One of Israel’s best kept secrets, Hod HaSharon is a sought-after place to live with a highly educated population and attractive facilities.
Hod HaSharon means ‘glory of the Sharon’, referring to the central part of Israel between Herzliya, Ra’anana and Petach Tikva. It was established in 1964 to unite four agricultural towns, and it became a city in 1990. It still has agricultural land and green spaces, but intensive building projects in recent years have expanded the city and increased its population to 65,000 residents.
Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics publishes an annual socio-economic index listing the best places to live in Israel, and Hod HaSharon is ranked highly according to their criteria. These include the residents’ average monthly salary, the quality of the local schools, and the percentage of students who matriculate (85%) and who participate in youth activities (50%). This attracts Israeli families who are looking to raise their children in a positive environment. For real estate investors, these ratings also attract ideal long-term tenants!
As a relatively new city, Hod HaSharon has been carefully planned with beautifully landscaped parks and walkways. (You can explore this for yourself by watching this video on YouTube of someone walking silently around Hod Hasharon for over an hour; it has attracted 63,000 viewers in 6 months! The city is known for its great selection of indoor shopping centers with excellent facilities for all ages.
Among Hod HaSharon’s famous sons and daughters are Eurovision star Netta Barzilai, supermodel Bar Rafaeli, award-winning actress Shira Haas (“Unorthodox”) and a slew of Israeli footballers, tennis players and swimmers.
The real reason for Hod Hasharon’s popularity is that traditional real estate magnet: location, location, location. Its proximity to Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, Givatayim and Petach Tivka puts Hod HaSharon right at the heart of Israel’s start-up economy, with endless employment opportunities. It is also well-connected to Israel’s rail network with two stations, one in the north and one in the south of the city. This means that it has all the advantages of being part of the Tel Aviv metropolis, including convenient routes to Israel’s best entertainment venues and beaches, but with a more suburban feel and access to open spaces, such as the Hod HaSharon Lake and Park shown above.
Creative Estates Israel manages a number of rental properties for overseas investors in Hod HaSharon. These apartments typically generate a solid 3% return on investment, but will probably sell for much more than their purchase price, because Hod HaSharon is becoming a more popular place to live every year.
Shaun Isaacson from Creative Estates Israel would be happy to speak with you about real estate investment opportunities in Hod HaSharon and in the other cities and suburbs of the Sharon region of Israel. Contact us for a free no-obligation conversation.