What is provided
Services in this field are, by nature, without clear limit — for once the intention to go somewhere meaningful is set in motion, countless needs emerge along the way.
As with any long journey, one must first draw the map: to understand where, why, and how, before setting out. In Italy, foresight is essential; bureaucracy rewards preparation, and punishes haste.
Preliminary Strategy and Market Exploration
Exploring the Italian market is at once a decisive act and an open ended one. The search for the right property often begins with enthusiasm yet quickly yields to a quiet sense of overwhelm. Italy presents an extraordinary range of micro-markets and atmospheres, each seemingly suited to a certain vision of life. In this context, market exploration is not an indulgence but a necessary discipline. This is why our initial collaboration begins as a complimentary sounding board. These preliminary sessions take place remotely through shared screens and open maps, allowing for a calm and considered exchange before any formal steps are taken.
The process begins with desire: a vision of a different rhythm and a different light. That vision is then shaped carefully by the realities that govern movement and settlement. We work together to answer the practical questions that a listing cannot. We consider whether the intention is to relocate permanently or to return seasonally. We examine points of entry, the practicality of public transport, and the continuity of local life beyond the summer months. We even look at the essential safety nets, such as the proximity of medical or veterinary services, to ensure the dream is sustainable in daily practice.
Beneath these surface questions lie broader strategic reflections. We discuss whether it is wise to accept limited space in a well branded location when greater freedom might be found just beyond its borders. We identify whether a listing appears too convenient because it conceals a complication. Without this guidance, the process often stalls in a kind of suspended enthusiasm. Experience suggests that those who linger too long in uncertainty often end by making hasty decisions taken from the discomfort of indecision itself. This is rarely advisable because property is not only something you wish to acquire but something you may one day wish to part with.
This stage is in essence a cartographic exercise. The aim is not to sell but to chart the outlines of possibility and to return with information rather than assumptions. This initial brainstorming is provided without stress or obligation, as its sole purpose is to determine precisely whether the next step ought to be taken at all. Once the territory is understood, the rest of the acquisition becomes a natural and structured consequence of picking the right location.
PRICING: free.
Mortgage Feasibility and Technical Prequalification in Italy as a foreigner/ non resident
Securing a mortgage in Italy from abroad is a strategic move that requires precise timing and a clear understanding of local lending culture. Italian institutions are notoriously cautious with foreign income and typically lend only a portion of the purchase value. Attempting to navigate this landscape without a formal green light often leads to lost deposits and missed opportunities.
The real challenge is one of credibility. In a market where trust and readiness are the primary currencies, an offer tied to uncertain financing is rarely taken seriously. Sellers and agents prioritize buyers who can demonstrate a clear path to closing. This is where the feasibility assessment becomes your most important tool.
This service is designed to remove the guesswork. We begin by building a comprehensive technical dossier to secure a formal pre-approval before you even begin your search. This positions you as a qualified cash-equivalent buyer and ensures that your project is grounded in financial reality.
Structure and Fees
The process involves an initial commitment of 1500 EUR for the feasibility assessment and the creation of your technical pre-qualification dossier. This fee covers the deep dive into your financial profile and the coordination with trusted brokers to secure a bank's preliminary approval.
Once the mortgage is successfully drawn down at the notary, a success fee of 1% of the total loan amount is due. This two stage approach ensures that my interests are perfectly aligned with your goal of a secure and successful acquisition. It is not merely a service but a measure of protection for your investment.
Required Documents for a Mortgage in Italy
(for international buyers from the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and other countries)
Here is a list of the documents needed to apply for a mortgage in Italy. Before contacting any bank or credit broker, it’s a good idea to have these ready and possibly translated— or at least as many of them as possible — so you don’t lose time later. An owner may decide not to sell their property to you simply because your process will take longer than others. And as a foreign buyer, you will almost certainly take longer than the average purchaser. So it’s good to be ready with what is needed, namely:
Personal Identification
Valid government-issued ID for each applicant (passport or national ID; front and back if applicable). Properly scanned and in colour - no phone pictures (a with all documents in this thread).
National health insurance card, if applicable (front and back)
Official certificate showing current residence, household composition, and marital status
Divorce decree or separation order, if applicable
Residence permit, if applicable
Income & Employment Documentation
Last three pay slips (for employees) for each applicant
Employment contract for each applicant
Most recent annual income statements (e.g., W-2, P60, Notice of Assessment, or equivalent), plus tax returns if available
Proof of business registration or professional license (if self-employed)
Last two full tax returns with electronic filing receipts (if self-employed)
Latest financial statements or profit-and-loss balance (if self-employed)
Banking & Financial Documentation
Bank statements from the last two official quarters
List of all transactions on the main bank account from the beginning of the current year to today
Documentation proving savings or available liquidity
Confirmation of the purchase price and remaining balance to be paid
Rental contract and proof of rent payments, if renting
List of any existing mortgages, loans, or leases
Property Documentation (provided by the seller or their agent)
Preliminary Purchase Agreement (where applicable)
Certificate of habitability, land registry records, floor plans, title deed, property survey, and energy performance certificate
Contact Details
Personal phone number and email address for each applicant
PRICING: 1500 EUR activation fee + 1% success fee (VAT excluded)
On acquisition services
Once a direction has taken form, the practical work begins with a formal engagement through Horus RE Agency. This partnership is initiated with a seven hundred euro retainer, which serves as a deductible activation fee to secure exclusive representation. This commitment ensures that my focus remains solely on your interests as a buyer’s advocate, removing the conflict of interest inherent in traditional real estate models where the agent represents the seller.
An itinerary is composed and shaped by your own rhythm, but only after each property has passed through a rigorous technical filter. In the Italian market, online listings are often an endless loop of outdated or legally compromised information. My role is to render each visit meaningful by verifying the administrative health of the property before you ever step through the door. This preliminary vetting involves a precise comparison of official records against the physical state of the building to ensure that what you see is a viable and secure investment.
The coordination of schedules across agencies and territories is conducted with method and foresight. Upon arrival, the path has already been cleared. Your time is not spent navigating misunderstandings but observing and reflecting. Should one of these places suggest a more permanent future, technical assessments and legal oversight are set in motion as a measured response. Negotiation and verification unfold without spectacle but with a rigid structure designed to protect your capital.
Bureaucracy is anticipated rather than endured. Fiscal identification, banking formalities, and notarized acts are managed in tandem to ensure the transition from interest to acquisition proceeds without rupture. What is built here is a process that privileges foresight and a quiet resistance to haste.
PRICING and FEE STRUCTURE:
Activation Retainer: 700 EUR due upon formal engagement to initiate the search and technical vetting. This amount is fully deductible from the final success fee.
Success Fee: 4% of the final purchase price. Payable only once the property is officially yours (at the final deed).
Minimum Flat Fee: A minimum of 6,000 EUR applies to all successful acquisitions to ensure comprehensive technical and legal oversight regardless of the property price.
Risk Protection: If the transaction does not reach completion, no success fee is owed.
Tax Note: All prices are VAT excluded.
Strategic Analysis and Project Coordination
Pricing and Structure
Private Clients: Strategic data reconstruction and preliminary renovation advice are complimentary and included as part of the standard Property Acquisition and Advocacy package.
Business and Professional Investors: For complex commercial projects or large scale hospitality developments, fees are structured as a custom flat fee based on the scope of the work and the complexity of the data modeling required.
Project Coordination (Post-Acquisition): Management of renovation teams and long term technical oversight is quoted separately, typically as a monthly retainer or a percentage of the total project value, depending on the intensity of the coordination needed.
In the Italian market, particularly with historic estates and family run enterprises, operational data is often informal, incomplete, or entirely absent. When records are maintained through generations of oral tradition rather than digital ledgers, the work assumes a different gravity. I act as a bridge between these fragmented histories and the clarity required for a modern investment.
Forensic Data Reconstruction
Where local records falter, I use a methodology of forensic simulation to reconstruct the financial reality of a property. This process involves gathering fragments of available information and cross-referencing them with regional benchmarks, neighboring property performance, and historical occupancy trends.
By analyzing similar situations and applying corrections based on the specific and subjective characteristics of the property, I create models precise enough to sustain choice. This is not a promise of certainty, but an architecture of clarity. It ensures that the dream of an Italian agriturismo or hospitality business rests on numbers that endure rather than on conjecture.
Renovation and After-Care Coordination
The acquisition of a property is often only the first chapter. Navigating a significant renovation in Italy requires a sophisticated level of oversight to ensure that vision, budget, and timeline remain in alignment. I provide a dedicated coordination service that acts as your primary point of contact during the after-care phase.
My role is to manage the complex ecosystem of surveyors (geometri), engineers, and contractors. I ensure that communication remains fluid and that the technical requirements of the site are translated accurately to the client. This is an advocacy service designed to protect you from the typical pitfalls of Italian construction, replacing chaos with structure and providing a steadiness that is rare in high-stakes renovations.
Italy Buying Agent is operated by Max Jannik Littera (VAT no. 02761950225), who collaborates with Horus Real Estate Agency as an external consultant and business finder. The role consists of assisting international clients in exploring the Italian property market, translating and facilitating communication, and introducing qualified leads to Horus RE Agency. All brokerage and contractual intermediation activities are conducted exclusively by Horus RE Agency, a duly licensed real estate brokerage registered with the Italian Chamber of Commerce.
Horus Re Agency: https://horusre.com/en/
To make contact
Enquiries are welcome at any stage, whether to request further details, clarify a doubt, or simply explore the possibilities. No formal commitment is required.
A brief conversation may prove more useful than hours spent navigating conflicting information. Should you wish to speak directly, arrangements can be made with ease.
All correspondence is treated with discretion and answered promptly.