Although the prices of old homes in the area have increased over the past few years, there are currently ruins on sale for as little as 10,000 euros (about $10,928) to 15,000 euros (around $16,392) while turnkey two-bedroom and a bathroom start at about 50,000 euros ($54,641.)
“Once we had Santa Domenica Talao up and rolling, real estate agents in the area contacted us and wanted to work with us. That is how we have expanded into the entire Riviera dei Cedri, Puglia and now Tuscany,” says Christina.
In March, the Sobolevs opened their first boutique hotel, Casa Cristina, a former village school, which they’ve extensively renovated.
They paid 75,000 euros (about $8,1961) for the 200-square-meter B&B, while the renovation work, which included high end finishes, en-suite bathrooms and state of the art heating and cooling, came to roughly 140,000 euros (around $152,995.)
According to the couple, the infamous Italian bureaucracy has been one of the main obstacles they faced during their projects.
But they’ve found that “if you have the right professionals who know how to navigate the challenges and who are honest, ethical and get it done right the first time, things go pretty smoothly,” says Christina Sobolev.
They’ve also run into the issue of unclear titles when it comes to property ownership for a number of properties.
“There are situations here that we would never see in the US, including deeds consisting of squatter’s rights.
“Deeds that are simply a letter from an aunt giving title to a nephew. ‘Word of mouth’ deeds which mean nothing and then a whole host of other issues such as unpermitted work and unethical and illegal real estate agents. It has been a real gamut of issues,” says Christina.
Thriving community
Aside from building a successful business, the Sobolevs say they are thrilled to have helped to create a thriving Italian-American community in southern Calabria.
They are also involved in organizing and funding village festivals, cooking classes, local tours and food tasting.
According to Christina, most of those who’ve chosen to purchase in the area are approaching retirement and “want to either live here full time or be here at least six months of the year.”
She explains that, as her husband, who is half Latvian and half Czech, has Latvian citizenship, the visa process has been more straightforward for him as both Italy and Latvia are in the European Union.
“For me, it is a lot more complicated. I have to get to what’s called an immigrant card and there’s all kinds of documentation and apostilles and all that stuff I have to get and provide,” adds Christina.
Toward the end of last year, the couple expanded the business model that was so successful in Santa Domenica Talao, applying it to some of the nearby villages with dwindling populations.
