A 72 year-old Los Angeles man bought an $8,600 home in a picturesque Italian village in the hopes of adding 10 years to his life.
Bingwa Thomas moved to the Italian town of Latronico, located in the Southern region of Bascilata, in 2022.
He did so after learning about a housing program launched in recent years to attract buyers to regions in Italy that needed fresh life breathed into them.
Thomas was attracted to the more relaxed, healthier lifestyle, and natural beauty surrounding him, but the biggest draw was living a longer more robust life.
In Italy the average life span is 84 compared to 79 in the US, but the theWorld Health Organizationputs that figure at 77. And, as a person of color those numbers plunge even further, he shared.
'For a Black male it's 70. So in the US I'm already two years past my expiration date,' he toldCNN Travel. ' But in Italy I can get 10 extra years.'
Bingwa Thomas pictured in front of his new home in the Italian town of Latronico, located in the Southern region of Bascilata, in 2022
Italy's famous Mediterranean diet has been credited with helping boost its residents' longevity. It focuses on a diet heavy on vegetables, fish and olive oil.
Thomas profession is a combination of acting in commercials, films, and voice-overs but his true passion is his activism, and humanitarian work.
Acquirinig the home was not only more affordable for him, so he was able to fund his 'African projects.' The ease of traveling to Africa from Italy was another reason for the life change.
'My main reason for establishing a residence in southern Italy was to have better access to the African continent,' he said.
'To be able to use my pension to create, fund, network and volunteer with programs on the African continent.'
Thomashas been living in home, while doing the majority of the renovation work himself. His plumbing and electrical work is being outsourced by friends and local businesses in the area.
People who buy cheap Italian properties generally have to agree to renovate them as part of the deal.
The next phase of his home project, he said, is to install abathroom on the ground floor and restore the old fireplace and wood-burning over, and make minor improvements in to theplumbing, ventilation and electrical.
The 110-square foot home features wooden doors and a charming balcony
Thomas doing his own renovations in his Italian flat
The quaint town of Latrinico has seen a boom of artists, philanthropists and social activists moving over there, partly due to an article CNN Travel wrote about in 2021.
Theoriginal buyers to the area, were mostly families from abroad and retired couples looking for a vacation home, according an official.
Some of the properties that are for sale and at stunningly low prices are in either move-in condition, or are in need of a complete gut renovation. The bargain prices are starting as low as $10,800 (10,000 euros).
Thomas attributed part of his life-changing decision to the former deputy mayor Vincenzo Castellano, who was the official who created the housing scheme, and guided him through the process.
Though, he hasn't posted anything new on his Facebook, in October 2022, he shared some photos and video capturing the early stages of his new Italian life, and gave a shout out to those who helped him.
'I guess the most impressive part of buying my Latronico house was the ease of the entire procedure. This was made possible by the hard work and dedication of Vincenzo Castellano and Mariangela Tortorella
'As a team, this Dynamic Duo has taken the house buying process and made it an ART FORM.'
'They have smoothed-out the ridiculously tedious paperwork, clumsy, outdated banking system and inept bus service (I mean, first, you have to be able to GET to Latronico), he wrote, in part.
'I hope Latronico appreciates this Duo because if the right people catch wind of this charismatic couple, they will be stolen away by producers of a show called 'MALIBU BEACH HOUSE HUNT with those crazy Italians; VIN & MAR'
Thomas living his best life in his new Italian town of Latronico
'Thomas who is originally form Kansas City had been living in Los Angeles before move. It is unclear if he still has a residence there.
When he isn't renovating his home Thomas is happily traveling around Europe doing 'odd jobs' from working in a pub in Ireland or the UK, selling Christmas trees or working in a youth hostel in Amsterdam.
'Living in Italy gives me more of the one thing that is important to me and should be the number one thing of importance to any living being – literally life,' he says.
His longterm goal is to helo develop Latronico's community by creating an arts center on the ground floor of his house.
