He moved from California to rural Italy because he ‘didn’t want to be anywhere near a McDonald’s or Starbucks’

By Silvia Marchetti CNN A bargain-price home in a beautiful town with a cleaner and a handyman thrown in for good measure would be enough of a deal for a large number of people to make the leap to Italy but American Keith Richardson had one other key requirement The property where he intended to start his new life must not be anywhere near a McDonald s or Starbucks for him two symbols of the commercialized world he was trying to escape in the US RELATED Plenty of US retirees are looking to move abroad Here are the best countries for them Once he d decided on Puglia the mainly rural region that stretches down into the heel of Italy s boot after viewing online properties an expat friend introduced him to an American real estate consultant living in the area who directed him toward Nard a quiet town just inland from the coast I gave her a list of homes I like Richardson who used to work in the US schooling system explained CNN She suggested including Nard because I reported her that I didn t want to be anywhere near a McDonald s or Starbucks And after specific shrewd low-ball bidding he secured the property he hopes to spend the rest of his retirement in for barely one-tenth of the cost of a similarly situated property back home in Southern California Related Articles They came to the California as kids for a better life Now they re leaving for Europe as seniors The cheapest and bulk expensive countries to visit in New laws target overtourism at popular passage destinations The REAL ID deadline is looming and plenty of travelers are scrambling and confused Here s what we know Cheapest European cities to fly to in The house was listed for euros but I negotiated and paid I put in another euros to restyle it to my liking and give it a fresh look he tells CNN It was a very pleasant surprise I was willing to pay more but started at euros to see if the sellers would counter offer They did not The -square-foot house square meters he bought is a two-bed two-bath home on the ground floor of what was originally storage or dwellings for the servants working in Palazzo Tafuri one of Nard s landmarks The dwelling is made with Puglia s typical pinkish-golden stone blocks It came with a fireplace three stellar ceilings limestone walls and had been comprehensively renovated by the original owners Richardson s only major addition was a permanent roof over the patio and strong long-lasting bamboo privacy screens A very small price to pay he says considering the value for money the house represents Homes in Southern California within three miles from the coast in such a desired area would cost anywhere from to million he says Italy s Maldives Nard is off the beaten track far from the crowds and unknown even to numerous Italians Located at the heart of Puglia s pristine Salento area it s close to Italy s Maldives several of the country s best tropical-style beaches Richardson says it s the perfect spot to soak up seaside vibes while enjoying a less hectic carefree life Puglia is definitely the place to live and invest in if you re searching for that dolce vita coastal lifestyle he says I ve fallen in love with the Italian lifestyle and domani the next morning attitude No need to worry because there is dependably domani No worries it will be taken care of domani so for now let s just have a coffee and watch the people promenade by Other plus points were the affordability and lower cost of living compared to the US the fresh chemical-free produce on sale in local shops and the gorgeous coastlines and olive groves It s reminiscent of Southern California in the s Richardson adds I remember as a child passing through orange groves to get to Disneyland Riverside Santa Barbara Keith Richardson center with his twin brother Kelvin right and a friend He says his love for Italy originally stemmed from his passion for learning languages he taught Spanish for several years at university before working in administration Richardson retired as director of research and curriculum for a high school district in the Los Angeles suburbs in and then later began to voyage to Italy twice a year exploring by rental car with friends and falling in love with the country s lifestyle and what he calls the candidness of locals By he was home-hunting and narrowed his search down to Puglia eventually choosing Nard for its non-touristy appeal and its absence of US fast food chains He says he yearned a place where everything was authentic and local with nothing linked to mass tourism or major brands Puglia was the obvious answer Beautiful beaches and coastlines picturesque cities and towns great weather even in winter and not full of the tourists that are determined throughout Tuscany Venice Milan and Rome In fact the bulk tourists tended to be Italians or other Europeans The Dolce Vita was genuine After almost a year of looking around in March he flew over from Orange County and in just a scant days bought the house of his dreams in Nard s historical center surrounded by majestic churches and lavishly decorated palazzos A different way of life Part of the property s attraction was its proximity to the main Piazza Salandra lined with caf terraces Another plus was that it was located on the ground floor with a patio without any stairs older properties in Italy s historic centers are often spread over multiple floors with steep narrow staircases that are challenging to handle with shopping or other items Richardson in the present comes and goes between South California and Nard but plans once he gets his visa to spend more time in Italy though not on a permanent basis at first My parents are right now still living and I do so much want to spend several months out of the year near them in the US he adds He plans to apply for an elective residence visa in May which is based on a minimum pension income requirement At this point he will have to surrender his passport to the Italian Consulate in Los Angeles for three months for processing and approval of the visa In Nard he loves the small-town vibe and enjoys experiencing cultural clashes as he adapts to local means of life He now spends his days in Italy visiting nearby villages sipping coffee in the morning at the numerous bars and savoring local dishes at trattorias in Nard where foreign tourists are a rare sight Adjusting to the Italian way hasn t been all smooth sailing though Particularly when it comes to frank conversational exchanges Several individuals have literally recounted me that they re not being rude but trying to save me time and money in getting things sorted out He says it also took him a while to adapt to local closing times with stores closing in the middle of the day I still haven t gotten used to shops closing and opening when the proprietor feels ready I now just shrug it off go for a coffee and relax It s part of the dolce vita Richardson s path to a new life in southern Italy also seems to have avoided various of the bureaucratic pitfalls that chosen people complain of when moving to the country The process of buying a house was a breeze he says Horror stories only exist because majority of people don t do their homework Before purchasing the consultant and friends described me about the need of a codice fiscale tax identification number When I arrived in Italy I was informed where to go to obtain an Italian number which is mandatory as well He says the real estate agency in Nard assisted him in obtaining a bank account which proved more intricate and time consuming than buying the house Banks need either your SSN national vitality insurance number or federal tax code number or both The process took certain three hours but even now I am greeted with smiles from the representative that set up my account Genuine and sincere The agency also unveiled him a housekeeper who comes regularly to clean his place and keeps in touch with him Her boyfriend who works in construction has become his go-to handyman fixing any problems that come up at the house while Richardson s away One big issue for Richardson has been the fact he s not allowed to buy a car in Italy before acquiring a residence card I really can t grasp that part of Italian law he says In the meantime he s buying an e-bike and using rental cars Once he will relocate full-time to Puglia Richardson says he ll lease his home in Southern California to his twin brother so as to constantly have somewhere to stay when he visits the United States He says he s looking forward to enjoying Puglia s mild winters vast olive groves quaint towns and villages architectural beauty and amazing cuisine If you haven t tried a bombette you haven t lived he says These are one of Puglia s iconic recipes and street foods savory fresh pork meatballs stuffed with cheese and pepper Above all he says he has been won over by the open friendliness of the people who are genuine and sincere and look out for one another I love the fact that on my small L-shaped lane there is a typical Italian alarm and neighborhood watch It is a little old man that lives at the bend on the lane He is out every morning probing and greeting all throughout the day He talks to and watches the gas delivery man and construction workers The-CNN-Wire Cable News System Inc a Warner Bros Discovery Company All rights reserved