When I think of rentals, many ideas are conjured including cost, size, location etc.
Rental costs vary in cities. Tel Aviv and Jerusalem for example have high rental fees comparatively to Beit Shemesh,Kiryat Gat, or Beer Sheva. In these areas one can find decent rentals .
When looking at rentals, one must pay attention to many pointers .One does not want to rent a home that has damp issues, or requires work that has not been done.
Even better, beware of homeowners who promise to deal with issues that have not been dealt with . If you came to look at the apartment and serious issues have not been
dealt with BEFORE viewing , you will want to inspect it AGAIN before signing a contract.
Renters should take all costs into consideration to verify that the apartment they
are interested in, they can afford and not THINK they can afford it.
For example, this 6 square meter kiosk rents for 12,500 shekels a month.
Can you afford the rent? The municipal tax? Any related maintenance fees?
This does not include water, electricity, gas etc.
Got any questions, feel free to contact me. 🙂
Tag Archives: Beit Shemesh
Internet shopping..good or bad?
Nowadays if you have a question, looking for information, or just curious the best thing to turn to is …the internet.
For example, my dog eats rather quickly and I want him to enjoy his food. This caused me to wonder if there are toys “out there” that can slow down his eating whilst making me feel good thinking this will force him to “enjoy his food”.
So what did I do? “flick” turned on the computer and asked google what items are available to purchase.
It’s interesting how originally my intention was to spend 20 minutes researching,
turned into at least double that time.
Since internet is readily available, companies want to offer all the information
a consumer is looking for and beyond what they are looking for, we end up spending
more time than expected and may end up spending more than initially expected.
This does not include all the side advertisements that “bling” on the side, attracting your attention to click on their “awesome deal”.
Maybe BEFORE entering the internet world, one should arm themselves with well
thought out intentions so as not to get sucked into the internet shopping world
and your credit card maxed out. 🙂
On a positive note
Israel was ranked as one of the happiest countries 
We’ve been ranked 11th place, not bad for a place
that people sometimes say “people are rude”
With all that “rudeness”, we are doing something right
Sustainable Development Solutions Network and the Earth
Institute at Columbia University released their report for preparation
of UN World Happiness Day this coming Sunday.
* But we didn’t need the world to tell us that, we know the truth
4room apartments rise in 2015
We have figures for areas like Ashkelon rising at 15%
Beersheva also at 15% & Modi’in rose by 9%.
So where is Beit Shemesh? Have 4 room apartments risen as well?
Here is an indication of 4 room apartments that have sold
in the Schienfeld area:
Do you have an uninhabited apartment?
If you own an apartment or home and you haven’t moved in yet?
You can get a waiver on payment for arnona . The apartment must be 
empty, there will be a municipality agent to photograph and check verification that no one lives in the property.
Jerusalem Winter 2/16
I love driving the Hadassah Ein Kerem route coming from Jerusalem towards Beit Shemesh. It is a breathe taking ride, gorgeous all year round, and you make breathe in fresh air. Here are photos of the rainy awesome day.
Sales in Givat sharett, Beit Shemesh area
| *יום מכירה | *תמורה מוצהרת | ישוב | שטח | חדרים |
| 20/05/2015 | 1,037,000 ₪ | בית שמש | 63 | 3.0 |
| 04/06/2015 | 1,565,000 ₪ | בית שמש | 100 | 4.0 |
| 14/05/2015 | 900,000 ₪ | בית שמש | 81 | 3.0 |
| 21/06/2015 | 900,000 ₪ | בית שמש | 67 | 3.0 |
| 22/06/2015 | 1,050,000 ₪ | בית שמש | 116 | 6.0 |
| 30/07/2015 | 980,000 ₪ | בית שמש | 74 | 3.0 |
| 13/08/2015 | 1,000,000 ₪ | בית שמש | 82 | 4.0 |
| 17/08/2015 | 965,000 ₪ | בית שמש | 63 | 3.0 |
| 12/11/2015 | 920,000 ₪ | בית שמש | 63 | 3.0 |
| 06/12/2015 | 990,000 ₪ | בית שמש | 67 | 3.0 |
Gas price reduction starts next week
The price of 95 octane gasoline will fall from NIS 5.99 to NIS 5.84 on January 1st. The main reason for it is the sharp fall of oil prices on the world markets.
Bill by MK Karin may help disabled people
Mk Karin Elharrar who is physically disabled due to Muscular dystrophy proposed a bill helping disabled people receive a mortgage from banks .
This bill that passed on Sunday does not allow the banks to deny disabled people a mortgage on the basis of lacking life insurance.
The Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved the requirement of the government to prefer using
companies that employ disabled people. There are 900,000 disabled adults and over half of them are unemployed.
As Robert M. Hensel said ” There is no greater disability in society, than the inability to see a person as more .”
How to care for 2 parents ….
This article is meant to give ideas to children who have elderly parents or parents that can’t care for themselves. I am not sure if the ideas in this article is ideal. Owning a home is a goal we all try to achieve, at least in Israel. To consider a reverse mortgage one must weigh its merits heavily.The new trend in purchasing a home or apartment is having a smaller unit attached to the property so it can either be rented out or used to care for elderly parents.
How to care for two parents at once without going broke
YOUR MONEY
By Chris Taylor
New York (Reuters)- For years, Madeleine Smithberg has been at the forefront of American comedy as cocreator of The Daily Show and a talent coordinator for Late Show with David Letterman.
That sense of humor was especially handy during the last few years. That is because Smithberg had to cope with not one but two elderly parents in rapid decline.”It’s heartbreaking”, says Smithberg, 56 who has a production company in Los Angeles. “And yet it’s invisible, because nobody talks about it”.
Dealing with one aging parent is challenging enough, whether you are helping navigate the complex health-care system, paying for an assisted-living facility or struggling with cognitive decline as the parent slips away. But the emotional and financial stress can be more than double if you are caring for both parents at he same time.
Israelis switch to online food shopping during wave of attacks
By Ilanit Hayut
GLOBES
The current wave of terrorist attacks has officially hit supermarket sales. Nielsen figures show that consumers bought 7 percent less food and groceries during the first two weeks of October as more Israelis choose to stay home because of the security situation.
Online sales,however, rose by double digits. But their jump did not suffice to make up for the overall gap from the drop in store sales. In that same period, online orders increased 30%.
The increase focused on several categories frequented by parents of young children and on perishable goods. For example, sales of baby formula jumped 151%.
The ongoing produce shortage, which was strongly felt during Succot, and the high prices of vegetables have also affected sales.
Sales of fruit and vegetable dropped (21%), as did cottage cheese (17.8) and bread (12.6%).
Other products that recorded a notable drop included dairy (6.5%), packaged salads (5.5%), oil and vinegar (6.2%) and fresh milk (5.5%).
Supermarkets that deliver in Beit Shemesh:
Supersol – 02-991-5219
Shop online and have it delivered to your home. This system allows you from the comfort of your home ,shop , pay and , have your food arrive at your home without leaving your home.
Super Hatzlacha- 02-991-4337
Shop what you need and have your food delivered to your home. If you live in a building that has lots of stairs, this is awesome. What’s great about this system? If you need or forgot an item last second, you can always throw it into your cart before you fill in your delivery information.
Israel Railways begins laying Jerusalem-Tel Aviv tracks
By Hedy Cohen
GLOBES
Israel Railways reached a major landmark in the construction of the high speed railway to Jerusalem: the first line to run on electricity. The company began laying tracks on the western section of the line, in the Ayalon Valley region.
The project is estimated to cost about NIS 7 billion, including the construction of two 5-kilometer tracks from Tel Aviv’s Haganah Statin to the entrance of Jerusalem, near the International Convention Center, as well as five tunnels, totaling 20 kilometers, and eight bridges.
Israel Railways also announced Monday that work was completed on the final section of the Negev line between Ashkelon beersheba. The project connected the rail from Ashkelon to the Goral Junction and to the existing railway in Beersheba, as well as the national rail network.
“The Negev railway is first and foremost a Zionist project,” Israel Railways CEO Boaz Tzafrir said. “The direct line between Ashkelon to Beersheba, through Sderot, Netivot and Ofakin, will boost employment in southern Israel, attract young couples to the region and increase the quality of life of hundreds of thousands of southern Israelis.”
“Alongside that project, we recently began laying the new tracks on the high speed railway to Jerusalem, where the development work has been going at an accelerated pace,” he said. “It’s a vision that is now becoming a reality.”
Housing cabinet approves plans to boost housing supply
By Niv Elis
The housing cabinet on Monday approved two plans to boost housing supply and bring down the cost of apartments, particularly for young couples and first-time buyers.
“Our younger generation has rights, not just obligations, ” Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon said. “A roof over your head is a basic right, and it’s our duty to supple one.”
The plans will produce a “massive supply” of apartments aimed at young couples, both in the periphery and high-demand areas, he said.
The first of the plans will broaden a mechanism for doling out subsidized state land to developers who promise the lowest cost for their units. Young couples who are first-time buyers will have first dibs on the apartments, on condition that they do not sell them for five years.
A tenth of the apartments wil lalso be designated for local residents. The land subsidies can go as high as 80 percent of the appraised value of the land, benchmarked from the beginning of June.
In areas where the scheme is expected to have less of an impact, the state will also offer development subsidies of NIS 40,000 to 60,000. The Finance Ministry estimated the grants and subsidies of the whole program would amount to NIS 200,000 on average per apartment unit.
The second plan will allow construction projects that are already in the works to expand by 20% without needing additional approvals. The temporary order, which will apply to buildings that do not yet have a frame built, allows developers to get on=the=spot approval to add more units, on condition that half those units are small apartments (under 75 square meters) appropriate for young couples, and none of the units exceeds 150 sq.m.
The plan is intended to make a quick push for new apartments using existing infrastructure, thus sidestepping the lengthy and costly approval process and need to build further infrastructure to accommodate new buildings.
Local authorities will exact a fee from increased building that they can use toward developing public spaces.
Overall, the Finance Ministry expects its initiatives to get 82,000 units into the planning process by the end of 2015, 45,000 of which will be on state land. The Bank of Israel has estimated that the country needs roughly 40,000 to 45,000 construction starts each year to meet the growing demand for housing.
The plans must still be approved by the Knesset before becoming law.
Knesset approves Kahlon’s tax increases on apartments for investment
By Niv Elis
The Knesset on Monday approved Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon’s plan to increase taxes on apartments, a move intended to steer existing apartments out of the rental market and onto the sales market.
By making it more expensive for investors to buy apartments for renting out, the Finance Ministry hopes to keep more apartments on the market for home buyers, thus driving down the sales price.
The law will go into effect on June 24, not July 1 as earlier planned, in order to cover apartment buyers looking to quickly close deals ahead of the law coming into effect.
Tax rates will rise to 8 percent on apartments under NIS 1.12 million (currently at 5%), from NIS 1.12 m. to NIS 3.37m. (currently 6%) and from NIS 3.37m. to NIS 4.64m. (Currently 7%). They will rise to 10% on apartments from NIS 4.64m. to NIS 15.47m. (currently 8%) and remain at 10% for apartments over NIS 15.47m.
“I’ve seen the entirety of things they (the Finance Ministry) want to do in housing, and for the first time we are talking about a serious process and, if it comes to fruition, we are on the right path,” said Finance Committee chairman MK Moshe Gafni (UTJ).
Zionist Union MK Manuel Trajtenberg, who had run as his party’s nominee for finance minister, congratulated Kahlon for getting the ball rolling.
“This is the first step in the right direction after six years of absent policy for failed attempts to deal with the insane increase in home prices,” Trajtenberg said.
The bill hit a brief sang when opposition parties objected to how the new rules apply to siblings who inherit an apartment. The apartment would be considered an investment apartment only if three or more siblings inherit it.
“You must find a solution to inheriting siblings starting at two siblings, and not just from there up,” said Zionist Union MK Erel Margalit. “We should define ownership as over ‘a portion of the apartment’ and not a third of an apartment.”
The treasury promised to address the issue within a month, and the provision of a temporary measure in the bill brought most of the opposition on board to support it.
Finance Ministry director-general Shay Badad noted that the policy was the first in a series of steps intended to increase the supply of housing, but said this step was one that could have an immediate, if limited, impact.
Every percentage increase in the purchase tax, he said, would reduce the market of investors by 10%.
Amdocs Israel seeks new local headquarters By Shomit Tsur
Globes
Technology company Amdocs Ltd., which occupies a giant 75,000- square-meter complex at the Ra’anana Junction, on Sunday notified its employees that it is looking for a new location in the central region. The company’s lease with REIT 1 Ltd., the owner of the company’s current site, expires at the end of 2019.
In its announcement to the employees, company management explained the planned move by saying that it wished to improve their working environment. Among the alternatives under consideration by the company are the purchase of a new office building to be constructed for it, renting a new office building or renovation and adaptation of the existing complex to the company’s needs.For this purpose, Amdocs has established a task force, which has already begun looking for locations.
“The search will be in the central and Sharon regions,” Amdocs management wrote in its letter to the employees.”The main guiding criteria are a better experience for the employees, including better transportation, suitable facilities in the area, business, cost and other operation considerations.”
Assuming that Amdocs does move its offices from the current location in Ra’anana, REIT1 will have to find a new large tenant. This large size of the areas to be vacated will make this a difficult task. Amdocs Israel has been in the hi-tech park at the Ra’anana Junction since 1996 and currently occupies 75,000 sq.m., not including parking, out of 82,000 sq.m. in the entire complex.
One of the other tenants in the office complex is Microsoft. According to REIT1’s reports, Amdocs paid NIS 38.2 million in 2014 for its facilities in the Ra’anana site. REIT1 owns 60 percent of the compound, with the rest owned by S.A.N. Centers, Ganai Shefa Building & Investment and Sunflower Sustainable Investments Ltd.
Amdocs Israel is a subsidiary of the global Amdocs company and has 4,500 employees, mostly in the Ra’anana center, with the rest in other development centers in Haifa, Sderot and Nazareth.
“The search will be in the central and Sharon regions,”
Rents rise 6.6%in a year nationwide
Price of average home increases despite fall in sales
By Ori Chudy and Shlomit Tzur
August is the most active month in the residential rental market, especially with the new academic year approaching. Added to the pressure this year is the expectation that promised government programs will make buying an apartment cheaper, which is encouraging potential buyers to continue renting and to renew leases.
Rents rose 1.1 percent nationally in the second quarter of 2014 compared with the first quarter and 6.6% compared with the corresponding quarter of 2013, according to Central Bureau of Statistics data.
Since 2007 , rents have risen an average of 64.2% nationwide. In Tel Aviv they increased 85% in seven years from NIS 3,067 per month in the second quarter of 2007 to NIS 5,671 in the second quarter of 2014. In 2007, rents for large apartments (4.5 TO 5 Rooms) in Tel Aviv were the highest in the country at NIS 4,849 per month.Today they are NIS 5,671.
In the Sharon region, average rents have risen 73% since 2007, while rents for large apartments increased 785.
The lowest rents in the second quarter of 2014 were for small apartments (1.5 to 2 rooms) in Haifa and its Bayside suburbs, at NIS 1,654 per month. In 2007 they were also the lowest rents nationwide at NIS 1,250. That is still a 32.3% increase, with a 5.5% annual return on investment for landlords.Renting out an apartment in the North yielded an average return of 5.2%.
Returns on investment for small apartments were 4.5% in Haifa, 4.2% in the central region and 4.75 in the South.
The lowest return for landlords for renting out large apartments in Tel Aviv and in Haifa, at 2.5% in both cities, despite the difference in prices.
The slowdown in the sale of homes continued alongside rising apartment prices in the second quarter of 2014, Government Assessor Tal Alderotti reported Monday. The price of an average 4 room apartment in Israels six largest cities rose 1.6 percent in the second quarter and 6% in the 12 months ending in June.
Average home prices rose most sharply in Ramle (7%) in the second quarter, followed by Eilat (6%), Jerusalem and Modiin (4% each ). Prices rose 1% in Tel Aviv in the second quarter and 9% over the 12 months ending in June..
Prices fell 1% in Holon and 4% in Beersheba in the second quarter. There was no change in prices in Ashkelon, Herzliya, and Kfar Saba in the second quarter.
There was a major slowdown in home sales in the second quarter, mainly of new homes because of the governments plan to charge 0% VAT to new home buyers. However, the low number of deals did not stem rising prices.
Ministerial C’tee approves 0% VAT on new homes
The bill now moves on to the Knesset Finance Committee.
The changes already made include raising the eligibility threshold for applicants who did not serve in the IDF or National Service from NIS 600,000 to NIS 950,000, and eliminating the eligibility document. The revised bill also sets September 1 for the law to come into effect.
The bill is also opposed by Bank of Israel Governor Dr. Karnit Flug who fears that much of the savings in 0% VAT will not find its way into the buyer’s pockets.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news – www.globes-online.com – on June 16, 2014
* The big question is, who will it benefit?
The plan for 0% VAT on new homes of up to NIS 600,000 for those who don’t perform national service has been slammed.
The maximum price for which a VAT exemption will be granted to those who have not served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) or civilian national service, it is believed, will change from NIS 600,000, as the Ministry of Finance announced yesterday, to a larger amount. This follows the stubborn objections of Minister of Construction and Housing Uri Ariel, and comments by the Minister of Justice, and the Attorney General that if there are insufficient new apartments in this price range then the price will change.
“The compromise presented by the Ministry of Finance for the VAT criteria is unacceptable,” said Minister of Construction and Housing Uri Ariel at the Knesset Finance Committee meeting on the housing crisis. “The compromise needs to be more egalitarian. I repeat: there will be no NIS 600,000 limit for people who did not serve, it won’t pass. Why? Because there are no such apartments, maybe a few, and, in addition, the Finance Committee, in my opinion, will not allow it.” Ariel’s comment comes after he attacked the compromise as unrealistic yesterday, following its announcement by the Ministry of Finance. Ariel also said he would be speaking to the Attorney General to emphasize that there are no new apartments for NIS 600,000 on the market.
It appears that Minister of Justice Tzipi Livni is also demanding explanations about the compromise. Livni instructed Ministry of Justice Land Appraisals Council chairperson Tal Aldrussi to check whether the data presented to the Ministry of Justice in the discussions of the zero-VAT agreement are correct and accurately reflect the reality in the market.
According to Livni, if the data are not in line with reality, “There will be no escaping changing the relevant clause.” She further said that “Encouraging and rewarding young people who bettered their country by serving in the IDF or national civilian service, is a worthy process, and is our duty. If it becomes clear that the figures presented to the Ministry of Justice, based upon which the Attorney General made his recommendation to the government, are inaccurate, and are not in line with reality, there will be no choice but to adjust the amount at which the benefit is given, without harming the benefits given those who served their country.”
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news – www.globes-online.com – on May 12, 2014
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2014
Tivuch Ida 