Ah, that does seem to be an Italian problem. I think it relates to "asset rich, cash poor" that afflicts many rural Italians. Sadly the government is making things worse by imposing ludicrous taxes on property with no regard for the ability to pay. Foreigners are seen as cash cows and my recent EMU tax bill made my ears curl. It's self defeating because the money that was being used to pay local tradesmen now ends up being paid as taxes and I'm DIYing all the house repairs/improvements. Since "The Crisis" started several local builders have gone bankrupt. Mostly they deserved to go bankrupt, they were the worst of the lot, the rip-off merchants who would take a deposit for a job then muck about and not finish the work. However it shows that money is being taken out of the economy because although they are bastards they prospered when times were good. Now the good builders have time on their hands and are quoting low prices and short delivery schedules so the few who can afford building work are using them.
DIY is regarded as one rung below manual cess-pit cleaning by most Italians so other people just give up on maintenance.
I can see several farmhouses from the A1 autostrada when I drive from Milan back home. Several of them are grand houses to the south side of the road near Parma that are being permitted to go to rack and ruin, so I guess money for repairs is in very short supply.