Italy and the United States have a reciprocity treaty stating that Americans can buy property in Italy and Italians can buy property in America. (see below Visa, temporary and permanent residency)
If you are conducting a real estate transaction in Italy it is essential you have a legal and valid contract to protect you, the property, and the transaction. The contract sets forth the rights and obligations of the buyer and the seller. Once the contract is finalized, the buyer and seller are both legally bound by its terms. It can be detrimental to either party if they did not understand all of the terms or if the terms are not what they intended before signing. This is why it is so important to have an experienced real estate attorney to review any real estate contract before you sign.
A real estate attorney is able to draft or review a contract for a real estate transaction. Even if you are working with a real estate broker or agent, it is still important to have an attorney review the contract. He or she is able to make sure your legal rights are protected and that you understand the terms of the contract.
Remember! a realtor is not legally allowed to give legal advice and cannot represent your legal rights. It is very important to know that in Italy the realtor is actually a mediator, a third neutral party, whose role is not to look after interest of either selling or buying party.
