We came across Borgo di Vagli Fractional Ownership Club by sheer chance. I hadn't heard of the concept before but was introduced to it when I happened to meet Lee and Fulvio at an exhibition in Oslo in March this year. My company was exhibiting at a separate exhibition hall next door, and during a break I walked into the overseas property hall and among flats in Spain and houses in Turkey, I saw Fulvio an Lee talking to prospects about this beautiful restored Hamlet. I returned on two separate occasions to get a better understanding of the reservations privileges. My wife Marit and I have done a lot of traveling and we had never considered buying a property abroad. You should never say never!

We have three "children" aged from 24 to 32, who joined us on our discovery visit in April, only a month after I first met Lee and Fulvio. My family and I had been through all of the marketing material and enjoyed the numerous video clips, but we did not expect to find the Hamlet better than it looked in the marketing material. We were wrong!

During our three-day discovery visit we experienced the harmony and peace at the Hamlet, beautifully prepared meals in the trattoria, and walked in the surrounding hills and also managed to spend an evening in Cortona. Both generations, which in some days will be three generations (our daughter will give birth in the coming days), were totally convinced! We wanted to be a part of Borgo di Vagli and initially purchased in the one bedroom residence category and were so taken with the Hamlet, the management team, surrounding etc. etc. that we purchased a second fraction in the two bedroom category on our third visit earlier this month.

I doubt we would have ever invested in property in Tuscany or any other place abroad if I had not bumped into Lee and Fulvio in Oslo. But we have been to Italy and Tuscany many times, and if there was one place we would like to have as a second home, this was it. The culture, food and wine, landscape and the nature - and a more friendly weather than home in Norway!

An initial concern I had was more about the financial ability to maintain the high quality (and friendly) service offered at reception, in the trattoria and upkeep and maintenance of the communal areas in years to come. But when we experienced the hamlet and got a better understanding of how it works, and gathered information from Lee and talking to other owners from different parts of the world, we understood that the Club's structure is designed in such a way to maintain the standard of the property and maintain the services year on year.

We consider our purchases as both a lifestyle and financial investment - but probably more of a lifestyle investment. For us Borgo di Vagli is a piece of art. The architecture, history, landscape and nature have a beauty that does something with our hearts and minds. For us, it's much more than a nice valuable painting to decorate our home, but we have the ability to share this with our family and friends and it will give us grate pleasure for many years to come.

We think we will return to the Hamlet numerous times throughout the year. We like to experience all four seasons, although spring and the autumn will be our main seasons. In the summer, if the weather is nice, not even Tuscany and Borgo di Vagli can beat Norway.

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