cone.
11:21Yeah, the Trullo ceiling.
11:22Yeah.
11:23All these arches, all this kind of circular architecture, you know?
11:26It's so different than the boxes and the squares we're used to, the way it moves the energy.
11:32I love it.
11:32All on one level, this dream rural farmhouse includes a living room, kitchen, two bedrooms,
11:43and one and a half bathrooms.
11:48Interesting.
11:48Well, it's high ceilings.
11:49That's nice.
11:50Yeah.
11:51Yeah.
11:51I mean, you could fit a king bed in here.
11:54It's pretty big.
11:55No, it's definitely enough space for Michael.
11:57For Italian?
11:58Yeah, for sure.
11:58This is a big bedroom for Italy.
12:00Yeah.
12:00Uh-huh.
12:01All right.
12:03All right.
12:04Oh my God.
12:05What is that?
12:07That's a bathroom.
12:08No.
12:09No.
12:09I've never seen...
12:10Wait, wait, wait.
12:10Wait.
12:10I've never seen a bathroom that you ascend to.
12:13No, Michael, no.
12:14Wait.
12:15When they say the toilet's a throne, they literally mean it's a throne.
12:19I can't.
12:20You're like literally sitting above, you know, maybe I can sit up here and I can give sermons.
12:25You just ruined the bathroom for me.
12:27It was already worse than that.
12:27Hello, darling.
12:28Hello.
12:30Wow.
12:31I can't.
12:32No.
12:32Wow.
12:32This is wild.
12:34I guess this is the second bedroom, huh?
12:36It's much smaller.
12:37It is much smaller.
12:39Yeah.
12:40What do you think?
12:41What are you trying to say?
12:41What are you trying to say?
12:42This is my bedroom.
12:43You're saying, uh...
12:45Yeah.
12:45How do you feel about that?
12:46I mean, I've never been one to hate on small spaces.
12:51I enjoy cozy spaces.
12:53It's not ideal.
12:54The other room is definitely more, uh, but...
12:58You're being generous with that.
12:59I mean, it's much smaller.
13:01Yeah.
13:01And it's a little, it's a few steps down.
13:06Here's the bathroom.
13:07Yeah.
13:07Yeah.
13:09This is a bathroom.
13:10Yeah, we didn't see it before.
13:11There's a toilet, so I guess it qualifies as a bathroom.
13:13No, no.
13:13So this is the only bathroom.
13:15Yeah.
13:15Oh.
13:16That's a really small shower.
13:19I know.
13:19Look at this.
13:20Come here.
13:21Okay.
13:21Look.
13:22Oh my God, it's really small.
13:25Yeah.
13:25It's really small.
13:27Even for me, that's small.
13:28Wow.
13:29Yeah.
13:30I...
13:32Okay, guys.
13:33Tell me.
13:33What do you think?
13:34I loved it.
13:34I felt like I was in a, again, like a fairy tale.
13:37The altar, the fireplace, stunning.
13:39Just taking in, like, actually how it feels to be in a true love is incredible.
13:43You know, the bathrooms are quite small.
13:46Mm-hmm.
13:46Really cozy.
13:47A cozy shower.
13:48Mm-hmm.
13:48Yeah.
13:49But, you know, there's so much to love.
13:52And there's also, you know, some things to think about, of course.
13:56Oh my God.
13:56It's really nice.
13:57Yeah.
14:01Yeah.
14:03Uh...
14:07Yeah.
14:09Yeah.
14:10Driven by a surge in tourism and buyers seeking its unique blend of affordability and stunning
14:16architecture.
14:17Real estate sales in Puglia are booming.
14:20But dream home hunting can be thirsty work,
14:23so Fabrizio's planned a pit stop at the local enoteca,
14:27or wine store, in the town of Lecce.
14:29Okay, I want you to know one of my friends, Fabio.
14:33Ciao, Fabio.
14:34Ciao, buonasera.
14:35Buonasera.
14:36Buonasera.
14:37Aline, Fabio, and Michael.
14:38Buonasera.
14:39We will try something really local.
14:43It's an amaro, which is a traditional recipe.
14:47It's made with local herbs.
14:50It's like, uh, it's powerful.
14:52Oh, wow.
14:53Superpowers.
14:54Okay.
14:55Salute.
14:56Salute.
14:57Salute.
14:58Salute.
15:00Mmm.
15:03Ooh.
15:03Wow.
15:04Yeah.
15:04Okay.
15:05I can be better.
15:06Strong.
15:06Wow.
15:07Oh, it's delicious.
15:08I love it.
15:09It is.
15:09Okay, guys, give me some feedback.
15:11How was today?
15:12Honestly, I'm more in love with Puglia than I thought I would be.
15:16Like, my heart is very open right now.
15:18I feel so relaxed.
15:19It's stunning here.
15:20Yeah?
15:20Yeah, I just feel this warmth is kind of continuing to expand, and the amaro has expanded it even
15:26more.
15:27Italy is working its magic.
15:28Yeah, yeah, yeah.
15:34Buongiorno to a brand new day, and what could lead to a brand new home for Elena and Michael?
15:42You know, my only worry about living in Italy is actually just being so relaxed and just
15:47wanting to siesta all the time.
15:49Maybe a little painting, a little siesta, a little wine, like that rhythm.
15:52You know what?
15:53You know what?
15:53In the south of Italy, we don't know what stress is.
15:56Look at me.
15:57I have no wrinkles.
15:58And I'm 62 years old.
16:00You know what?
16:00Their search continues along the west coast of Puglia, around the bougie harbor town of
16:07Santa Catarina, a vibrant resort of whitewashed villas facing the Ionian Sea.
16:16For Elena and Michael, a slice of this idyllic life can be found in the nearby town of Galatone.
16:25Okay, guys, this is a townhouse, but it's just 10 minutes driving for the seaside.
16:32I love that we're 10 minutes from the beach, but the city, I like being near the city, but
16:36it's a little loud.
16:37Yeah, I mean, I'm used to the city, and I enjoy the city very much, but let's see the
16:41apartment, yeah?
16:42Okay, I have a very good news for you.
16:45The budget for this property is $133,000, which is actually into your budget.
16:54This historic 860-square-foot penthouse apartment combines New York chic with Poulian charm.
17:04Wow, look at the height of ceiling.
17:06Yeah.
17:07It's perfect.
17:07We have more natural stone here, which is really nice.
17:10Uniform floor, a dining room.
17:11Floor's right up.
17:13A real dining room.
17:14A real dining room.
17:14Okay, yeah.
17:16Oh, my goodness, I like.
17:18Yeah, yeah.
17:19It feels more like a home, like settled.
17:22Yeah, this feels more like our kind of space, no?
17:25Yeah.
17:26The island, what you were looking for on the first property.
17:29Yeah, my island, yeah.
17:30It's nice.
17:31Good.
17:32Oh, wait, actually, I love this.
17:33This is where you have your cappuccino in the morning with a fire.
17:36Fireplace.
17:36Yeah.
17:37That's amazing.
17:37Like a little cove, like an alcove of a fireplace.
17:41Built in 1942, this penthouse apartment with soaring Volta a Bote ceilings has living and dining areas,
17:49original hand-painted floor tiles, two bedrooms, and a bathroom.
17:53The traditional tiles used here are known as cement pastine and are common throughout this region.
18:01Oh.
18:03Okay.
18:04Ooh.
18:05Yeah.
18:06So who would be in here?
18:08Who would be in here, Lena?
18:10I don't know.
18:11I have an idea.
18:12I think you do.
18:13Yes.
18:14Oh, my God.
18:15I'm in love with the ceilings.
18:17They're actually beautiful.
18:18Yeah.
18:19Wow.
18:19And these floors.
18:20Oh, my God.
18:21These look like they're original, these floors.
18:23The floors are gorgeous.
18:25Yeah.
18:25I have to be honest, the first room I could see myself actually wanting to sleep in.
18:29Really?
18:29Yeah.
18:29Yeah.
18:30I mean, you think it's because of the ceiling, right?
18:31Yeah.
18:31Yeah.
18:32Are we fighting over this room now?
18:34Um, we're debating.
18:35We're debating?
18:36We're debating.
18:36Then I'd definitely choose this one.
18:38You choose this one.
18:38Yeah.
18:38Yeah.
18:39I'm all in on this one.
18:40Okay.
18:40Let's go look at my room now.
18:46Well, I think the kids' room is appropriate for me, no?
18:49Yeah, I would say so.
18:50I think this pink pillow is perfect for all the stuffed animals.
18:54You can cuddle them at night.
18:55Okay, let's slow it down.
18:56Let's slow it down a little bit.
18:58I love the silliness of me being in the second bedroom with the children's toys and everything.
19:04You know, it's kind of like I like to see myself as an ancient child anyway, so it actually speaks
19:07to me.
19:08Ah, beautiful.
19:10Okay.
19:10Okay.
19:11Ooh, light.
19:12Oh, yeah, that's nice.
19:13But at least you can fit in the shower.
19:15Look, it might be tall enough for you, actually.
19:17It might, actually.
19:18It's a nice shower.
19:18No tub.
19:19No tub.
19:20No tub.
19:20No tub.
19:22Again, though, just one bathroom.
19:24Yeah.
19:37Hey, guys, you found me.
19:40What do you think about the beautiful penthouse?
19:43It's just incredible.
19:44I love the floors.
19:45I love the ceilings.
19:46We both felt that way.
19:47I love the feeling inside, the warmth, the kitchen was awesome, the island, and yeah, I love the bedroom that
19:54I would probably have.
19:56So it's given us a lot of food for thought.
20:08So I've been thinking about everything we've seen this week.
20:11The historic home that we saw, like, that one just kind of flew out of my mind pretty quickly.
20:17I want to talk about La Trulli.
20:19La Trulli leaves its magical mark on me.
20:22So beautiful.
20:22The bathrooms, not so much.
20:25Trulli and the last one that we saw really gave us something to think about.
20:30Yeah, I think the apartment is really nice.
20:33I love the ceilings and the floors.
20:35And it feels big.
20:36It feels spacious.
20:37I love it.
20:38Yeah, it's definitely a big decision.
20:40I feel like I learned so much.
20:41I'm way more aware of what we can buy.
20:45And now I want to really, we can digest this and see, you know.
20:49Yeah, 100%.
20:50Yeah.
20:51Chin, chin, salute.
20:52Chin, chin, salute.
20:54Salute.
21:01So we looked at all these great houses, but couldn't make a decision together.
21:06We loved the Trullio, but we decided it was just going to take too much work.
21:10I think the last one that we saw is really nice, but it just wasn't going to give us
21:15the bathroom or space that we need to live side by side.
21:18It's still my dream to live in Italy, and I found a temporary place to rent,
21:22and I will continue my search with Fabrizio.
21:26As soon as I get everything wrapped up in New York, I'm going to join Alina in Italy,
21:30and we're going to continue our search.
21:32Ciao, ciao, ciao!
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