Jerusalem to Beit Shemesh via Beitar Ilit and the Gush

We picked up Leah at Malcha Mall in Jerusalem and decided it was easier to drive home to Beit Shemesh via Beitar Ilit and the Gush instead of going back through the city and via Highway one. Even though Miriam took these photos from the back seat of our...

Jerusalem Mayor asks foreigners to rent out their apartments

In an attempt to solve the housing crisis in Jerusalem, the mayor made an appeal to foreigners to rent out their luxury apartments to students and young couples. Good luck Nir.

Meet us at the Hilton on Saturday Night in Tel Aviv

Saturday nights start early in the winter. Lot's of time to meet some visiting friends from New York at the Hilton for some champagne.

Faster than a Speeding Renault

The highspeed train from Modiin to Tel Aviv moves faster than the traffic. Another reason to leave the car at home and forget about parking.

Can Obama and Bibi stop construction for long? Photo-video tour

Obama and Bibi have frozen construction for 10 months over the "green line." Prices may rise as a result.

Apartment hunting can be dangerous

Chana and Esther Leah have been having a lot of fun checking out new building projects in Modiin. Think they can start a trend with their new head coverings?

Rare Double Rainbow in Modiin

It rained in almost the whole country today. We got wet in Beit Shemesh while our daughter got rained on in Eilat. We had to look at some apartments in Modiin this afternoon with a client and just as we arrived, the sun broke through to the west over the...

Let’s meet at Mamilla Motzei Shabbos

Beginning in November, Shabbat goes out really early giving lot’s of time for friends to meet in Jerusalem (Video below). Whether you’re coming from Beit Shemesh, Modiin, or a suburb of Jerusalem it’s just a short drive by car or bus to meet...

New Chareidi (Ultra-orthodox) Town in the Negev?!

The government’s general planning committee decided yesterday to recommend the establishment of a new Ultra-Orthodox town in the Negev. Ten thousand apartments will be built to house 50,000 people. The town will be built near Arad, at the Tel-Arad...

Beit Shemesh to Jerusalem – for Coffee

It’s a short drive through green forests along a modern highway from Beit Shemesh to Jerusalem. Why not hop into town for coffee with friends? It only takes 30 minutes to get there.

Best Coffee Deal in Modiin

Sometimes you’ll find the prices at coffee shops on Jaffa Road or Ben Yehuda in Jerusalem pretty pricey. Well if you want a great espresso, or an americano at prices rivaling any Starbucks then check out the Neeman Bakery at the Azrieli Mall in Modiin....

Modiin for Torontonians

In order to give you a perspective of the size of Modiin for Torontonians, I’ve overlaid a map of Toronto onto Modiin. If you line up say the Village Shul in Toronto with the new Ashkenazi Shul being built in the Moriah neighbourhood of Modiin, then the...

SuperPharm – enjoy Canadians

Had to buy a last minute birthday gift tonight. We were looking for a pair of sunglasses. The prices at the mall were a bit steep (NIS 300). So I thought to myself, “where would I go at this time of night in Toronto for sunglasses?” …. no...

Ramat Beit Shemesh “Gimmel” – no metzias

The local Haredi Beit Shemesh newspaper, “Chadash” reported that because of the fierce competition between contractors and developers bidding for the rights to build in the new Ramat Beit Shemesh Gimmel neighborhood, the price to buy on paper (for...

Tour of Modiin and “Moriah” (formerly Buchman) Neighborhood

We’ve had a lot of requests for information about Modiin and the “Moriah” (formerly Buchman) neighborhood, especially since we are planning b’h’ to move there. Here’s some info from wikipedia: The cornerstone for...

Housing inventory at a multi-year low, sales slowing down

INVENTORY LOW Globes magazine reported that housing inventory is at a multi-year low. There were 13,155 homes for sale in January 2005, and only 7,651 in September 2009. Housing inventory has fallen every month this year. SALES SLOWING Housing demand has...

Sukkot in Beit Shemesh

My favorite holiday in Israel is Sukkot. I have memories of shivering in the Sukkah in Minneapolis during kiddush and then putting some cardboard on the grass to help keep my feet warm during the meal. G-d gave the holidays to the Jewish people to celebrate...

Modiin is the hottest (selling) area in Israel

According to a recent article in Globes Magazine, Modiin is the best-selling real estate market in the country.

Jerusalem – Shaarei Chesed Neighborhood

Recently we looked at a few apartments in Jerusalem’s Shaarei Chesed neighborhood. It is an older neighborhood with small buildings steeped in history. It has a number of Yeshivot and is being “gentrified” by foreign investors. Here are a...

Exploring Arnona

The neighborhood of Arnona is on the south east of Jerusalem. As we drove around we couldn’t miss the beautiful view towards the horizon of the dead sea. You can actually see the western mountains of Jordan. The neighborhood was built after the...