Sunday, November 23, 2008

Real Estate In Israel

By zgtop gurmn

When buying or selling a real estate in israel, the price must be taken into account when making the deal. Not only is there the price which you will be paying or receiving, there are a number of other costs which may arise bit expected and unexpected.

On the sale of property in Israel, there is a purchase tax which must be paid by the buyer in a property transaction. This tax is between 3.5% and 5% of the total purchase price of the property. Those who are residents of Israel, however, will pay .5% less if they only own one property.

If there is a couple where one already owns a piece of property, one partner will have to pay the higher purchase tax rate. If a property transaction takes place between family members, then the purchase tax is assessed at only one third the standard rate.

A sales tax is also assessed on property sales in Israel. The seller has to pay this tax, which is either 2.5% of the purchase price of the property, or .08% of the purchase price in the case of residential properties being sold by contractors. This tax is often not charged if the seller is an individual instead of a corporate entity.

The commission in Israel is payable by each of the sides of the transaction (both seller and buyer). A good agent will save you more money than he costs, as he has a wealth of experience which will help you make the right decisions. The customary brokerage commission payable is: On the purchase or sale of property, 2% of the inclusive price of the property. On leasing property for a period of one year or more, one month of rent. Value Added Tax (VAT) is added to any commission due (17%). Payment of the full commission is due on the signing of a binding agreement to purchase or lease a property.

Real estate lawyers have a fee of 1.5% plus VAT when buying a first-hand property from a contractor. This will go to the contractor's lawyer for legal fees. When you buy a property not first hand the lawyer on your behalf will take between 0.5% and 1% plus VAT.

You'll also need to pay a fee of $400-$500 USD plus VAT if you bring in a property inspection engineer to have a look at the property before you buy; this is especially advisable when purchasing a used property. This fee may be more or less depending on the size of the property you are thinking of buying.

When buying property in Israel, all of the costs will be in Israeli Shekels (NIS). You'll need to convert your own currency to Shekels if you are using different currency. Banks generally charge a currency exchange fee of .01% to .05% of the amount being converted. - 16955

About the Author:

No comments: