Very confused about communities, looking to make aliyah 2014

Tamiri

Wed, Aug 14 2013, 8:09 am

LisaS wrote:

I would start with employment as that will help narrow down the locations. Can you get a sense of where you will need to be commuting distance to?

As others have said, having a private yard here, is like having a private swimming pool in the US. But you can easily find a place to live adjacent to a lovely public park and it will become your backyard, with the added bonus of playmates for the kids.

No, it's not. It's like having a town house on the upper west side LOL! I had a pool. It's nothing like having a house with a yard in town in Israel. Nothing.

DrMom

Wed, Aug 14 2013, 10:16 am

When, B"H, you make a pilot trip, you can get a sense of what he homes look like in the communities you are investigating.

Private homes are pricey in most locations. Semi-attached homes are more common, and they can get pricey too (depends where you are looking).

You will need to prioritize your wishes in accordance with your budget.

But come and look around first.

amother

Wed, Aug 14 2013, 10:41 am

If a house is important to you, it can still be done.

A friend of mine is buying a private, stand alone villa in Tzfat now for 1.5 million shekels. It's an older house but in good condition, with 5 or 6 bedrooms, a stunning view of the kinneret, and a well-maintained yard.

Another friend just built a brand new stand-alone house in Bar Yochai, which is a dati yeshuv 10 minutes away from Tzfat. It cost him under 1.5 M, and it includes several tzimmerim which he rents out and makes a lot of money off of.

If you are willing to buy an attached/row cottage, there are many cities where you can find them for under 1.8 M NIS (just guessing here, but I'll wager a bet that Nahariya, Afula, Hadera, Tiberias, Beersheva and others are places where you can find brand new row cottages at those prices).

I realize that 1.5 M NIS is a lot of money, but keep in mind many people are spending almost that much on apartments in more expensive cities.

amother

Wed, Aug 14 2013, 10:52 am

You should take a look at yad2 for prices.
Here's a list of cottages and some private homes under 1800000 NIS ('cottage' in Hebrew means row house): http://www.yad2.co.il/Nadlan/s.....Info=

Here's a list of attached houses under 1.8 M (attached to one other house usually):
http://www.yad2.co.il/Nadlan/s.....Info=

(note that if no price is lised, it's probably more than 1.8 M)

You can limit the search to certain areas, for example attached house in the sharon: http://www.yad2.co.il/Nadlan/s.....Info=
or cottages in the sharon:
http://www.yad2.co.il/Nadlan/s.....Info=

amother

Wed, Aug 14 2013, 11:12 am

Here's a list of what you can buy in Nahariya (list also includes Akko) that has at least 5 rooms (so 4 bedrooms) and costs under 1.5 M NIS. http://www.yad2.co.il/Nadlan/s.....Info=

There are some nice private houses there, like these:
http://www.yad2.co.il/Nadlan/V.....ID=68
http://www.yad2.co.il/Nadlan/V.....ID=68

Tablepoetry

Thu, Aug 15 2013, 1:24 pm

Tamiri wrote:

Okay, the insanity has landed here as well. When over $400k is described as "a good buy" you know that we've all been had. FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS on an Israeli salary?????? That's affordable? I'm missing something here. I guess a few hundred thou would solve that!

The insanity has landed, Tamiri, but amother above isn't so wild with her suggestions.

מחיר חציוני של דירת יד שנייה, הגיע למיליון שקל בעוד שבשנת 2012 כולה הוא עמד על 930 אלף שקל. מחיר ממוצע של דירת יד שנייה הגיע ל- 1.13 מיליון שקל כאשר בשנת 2012 היה מדובר על 1.1 מיליון שקל

נתונים מגלים כי מחיר חציוני של דירה חדשה הגיע ברבעון הראשון של 2013 ל- 1.38 מיליון שקל, בעוד שבשנת 2012 כולה הוא עמד על 1.33 מיליון שקל. מחיר ממוצע לעומת זאת, הגיע ברבעון הראשון ל- 1.5 מיליון שקל בעוד שבשנת 2012 כולה הוא עמד על 1.41 מיליון שקל.

For those who don't read Hebrew: the median price of a second-hand apartment/house was 1 M NIS this year (930 K in 2012), whereas the average price was 1.13 M this year (1.1 last year).

The median price of a new apartment/house is 1.38 M this year (1.33 last year), whereas the average price is 1.5 M (1.41 M last year).

So suggesting houses that cost 1.5 M is really not that much more than the median price of housing in Israel.

(btw, there are other more encouraging statistics that housing prices have gone done by a few percent lately).

Tamiri

Thu, Aug 15 2013, 1:45 pm

Table, don't get me wrong: I KNOW that what is written is the actual situation in the housing market. But shrugging and saying "that's how it is" while people keep on buying, is (to me) mind boggling. Particularly when you take average Israeli incomes into account, and that 50% down is just about the norm. I don't understand how we can just start seeing that as "the way it is". Salaries totally don't match their buying power when it comes to the simplest of homes here.

etky

Thu, Aug 15 2013, 2:04 pm

Tamiri wrote:

Well, that, in a nutshell, is the main economic obstacle that young families face here. You still need a bundle of cash for a down payment on even a modest apartment in the periphery. Most young people (and not so young people who don't have a foot in the door of the real estate market) don't have that kind of money unless parents help out or there is a yerusha from the sale of a grandparent's apartment.

Isramom8

Thu, Aug 15 2013, 2:24 pm

Your DH should know that there are lots of apartments in Israel that have more of a private feel, with outdoor space. That might be a good compromise for you. Check the Dolev area in Ramat Beit Shemesh. It's somewhat of a mixed area too, you don't have to be specifically Chareidi. There are parks around.

shalhevet

Thu, Aug 15 2013, 2:51 pm

amother wrote:

Except that OP and her husband are not teachers, doctors, or self-employed. And, therefore, I wonder if they will be able to find jobs in such areas (Hadera and even Beersheva are not so far out, but they won't find Anglo communities there).

catonmylap

Fri, Aug 16 2013, 5:40 am

There are attached houses in Maale Adumim for approximately 1.4-1.5 million shekels in my area... so you don't need to be totally far out...You can find some nice garden apartments for around 1.1 million shekels.
The question is if that still is too much money. (We are over the green line, but very close and safe and is always mentioned as being kept part of Israel in any talks)...

wispalover

Sun, Aug 18 2013, 2:59 pm

shalhevet wrote:

amother wrote:

There is a REALLY nice anglo community in beersheva.