Ram's activity

Alessandra Mussolini more for her surname than her charisma and political skill!  I dont think the Italians would ever have a monarchy again, certainly after the last lot - and anyway it could only ever be a constitutional monarchy.   A constitutional dictator though - I can see that quite easily, Berlusconi has certainly tried, and even now looks a bit like Mussolini! . As for democracy - Berlusconi is bleating that a technical government is not democratic - but it seems to have support of 75% of the Italians which is more than he has ever had!  I understand calls for immediate elections, but constitutionally the earliest an election could be would be February, which would mean total uncertainty for 3 months, an entire collapse of faith in Italy, ridiculous expenditure on elections which the country can ill afford, and a hung parliament at the end of it all (again) which could achieve nothing concrete.   For all their faults I think the technocrats are the only way forward, and would even do away with parliamentary approval for their austerity measures.  But - I would set a date for the elections now, immovable - to stop the endless jockeying for position that we will witness over the next few uncertain months. 

Frankly it doesnt matter what anyone does or doesnt do, because Italy is now toast, closely followed by the rest of Europe.  Italy and the ITalians do not have a spiral of democratic dna in their bodies - its unfortunate but there it is - it is the least democratic democracy in the west - and under the Italian skin is always the hope that someone will come along with absolute power and tell everyone what to do, as long as it what they want to hear.  Italy/democracy/politicians = stagnation and feathering of many nests.  Being commissioned by the EU is about the only way forward, or Alessandra Mussolini leads a march on Rome...  Gaia, I appreciate you objective optimisim but 'anyone who wins an election will be eager to govern immediately'???  - This is Italy! - anyone who wins an election wants to do flop all for the next 5 years - get their pension and a few other directorships, and keep doing their original job without ever going into parliament.  Italy needs a complete overhaul of the parliamentary system before we get to vote.  

There is a fair bit of difference between what Monti said and what Berlo has been banging on about for the last god knows how long, but above all Berlo has not DONE anything.   And then to cap it all he comes out today threatening and talking rubbish saying that the imperatives are judicial processes and phone interception.  So nothing new there then - still the same old Berlo saving his own saggy old skin and leaving the country to fnd for itself.  At least Monti and his banking friends, have a plan which they will try to put into action, which is more than the PDL has done for the last 3 years.  Berlo opens his mouth adn the markets collapse - is there no super injunction in italy to make him shut up?

Tartuffa is absolutely right, the rules and regs differ hugely from region to region.  Here in SIcily you dont even have to be resident on the premises - but within a range of 200m.  Bed spaces are more, etc etc -  There is also a sometimes very subtle difference between B&B, casa vacanze, affittacamera, and alberghi diffusi - one will require cooking facilities in the room, another a phone line and another a lemon squeezer.    The big rule of thumb to follow is the food preparation bit - if you are going to serve non prepacked 'hygienic' food, you should have a certificate of alimentazione which you do in the province and which allows to you handle foodstuffs, and have a kitchen that should the H&S arrive will pass muster.  Whether you then choose to offer home made jams and fresh bread is your choice.    Obviously if you were thinking of a wedding venue with in house catering you would need the necessary certificates and kitchens - but that does not mean you couldnt have a BB as well - they would be separate businesses - the BB does not have to registered for IVA and is in the name of the householder, and the wedding business is a formal societa semplice in the partners name - two distinct and separate businesses that happen to share premises.  

If I were in your position, I would buy as residential and legitimately use it as B&B - for the wedding option, as you suggest, slowly build it up - to be honest once you've got the money the bank isnt going to come asking for it back.  I would just make sure that I had good insurance via a different company from the bank.  Your legal limit on any Italian mortgage is 80% of the value of the property.  Obviously the higher the ratio between your money and the loan the greater the chance of getting a mortgage approved.   Alot of foreign banks are now, as a matter of policy, not lending on agricultural property - ie anything in zone E - and that is proving very problematic, so alot depends where the property is. You have two options - get a mortgage in the UK on existing properties, or get a mortgage in ITaly for the new property.   You can use a broker, or go direct to the banks.  If you choose the Italian option, you will have to provide (usually in Italian) your last 2 years payslips, details of all current expenditure, contracts of work and so on.  Most banks will tell you they will give you approval in 2 weeks, I have just taken out a small mortgage and it took 13 months.... so patience is a virtue!  You can try Barclays - the online forms are also in ENglish, but this is one of the banks that has become allergic to rural properties.   It also depends on how much money you are looking for.  The smaller banks seem to not want to lend above 250K at the moment.   If you are looking for something more substantial you will need to provide nearer 50% of the property price - depending on your joint incomes in the UK. 

You have chosen the absolute worst moment to try and borrow money in Italy.  The banks need to preserve their liquidity and have virtually closed up shop on lending.  However, for a business loan you will need to provide a mountain of paperwork.  As it will be a new business, you wont be able to provide anything other than a business plan, which is going to make it even more difficult.  Don't think about buying with a loan and setting up with  aloan - it shows no serious intent for a lender.  At least if you were to buy with your own money (for example) they would think you were serious.   I fear that you will meet a brick wall everywhere.   In Lazio there are no specific European funding schemes you can apply to either, as you arent in the 3rd world south.  Even then they require an immense amount of application to enter into the graduatoria.    It will come down to how much your income is, and the percentage of loan over your money that will be invested.  If you are chucking everything up in another country to come here and start up a business you will have no hope at the moment in Italy of getting money, as you have no guaranteed income to offset the risk.  Sorry to be so pessimistic but times could be better!

its all about confidence, and Berlusconi didnt enjoy the confidence of anyone - other than his acolytes and his own supreme sense of self importance.   It was all very well saying, 'we will do this and that' but in the last 3 years the government has done absolutely nothing.   The new budget is jsut a rehash of what was already law.   No Italian politician wants to do anything that may lose a vote - a winning vote in the elections nets you 1 euro so its a grand money making machine - hence the Bossi threats on pensions.   Personally, I think elections will only make the situation worse, and a technical govt is the best idea, and Napolitano seems to be in favour of this move - Monti is acceptable to most, (Bossi excepted), and is held in huge regard by Europe.  Also what Monti does, wont reflect on a party per se, so when there are elections, it will be hard to hold a grudge,  especially with the goldfish memories of voters.    The right is set to implode, as will the left - so a technical govt is the only way forward - at least it can make some unpopular decision (reimpose ICI, tax on foreign bank accounts and patrimonio), and electoral reform - then we can get back to the ridiculous circus of party politics - and the restitution of the lira. 

the 'offshore' companies have bceome too expensive - you cant beat teh Post OFfice for buildings and contents cover with free earthquake cover.  You will have to have an account, but even the most simple savings book account will do.   You pay monthly. 

If theres no bread, let them eat cake... 

Some banks will not hand over the money loaned as mortgage until the act of sale has been transcribed officially - if this is the case there is a delay between the signing of the act and the issuing of the money by the bank.  It is not possible, the act having been stipulated publically, to then resell the house, unless the notaio is a complete fraudster and doesnt transcribe the act.   The other reason for delay is the banks, especially when they are granting a loan from one branch and using another to issue the money.  I have known cases where it has taken up to a year to issue the money - but that was down to a particularly inept bank manager.  However, as a rule of thumb, half the banks will give the money at the point of act, in front of the notaio and you can go straight to the bank and cash it.  The other half will wait until the notaio has transcribed the act - which should be 3 or 4 days but every now and again becomes 2 or 3 weeks.   There is nothing you can do about it.