Welcome to Israel! You’ve made a major decision in your life by choosing to leave your familiar surroundings and come on Aliyah. Coming to Israel is not an easy process. It means going through an extensive learning process involving your having to learn a myriad of rules, regulations, customs and modes of behavior as well as making many critical decisions. Often the most crucial decision you’ll have to make is deciding where to live taking into account your budget, social and religious affiliation, employment opportunities, schools for your children, size of your home, and special needs.
The purpose of this guide is to help guide you in making some of these decisions when buying your new home in the greater Jerusalem area. Please check out our list of *Jerusalem Neighborhoods and use our link to the map to get your general bearings.
Jerusalem Neighborhoods:
City Center: Jewish Quarter of the Old City, Abu Tor, Bakka, Geula, Givat Oranim, Talbiah, Yemin Moshe, Morasha, German Colony, Greek Colony, Mamila,
Down Town (King George – Jaffa area), Makor Baruch, Nachlaot, San Simone, Old Katamon, kiriat Shmuel, Rehavia,Rasco, Sha’aei Chesed.
Southern Jerusalem: Arnona, Armon Hanetziv(East Talpiyot),Gilo, Har Chomah, Makor Hayim, Pat, Katamonim(Gonen), Talpiyot.
Western Jerusalem: Beit Hakerem, Bayit Vegan, Givat Mordechai, Nayot, Givat Shaul,
Yefe Nof, Har Nof, Matersdorf, Kiriat Belz, Kiriat Yovel, Kiriat Menahem, Ein Karem, Kiriat Moshe, Kiriat Sanz, Romema, Ramat Beit Hakerem, Ramat Sharet, Givat Masuah.
Northern Jerusalem: Arzei Habira, Givat Hamivtar, French Hill, Ma’alot Dafna, Neve Yakov, Sanhedria, Pisgat Ze’ev, Ramot (Alon), Ramat Eshkol
Unlike the average real estate company where the relationship with the customer ends with the closing of the deal, our professional services also include planning, interior design, renovations and building add-ons. Bayit Beyisrael also prides itself in that it has many years of experience in converting house into a home.
Choosing the right Jerusalem neighborhood
General Overview: Real Estate in Jerusalem is driven by the same supply and demand market forces as anywhere else. Ever since the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967, the city started to grow in leaps and bounds with the advent of new neighborhoods of Ramat Eshkol, Sanhedria Murchevet, French Hill, The Jewish Quarter of the Old City, Ramot, Har Nof, Gilo, Neve Ya’akov, East Talpiot, Pisgat Ze’ev, Ramat Shlomo, Har Homa and Givat Masuah. In addition many satellite communities sprung up within a half hour radius of Jerusalem. Today Jerusalem is at the peak of its glory and so are its real estate prices. Young couples generally tend to gravitate to these outlying areas because the can not afford Jerusalem’s high prices.
Demographic Trends
The trend today is that homes in and near the city’s center are being purchased by olim and tourists from western countries. The increasing demand from this sector is greater than the supply of available thus driving up prices in neighborhoods such as Katamon, Rehavia, Baka, German Colony and Ramat Eshkol. Furthermore, in recent years the demographic character of Jerusalem has become more religious. Mixed neighborhoods such as Ramat Eshkol have become predominantly religious due to an influx of observant olim and tourists from English speaking countries who want to live in a community with others of the same observant persuasion. As a result of these trends various community services such as synagogues, schools and shopping centers have changed accordingly to accommodate the new make up of the neighborhood.
Exemptions and Other Benefits
Persons with a permanent disability of 20% or higher are entitled to the following benefits when purchasing a home in Israel.
* A 95% discount in purchase tax on the price of the apartment or land for building.
* A full exemption of the of property ownership registration fee (TABU).
* A discount on mortgage registration at the Israel Land registry office.
Persons with a permanent disability of 50% or more who own a home situated on land belonging to the Israel Land Authority are fully exempt from paying the property transfer tax (D’mei Haskama) when selling the property.
Annual Property Tax (Arnona) Discounts
Persons with a permanent disability ranging from 10% are entitled to various discounts in municipal property taxes. The size of the discount is decided by the local municipality and is dependent on the number of occupants living in the apartment. Discounts are given to handicapped beneficiaries whose names appear on the National Health Institute list which is updated annually.
Persons with a 100% disability are entitled to an additional 40% refund on the reduced Arnona payments. In order to receive this additional refund please bring proof of payment and all other pertinent documents.
This article has been reprinted with permission from Bayit BeYisrael
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