Buying on Paper in Israel - Metziya or Meshuga?

A physician, an engineer, and kablan (Hebrew for contractor) were discussing who among them belonged to the oldest of the three professions represented. The physician said, "Remember, on the sixth day God took a rib from Adam and fashioned Eve, making him the first surgeon. Therefore, medicine is the oldest profession."
The engineer replied, "But before that, God created the heavens and earth from chaos and confusion, so that makes Him the first engineer. You’d have to agree that engineering is an older profession than medicine."
Then, the kablan spoke up. "Yes," he said, "But who do you think created all of the chaos and confusion?"
Investing in real estate can be intimidating enough, even if you're purchasing a home in a neighborhood you know well. The thought of buying a home in another country can be even scarier. And how about buying 'on spec'? In Israel? Maybe you have heard a horror story of a contractor taking money and fleeing to parts unknown leaving what could pass as an archeological site, not to mention hordes of angry people, in his wake! One such story is enough to make anyone shy away from the concept of buying on paper, but I'm here to tell you that things have changed, in a big way. There has been a whole slew of new laws enacted over the last three years that drastically reduce the amount of risk of buying on paper. I will show you how your money will be safe every step of the building process until, and even a few years after, you get your key.
The first payment is made when the contract is signed. Often this is % 20 of the entire cost of the new home. 'What?!', you just may exclaim. 'I get nothing and he gets one-fifth of my money!' Well, if you are smart you transfer the money into an escrow account until the land gets transferred into your name. The next payments should coincide with certain building milestones, which are contractually agreed upon. Make sure you go with a developer that has a proven track record of not only keeping to his milestones in a timely fashion, but also sticking to his stated monetary amounts. If the contractor believes in his ability to do so he should have no problem inserting a clause stating you will be compensated with a specific monetary amount should the building process take longer than the agreed timeline.
Every payment should be secured with a bank guarantee – this way even if the kablan has been overtaken by wanderlust and moved to Guatemala, you know that you haven't lost your investment.

When the building process is complete, before making your final payment, insist on doing a detailed inspection with the contractor. Go slowly. Turn on all of the faucets to check for water pressure, open all doors and windows, look for anything that may signify a problem – a puddle in the center of the living room may be a good thing to discuss. See that the floor feels steady, see-saws belong in the yard. Flush the toilets, check all of the outlets.
Don't worry though, handing over the apartment signifies the beginning of the trial period. Piping is covered for two years. Most components in the flat are covered for the first three years. Cracks in the walls must be fixed within the first five years. Significant peeling of exterior covering -hold your hard hats - seven years!
Biting you nails while handing over your money is a thing of the past. Go with a good developer, bring your friends in so that you already like your new neighbors, and spend your time contemplating light fixtures and carpets and my all-time favorite question of marble versus granite
For a look at an an excellent example of a luxury development in Katamon, Jerusalem visit this website: www.Agnon11.co.il.

Sima Menora is a realtor in Jerusalem, specializing in sales of wonderful existing homes and exciting new developments. Feel free to call her at 0528-342-390 or 1-718-989-3939 or email sima@Habitatrealestate.co.il or if you happen to be in Wolfson stop by to say,'Hi!'

"Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success”
Napoleon Hill

Now check out this combo! Amethyst Heart and Rose Quartz and Amethyst Earrings.




I actually made the earrings to match my Rose Quartz and Amethyst Necklace, but I like this match as well. Maybe even better!

6 Life Lessons from a Bike Race

It's called The Challenger. A mammoth mountain with a 7% upgrade.
Now, if you don't bike, you would think the name derives from the statue of the rocket ship "Challenger", memorializing the launch. But, anyone who's tried to scale this mountain on their bike has found the name quite fitting! Every year there's a race and every year I have an excellent reason to blow it off - I'm older than most riders, I'm a woman, best of all - I don't race! I do often scale that mountain on my bike, casually chatting with friends the whole way up, but why would I race it?! But, as those who climb Everest say - why'd I race? Because it was there. And pushing my way up the mountain, I heard some life and business lessons loud and clear:

1. Use your tools - I have an unbelievable bike, whose light weight alone has cut my time tremendously, and if I would efficiently switch gears at the proper times, I would probably cut a good four minutes off my time. Somehow, though, in the intensity of the race any thought of wisely switching gears went out the window. I ended up losing my chain twice as a result of switching badly! And THAT certainly did not help my time!
2. Always race against yourself but know where your competitors are - the key to success in any business is to have a clear plan. One of the things I love most about biking is 'it's you against the mountain'. At the same time, though, it is also a competitive sport for those who want to excell. And although it's good to excell according to your own parameters, often a true measure of success is only against the top in any field. You need to know what's going on in your industry.
3. Have enough water - this is all about treating yourself well. No matter what you're doing, you have to do everything you can to keep your fighting conditions optimal. If you work out of a home office it's easy to stint and save on furnishings. Is your chair comfortable? Is your workroom set up for serious business activity or is there a basket of family laundry in the corner waiting to be folded? View your business as worthy of your investment and it will prove to be!!
4. Stand when it's time- on our last practice ride before the big race, my friend and I noticed some words of encouragement painted on the road. About sixty feet before the end, on a steep upgrade, we saw a Hebrew word, written twice : "la'amod, la'amod!" We couldn't figure out why we were being told to stand. It was only on the ride itself, when those same words were shouted by the cheering section, that I realized what it meant. Coming into the last stretch, there's actually a physical urge to stand for the rest of the race, and use every last bit of leverage to get you the best time possible. It's do or die.
5. Surround yourself with a cheering section On a very difficult stretch, I found myself ready to give up. The sun was beating down on me, I was sweating bullets, I thought - why bother?! Suddenly I heard the support van coming up behind me, and the driver was speaking words of encouragement into the mike! "Pump harder! You're wiggling, ride straight! Play with your gears!' With every comment I was so grateful for the push, I gave a little wave of thanks. Suddenly the van pulled up beside me and I turned to give the driver a great big grin, when I saw a rider beside the van - they weren't speaking to me after all! But the words of encouragement, though meant for someone else, sure helped me out!
6.Always give your best smile to the camera - it makes for great PR!
And that one is a no brainer - when you feel successful, you will look successful, and all we be lining up to purchase your wares!

Are you a winner?

Yesterday I got smashed on the tennis courts. Not just beat; slaughtered. Mincemeat.
Was my opponent good? Yeah. Was she better than me? Maybe, but on a good day I could take her, or at least put up a decent fight.
So what happened?
Well...let's go back to an hour before the match. I'm dissed by someone close to me. I feel like the wind is knocked out of me and the hour traveling to the match and the fifteen minute warm-up do nothing to dissipate my feelings of unworthiness.
Now I know I was the same person then that I was an hour earlier. Before the 'diss', I had a good chance of winning and continuing on through the tournament. After the 'diss', there was no chance. Mentally, I had confidence in my abilities, but emotionally I could not convince myself that I am a decent player and had an excellent chance of winning the match.
I swore then and there that I would do what makes me happy at all times and never would I let someone else's perception of me affect a sporting event that I love.
But how?!
I've been working on this for quite a while, for the short version check out my next blog, four ways to feel what you know to be true.

Staying Fit Inside and Out

On a recent trip to America I indulged in one of my favorite vices - I purchased some celebrity magazines. Finally settling into a comfy couch armed with snickers bar and mag I suddenly realized that it might just be illegal to partake of that particular culinary delight whilst viewing stick-thin celebrities! It certainly did not aid the digestion process! At that very moment I realized that I'm done with comparing myself to celebrities - I'm not as thin as they and I certainly do not have the time nor the inclination to hire a personal trainer.

On the other hand, being a jewelry designer forces me to look halfway decent most of the time. After all, I've got free advertising - me - so why waste it? Being a sports nut makes it easier to look good as people expect me to be bopping around in sneakers anyway - at least I don't need to totter around town in stilettos on your average day.

Juggling business and family - as so many in my peer group - forces me to be in top physical and mental shape. At the risk of dating myself, I invoke Billy Crystal as Sammy Davis, Jr., "It's more important to look good than to feel good, and Dahling, you look mahvelous!" Well, that was the eighties and times they are a changin'. We know better! When you're at the top of your game, you feel as though you can conquer the world - and most working moms feel like we do just that every single day!

I'd like to share just two tricks I've picked up, both in the name of feeling good, and yes, looking good.

1. Drink lots of water! As I just read today in my latest Jack Reacher novel, you can do or eat anything you want, so long as you wash away all iniquities with water. I'm not sure if the inequities get washed away or that one simply has no space left for consuming junk but I do know from experience that the mere guzzling of water results in better looking skin and a lighter feeling in the stomach. But please note - if you're not used to lots of H2O you'll probably feel bloated the first day or two and run to the bathroom quite often - don't let that deter you!
By day three, I promise you'll feel fantastic!

2. Don't force yourself to exercise! Yes, you read that correctly. I've seen people feel so pressured to exercise that they join a club only to keep paying membership without ever attending! My advise is to forget the word exercise and just choose a physical activity you enjoy - my favorites are tennis and biking, but walking, running and swimming are excellent choices as well. Choose the perfect time of day, location and even buddy, and go for it! The key is to keep yourself moving in the fresh air and before you know it, you'll be in tip-top physical shape and those clothes will start hanging the way they were meant to!

Get out there and feel good! After all, what sense is it to live and work unless you're enjoying every single moment?