Where is the best place to put down roots in Israel? Ask Shelly Levine

The Israel of today, known for hi tech and innovation, is a thriving, modern country, with throngs of Englishspeakers making aliyah to call it home. It wasn’t that way when Shelly Levine moved there 40 years ago. She has helped transform Israel into a sought-after destination by working with builders to create new, nurturing communities and improve the quality of life.

When an English-speaker is looking to buy real estate in Israel, as a home or as an investment, it’s likely they will find their way to Levine.

Her company, Tivuch Shelly, specialises in selling in new and existing communities that attract Anglos.

She knows what will attract buyers and uses her influence to shape new communities by consulting with builders to include the services and variety of educational infrastructure they need.

She caters for people of all ages, for instance providing properties on level ground to meet the needs of retirees and the elderly.

Levine has been a committed Zionist since she was a teenager, but it wasn’t until 1978 that she made it to Israel, with her late husband Charley, who started his own PR company, Lone Star Communications.

Shelly had planned to take a job with Amit Women (similar to Wizo) when she made aliyah but she found that she needed all her energy to settle in a new country and care for her new baby. In 1986, after spending several years settling her family, she decided to use her degree in social work “to help settle people” and Tivuch Shelly Real Estate was born.

Shortly after starting her company, Levine saw the potential for Bet Shemesh to become a vibrant community. “Hi tech was coming in and we needed a place between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem with quality of life,” she says.

She met a developer who had 1,000 units in Bet Shemesh and told him she wanted to bring in American buyers. She succeeded so well that a single house was recently sold there for almost the same amount that the builder had paid for all the land.

Tivuch Shelly works as a bridge between builders and buyers from the beginning of the process to completion. “When someone asks me where to move to in Israel, I ask if they have children, and if they have any kids with special needs. It makes a difference in where they should be.”

When a buyer chooses a property, she explains all the logistical details so there are no surprises.

“Nobody buys until we have a discussion over the phone, Zoom or in person about financing, bank guaranties and taxes,” says Levine.

She has a technical staff to work with the builders, and she is in contact with buyers frequently to keep them apprised of progress.

With a wide variety of prime properties and investments for both English-speakers and native Israelis in sought-after locations in Israel, Tivuch Shelly offers buyers choices to match all needs and