So, Uh, Why Is This Stunning Italian Town Selling Homes for $1?

Dig deep into that couch and scrounge up five quarters.

It’s all you’ll need to purchase a home in an tucked-away Italian mountain valley.

The town of Ollolai — located in the heart of the island of Sardinia — is looking for new residents following decades of sons and daughters moving away, a trend that has thinned down the population to just over a grand, and left hundreds of stone buildings abandoned and decrepit. 

Efisio Arbau, the town’s mayor, is offering up these gray granite homes for a euro each (a dollar and change) in an effort to revitalize the neighborhood.

This is no empty gimmick: Multiple homeowners have already moved in. The catch? You’ll have to refurbish the home on your own dime, an estimated $25,000 over three years.

If that sounds like a steal, it’s because it is. Ollolai is in a mountain region surrounded by protected parks and lakes, and the town’s an hour drive from seaside bluffs as jaw-dropping as anything you’d find in Capri. Not to mention, any newcomer will have access to the full gamut of authentic Sardinian cuisine, from autumn cakes and roasted piglet to local wines and cheeses.  

Buona fortuna, folks.