What to Check Before Buying Land, and the Warning Signs Sellers Won't Mention

The column warns readers about glossy land-investment offers in Kiryat Ata, especially projects marketed as “Shkhunat HaAvocado,” “Rokhes HaKishon,” or simply “Kiryat Ata South.” The writer says that after hearing many stories of flashy investments that later turned out to be dubious or even fake, he wanted to explain the differences between buying land directly and joining a purchase group, and how to verify agricultural land.

He says a direct purchase registered in the Land Registry, or tabu, means buyers acquire a share of the land in their own name and immediately receive a cautionary note, making them owners from day one. If the land is later rezoned and its value rises before it becomes apartments, the profit is theirs. The downside is that rezoning can take a long time and there is no guarantee on timing. In contrast, a purchase group means joining a collective deal with an unknown final price, a delivery date that depends on many factors, and dependence on other parties' management.

Before signing anything, the article says buyers must check three things, regardless of whether the deal is in Shkhunat HaAvocado or Rokhes HaKishon: a tabu extract proving the seller actually owns the rights, a valuation report under Standard 22 showing the price is reasonable and that there is a realistic chance the land will become housing, and a lawyer hired by the buyer rather than by the developer. The author says a buyer should ask, “How exactly is my right registered, and what does the tabu extract say?” and treat any refusal to answer clearly as a warning sign.

The article points to a failed Kiryat Ata tender published in January 2024, after earlier tenders had succeeded. About 5,200 additional apartments were put out to tender, but they drew almost no bids, the writer says, because of high pricing by the Israel Land Authority, market uncertainty, and doubts about the planned light rail and metronit stations. He says this means promised gains depend on assumptions about an uncertain future, and that the light rail's arrival and exact route are still unclear.

He concludes that Shkhunat HaAvocado and Rokhes HaKishon are very different products despite being marketed together. The former is presented as a real apartment investment with a known contractor, occupancy in two to three years, and rental income once occupied. The latter offers higher theoretical upside but a longer timeline, greater uncertainty, and no income in the early years. In both cases, he says, investors should not rush, should not sign without seeing the tabu extract, and should not give up their own lawyer.