Sambuca di Sicilia is hoping to continue years of success with its latest scheme to sell off abandoned homes at a very low cost.
The Italian village first went viral in 2019 when it auctioned off old homes with bids starting at 1 euro. The town did it again in 2021 with bids starting at 2 euros and is looking to repeat it for a third time with bids starting at 3 euros or $3.
This time around, Sambuca di Sicilia has about a dozen properties set for auction, according to CNN reports.
The town’s mayor, Giuseppe Cacioppo, told CNN that the first sale helped revamp the local economy with an influx of 20 million euros or $21.5 million.
Since Sambuca di Sicilia started its viral scheme, 250 homes have been sold outside of the original auctions.
“Our town is now definitely on the map,” Cacioppo said. “We just want to make it clear that by numbering these batches, more sales will likely follow in coming years. Foreigners are flocking to buy our homes, it’s been a hit so far.”