Ashkelon has experienced tremendous growth over the past decade and continues to be one of Israel's fastest growing cities. What is the secret that is drawing so many people to move to Ashkelon? Lots of green spaces, bike-friendly, affordable, close to the center, historic, great transportation connections, top healthcare, schools and of course, miles of [...]
Buying an apartment in Ashkelon With Ashkelon being one of the most popular cities for real estate purchases in the country, people looking to buy properties ask if they should go through agents or buy direct. There are pros and cons to using an agent which buyers should consider before starting to look. Dealing [...]
Welcome to Ashkelon! One of the first things that you will need to do is to transfer Arnona (property tax), gas, electricity and water to your name. The process is not difficult, but may require some patience. On the day that you take possession, start by photographing your water, gas and electric meters and [...]
"The researchers concluded that while the Covid pandemic did not result in a revolution in the real estate market, it did cause certain changes in the preferences of homebuyers, which was expressed in geographical preference and a change in the composition of the size of apartments sought and the density of housing in the [...]
By Stephen Epstein Ashkelon just announced that the city will be raising the municipal tax (Arnona), by 1.92 percent, which is the minimum amount set by the Ministry of Interior. While there are a variety of ways municipalities calculate municipal taxes, each city is able to charge residents different rates and increase beyond the amount [...]
In 1951 Israel passed a Civil Defense Law, which required that shelters be built in all apartment buildings and industrial spaces. As a result, almost all apartment buildings have a Miklat (bomb shelter) on the lower floor or below ground. These shelters are normally equipped with a sink and toilet, emergency exit and have [...]
Globes ran a very interesting article on how popular Ashkelon has become in Israel's real estate market: "Not Tel Aviv, not Jerusalem, not Beer Sheva. Meet the undisputed real estate queen of 2020: Ashkelon. One in 20 deals made in Israel last year was in the southern coastal city; one in every 20 apartments that [...]
With so many amazing English speaking communities in Israel, how does a 50+ English speaking individual or couple choose where to live? There are so many options, but when you deep dive into the various communities, the list becomes shorter. What factors are important for people in this age range? Whether a person is retired [...]
Israelis are used to comparing the prices of goods and services in Israel with those in the US and Europe. Every once in a while media outlets in Israel show examples of how items such as cottage cheese or chocolate wafers are less expensive in Boston or Berlin. But we also know that some goods [...]
I had a very interesting conversation today with Odiel Malchi, a mortgage specialist who has worked for a number of Israeli banks. He wrote an article (linked below) on the new program to replace Mechir Lamishtaken. The good news is that the government will give a grant of 100,000 NIS towards the purchase of an [...]
