Originally Posted by Barry

The actual purchase process is quite painless and straight forward. All you really need is a notary and a geometra if you want it surveyed first.
The problem with buying houses in Italy and especially in Abruzzo is finding out who owns them and who has a right to sell them. In the late 1800's and the early 1900's most of the young people left for America and Canada. They started families and most never returned so when the owners of the houses in Italy died the titles belonged to the sons and daughters and their children living in Canada , Argentina, and America who never changed the names on the title documents in Italy. What you end up with is a title still in the name of someone who had died a 100 years ago or the title will have 10 or 15 owners all living in some other country.
Getting it all straight is the notaries job, and a good one will ensure everything is done according to law, but it can be a long process tracking people down and getting their consent.