"Jayla never thought she'd buy a house pretty much sight unseen, much less one off the coast of Italy. The 25-year-old Florida native, who asked to use only her first name, had first come across an offer for a "1 euro house" in Europe in November 2024, shortly after Donald Trump won reelection. She was naturally skeptical, but sent some emails anyway. At first, it didn't go anywhere: "I kind of forgot about it because no one responded," she told me."
"But when a rental company in Mussomeli, Sicily, responded to her in April 2025, saying that a property was available, she couldn't help but be intrigued. She tried emailing back. Once again, no response. So she decided to book a ticket and show up at the agency and check it out for herself-a bold move, she admitted: "It was," she said, "an excuse to go to Italy.""
"But after just two days in Mussomeli, she fell in love with the town and the little bit of the available house she was allowed to see. A protective barrier prevented her from entering, and the deteriorating balconies made it look a bit unsafe, but peeking through the windows, she was entranced by the yellow kitchen. "Yellow is my favorite color, so it felt like a sign," she said."
Jayla, a 25-year-old Florida native, discovered a '1 euro house' offer in Europe in November 2024 after Donald Trump's reelection. She initially received no responses to her inquiries. In April 2025 a rental company in Mussomeli, Sicily, replied and she flew to Italy to view the property. Protective barriers and deteriorating balconies limited access, but glimpses through windows revealed a yellow kitchen that resonated with her. The purchase appealed through cultural escape narratives and media portrayals of cheap fixer-uppers. Many Americans consider such bargains as potential escape options amid political and social discontent.
Read at Slate Magazine
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