17 hours ago
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When Rubia Daniels first told her friends she was buying six homes in Italy for $1.06 apiece, they thought she was joking.
“They couldn’t believe it,” she said.
But in 2019, the 51-year-old planning consultant, who has lived in San Francisco since 1996, followed through — purchasing six crumbling properties in Mussomeli, a centuries-old hill town in Sicily, through a local initiative that aims to breathe new life into abandoned real estate, according to SWNS.
The houses came with a catch: They were in various states of ruin, with some missing roofs and lacking basic infrastructure.
“I packed six suitcases of all my tools and a generator,” Daniels recalled to the outlet. She flew out with her husband and brother-in-law to collect the deeds, having spent a total of about $25,440 after administrative fees and agency costs.
Despite the dilapidated conditions, Daniels — who has worked as a planning consultant for more than 16 years — felt at ease with the undertaking.
“I’m comfortable with the idea of transforming things and breaking walls,” she said.
“For example, my husband panics when he sees me eyeing up projects like this, but for me it’s just a combination of excitement and joy.”
The first property, which was completely collapsed, is now fully renovated.
It “has a beautiful marble bedroom,” she said. The restoration cost her approximately $63,600, and she hopes it will require no further work “for 50 years.”
Her vision extends beyond family homes.
One of the six properties is earmarked as a future wellness retreat offering yoga and meditation classes.
“It would be nice to give back to the community this way,” she said.
Daniels also furnished the properties using local vendors — installing everything from sinks to flooring sourced nearby.
“We wanted to do it with the community in mind,” she explained. “We love it here — it’s much nicer than California.”
What drew her to Mussomeli wasn’t just the bargain prices, but the way of life.
“Nobody is rushing around, everything is affordable,” she said. “A coffee and a croissant costs €1.50. In California, it’s a very stressful environment and everything is so superficial.”
Now, her two aunts, aged 70 and 82, plan to retire in the hilltop town permanently.
And while her project initially raised eyebrows back home, the once-overlooked Sicilian village has gained international attention.
At least 30 people are looking at one home now, she said, explaining how the influx initiative has grown in popularity.
For Daniels, the appeal was clear from the start: “You’re getting the house basically for free and you can turn that into whatever you desire.”
English (US)