August 14 - Back in the Northwest

Italy is closed....I mean in August they lock the doors and throw away the keys.  Not even my lawyers are checking email!  But there is a lot to do.

I'm back home in Portland, Oregon with family and friends. The weather is warm and green.  

My 9-year-olds are ecstatic.  I need to take them with me next time, if possible.  Maybe one at a time.

But I gotta tell you, I seemed to manage juggling the job and love of life a little better over there.  With more grace and less anxiety.  Some long established Italian practices helped me:

- Meetings really were scheduled around meals.

- Multiplexing beyond drinking, eating and talking is not allowed.

- No one honked at me (they zoomed past at intersections, but no honking!)

- The only competition between women is over men.  Maybe visa versa, but I doubt it....there is football to consider.

- You walk everywhere instead of going to the gym (no offense, Yoda-trainer Troy).

Doesn't that sound healthy?  (At the moment we are forgetting the gelato habit)

Now, if you are like me, you have so many reasons to stay based in the U.S....children, grandchildren, schools, parents, careers, familiarity.  But oh, to be able to spend a part of every year letting your hair down and soaking in the lifestyle.  I am a fanatic.

So, I seek other fanatics.  And fanatics who have Italian vacation homes who want to share the costs through fractional home ownership in Italy.  

I believe that on some level this is going to be driven by the increasing desire to reduce carbon footprints....so I am researching "Green" certification for our business and properties.  

I am researching Italian homes for sale and rent.  As a result, I'm uncovering some areas that are very appealing.  Around Lucca and Pisa, for example.  Gorgeous.  Near skiing, beach AND central Tuscany.  Near the town of Cortona is another.  On my trip in September I will scout out some properties in those areas and post some photos.  I'm following up with the agents I met and properties that we are interested in.

I'm devoted to de-mystifying the intricacies of search engine optimization, spreading the word about what Carrara aims to do.  We have a very personalized approach...we will search in specific locations for clients, we are pretty picky about the homes represented, we will invest in improvements, and will stay involved.  Although affiliated with a listing agent, we are not a real estate firm.  We don't move properties so much as change people's lives.  That is the goal.  

Told you it would get dry...I'm trying to decide whether or not to divulge my episode in Amsterdam with my bottle of wine.  Don't ask how I got it on the plane in Roma.  Okay, I'll tell you tomorrow.

About Carrara, LLC

Carrara partners with owners of luxury vacation homes in Italy, managing the conversion and marketing of these beautiful homes to fractional, shared ownership vacation properties.  We also represent buyers seeking the lifestyle of a European home and the convenience of a professionally managed, shared investment.