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As you may have probably noticed, real estate in Israel is not among the cheapest. The prices keep going up, and no one really knows when it will stop. Therefore, real estate in Israel is very attractive for investors and those planning to make aliyah in the future. Many of those wonder whether it is wise to buy a cheaper property in cash or double their budget by getting a mortgage.

To remind you, non-Israeli residents can apply for a mortgage in Israel and get up to 50% of the property value, thus doubling their initial budget. But should they? We will find out.

A mortgage is a fantastic way of buying a better property. It can multiply your budget by up to 4 times! You might have gotten a mortgage once or twice in your country of origin and even paid it off, and now it's time to get one in Israel. Here you will learn about the process and the difference to understand how and what to do next.

Mainly, anyone can apply for a mortgage, whether he is a resident, foreigner, or in the process of Aliyah. The difference is the rate and the amount you can borrow. Let's begin.

Owning a house in Israel is a dream of many, whether they are Jewish or have an affinity for Israel. And here the question arises – can I buy a property in Israel, and if so – how?
First of all, can you own a property in Israel?
Indeed you can! If you are Jewish or eligible for the Law of Return, the land is open before you, and you can settle wherever suits you.

Whether you are interested in the real estate of Israel or not, as long as you live here or just planning to, these terms will help you to get along and ease your communication with different professionals.

BHII is here for you to define and help pronounce correctly some of the most commonly used terms of local real estate.

Renovation – or as it's called in Hebrew – "shipputzim". Wherever you're going, someone's always going through a "shipputz", be it the supermarket, the post office, the dentist's clinic, and most of all – your neighbors at 7 AM sharp. Israelis love their "shipputzim" – always chasing the newest design trends from Europe and the USA.
And yet, it is overwhelming even to them. It's a complicated field with its own jargon, culture, logistics, and more. However grand the results may look, renovation can be a highly stressful experience. Here's some information that might help you avoid that.

Yesterday, on January 16th, the purchase tax brackets were updated in accordance with the rate of increase in the fixed index (Tenant Housing Services Index). According to the law, real estate tax brackets are updated annually, in the middle of January.
The new tax brackets apply to both the exemption for the single apartment, and for investment apartments. These brackets do not apply on commercial properties, where the tax remains at a fixed 6%.

A few months into the virus outbreak, Israel real estate finally slowed down. Many felt insecure because of the situation and refrained from buying or selling, but it didn’t last long. After a short period of time, the real estate bubble started growing again with all its might. As stated at the Central Bureau of Statistics, prices went up drastically, rising by an average of 10% in just a year.

Real estate in Israel is expensive, and it keeps rising each year. Many people wonder whether it is wise to buy now. Generally speaking – yes, it is always better to buy unless you know for sure how to invest your money, so in the long term, your investment profits will be greater than the apartment value. But since most of us are not experienced investors or stockbrokers, the answer remains to buy.

The real question we want to discuss is the best thing to do when you are unsure where to live, whether you already live here or are about to make aliyah.

Tama is NOP - National Outline Plan (תוכנית מתאר ארצית), and Tama 38 is National Outline Plan 38 for the seismic strengthening of existing buildings. In simple words – it is a plan to strengthen old structures against earthquakes, and it is very trendy in Israel.

Tama 38 allows tenants to benefit from strengthening the building against earthquakes and gets to expand their property by adding about 25 sq.m, without any cost! Most of the projects include the addition of a balcony and elevator, and some even get storerooms and parking solutions.