She Bought a $50K Home in Italy — What Happened Next Will Leave You Speechless!

When Lynnette Elser from Crossville, Tennessee, first arrived in the Italian village of Latronico with her 5-year-old adopted autistic son Kenny, she wasn't planning on making it their new home. However, on their first night, something remarkable happened: Kenny, who has serious respiratory issues, was able to breathe without difficulty for what Elser describes as the first time ever.

Typically, she would check his blood oxygen level with a fingertip pulse monitor during the night when he struggled to breathe, but in Latronico, something felt different. “Truthfully, I thought his blood oxygen meter was broken and not reading the oxygen level correctly,” Elser recalls. “I switched monitors and it was still a good reading. Then that night as his breathing was steady, I was just amazed watching him breathe and not trying to put his head higher on the pillows.”

As Elser kept vigil, Kenny's blood oxygen level stayed steadily above 95%, and his heart rate remained normal. “It is horrible watching a child not able to breathe, struggling with each breath,” she said. “When we were in Latronico, he did not struggle to breathe, sucking in air.” This experience led Elser to a profound realization: Latronico—a small hill town of about 4,500 residents in Italy's southern Basilicata region—needed to become their permanent home.

Elser was initially drawn to Latronico after reading a CNN article about the town's affordable housing program, aimed at reversing a depopulation trend caused by decades of migration in search of jobs. It’s one of many rural areas across Italy offering homes at enticingly low prices. In September 2024, she purchased a 100-square-meter refurbished house in Latronico sight-unseen for 50,000 euros, approximately $59,000.

Originally, she intended to use the property as a vacation home in a tranquil setting near the sea and mountains, but everything changed once she and Kenny visited to see their new home for the first time. During that visit, she ended up purchasing the vacant property below to expand their space into a four-story dwelling, which she is currently renovating.

Kenny’s medical history is challenging; he has been hospitalized multiple times in the U.S. due to respiratory issues, coupled with autism, severe developmental delays, and a history of low blood oxygen levels. Elser believes it is the “healing” environment of Latronico that has positively impacted Kenny’s health. The town is situated high enough to avoid pollutants, with fresh air, minimal traffic, and no smog—conditions that naturally lower risks for those with respiratory ailments.

Dr. Rosalia Loresco, a local pediatrician, corroborates this observation, stating that “many patients with asthma and respiratory conditions report improved breathing comfort and overall well-being during their stay in this area.”

As paperwork for the property sale was finalized, Elser reflected on how easily Kenny could breathe in Latronico. This realization prompted her to make it their primary residence, allowing her to avoid taxes typically imposed on second homes. She and Kenny are currently residing in their original two-upper-floor property, which required only minor renovations.

The lower-property, which once housed pigs, cost 18,000 euros and will undergo extensive renovations—including the addition of two bedrooms, bathrooms, and a kitchen—at a cost of 63,000 euros. Once completed in the summer of 2026, the two properties will span 183 square meters, offering stunning mountain and valley views and a dedicated indoor playroom for Kenny.

“Money was never an issue,” Elser states. “I always worked to be able to buy what I wanted. I was more focused on the quality of life.” In March 2025, she applied for an elective residency visa, which requires a passive income of 31,000 euros per person, and officially moved to Latronico in July. She plans to enroll Kenny in the local school this spring.

Elser believes the smaller class sizes in Latronico will provide a better educational experience for Kenny, who struggled to make progress in Tennessee due to a higher number of students with special educational needs. In just a few months, she and Kenny have integrated into Latronico’s tight-knit community, frequently interacting with locals during their daily routines.

The welcoming atmosphere is a stark contrast to their life in Crossville, where Elser felt neighbors were more likely to complain than compliment. “People seem more satisfied with their life,” she observes. “I understand that many young people have moved away, but the people remaining seem happy and not in that constant competition mindset.”

At home, they work on occupational therapy exercises, employing special grip crayons and puzzles to assist Kenny’s development. They drive weekly to a larger town for essentials, but the serene pace of life in Latronico helps Kenny manage overstimulation, a common source of stress for autistic individuals.

“We are happy with our calm and routine life,” Elser says. “When he starts going to school, I will focus on learning Italian because I eventually will need to pass a driver’s license test.” Meanwhile, Kenny’s diet has also improved. He prefers local pastries over traditional American breakfast options, and the overall cost of living in Italy is significantly lower, particularly regarding food and healthcare.

Elser appreciates the simpler way of life in Latronico, noting, “There is a lot less impulse buying. Everything we need is in town.” With her commitment to improving both her and Kenny's quality of life, it seems that their unexpected journey has led them to a place where they can truly thrive.