Italy has long been a popular choice with second home owners looking for a dream holiday home in the sunshine. Now the Rightmove Overseas 2013 Consumer Survey has reconfirmed Italy’s popularity, placing it third in the overall list of second home destinations chosen by respondents. Notably, for American and Australian buyers, Italy was top of the list.

• Italian commercial real estate cross-border transactions at highest level since 2007 (Real Capital Analytics)
• Fall in Italian house prices finally slowing (Banca D’Italia)
• Italy in top three overseas destinations for second home buyers (Rightmove Overseas)

With sunshine, incredible architecture, beautiful coastal areas, delightful mountain scenery and incredible gastronomy, the attractions of Italy are plain to see. For Dawn Cavanagh-Hobbs, founder of fractional ownership company Appassionata, Italy had a place in her heart from the moment she first visited the country. After moving there in 2007, Dawn and her husband Michael Hobbs began restoring a collection of tumbledown farm buildings, lovingly coaxing them back to life as two luxury fractional ownership holiday homes. Dawn comments on Italy’s continuing popularity,

“We have several owners from the UK and they adore the Italian culture and way of life. The pace of things is so different here than it is in the UK. While that can be frustrating when it comes to restoring property, it’s perfect for our owners!

“Michael and I have learned a lot from the first two properties we developed here and they have been a hit with owners from as far afield as South Africa and the US. Now we’ve turned our sights to our next challenge – two urban properties in the fabulous, medieval town of Petritoli.”

With Italian cross-border transactions reported as totalling €2.75 billion from January to early October 2013 – the largest recorded level of overseas investment in Italian commercial real estate since 2007, according to Real Capital Analytics Inc – it seems that Appassionata could not have picked a better time to take on their new projects.

The Banca D’Italia Italian Housing Market Survey (October 2013) also reported positive indications in terms of Italian real estate, with “signs that the fall in prices was slowing in the regions of the North and Centre.” Though still cautionary, the report did observe great optimism across the sector than in previous periods.

For Appassionata, the shift in the housing market has inspired work on their next two renovation projects to begin. The first property, a three bedroom townhouse known as Tre Archi and built into the ancient town walls of Petritoli, offers some fascinating and unique touches, such as the town’s turret wall forming part of the lounge. Unusually for an Italian urban property of this nature, it enjoys outside space in the form of a small rear garden, a terrace off one of the bedrooms and a spectacular roof terrace, with views of the town and the surrounding countryside.

Meanwhile, Palazzo Scarsini is a five bedroom, four bathroom urban manor located in Petritoli’s bustling Piazza Giacomo Leopardi. Delightful features abound, such as a fresco ceiling and an upstairs salon. Parts of the property date back to the 14^th century.

Thanks to their central locations, both properties are located close to shops, bars, cafes, restaurants and churches, allowing those staying in them to immerse themselves fully into authentic Italian urban life. Yet the properties also benefit from being just a 20 minute drive from a blue flag beach and only 45 minutes from the Sibillini Mountains and national park.

Appassionata are planning to offer both homes as fractional ownership properties – a wise move in light of the news from Rightmove Overseas that 51% of those buying abroad are doing so in order to have a second home. Owners of Tre Archi and Palazzo Scarsini will be able to enjoy their new home for five weeks’ exclusive use per year.

The renovation projects are due for completion in the spring and summer of 2014 respectively. The first two shares of Tre Archi will be available at the special price of £55,000 each, while the first two shares of Palazzo Scarsini will be £100,000 each.

With two new properties for the New Year, and the Italian real estate market showing signs of a positive shift, it looks like 2014 will be an exciting year for the Appassionata team!

For more information contact Appassionata on 0039 073 465 8775 or visit www.appassionata.com.

After the feasting and merriment of the Christmas break, people all over the world are buckling down to their New Year’s resolutions as of 1 January. Sadly, the statistics are not encouraging. While plans to get fit and lose weight regularly top the list of resolutions made, allabouthealth.org.uk found that only 25% of those they surveyed were confident of maintaining their resolve throughout January.

• Only 8% of New Year’s resolutions are achieved (Betterment.com)
• 60% of gym memberships go unused (Time Magazine)
• Wellness tourism set to grow 9.9% annually (SRI International)

The same survey found that seven out of ten respondents in 2012 had joined a gym in an attempt at physical improvement, yet according to Time Magazine an incredible 60% of those gym memberships were likely to go unused. By mid-February, gym attendance would be back to normal levels.

The figures from Betterment.com, which look at New Year’s resolutions in the US, outline the situation even more starkly. While 45% of Americans regularly make New Year’s resolutions, only 8% of them actually achieve their intended goals, with 25% of people not even making it past the first week.

Rather than facing the annual cycle of goals, failure and guilt once again, smart customers are taking a different approach this New Year. Global wellness tourism is on the increase, with growth of 9.9% annually predicted over the next five years, according to the SRI International Report presented at the 2013 Global Wellness Tourism Congress. An increasing number of travellers are ditching the gym membership cliché and instead booking themselves a break to heal their bodies and minds in one go with a delightfully luxurious spa holiday. Those in the know are even taking it one step further, with a New Year investment in their own personal spa retreat.

The award-winning Cinnamon Suites at Bacolet Bay Beach Resort in Grenada are the perfect example. Offered for investment through Property Frontiers, the 5* sea view hotel suites are available at 25% below the independent real estate valuation price, with 10.5% average projected NET yield per annum. For those looking to combine their investment with their New Year’s desire to improve their wellbeing, the suites also offer four weeks’ personal usage (one in high season). Property Frontiers’ Chief Executive Ray Withers comments,

“Bacolet Bay is the perfect combination of financial good sense and personal luxury. Our investors get more than just a property investment – they get to spend four weeks immersed in the luxury of one of the Caribbean’s leading beach resorts, and all from just £248,500.”

Those looking to put their New Year’s good intentions to work a little closer to home would do well to look to Albania during 2014. As one of the most exciting emerging investment markets in Europe, Albania has been attracting considerable attention of late, thanks to developments like the exclusive Lalzit Bay Resort and Spa.

With apartments, villas and hotel room investments all available, the resort offers considerable choice for investors. Property can be reserved for just €500, while the offer of a 2 year 6% pa rental guarantee or – for lifestyle buyers – a free Fiat Punto when they complete on a property purchase has been extremely well received. The resort’s spa is “a unique destination created to inspire, nourish, and guide guests on a journey to find their personal energy.” Combined with the state of the art health club facilities, including fully equipped gym and heated indoor swimming pool, it makes Lalzit Bay the perfect choice for those looking to blend their investment with their wellbeing-related New Year intentions. Hotel room investments at the resort include four weeks’ personal use allowance per year, while villa owners can take advantage of the facilities year-round.

Just across the Adriatic Sea in Italy, fractional ownership company Appassionata has found that those investing in its lifestyle holiday homes have enjoyed taking full advantage of the nearby spa facilities. Owners of Appassionata’s five bedroom, five bathroom Casa Leopardi regularly enjoy soaking in the famous thermal waters of the nearby Sarnano spa, or the hot mineral pools at Acquasanta Terme. Those looking for ultimate pampering also visit the beautician in the nearby hilltop town of Montefiore dell´Aso, who is renowned for her full body massages.

Casa Leopardi’s owners are entitled to five weeks’ exclusive use of the property per year, along with a share in the produce from the estate’s olive groves, truffle orchard, lavender plantation and vineyards, all for just £195,000. This year, the vineyards are set to produce enough wine that each owner will receive 160 bottles, after which they will no doubt need to cleanse their bodies and minds via the local spas!

As the international wellness tourism sector continues to expand, it seems that more and more people are looking to combine their good New Year intentions with smart investment choices, benefiting their bank balances as well as their bodies.

For more information on any of the featured properties, please contact:

Property Frontiers: call +44 1865 202 700 or visit www.propertyfrontiers.com

Lalzit Bay Resort and Spa: call +44 845 125 8600 or visit www.lalzitbay.com

Appassionata: call +39 073 465 8775 or visit www.appassionata.com

For some people, buying a tumbledown farmhouse in a remote corner of Italy and transforming it into two gorgeous, luxury holiday homes would be enough to keep them occupied, but not for interior designer Dawn Cavanagh-Hobbs.

• New Italian fashion brand set to take the luxury handbag market by storm
• Leading businesswoman Dawn Cavanagh-Hobbsmoves from houses to handbags
• Check out the arm candy at Appassionata Boutique

Since 2007, Dawn has moved to Italy, launched family-run company Appassionata and undertaken the restoration of two beautiful properties, teasing them out of a pile of ramshackle farm buildings and turning them into a pair of stunning fractional ownership holiday homes. Only the five bedroom, five bathroom Casa Leopardi, which benefits from its own private pool and gym, still has a fraction available for sale (at £195,000). Such is the speed with which the properties have attracted buyers.

Dawn has also tackled the five acre estate on which the two properties sit, turning the overgrown, rolling hills into an orderly environment packed with olive groves, a vineyard, a lavender plantation and a truffle orchard. The result is that owners of the two houses now benefit from a share in the produce. Once fully mature, the vines are expected to produce around 5,000 bottles of wine per year – not bad between just 20 owners!

Yet all of this was not quite enough to keep Dawn occupied. Thus she set her sights on her next adventure: running a boutique fashion business that challenges the powerhouses of Italy’s leading designers. Dawn explains the inspiration behind her move from houses to handbags,

“While we were creating the interiors for Appassionata’s two holiday homes in Le Marche, I was privileged to meet local artisans whose crafts dated back over several generations of their families. Often these individuals were working out of tiny premises, but the goods they were producing were simply amazing.

“One of the artisans I met was an independent designer who used to produce handbags for leading Italian fashion house Bottega Veneta. Having always been a fan of accessories, I got chatting with him and, just a short while later, the concept of Appassionata Boutique was born!”

Appassionata Boutique sells individually designed handbags of exquisite craftsmanship. Dawn is thrilled to be launching her brand to the market, having already seen the bags flying off her desk while she was preparing for the new website’s photo-shoot. She recalls,

“I had six of the handbags sitting on my desk, ready for the photo-shoot, but people kept popping into the office and wanting to buy them. All six had sold before I realised what was happening, so I had to choose another set of bags to feature in the shoot. I kept those ones hidden until after we had the pictures we needed!”

Owners of the bags have been glowing in their praise for the new brand. Music/video producer Emer Patten, who was one of Dawn’s first customers, was excited to be asked by a restaurant owner if her handbag was Bottega Veneta. She was even more thrilled to inform the owner that her bag was in fact far more exclusive than that!

So, with two fabulous houses, a five acre estate and a luxury fashion brand under her wing, is Dawn ready to relax? Far from it! She laughs,

“I like to keep busy and I’m always looking for the next adventure. It has been brilliant developing Appassionata’s two holiday homes and the Appassionata Boutique brand, but I’m certainly not stopping there. In fact, there’s a rather charming palazzo in Le Marche that’s in need of restoration…”

For more information on Appassionata Boutique, visit http://appassionataboutique.com/about-us.html, like them on Facebook, email dawn@appassionataboutique.com or call +44 (0)7951 674916 in the UK or +39 339 771 9274 in Italy.

Italy’s luxury property market has been attracting considerable interest of late with the news that the ruling family of Qatar has added the exclusive Regina Hotel Baglioni in Rome to its overseas investment portfolio. The purchase comes hot on the heels of the Sultan of Brunei’s Dorchester Group taking over Rome’s Hotel Eden.

• Italy’s luxury property market has weathered the recession
• High end properties like Casa Leopardi show strong sales
• Fractional ownership scheme proves a roaring success

With the Italian government looking to sell off a range of high end residences to keep its budget in check, including castles, palaces and even an island, the luxury property market is expected to remain just as buoyant in 2014 and beyond. In fact, the sector has done an excellent job of ignoring the country’s recession entirely.

Dawn Cavanagh-Hobbs, founder of fractional ownership company Appassionata, has first-hand experience of how well Italy’s luxury property market has operated during the past two years. Her five bedroom, five bathroom Casa Leopardi, which comes with its own private pool and five acres of vineyards and olive groves, along with a truffle orchard and lavender plantation, has been in hot demand since renovation work on the property was completed.

Designed as the ultimate luxury holiday home, Casa Leopardi is beautiful on the inside as well as the outside, with interior designer Dawn ensuring that every last tile and antique chandelier adds to the property’s overall charm.

Casa Leopardi is a fractional ownership property, divided into ten shares. Each share provides the owner with five weeks’ exclusive use of the house per year, along with a proportion of the produce from the estate. The arrangement means that owners can arrive, put their bags down and begin to enjoy their holiday in Le Marche immediately, moving away from the usual stresses and chores associated with owning a holiday home overseas.

Casa Leopardi’s first fraction was sold in May 2012. Since then, the property has attracted considerable interest from buyers worldwide. All but one share of the property have now sold, with owners coming from across Europe, America and South Africa. Dawn explains,

“Casa Leopardi is such a unique property and its owners have the chance to experience rural Italian living at its very best. With Blue Flag beaches and the Sibillini Mountains nearby, the area offers year-round activities. Le Marche also has a strong reputation for its gourmet cuisine, particularly when it comes to truffles, and that adds to the attraction for many of our owners. The fact that we have arranged the sale of the fractions so that there are no hidden costs – no lawyers or tax to pay – is another bonus.”

The arrangement has clearly worked well. The final share, priced at £195,000, is expected to sell by the end of 2013. After that, Dawn and her husband Michael will be moving on to two further restoration projects in the nearby town of Petritoli – a three bedroom townhouse and a five bedroom palazzo. Both will be sold as fractional ownership properties, building on the success of  Casa Giacomo and Casa Leopardi and how happy the fractional arrangement has made its owners.

Despite Italy’s economic wobbles, it’s clear that the luxury property market, including the fractional ownership side of it, refuses to join in the financial fluctuations.

For more information contact Appassionata on 0039 073 465 8775, visit www.appassionata.com or take a video tour of Casa Leopardi.

Buying a holiday home in Italy is the ultimate dream for many families. Now, a raft of new measures is making Italy an even more attractive place to invest in a second home in the sun.

Firstly, the much-debated and extremely unpopular IMU property tax looks to be finally en route to full cancellation. The September and December 2013 instalments of the tax were cancelled by Prime Minister Enrico Letta and plans are afoot for its full abolishment from 2014.

•  Italian property prices down 5.9% on previous year (Istat)
• Fractional ownership puts buyers at the heart of Italian town life for just £55,000 (Appassionata)
• Property tax reform entices overseas buyers

The IMU tax is one of the factors blamed for the recent downward movement of Italian house prices. Figures from the National Institute for Statistics (Istat) showed a year on year decline of 5.9% as at the second quarter of this year, though Italy’s luxury property sector does seem to be bucking the national trend.

The fall in prices and the cancellation of the IMU have tempted many overseas buyers to take a closer look at Italy’s holiday homes and from 2014 onwards, they will have even more of an incentive. As of 1 January 2014, Land Registry Tax, which is paid by buyers on resale properties, will be reduced by €900 per €100,000 of the sale price for second homes and by €1,236 per €100,000 for first homes.

The measures have been designed to stimulate Italy’s property market, as one strand of the country’s economic recovery. The result is that overseas buyers have been suddenly made to feel even more welcome by the peninsula country. Many are still hesitant due to the language barrier though, as Dawn Cavanagh-Hobbs, founder of fractional ownership company Appassionata, which offers luxury holiday homes in Le Marche, explains,

“We’ve found that those considering purchasing a holiday home in Italy are often nervous about having to sign contracts and other legal documents in a language with which they are unfamiliar and laws they don’t understand. Purchasing a property overseas is a significant undertaking and can be stressful enough, without the added complication of the paperwork being in Italian.

“That’s why at Appassionata we’ve taken a different approach. The legal paperwork that our owners sign is in English, so that they feel reassured that they have understood every word of it. We try to make the whole process as clear and straightforward as possible, so that purchasers don’t have to get involved in the complexities, cost and delays that can be associated with purchasing property here.”

The ethos is one that can be seen throughout Appassionata’s approach. The fact that their properties are managed means owners (who each get five weeks’ exclusive use of their chosen property per year) can arrive and begin to relax immediately – an unusual occurrence compared to the usual gardening, repairs and general cleaning that most holiday home owners face upon arrival.

With just one share left in their second fractional ownership property – the stunning five bedroom, five bathroom Casa Leopardi – Appassionata are turning their attention to two new ventures, each of which looks set to be as impressive as Casa Leopardi once they have finished the renovation and interior design.

Both in the beautiful medieval town of Petritoli, the two new properties include a three bedroom townhouse known as Tre Archi, which features the ancient city wall as part of the lounge, and the five bedroom Palazzo Scarsini, which comes complete with upstairs salon and fresco ceiling. Unusually for urban properties, both holiday homes feature fabulous outdoor areas, allowing owners to make the most of the Italian sunshine while being at the heart of town life. It is just such unique touches that have helped Appassionata to build so strong a reputation.

The combination of lowered market prices and property tax reforms mean that now really could be the perfect time for buyers to invest in their dream Italian second home. For those looking to do so without the hassle of complex Italian paperwork, Appassionata has one share left for sale in Casa Leopardi, for £195,000. The family-run company has also confirmed that the first two shares of Tre Archi will be available for £55,000 each, while the first two shares of Palazzo Scarsini will be £100,000 each.

For more information contact Appassionata on 0039 073 465 8775, visit www.appassionata.com or take a video tour of Casa Leopardi. Be quick though – only one share remains available for sale in Casa Leopardi.

While the ancient Greeks may have been the first to establish the practice of constructing buildings close to natural springs, it was the Romans who really embraced and developed the concept of the bathhouse, the forefather of the modern-day spa resort. With the invention of aqueducts, the use of water for leisure activities became firmly embedded in the Roman Empire.

• Wellness tourism accounts for 1.8% of global GDP (SRI International)
• Italy’s spa industry worth €719 million in 2012 (Federterme)
• Wellness tourism set to grow 9.9% annually to 2017 (SRI)

It was a practice that the Romans took with them as their empire spread across Europe and North Africa. Many towns, such as Hisarya in Bulgaria and Bath in England, were built up specifically around the natural waters available to the bathhouse.

The concept of the healing and purifying power of water is still alive and well. According to the SRI International Report presented at the 2013 Global Wellness Tourism Congress, wellness tourism is directly responsible for $11.7 million in employment worldwide. It accounted for an impressive 1.8% of the world’s total GDP in 2012, at $1.3 trillion of global economic impact.

The future looks bright for the wellness industry, with the same report projecting that wellness tourism will grow by 9.9% annually over the next five years, to reach a value of $678.5 billion by 2017. Already it accounts for 14% of overall global tourism revenues, with wellness tourists spending an average of 130% more than the average global tourist.

In Italy, where it all began, the spa industry is attracting tourists from across the world. In 2012, the total revenue of the sector reached €719.3 million, according to Federterme, the Italian federation that represents the curative thermal and mineral water industry. Dawn Cavanagh-Hobbs, founder of family-run company Appassionata, which offers luxury fractional ownership holiday homes in Italy’s beautiful Le Marche region, explains the continuing attraction,

“There’s something about an indulgent spa break that is truly holistic. You emerge feeling refreshed in both body and spirit – there’s really nothing quite like it. We have two spas near to us in Le Marche, which our owners love to visit. The spa at Sarnano, 45 minutes away, is famous for its thermal waters and use of volcanic mud treatments, while a little closer to us is the wonderful Q-bo wellness oasis, the highlights of which have to be the Turkish bath suite and the salt cave. Many of our owners also make use of the local beautician in the nearby hilltop town of Montefiore dell’Aso, who is famous for her full body massages.”

Those exploring Le Marche are also often tempted by the delightful waters at Acquasanta Terme, where a series of ladders lead from the river bed to a complex of caves and pools, filled by the hot mineral water that gushes from the rock face. After a day of bathing in the restorative waters, Appassionata’s owners can head back to the five bedroom, five bathroom Casa Leopardi for a dip in their own private pool, or simply to curl up in front of the log fire with a book and a glass of wine made from the grapes grown on the estate. Perfection.

For more information contact Appassionata on 0039 073 465 8775, visit www.appassionata.com or take a video tour of Casa Leopardi. Be quick though – only one share remains available for sale in Casa Leopardi.

The latest figures show that Italy remains on fine form. Its tourism industry is booming as visitors from across the world continue to be attracted by the peninsular country’s myriad of charms.

The latest figures released by the Italian National Tourism Observatory (INTO) show that Italy is on track to reach 53.5 million international arrivals during 2013, representing a 2.5% increase on the previous year. Germany is responsible for the lion’s share of the arrivals, making up some 37% of visitors.

• Italy on track to reach 53.5 million international arrivals during 2013 (INTO)
• German visitors making up 37% of market share
• 2014 expected to see 3% additional increase in arrivals

American, French and British tourists are also flocking to Italian shores and, when you consider Italy’s attractions, it is easy to see why. Dawn Cavanagh-Hobbs, whose family-run company Appassionata has renovated two fractional ownership luxury holiday homes in Italy’s Le Marche region, explains,

“Italy really does have it all: fabulous weather, incredible cuisine and delightful, ancient architecture. Here in Le Marche visitors have access to pristine beaches, mountains with stunning scenery, a wide choice of winter sports, equestrian tourism… everything is at their fingertips.”

Culinary tourism and holidays in lesser known areas such as Le Marche have proven particularly popular with German visitors, while the Italian Equestrian Tourism Federation has noted a huge boom in equestrian tourists in recent years. Recent data estimates that Italy accounts for 1.5 million of Europe’s 30 million horseback holidaymakers. It’s a growing market and one that Dawn is personally familiar with.

“We arrived in Italy and began renovating our two properties back in 2007. Since then, I seem to have somehow ended up with a stable full of rescued horses! I’ve used natural horsemanship techniques to win their trust and develop them into the confident, healthy creatures that they deserve to be. A growing number of our fractional owners enjoy riding the horses and seeing the countryside from a new perspective on horseback.”

The bigger picture to all of this is that the positive news for Italy’s tourism industry seems set to continue steadily into the years ahead. An additional 3% of international arrivals are expected by INTO during 2014, as Italy’s attractions continue to generate global interest. The mixture of nationalities visiting the country is vast, as Dawn has found out through running Appassionata:

“Casa Leopardi, which is the larger of our two properties, with five bedrooms, five bathrooms and its own private pool, has attracted interest from owners based all over the world. They are enticed by the rural Italian lifestyle that our five acre estate offers – they can enjoy wine, olive oil and truffles all produced from the crops within the estate’s borders which flourish under the Italian sunshine. Across our two holiday homes, we have owners from as far afield as South Africa, Switzerland, Italy, Scotland, France, Ireland, England and America.”

For those looking to be part of Italy’s continued success as a tourist destination, Casa Leopardi has just two fractions left for sale, at £195,000 each for five weeks’ use per year. It is indicative of Italy’s enduring popularity that the first eight fractions of the property have sold within a year of it being renovated. It seems that those wanting to enjoy Casa Leopardi’s luxurious accommodation will need to act fast to beat the crowds!

For more information contact Appassionata on 0039 073 465 8775, visit www.appassionata.com or take a video tour of Casa Leopardi.