Latest news with #A39
Herald Sun
08-05-2025
- Business
- Herald Sun
‘I bought 6 homes in Italy for $1 each'
'I bought 6 homes for $1 each'. Picture: A US woman has revealed how she snapped up six properties in Italy for the bargain price of $1.06 ($AU1.65) each and transformed them into dream homes. Rubia Daniels, who is originally from Brazil but lives in San Francisco, purchased six crumbling houses in 2019 in Mussomeli, a centuries-old hill town in Sicily, through a local initiative that aims to breathe new life into abandoned real estate, according to SWNS. The houses came with a catch: they were in various states of ruin, with some missing roofs and lacking basic infrastructure. 'I packed six suitcases of all my tools and a generator,' Ms Daniels recalled to the outlet. The 51-year-old planning consultant flew out with her husband and brother-in-law to collect the deeds, having spent a total of about $US25,440 ($A39,600) after administrative fees and agency costs, the New York Post reports. MORE: I bought my 'dream' home, it was a DISASTER Huge twist: Woman pays $1 in wild home sale 'I save $3k a month living in a bin' Rubia Daniels bought six abandoned homes in Italy for just $1.06 each. Picture: The homes are located in Mussomeli — a hilltop town in Sicily. Picture: The properties were in disrepair — some with collapsed roofs and lacking basic utilities. Picture: Despite the dilapidated conditions, the mum-of-three felt at ease with the undertaking. 'I'm comfortable with the idea of transforming things and breaking walls,' she said. 'For example, my husband panics when he sees me eyeing up projects like this, but for me it's just a combination of excitement and joy.' The first property, which was completely collapsed, is now fully renovated. It 'has a beautiful marble bedroom,' she said. The restoration cost her approximately $US63,600 ($A98,850) and she hopes it will require no further work 'for 50 years'. Her vision extends beyond family homes. One of the six properties is earmarked as a future wellness retreat offering yoga and meditation classes. 'It would be nice to give back to the community this way,' she said. A kitchen. Picture: A bedroom. Picture: A bathroom. Picture: One of six homes. Picture: Ms Daniels also furnished the properties using local vendors — installing everything from sinks to flooring sourced nearby. 'We wanted to do it with the community in mind,' she explained. 'We love it here — it's much nicer than California.' What drew her to Mussomeli wasn't just the bargain prices, but the way of life. 'Nobody is rushing around, everything is affordable,' she said. 'A coffee and a croissant costs €1.50. In California, it's a very stressful environment and everything is so superficial.' Now, her two aunts, aged 70 and 82, plan to retire in the hilltop town permanently. And while her project initially raised eyebrows back home, the once-overlooked Sicilian village has gained international attention. At least 30 people are looking at one home now, she said, explaining how the influx initiative has grown in popularity. For Ms Daniels, the appeal was clear from the start: 'You're getting the house basically for free and you can turn that into whatever you desire'. Parts of this story first appeared in the New York Post and was republished with permission. Sign up to the Herald Sun Weekly Real Estate Update. Click here to get the latest Victorian property market news delivered direct to your inbox. MORE: Iconic Carlton restaurant up for grabs Elite school buys Aus jail for $2.6m $250k man cave: Inside Aus' ultimate tradie dream home
News.com.au
30-04-2025
- Automotive
- News.com.au
Amazon releases Slate Truck as Jeff Bezos takes on Elon Musk
Billionaire Jeff Bezos is positioning himself to go head-to-head with fellow rich-lister Elon Musk, as the Amazon founder rolls out an eyebrow raising new electric vehicle offering. Bezos could rival Tesla CEO Musk with a new range of affordable EVs with Slate Truck. Slate, an American electric vehicle manufacturer backed by Bezos, is launching its first truck model and could directly target Tesla's dominance in the EV sector. If vehicle manufacturing goes ahead, it would be the least expensive EV available to consumers. The truck is priced at $US25,000 ($A39,000), which is considerably less than Tesla's Cybertruck, which starts at $US82,235, Model Y ($A58,900) and Model 3 ($A54,900). 'The definition of what's affordable is broken,' said Slate CEO Chris Barman. 'Slate exists to put the power back in the hands of customers who have been ignored by the auto industry.' 'Slate is a radical truck platform so customisable that it can transform from a 2-seat pick-up to a 5-seat SUV.' BACK TO BASICS The Slate Truck which was shrouded in secrecy embraces a back-to-basics ethos, targeting affordability and customisation over cutting-edge excess. The truck is a highly modular electric ute that can transform into a five-seat SUV via a DIY kit and features a simple design with steel wheels, crank windows, and heating, ventilation and airconditioning knobs. There's a large frunk and a spacious cargo area with a 635kg payload. It is designed to be wrapped for personalisation, and allows users to bring their own tech. The vehicles will include various safety features such as airconditioning, automatic emergency braking, and a backup camera, which will show on the dash. The truck itself is fairly small – less than 4.6 metres long, comparable to a 1985 Toyota pick-up. Australia's most popular vehicle the Ford Ranger has a length of 5225mm to 5403mm, depending on the variant The basic 'Blank Slate' pick-up that sells for that lowest price tag gets an estimated 150 miles (240km) of range from a 52.7-kilowatt-hour battery pack. There's also a larger 84.3-kWh battery option that gets an estimated 240 miles (386km) of range, however; Slate does not quote a price on this specific model. An on-board AC charger is capable of delivering up to 11kW, with DC fast-charging up to 120kW. The NACS connector will be standard. The Slate Truck offers fast charging, allowing it to charge from 20 per cent to 80 per cent in under 30 minutes. The launch of the market-changing option has been met with polarising opinions on social media particularly regarding its potential impact on the current vehicle market. On X, one user has garnered a significant reaction after expressing their admiration for the vehicle. Finally, someone built a simple, cheap, utilitarian truck. $20k~, made in the USA, and no damn touch screen. Congrats @jeffawilke and the team at Slate â€' this thing is awesome. — TJ Parkerâš¡ï¸� (@tjparker) April 25, 2025 'Finally, someone built a simple, cheap, utilitarian truck. $20k, made in the USA … this thing is awesome,' user TJ Parker said on X. However, many were quick to express their dissatisfaction on the truck's barebones design. '8 hour charge for a 150 mile range and the towing capacity of a sedan. A 'truck' no one wants,' one user said. '20k for more junk hell yeah, we can do better,' another user responded. 'Garbage. Will never be sold,' another user expressed. According to Techcrunch, Bezos, along with Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter and billionaire investor Thomas Tull, helped Slate raise $111 million for the project. The company is now taking refundable $50 deposits for the pick-up trucks, with the first deliveries scheduled for the last quarter of 2026. Tesla accounted for almost half of the 1.3m EVs sold in the US in 2024, with the Model Y and the Model 3 the top selling cars.
