Buying your first home
Mortgage help for your first home in Israel
An English-speaking mortgage professional works out what you can borrow, takes your file to the banks and helps you choose the best offer.
- Maximum loan
- 75% of the price
- Longest term
- 30 years
- Repayments
- Up to 50% of net income
What are you looking to do?
Or talk to a person, in English
Bank of Israel rate 3.25%Prime 4.75%Next decision 21 October 2026Today's rates
Is this you?
- You live in Israel and this will be your only home
- You are buying alone or with a partner, on one or two incomes
- You want to know your real budget before you make an offer
- You are buying second-hand or new from a developer
What your mortgage professional does
Independent, English-speaking, and used to cases like yours.
Your real budget
What the banks will lend you, worked out from your income and savings.
Approval in principle
An ishur ekroni from the bank, so you can make an offer with confidence.
Offers from several banks
Your file taken to more than one bank and the offers compared side by side.
The right mix of tracks
Prime, fixed and CPI-linked parts chosen to fit your income and your appetite for risk.
Paperwork in English
Every document the bank asks for, explained before you sign it.
Israeli rules that apply
- Down payment
- At least 25% of the price, from your own money
- Loan term
- Up to 30 years
- Monthly repayments
- No more than 50% of net household income. Banks are stricter above 40%
- Fixed-rate share
- At least a third of the loan at a fixed rate
- Documents
- ID, recent payslips and bank statements, and the purchase contract
Source: Bank of Israel rules, reported by Globes, 10 February 2026. Checked 15 October 2026. Your bank may ask for more.
How the introduction works
Tell us your situation
Answer a few questions here, ask the AI, or call us. It takes about two minutes.
We introduce the right professional
An English-speaking mortgage professional who handles cases like yours. You see who they are, and any fee we receive, before you agree.
They take your file to the banks
They gather your documents, get offers from several banks and help you choose. We keep helping you with the property.
Questions people ask
How much can I borrow for my first home?
Up to 75% of the price, as long as the monthly repayment stays within half of your net household income. Banks are more comfortable when repayments stay under 40% of it.
Should I get approval before I make an offer?
Yes. An approval in principle (ishur ekroni) tells you your real budget and shows the seller you are serious. It takes a few days once your documents are ready.
Do I need to be an Israeli citizen?
No. What counts is residency. If Israel is your home, the 75% limit applies. If you live abroad, the foreign buyer rules apply instead.
What does it cost?
Asking us and being introduced costs you nothing. Mortgage advisers in Israel are paid by you, not by the bank, so agree their fee in writing before they start. Before any introduction we tell you in writing whether we receive a referral fee.
Mortgage and finance articles
From the Semerenko Group blog. The most relevant to this page first, and new articles appear here as we publish them.
Mortgage Preapproval in Israel: What Buyers Need Before Making an OfferArticle · - Foreign Buyer Mortgage Pre-Approval Checklist for IsraelArticle ·
- How Mortgage Rate Changes Affect What You Can Afford, and How You NegotiateArticle ·
- Israel’s Mortgage Subsidy Plan Faces a Major Coalition TestNews ·
- How a Finance-Ready Buyer Brief Gets Israeli Agents to Respond FasterArticle ·
Keep reading
Start with one question.
See what you could borrow, ask the AI anything, or talk to a person. In English, and free to ask.
Or talk to a person, in English