Ethiopia Real Estate And Buying Ethiopia Homes
The real estate brokerage business in Ethiopia is not as well developed as in other countries. You dont see large and established real estate brokerage companies so common in western countries. Here, buyers and sellers for Ethiopia homes rely on local agents, commonly known as Delalas. For the most part, these are traditional agents with no formal training in real estate but who basically mediate between buyers and sellers for Ethiopia real estate. Through word of mouth or their special network, these agents know the areas they operate in very well.
When you want to sell or buy Ethiopia homes, you just call one of these agents and tell them of your intention. These agents, in turn, inform their associates who would help them find prospective buyers or sellers as the case may be. In many cases, the Delalas work in groups of two or three and split their commission according to who was the principal negotiator and who did the most work.
A great deal of negotiation is involved in buying Ethiopia homes. Asking prices can be as high as 50% more than the final sale prices. Negotiations can take weeks, and even months in some cases. Expect to walk out of a negotiation a few times. In many cases, the Delalas play critical role in convincing both sellers and buyers to come to terms.
In general, Delalas do not help customers in completing the legal paperwork needed to complete the Ethiopia Real Estate transaction. This must be done by the buyer and seller themselves and may take several months. It is very important that buyers check the authenticity of seller documents before buying real estate in Ethiopia. Otherwise, they can waste crucial time and/or money in such endeavor. For a small fee, people who are less skilled with the Ethiopian bureaucracy may seek the help of legal assistants locally called Guday Asfetsami.
Home mortgages are hard to come by in Ethiopia. Most Ethiopia real estate transactions are conducted on cash basis. Mortgage financing may be obtained in some cases, but primarily for new homes built by developers. These companies negotiate financing terms with local banks in advance for all of their clients. Basically, they arrange group deals for their clients those who can put the required down payment. Down payments vary from 20 to 40%. Although most mortgages are for 10-20 years in duration, some companies arrange mortgages for as long as 30 years. Interest rates are variable and depend on the prevailing interest rate fixed by the Ethiopian central bank.
It is estimated that there are about sixty local and six foreign real estate development operators in Ethiopia. Examples of local developers include Sunshine Real Estate, Ayat Real Estate, Gift Real Estate, and Ambassador Real Estate. A major problem with homes built by some of these companies is the time it takes to complete construction. In the past, some of these homes were completed many years past their due dates. And some Ethiopia homes never made it to completion.
So, who can buy homes in Ethiopia? Anyone can buy real estate in Ethiopia as long as he/she is an Ethiopian citizen, foreign national of Ethiopian origin, or has Ethiopian parents. To see the latest listing of residential and commercial properties for sale or rent, please visit sites such as Ezega Real Estate, which is the largest real estate portal in Ethiopia and lists hundreds of homes for sale and/or rent at any given time. Anyone can register and post properties there for sale or rent for free.