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Lake Garda Real Estate Market

The real estate market of Lake Garda is flourishing.
Buying a property near the Lake may be a very good investment from several points of view:
- properties have been constantly increasing their value above the rate of inflation;
- the demand for quality properties near the Lake is high, both for residential and investment purposes: in other words, it is easy to find a buyer whenever you decide to cash your investment;
- during the holiday season (April - September) it is profitable to let apartments and houses to tourists: some real estate agencies take care of all aspects for a fee (usually around 10% + VAT);
- the demand for year-round rent is even higher, due to the fact that most landlords opt for season rent.

Does it sound too good to be true? Actually, as it always happens, there is also a "dark side"!

First, Italian taxes on property transactions are very high.
As a rule, the buyer is required to pay 10% of the value of the property! This can be reduced to 3% or 4% (depending on who the seller is: a private individual or a company), but only under certain conditions. To name the most important: the buyer has to reside steadily in the house and is not allowed to resell it for at least 5 years.
Anyway, from the fiscal point of view, the situation is much better when you decide to sell your property.
Obviously, the above information is only intended as an overview of a complex matter, and you will need the support of a good tax consulting practice.

The second issue is that it is difficult to buy good properties without the help of a real estate agency, because most landlords do not want to waste time with placing advertisements, answering the calls, meeting potential buyers, and prefer to outsource all this time-consuming activities to a real estate agency.
The commission for the real estate agency is usually between 2 and 4% (+ VAT) of the house price.
If you consider that the fees for the notary public are also high, it is clear that buying a property may be a very good business, but only in the long run. In other words, there is little room for short-term trading.

The most required properties are single-bedroom flats in residence with swimming pool, even better if in connection with a garage. These apartments are usually sold out even before they have been actually built.

Desenzano, Sirmione, Lazise and Bardolino are the most expensive areas; Manerba, Moniga, Padenghe and Peschiera are more affordable. The areas in the countryside around the Lake (let's say within 10 Km from the Lake) are cheaper.
Finding a property with a view on the Lake in Desenzano, Sirmione, Peschiera, is very difficult and expensive. Those areas are plain, so the properties with a view are only those very close to the Lake.
In Manerba, Moniga, Padenghe, Lazise and Bardolino it is easier to find an apartment with a view, since those areas are hilly.

     Various sights of Sirmione...