The people rushing to buy cheap Italian homes

The small Italian town of Biccari has registered interest from more than 20,000 people across the world eager to buy one of the cheap houses its putting on sale, with some saying Covid has spurred their desire to relocate.

(CNN) — When the mayor of a sleepy Italian town announced it was selling houses that people can move into for less than the price of a used car, he thought he might get one or two offers. But after CNN Travel reported the deal aimed at reviving the fortunes of Biccari, a pretty community in Italy's southwestern Puglia whose population has dwindled to 2,000, its civic leader says he received no fewer than 20,000 emails from all over the world. "We were flooded with requests," Gianfilippo Mignogna tells CNN. "Many people sent us touching letters of why they'd like to buy a house here and become part of our community, alongside their photos to introduce who they were.