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Don’t Assume Anything. “Real estate transactions work differently in every country. When buying or selling, it’s very important to understand the process, as things in Israel might work differently than the way you are used to. For example, many people assume they can apply for a standard 30-year mortgage, but there are a ton of factors that the bank considers when granting a mortgage, including age. Most banks only lend until the age 80-85, so somebody requesting a mortgage at 65 would probably only get a 15-20 year mortgage. Have a professional guide you and explain the differences. Matching the expectations to reality will make the process much more manageable and easy to deal with.”—Yair Givati, attorney