Episode 80

Buying Property in Italy: What Smart Buyers Are Doing in 2026

The world feels uncertain right now, and for many people dreaming about Italy, that uncertainty is creating one very big question:

Is this actually a smart time to buy property in Italy?

In this episode, I’m taking a realistic look at what’s really happening in both the U.S. economy and the Italian property market, why foreign buyers are still purchasing homes in Italy despite global uncertainty, and how buying property in Italy is often more about lifestyle than speculation.

We’ll talk honestly about:

  • the current Italian real estate market
  • why Italy behaves differently than North America
  • the reality of mortgages for foreigners
  • whether renting first is the smarter option
  • currency exchange risks many buyers overlook
  • what smart long-term buyers are focusing on right now
  • why there may never be a “perfect” time to buy

I also answer listener questions about mortgages in Italy, renting vs. buying, and whether Italian real estate is actually “safer” than buying in the U.S. right now.

This episode is not about panic buying or chasing trends. It’s about making grounded, realistic decisions if Italy is truly part of your long-term plan.

Mentioned in this episode:

Sentire Media Website

Sentire Media Website

About the Podcast

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A New Life in Italy
Live longer. Spend less. Smile more.

About your hosts

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Samantha Wilson

For those who know me and those whom I have had the honor to help move to Italy, you know that I am obsessed with taking complex things and boiling them down into small, actionable, easy-to-do steps.

I am a bit of a freak about it and can’t remember when I wasn’t the “problem solver – solution seeker” in the confused crowd.

My dad used to say I was just stubborn or unwilling to accept “you can’t do that” for an answer. Still, I always believed that if you can look at a problem from every angle, break it down, and have the support and knowledge to move through and over the barriers, anything is possible.

Now, in my new life in Italy, I use my obsession with planning and finding solutions to help people from all over the world successfully move to Italy, whether to live part-time or full-time, with less stress and mistakes.

I am considered one of the top relocation experts in Italy and am the founder and Chief Dream Maker at Smart Move Italy (www.smartmoveitaly.com) where my team of experts and I work tirelessly to help smooth the pathway to a new life in Italy- and I hope that we can help you too.
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London Niro

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Ali Frothingham