Invest with Amy

14/08/2023

Real Estate in Israel is Such a Lie!

Three believes that Israel wants you to believe:

1. Israel is working on solving the lack of housing in Israel. True/False?
The building of skyscraper buildings is not about providing housing for all in Israel, it is strictly about the contractors making a massive profit and the government receiving more of its citizens’ money. Most of the new construction consists of 4-5 room apartments starting at 2 million nis (and that is considered inexpensive, half a million $s) These are not prices that the middle class and below can afford. Who are they kidding?
The answer:FALSE.

2. Israel’s program for young couples, is to help young, starting couples purchase their first apartment. True/False?
The apartments for young couples are often more than 3 room apartments, costing over 1.5 million nis and to be ready only after approximately 3 years. What kind of young couple starting off in life can afford to pay a mortgage for 3 years and at the same time pay for their rental apartment??? Only couples that have money or help from their parents. Often these apartments, become in the end additional source of income for people that don’t need financial help. Or the young couple will be crippled by all the payments they need to pay before even entering their new apartment.
The answer: FALSE.

3. Israel protects historical homes. True/False?
In my Yashuv (settlement) their were many historical homes from the 1920’s, gone and bought up by money-hungry contractors. Why should a contractor just buy a historic home for a reasonable price, be allowed to knock it down to the grown and in it’s place build 4 units, making a net profit of 10 million? See in picture, the home built in 1923, soon to be knocked down, does anyone care?
The answer: FALSE.

03/01/2021

What are your plans for a Happy New Year in 2012?

What are your plans for a Happy New Year in 2021?
Every month I fill out this form of my plans for the new month and now for the new year.

My form includes my purpose and my why for:
• Healthy Body
• Home
• Work
• Healthy Soul
• My Important Relationships
• Contribution to the Community
• Studies and Greater Learning
• Financial Management/Abundance
• Creativity

Wishing you all a successful year.
I would be happy to hear your plans for the year 2021..

29/12/2020

Hospitality in Israel?

I was talking to a friend from the states and she asked me what’s new? I told her that we have a guest staying in my married daughter’s bedroom. He is a friend of my son’s from the army and is now working in our area and needed a place to stay. So he is living here now, scotch free. Of course, I have my rules, to clean up after yourselves and fend for yourself.

My friend commented that is nice of me to open my house like that. She said, “it must be the Israeli hospitality. “ I never thought about it as being especially nice, I am just helping my son’s friend in these trying times. But on second thought, Yes, she is right, in Israel our homes are very open to guest.
I love it that way.

08/12/2020

Milk and Honey Anyone?

I’d like to be honest with you. Besides being passionate about Healthy Finances, Real Estate and Helping People, I am extremely Passionate about where I live.
I have made ,maybe not a conscious move, many years ago the move from the land of opportunities, U.S.A. to the land of milk and honey (Israel).
Needless to say, this was not an easy transition.
I understand, with the new era we are experiencing, this period is pressing our hot buttons.
People are seriously considering making the move to Israel.
I have been in tune with groups addressing people to come to Israel, some of the things they say I agree with and others not, therefore here I want to tell you my outlook on the topic.
This is my message to you if you are considering the move:
If your heart speaks to you to come, and I say heart because it’s not about logic.
Israel is not a place for the weak.
This is the place to be open, come and grow and see the world in a different light.
Israel is not a place to get freebees. (As I heard many people claim true.)
You will get a lot less for your dollar, smaller homes, older cars, less salaries.
But the gains might outweigh the financial differences.
You will be in an exciting melting pot of everyday changes and looking outside the box, you be with people that you know in their hearts they care, you will be apart of a community, proud and astonished by the land that offers everything scenery that you can see in the world compacted in a little country full of colorful people, different cultures, religions and beliefs and of course delicious cuisine.
If you do feel that you still want to come aboard, don’t hesitate, but come prepared.
If you would like to know more, feel free to write me.
I live in the area of Israel nicknamed “Toscana” for it’s beautiful country scenery and vineyards, with my Israeli husband and 3 grown children. My vision is to assist people coming to Israel make a smoother transition to the life here, you are not alone.
Shalom,
Amy Solomon
Creator of “Smooth Move”

22/10/2020

Saving Sometimes is Hard Work, but Definitely Worth It!

I just got off the phone with the insurance company for a policy renewal on my apartment.
Funny thing is when they renewed my insurance policy, guess what happened?...

They increased my monthly rates without informing me. Why? Because they can.

I immediately, asked how much I was paying the previous year? And found that they had increase my payments by over 5%.

Now here is where Covid 19 can come in handy.
I said how can you raise the price, especially this year with the Pandemic? I insisted on getting my old rates for the new insurance coverage and made it clear to her that I will not accept a cent over last year’s rate. Of course, she needed to get permission from the manager, and after waiting a few minutes, I got my old rate back.

Be proactive, every penny saved in your piggy bank counts.

09/10/2020

Wow, we have been on a roller coaster ride since March 2020, but unlike a regular roller coaster, none of us chose to get on it and we didn’t even need to buy a ticket! The question is – what is your ride going to be like?
Are you going to ride with your eyes closed?
Are you going to scream and be scared?
Or are you going with the grooves?

Please do not wait for this ride to finish, because we do not know when it will end. This is a time to embrace change and adapt to new situations. You may have noticed that some people are taking the ride quite well and their business and financial situations are thriving.

Wouldn’t you like to be successful too? Take a moment to think of how you can turn this challenge into an opportunity for you and your family. Please share your thoughts and tell us how you are riding the roller coaster.

(Note: this post pertains to financial challenges, not health challenges)

27/07/2020

Wow, we have been on a roller coaster ride since March 2020, but unlike a regular roller coaster, none of us chose to get on it and we didn’t even need to buy a ticket! The question is – what is your ride going to be like?
Are you going to ride with your eyes closed?
Are you going to scream and be scared?
Or are you going with the grooves?

Please do not wait for this ride to finish, because we do not know when it will end. This is a time to embrace change and adapt to new situations. You may have noticed that some people are taking the ride quite well and their business and financial situations are thriving.

Wouldn’t you like to be successful too? Take a moment to think of how you can turn this challenge into an opportunity for you and your family. Please share your thoughts and tell us how you are riding the roller coaster.

(Note: this post pertains to financial challenges, not health challenges)

02/11/2019

Are you looking to purchase a new home or to upgrade your present home?
So what do you do first?
Start looking for your dream home?
No, not a good idea…
Before you do so… it’s important first to calculate how much this is going to cost you.
I recommend before you even find your dream home to apply for a mortgage to see how much the bank approves. Banks can approve up to as much as 40% of the cost of your new home, but beware, this doesn’t mean you can afford to pay it.

Here are some things you need to consider before finding your new home:
1. Can you afford to pay a mortgage that is more than 25% of your income?
(Check your budget first. Also, when you are ready to actually take out a mortgage, hire a professional mortgage advisor, this can save you 100’s of thousands of NIS. Banks are a business like any other, their interest is not necessarily with your interest in mind.)
2. Did you calculate all the other costs included when purchasing a home?
(Property taxes, lawyer fees, real estate agent fees, mortgage fees, moving fees, new furniture, maybe even renovation fees.)

After you find out how much you can afford for your new house and have found the one you love, before signing the contract, spend the extra money for a property appraisal and inspection, this will save you a lot of surprises in the future and you can use this information to get the property price down.
One other thing, before you sign a “memorandum of understanding”, talk to your lawyer first. (I personally do not believe in using MOU, when it comes to real estate.)

Take your time looking for your new home and enjoy the journey, but remember to be prepared for your probably biggest purchase.

13/08/2019

Would you like to have a place in Israel, first row to the beach with this view? Think it's going to cost millions of dollars? Think again, this apartment is 2 bedrooms facing the Mediterranean Sea. Nothing between you and the beach and asking price is $250,000. Interested?, give me a call. ☎️

18/07/2018

I was talking to a client the other day, and she told me a story about a colleague of hers who wanted to make an easy buck.

So what did he do? He went to the states and bought lots of inexpensive properties.

Now, he is chasing after tenants to receive the lease on his properties. He invested in poor neighborhoods where often the tenants can’t pay or won’t pay their rent. These neighborhoods can be dangerous to go into.

Before you invest, make sure you check and check again. Get professional and reliable advice.
Remember real estate is all about location.