I highly recommend Franca and Robert for your housing needs when you PCS to Italy. The money spent on their fee is miniscule compared to the service that they provide. They serve not only as a realtor, but make themselves available to assist you with everything from utilities, to "lost key" replacements, to "how does my hot water heater work," to fixing your telephone service, etc.....Whether it was their invaluable assistance in setting up my utilities, telephone, internet or interfacing with my landlord, they have been the BEST! I have been in my beautiful Italian home for two years now and I am happy with it still. Roberts monthly newsletter is an excellent source of tips, news, and other happenings in the Vicenza area and is a great resource for a newcomer or a seasoned veteran.

This is my 11th PCS and Franca and Robert are the best service I have ever had.

Bottom line: If you are going to use a private realtor to find your house; don't waste your time with others.... Contact Franca and Robert and get the house and service that you deserve.

A.M.

Franca and Robert's services have been invaluable over the past 5 years.

When I first arrived without a car, they drove me to houses that matched my requirements and helped me find a great one. Whenever I had a problem, they were quick to contact my landlord and stayed on top of him to follow through. Franca even called me when she thought I was stuck in a foreign country to help me out! The news letter's were a nice touch and helped us get by in a country where things don't always come easy. Their services DO NOT end after you move in but continue your entire tour, and I think that's what sets them apart from other real estate services. They are worth every penny.

C. B.

To Whom it May Concern:

I'm writing to give my highest endorsement to Franca and Robert Ross. I would recommend anyone that is looking for a house to use Franca as she has been an invaluable help to me during my almost five year stay here in Vicenza. We have a rather old house which has had some problems and Franca has continually kept after the landlord until all the repairs were made. We even had a small garage fire and Franca was here before the Firemen. Franca has been worth every penny (and more) of the initial cost.

Sincerely,

C.F.

Franca and Robert are great! I feel like I can call them at any time if I need anything. They helped us settle into our house and they found us the best landlords in the world! We love our house and the location. They made the process of moving overseas easier than we thought it could be. They are always quick to answer emails and I really appreciate the email bulletins they send out about things going on in the area. I feel like they really want us to enjoy living in Italy and fit in as much as we can. We are so thankful for them both and appreciate everything they have done for us.

KK & RK

I would like to share a very positive testimony regarding the outstanding service we have received from Franca Zanchetta and Robert Ross. From the start, they have been complete professionals.  When they first received our inquiry call, they picked us up by post the next day and bent over backwards for us in our quest to find a home that met our needs here in the Vicenza area.  We are so pleased with our home and the town in which we live.  In addition to finding a competent real estate agent, we found that we developed a relationship that is like an "executive concierge service" for your home & life in a foreign country. We have contacted Franca multiple times after moving into our house for fine-tuning with the landlord;  she has been receptive, quick to respond and an invaluable resource for translating.  The resource booklet we received after signing our contract has been an unexpected bonus as we learn to live la dolce vita--complete with "Where's IKEA?," "What's Auchan?,", "What's that funny smell?," and the ins & outs of water heaters and electrical outlets.  I would highly recommend her services to anyone moving to Vicenza. It's worth every penny.

LTC R. C.

We cannot say enough about how much help Franca and Bob have been.

After exhausting the resources at the Vicenza Housing Office, Franca was able to help us locate 3 places we really liked relatively quickly.

Bob's manual on European electric, gas, and radiator controls was immediately the most referenced book in the house, and every problem (not that there were many) that has arisen, Franca addressed with shocking speed and efficiency. The only complaint we have is they won't be in Stuttgart when we move there!

Kind Regards,

B. and A.,S.

Both my wife and I have been extremely happy with the services provided by Franca and Robert during our stay in Vicenza. When we first arrived to Vicenza we found the area we thought we would prefer to live in and Franca found us the home. From that time on Franca has been right there with us to assist any way they could acting as the go between the owners and ourselves. If there was any issues with the house, Franca coordinated with the owners to make sure they understood what the issue was and got it rectified. Franca’s efforts have been the very best. Robert puts out a very helpful bulletin via email which provides helpful information on the workings of an Italian residence, to what is going on in the surrounding area during the week. There have been so many useful tips and hints on what to do and see in the area that I collected all of them and refer to them from time to time for helpful ideas.

The great thing about this team of Franca and Robert is they are not just here for the initial house/apartment search; they are here with you for the duration and also have made living in Italy so much more enjoyable for us. Thanks again for all that you have done for us during our stay. I would highly recommend using this team to satisfy your housing needs.

M. and S. S.

My family arrived in Vicenza with little knowledge of the city or language. Our excellent sponsor provided us with Franca's phone number, among other good tips. We were able to arrange a meeting to preview apartments quickly and found the ideal home during our first outing with Franca and Robert. In their competent hands, we were assisted in every step of the negotiation and move-in process. Each email or call to Franca has been responded to immediately and professionally. Franca has gone beyond the scope of property manager to even assist us in translating during an awkward situation with the Italian parking police. It has been a pleasure to

be associated with team Franca and Robert. We would not hesitate to recommend their service to any of our incoming associates.

JF

Hi Guys,

We have enjoyed you both so much! You have helped us out and you found us a wonderful house and an even better landlord/family!!! The thing I like the most about you guys is that you are so helpful and I know that if I needed something I could call you right away. You gave us more helpful information that anyone. If you had not given me the welcome book I'm sure I would have locked myself out of the house a million times by now!!! We appreciate everything that you have done!

Thanks again for everything,

K. and R. K.

Both Franca and Bob are extremely genuine and honest people.  They really care and they know their stuff!  For those who are thinking about buying, they will make the process painless.  We bought a home almost two years ago and she held our hand through the whole process.   Everyone she has referred to us since (electricians, plumbers, handyman etc) have been as wonderful as they are.   We STILL call her for advice, or a referral, or help with a translation; she always finds time to help.  I can’t recommend them enough.   Grazie Ragazzhi!

Maria B.

Hi folks

Rich and I have really appreciated all the service and support that you gave us while we were assigned to the Vicenza Military Community. First, you helped us find the perfect place! Second, you were so responsive to our needs if anything needed to be fixed. Things were responded to very quickly and that was comforting. Finally, I loved the extra touch of receiving the monthly new letters about local area activities. That was a nice personal touch that helped us "non Italian speakers" learn about activities that were off the beaten trail. Thanks again for everything, you guys are great!

Col. L. B.

Commander

USAHC-Vicenza

Franca has been an incredible help during my three years in Italy. Her realty services are comprehensive - beginning with the contract for an apartment rental and extending for the full duration of that rental. I've been continually amazed at the comprehensive and prompt assistance, which has helped me overcome a lot of culture and language barriers to ensure my apartment stays livable and relations with my landlord are good. I can't thank Franca enough for all that she's done over the years!

-Elliott N. CPT

Robert: I tell al the people that come into my office or that PCS here that Franca is worth every cent of what we paid for her and I relate to them the story of when our water heater went out on Christmas Eve last year and we got it fixed that morning. I think Franca does provide a valuable service and I would certainly have no issue with referring people to her.

Col. Harrold M.

I have learned some things from my fire that I thought I would pass on. Have renters insurance if you live in Italy.  I almost didn't get it because I have bought it for years and never had a claim, and I was thinking houses here are made of cement what's to burn. Franca my real estate agent convinced me to buy it. It was not that expensive, less than two hundred Euro for the year. If I did not have it, I would be paying for the extensive repairs that are necessary in my house out of my own pocket! The law in Italy is that if the fire was caused by something inside the walls, it is the landlord's responsibility. If it was caused from outside the walls, it is the tenant's responsibility. Most fires happen outside the walls. Also, I would not have any reimbursement for all our ruined clothing, furniture, TV, toys and books. So if you don't have renters insurance get some!  Every penny that I paid for my real estate person was worth it times ten. Franca Ross has helped me through burglary, flood and fire.  She has dealt with all the paperwork required for the insurance company and lined up all the cleaners, debris movers, carpenters, painters and electrician need for repairs, gotten estimates and has them scheduled to go.

K. W.

To Whom It May Concern;

I would like to strongly recommend Ms. Franca Zanchetta-Ross to anyone looking for housing. She went out of her way to help us find a place when we moved here in 2003. She has always been very helpful and responded with immediate service when I've needed to call her regarding housing issues.

She's been an excellent liaison between us and the landlord.

Sincerely,

Karen H.

To whom it may concern,

I have been more than pleased with Franca's service.  Her assistance and
professionalism over 3 years is just remarkable.  I truly appreciate her
continued help on even small matters.  I have had no problems involving my
landlord or my apartment and that is a direct result of the hard work and
commitment of Franca.  I would recommend her hands down to anyone.

Sincerely,
-Randy R.

CPT 1-508^th INF (ABN)

To whom it may concern,

Franca has been excellent to work with, and has always gone out of her way
to help in any matter that I have had in my apartment.  I would definitely
recommend her to anyone that comes into Vicenza looking for an apartment.

Justin D.

1LT A CO 2-508RD INF (ABN)

To whom it may concern,

I am writing to provide a reference for Ms. Franca Ross. She has served as
our real estate agent here in Vicenza.

Ms. Ross has provided us with professional service that has been very
helpful. She helped with showing us the house, getting the inspection,
getting utilities, telephone and Internet service. Her relationship with the
landlord is professional and created a good rapport with us from the
beginning. She has been available to help us at all hours and on weekends.

My wife and I have been very happy with the service provided us by Ms. Ross.

Sincerely,

Steve N.

22nd ASG ASAP
PC/EAPC

To whom it may concern,

I would like to take this opportunity to write a letter of recommendation for my property manager, Franca. She has gone above and beyond what is expected with a property manager. She has come to my house several times, within minutes of my calling her, to help me with my electricity and heater. Whenever I call her with a concern or problem it is minutes until she calls me back with an answer or solution. She has been an excellent “go-between” between my landlord and me. I am very lucky and fortunate to have her services.

Sincerely,

Karla S.

Greetings: 2 March 2005

This is a personal recommendation for MS Franca Ross, who is our realty agent and has been since our arrival in June 2003.

As far as my experience with MS Ross goes, I can only say it has been superb. When we arrived there were no listings in the Housing Office database, which met our needs. We saw MS Ross’ card on the bulletin board and contacted her. We found a wonderful place in Camisano almost immediately and have been with MS Ross ever since, her customer service philosophy being “cradle to grave.”

I had a discussion with my SAJ Ethics counselor when a new employee arrived in my agency: could I recommend MS Ross to that employee? The answer was decidedly yes, as my relationship with MS Ross was purely personal business and I was in no way speaking for the Government.

MS Ross renders her service in an ethical and thorough manner, not to mention that she sticks until the customer moves.

Ann W. C.

Now here is a referral from us to you.

Some car insurance information. A while ago one of our American clients wasn’t happy with the choices that he had for car insurance on or near the Base and he asked us if we could recommend someone. We didn’t really know any company in particular except the company that we had been using for years. It’s about the second largest company in Italia and it turns out that they give VERY good rates, on both cars, renters insurance etc. Shortly after that we had a young man ask about insurance and he got a quote for “thousands” less. One word of caution if you tell them you have a good driving record where you were before, make sure you did because they check. I have heard only good things from people who have used this company so if you would like a FREE quote send us an email and ask for “Car Insurance Quote Form” and we will email you a form along with their email address so that you can contact them directly, and in a couple of days they will send you a price quote. The agents name is DANIELE CIARAVOLO.

For help with housing, or any questions that you might have, email Franca at

franca.zanchetta@tin.it