June, 2022 Update On Our Loreto Aprutino house.

[@TheAwakeningangel]

Hi Just came across your video and watched them all and wow on the ceilings that are amazing, I am so looking forward to keeping up with your journey and wish you every success, It will be Amazing, subbed and Bell on for all updates. Love sent from Ireland xxxx Dede xxx

[@ericgray6625]

Thank you Dede!

[@lyndaking5538]

Love the old terracotta rectangular tiles. Love how you are so respecting the character of the villa.

[@ericgray6625]

Thank you! We really want to honor the history. Our bathrooms and kitchens will have modern amenities but everything else we're trying to keep the character.

[@michellew3932]

Wow your channel popped up as a recommendation! We too purchased a home in Italy(southern) and have some things we need to do as well. I love the layout and very cool features in your home, looking forward to seeing your progress. We head over in 3 weeks to meet with our contractor, they really are so talented in what they can do. Best wishes from Southern Italy!

[@ericgray6625]

Congratulations! The contractors are much more artisan here, but that also means they operate on a slower time table. I'm trying to turn off my American type A!

[@norrismantooth2330]

Thank you for the update. It's exciting to see the progress.

[@pamabrahamsson]

Ciao Sandra and Eric- thank you for the great videos! My husband Paul and I have bought a house in Loreto as well (and Fabio is helping us too...and yes he is wonderful ❤️) we will be in Loreto the first week in August...it would be delightful to meet!

[@ericgray6625]

Hi Pam! We arrive on August 25th. We would love to meet you!

[@stefanlarsen8036]

Hi Eric we come down July 23 to our new house to be so exciting would be fun and meet in August. our house is located by the square Stefan o Lotta

[@lunarcowboy9275]

You guys are fabulous, I just love your positive attitude, so respectful and patient. Please, create more content, it's so exciting to see how this beautiful house comes back to life. Auguri!

[@ericgray6625]

Thank you so much!

[@maggiegray1698]

What an amazing project. I am thrilled to have found your vlogs. Most people in the UK over-renovate,so I've felt out of step until now.

[@ericgray6625]

Thank you Maggie! We really appreciate the craftsmanship of these old houses. Of course, our kitchens and bathrooms will be modern, but we're choosing tiles for them that have a hint of old world in them. In the US people also over-renovate, which is so sad...tearing out old hardwood floors, beautiful handmade tiles, etc. BTW, I guess we may be distantly related!

[@maggiegray1698]

@@ericgray6625 yes,I agree.You have things of beauty there. The new terracotta tiles are amazing.The Grays are of the Stewart clan and lowland Scots. I'm from London actually and from sea-faring folk. But well-met, Eric.

[@Capital194]

Look forward to following the restoration. You mentioned the heat was like Houston well it's hot here in Austin as well!

[@ericgray6625]

Hi Austin, we both grew up in San Antonio! We're spending most of this miserable summer in the Dallas area visiting family. The benefit in Italy is that the heat doesn't usually last for months on end. Still, it can be very still and humid into September.

[@mividapas]

Hi! Love your videos I would love to hear about the budget for all the renovation if you can do a video about this please 😊

[@ericgray6625]

We definitely will! Thanks!

[@adrianamarquez544]

Great to know you love your property, in Loreto I’m excited about mine, too! And it happens so Fabio is remodeling mine. He’s great! Slowly, slowly! Would love to meet you both one day! Mi chiamo Adriana, sono di New York. Ciao! Great clip!

[@ericgray6625]

Thanks Adriana! Would be great to meet you!

[@janicedelp2775]

Looking good and so much potential! Janice from Arkansas USA

[@ericgray6625]

Thanks Janice!

[@jamesstufano1504]

Would think they provide an interpreter or English version - friends of mine who owned in Tuscany until recently said they could have owned 5 cars for what they paid for leasing over the years. I was thinking good thing they make electric bikes or scooters but then I think how people drive.

[@ericgray6625]

Definitely no interpreters. We're only leasing short term.

[@davidbusch4024]

so excited to see you two! Next year in Loreto!!!! (hopefully!)

[@ericgray6625]

That would be great!

[@barbg8306]

Hi enjoy your videos!

[@meganoneill2216]

I can't wait to see how the progress goes! Great house . I love the tiles, esp the terra cotta. :) ("Ancient" is usually considered to to be from the time of about 5000 BCE to the fall of the Western Roman Empire or about the 5th century AD)

[@ericgray6625]

Thanks Megan! 300 years old is ancient by American standards where we tear everything down! 😁

[@jamesstufano1504]

Hi Eric - thanks again for answering my questions. I like the idea how you own your own building- wonder if they let you put solar in. Does your realtor have a website with listings? I wouldn’t mind seeing what’s available. Thanks Jim

[@ericgray6625]

idealista.it is a good place to start. It's a consolidation site, so not linked to one realtor. Our realtor is at loveabruzzoproperty.com

[@leighevans1489]

Glad you have got a good contractor. Coming along nicely. Will you tell us a bit about yourselves and how you came to Italy please?

[@ericgray6625]

We definitely will Leigh. We originally started these videos for just family and friends but even they have a ton of questions so we'll go into our process in a video in the future. Right now we're stressing over the big move which happens in 10 days!

[@leighevans1489]

@@ericgray6625 all the best for the move . Take care

[@jihuff1]

Hello...I just came across your profile and I was wondering why you chose to move to Italy at your stage in life? I would love to move to Europe, but my husband would never agree to such a drastic change. For now, I will enjoy following y'all during your adventure. Thanks for sharing.

[@ericgray6625]

Hi! We'll do a video soon on why we did this. One reason was cost of living which made it easier for us to retire early. We also have 2 children, one in the US and one in Europe, which made the decision easier.

[@Jim-kz2ue]

I found your channel. Great stuff. Can you tell us from purchase to getting a contractor to start renovating. What is the time frame? Watching videos in order seems it happens fairly quickly , but I know that is not true.

[@ericgray6625]

Hi Jim. We started researching a move around summer of 2020. We had to decide what part of Italy, what we were looking for, etc. We came to Italy in June, 2021, and settled on a house in August. The owners wanted to close in January, 2022, which we were fine with. Our realtor and others suggested a contractor. We arrived in Italy about 2 weeks ago. So definitely not super fast and our house is still not near completion.

[@jmcqueen7355]

Hello! Commented on your earlier post. I'm headed to Pescara to explore the Abruzzo area on October 3, any chance of talking? Hi from Washington DC, by the way.

[@ericgray6625]

You can message me on Facebook. If you can't find me, let me know.

[@jmcqueen7355]

@@ericgray6625 I don't do facebook but I do Instagram. Is that a way to contact you?

[@ericgray6625]

@@jmcqueen7355 yes

[@jmcqueen7355]

@@ericgray6625 Can you tell me how to find you on Instagram? Thanks.

[@ericgray6625]

@@jmcqueen7355 eljaykid

[@patriciasandler3964]

Looks like a nice town. Have you seen Sulmona?

[@ericgray6625]

Sulmona is lovely! We want to spend more time there.

[@patriciasandler3964]

@@ericgray6625 Right up the hill from it (across a bridge) is Pacentro. My neighbor used to walk it.

[@jamesstufano1504]

Hi Eric - How did you guys find and decide on Loreto ? Showed my wife and she loved the exposed brick ceilings. I heard it takes a year to close from the time you sign contracts - was this your experience?

[@ericgray6625]

We'll have to do a video on our process for finding a house, but closing did not take long at all. With a good realtor it goes very smoothly.

[@jamesstufano1504]

Hi Eric - Do you guys own your own car in Italy to get around? Are you able to use your US drivers license - I know you can when leasing a car but wonder if that changes if staying more permanently.

[@ericgray6625]

We will definitely need a car where we will live and will rent and lease at first. The Italian driver's license terrifies me. Italy and the US do not have a reciprocal agreement because we issue license by state (same with Canada). So we have one year to take driver's ed, pass a written and driving test...all in Italian! Then there are restrictions on the size car you can drive. This is a major hurdle but there is no gaming the system.

[@DavidHuffTexas]

Cool! Also first "like" and first comment :)

[@Blueangeljvs]

Looks like you need a map to get around!😬

[@roseannef1755]

Hello, New Subscriber !! did you have to get Italian citizenship in order to be permitted to purchase a home in Italy and be the homeowner ?

[@ericgray6625]

Hi Roseanne! No, we're not eligible to be citizens. Anyone can buy a property. The harder part is getting a visa that will allow you to live here full time. Of course, if it's just a vacation home you don't need a visa.

[@roseannef1755]

@@ericgray6625 Thank you so much for this information.

[@jamesstufano1504]

My wife asked can you get a drivers license in UK and use in Italy to get around the language barrier? I figure I will be in the same boat as you one day hence some the questions

[@ericgray6625]

I believe since Brexit that British citizens have the same problem. Not sure if that's true.

[@barbg8306]

We have a house under agreement in LA.We live near Philly and love Loreto.We would like to contact you by email and chat.Thank you Barb and Steve.

[@ericgray6625]

BTW, we will be in Mechanicsburg in July visiting my wife's family.

[@alessandroalessandro4656]

You say that Italy is famous for burocrazy tell me something Is It Easy to get the Green Card in the USA ?

[@ericgray6625]

Of course US bureaucracy is terrible. I say Italy's famous for it because every Italian friend we have tells us that.