This U.S. couple moved to Italy to save their marriage

Buying and renovating a home in a different country is a decision that would put any relationship to the test.

But this couple, previously based in San Jose, Calif., snapped up a dilapidated house in a picturesque Italian town with the hope of saving their marriage.

Christina and Pete Sobolev, both in their 60s, bought a ruin in the hilltop village of Santa Domenica Talao, near Scalea in Calabria, a southern Italian region filled with depopulated towns, in 2011 after seeing an online advertisement.

Now the couple, who’ve been married for 35 years, are working together to help revive dying Italian villages by bringing in new residents who want to live La Dolce Vita.

Marriage lifeline?

“A little over 15 years ago, Pete and I made the decision to purchase a property in Italy,” Christina Sobolev tells CNN.

“Our lives in California were great but as I talked to friends who were at the same point in life, their kids were grown and starting out on their own, I noticed a disturbing pattern.

“Many of these couples were getting divorced.”

Christina Sobolev felt that she and her husband needed a shared goal “to keep us united and excited by life.”

“It was then that the plan formed to purchase a home in another country with another language, another culture and a completely different look at life,” she adds.

They then moved to Santa Domenica Talao, a village they’d first visited in 2009, and spent three to four years renovating the two-bedroom home.

In 2015, the couple set up their own business, Super Savvy Travelers, which began as a travel agency, and eventually developed into a service offering packages for those wanting to purchase property in the area.

The Sobolevs, who had already been spending much of the year in Italy, opted to make Calabria their permanent base in 2021.

They say that the COVID-19 pandemic was a big factor in their decision.

Christina Sobolev, who previously worked as a music teacher, had been selling cruises shortly before the global outbreak of coronavirus in early 2020.

“Although selling cruises was fun, it was not a huge life goal for me. When the pandemic hit, that whole industry shut down for years,” she says, explaining that she and her husband both had real estate licenses while in California, and were experienced with buying and renovating houses.

“At that point, I had to pivot and after looking at our interests and where our skills lie, getting involved in Italian properties was a natural fit.”

She and her husband now work together, buying abandoned dwellings in nearby villages, restyling them, and either renting or selling them to expats, mostly Americans, who’ve chosen to settle in Calabria.

Passion project

Over the years, they’ve developed a strong network of estate agents, relocation experts, translators, architects, engineers and builders in the area.

The Sobolevs have handled the sale of apartments and homes throughout Scalea and across the pristine Riviera dei Cedri area, but Santa Domenica Talao, which has an estimated population of around 1,200, is their biggest success story so far.

Working with experts to help provide “really everything anyone needs to parachute in and take on a renovation of an abandoned house,” they’ve facilitated the sale and renovation of approximately 35 homes in the village, creating a large expat community.

“Santa Domenica was initially a town with many abandoned houses falling into disrepair. It now has a vibrant expat community that has been warmly welcomed into the arms and hearts of the locals creating a beautiful experience and salvaging a stunning hill town.”

Although the prices of old homes in the area have increased over the past few years, there are currently ruins on sale for as little as 10,000 euros (about US$10,928) to 15,000 euros (around US$16,392) while turnkey two-bedroom and a bathroom start at about 50,000 euros (US$54,641.)

The area currently has ruins on sale for 10,000 euros (about US$10,928) to around 15,000 euros. (Chris Sobolev via CNN Newsource)“Once we had Santa Domenica Talao up and rolling, real estate agents in the area contacted us and wanted to work with us. That is how we have expanded into the entire Riviera dei Cedri, Puglia and now Tuscany,” says Christina.

In March, the Sobolevs opened their first boutique hotel, Casa Cristina, a former village school, which they’ve extensively renovated.

They paid 75,000 euros (about US$8,1961) for the 200-square-metre B&B, while the renovation work, which included high-end finishes, en-suite bathrooms and state-of-the-art heating and cooling, came to roughly 140,000 euros (around US$152,995.)

According to the couple, the infamous Italian bureaucracy has been one of the main obstacles they faced during their projects.

But they’ve found that “if you have the right professionals who know how to navigate the challenges and who are honest, ethical and get it done right the first time, things go pretty smoothly,” says Christina Sobolev.

They’ve also run into the issue of unclear titles when it comes to property ownership for a number of properties.

“There are situations here that we would never see in the U.S., including deeds consisting of squatter’s rights.

“Deeds that are simply a letter from an aunt giving title to a nephew. ‘Word of mouth’ deeds which mean nothing and then a whole host of other issues such as unpermitted work and unethical and illegal real estate agents. It has been a real gamut of issues,” says Christina.

Thriving community

Aside from building a successful business, the Sobolevs say they are thrilled to have helped to create a thriving Italian-American community in southern Calabria.

They are also involved in organizing and funding village festivals, cooking classes, local tours and food tasting.

According to Christina, most of those who’ve chosen to purchase in the area are approaching retirement and “want to either live here full time or be here at least six months of the year.”

She explains that, as her husband, who is half Latvian and half Czech, has Latvian citizenship, the visa process has been more straightforward for him as both Italy and Latvia are in the European Union.

“For me, it is a lot more complicated. I have to get to what’s called an immigrant card and there’s all kinds of documentation and apostilles and all that stuff I have to get and provide,” adds Christina.

Toward the end of last year, the couple expanded the business model that was so successful in Santa Domenica Talao, applying it to some of the nearby villages with dwindling populations.

“Despite their exquisite beauty, these places are starting to become abandoned because the young people have to find work elsewhere. It is our goal to create enough opportunity in each of these villages to allow the kids to stay close to their families and find work,” says Christina.

The couple also hope to revitalize nearby towns Aieta, Papasidero and Tortora – unknown even to most Italians – by helping to bring in new residents and filling some of the forsaken homes in the area.

Now the couple are settled in Calabria, and Christina is pleased to say that their marriage-rescue relocation “totally did work.”

“With our business and the goals that we have working with the communities here, we have some really huge projects that we’re working on together as a couple and as co-business owners.

“We are definitely happy here,” she says.