A limited opportunity: 16 private homes in Adam Mizrach

Buying a newly built private house within easy reach of Jerusalem is a lot harder than it used to be. As Israel’s population has grown and there is less land to develop, most of the new residential construction in and around the capital has focused on apartments, leaving buyers dreaming of a large private house with relatively few options.

One option is the new residential project in Adam Mizrach, located in the Adam (Geva Binyamin) Yishuv northeast of Jerusalem. A two-minute drive from “Old Adam,” the community’s more established area, the project includes 60 high-end duplexes that have either been completed or are in the last stages of construction. All but 16 have already been sold; some of the remaining homes are ready for immediate occupancy, while the rest will be ready in the Spring of 2027.

The developer, the Mateh Binyamin Development Company, says interest in its Adam Mizrach project has soared recently, particularly among religious English-speaking buyers looking for large homes close to Jerusalem.

“Until recently we were selling one or two houses a month, but in the last two months we sold a dozen, mostly to Anglos,” said Rafi Fonnfeder, the project marketer.

The increase in demand coincides with the planned construction of a new neighborhood (commonly called the “Anglo neighborhood) between the Yishuv’s older neighborhoods and Adam Mizrach that is already attracting interest from many English-speakers. That neighborhood, which will consist mostly of apartment buildings and a few houses, promises to be another magnet for Anglo families.

“Suddenly, many American and British buyers have been approaching us because they want to be a part of the future adjoining community,” Fonnfeder said, “but they want private homes and not apartments.”

Rabbi Avi Wiesenfeld, a rosh yeshiva from England, is planning a religious/Torani community in the new neighborhood, the marketer said.

Adam Mizrach

Built 15 years ago, Adam Mizrach is an extension of Adam, a sought-after Yishuv in the Mateh Binyamin region, with 1,300 families from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds: secular, traditional, modern-Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox.

Adam Mizrach’s proximity to “Old Adam” allows residents to utilize the long-established schools and preschools, synagogues, clinics, sports facilities, shopping and community services already available in the Yishuv. Adam Mizrach has two synagogues, a park and kindergartens.

The Yishuv also has a communal library, an auditorium that hosts cultural events and activities, a senior center and a center for lone IDF soldiers. There is a local sports auditorium, outdoor sports fields and basketball/soccer courts.

Local teens can choose from a range of youth groups, including a branch of the Bnei Akiva youth movement.

A large medical center currently under construction is expected to open within the coming year, Fonnfeder said, while the nearby Shaar Binyamin commercial area provides additional retail and everyday services.

Adam Mizrach is a short drive to the Neve Ya’akov neighborhood of Jerusalem, where many of Adam’s residents work and utilize the city’s wide range of educational, health, social and cultural offerings.

The Tunnel Road Will Shorten the Commute

Another factor contributing to renewed interest in the community is improved transportation. A newly constructed tunnel road, scheduled to open in the coming months, will provide a second route between Adam and the Jerusalem area that connects directly to Road 443, which goes to Tel Aviv via Modi’in.

For commuters, particularly those traveling toward central Israel, the new road should significantly reduce commuting time and eliminate the need to drive through Jerusalem before heading west, Fonnfeder said.

“Adam has recently become much more popular thanks to the tunnel road because it will relieve traffic. Until now, commuters going to Tel Aviv first had to travel through Jerusalem. The new tunnel road will make this unnecessary,” Fonnfeder said.

Designed with Family Living in Mind

While there is no shortage of new construction in the Jerusalem area (Israelis joke that the crane is Israel’s national bird) the trend is toward building apartment blocks and not detached or semi-detached houses. What distinguishes the Adam Mizrach project is its focus on private or semi-private two story homes.

The houses are spacious and attractive: each measures approximately 165-170 square meters and includes six rooms (five bedrooms), a private garden and, depending on the floor plan, one or more terraces. Faced with Jerusalem stone, they are designed to accommodate big families, with features including space for a sukkah, two kitchen sinks, individually controlled air-conditioning units in each room, solar water heating, and upgraded doors and windows.

Learn More

Prospective buyers can also tour completed homes, including a furnished model home, providing an opportunity to see the finished product before purchasing.

As an incentive for buyers purchasing one of the remaining homes, the developer is offering to pay NIS 50,000 toward a custom kitchen from the store or supplier of the buyer’s choosing. Rather than providing a standard installed kitchen before occupancy, buyers have the opportunity to design their own kitchen after receiving their keys.

Home prices range from NIS 3.29 million to NIS 4.5 million, depending on whether it is a stand-alone or semi-detached house or cottage.

Established in 1981, the Mateh Binyamin Development Company has built thousands of homes and dozens of public buildings, parks and community centers in dozens of communities in the Binyamin region. Its Adam Mizrach project is being built by skilled construction workers from abroad.

Residents of Adam Mizrach “get the benefits of Yishuv life – a quiet lifestyle, views, fresh air and a real sense of community, where everyone knows everyone,” Fonnfeder said. “But Jerusalem is just minutes away, so you get the best of both worlds.”