Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1500237
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 28 MAY 2023 10 COMMERCIAL Frank Salt Real Estate tops up list of incentives for second time buyers SECOND time property buyers are in for a treat as the current offer available to clients who buy and sell a property through the agency within 12 months, has been upgraded to include even more vouchers and savings from participating suppliers. Selling a property and buying a new one at the same time can be a daunting task, requiring care- ful coordination and navigating through various complexities. It's a delicate balancing act that often leaves individuals feeling overwhelmed and uncertain. Should you buy or sell first? If you sell before you buy, you might end up renting a place to live in the interim, incurring rental costs; whereas buying before selling could prove diffi- cult financially, since the capital from the sale of the first proper- ty would be needed to finance the purchase of your new home. You could end up footing the bill for two mortgage payments un- til you sell. Ideally, the timing is perfect where you sell first and manage to buy soon after. However, with the right help from a trusted estate agent, this seemingly difficult step can be transformed into a smooth and hassle-free experience. While this is no easy feat, the team at Frank Salt Real Estate is totally dedicated to helping such clients navigate through this scenario, whilst helping them find the new property as well as a buyer for their current home. And if the company's industry experience and reputation is not enough, the company is also throwing in a cash incentive to sweeten the process! Upon signing the two proper- ty contracts, clients would ben- efit from a cash contribution of €500 towards their notarial fees. If one is required, the agency will also cover the cost of an Energy Performance Certificate as well as 50% off the first year of home insurance. If that is not enough, clients will also be rewarded with sev- eral incentives from select fur- niture and finishings suppliers, including discounts of up to 35% on kitchens and furniture, white goods, flooring and bath- room solutions – and all that is required to turn the newly pur- chased property into a stylish and loving home. These sav- ings can easily amount to over €15,000. Full details about Frank Salt Re- al Estate's Buy and Sell Scheme, including terms and conditions, can be viewed at https://frank- salt.com.mt/our-offers/buy- and-sell-through-us-offer/ Making green projects the norm 'A strong commitment to envi- ronmental, social and govern- ance (ESG) issues can result in a considerable competitive ad- vantage for players in the hos- pitality sector, especially for those that can genuinely report their progress about their on- going ESG journey.' This was stated by Clint Flores, Head ESG Issues at Bank of Vallet- ta during 'Mission: Forward - Mastering New Opportunities to Succeed Responsibly - the Annual Conference organised by the Malta Hotels and Res- taurants Association. High environmental, social and governance standards are increasingly critical to a bank's reputation and license to oper- ate. Good banking practices in- clude financing the decarbon- isation of economic activities, where banks and businesses that do not measure up to their ESG pledges risk being accused of greenwashing. Also, regula- tion requires banks to measure and disclose ESG risks in their loan portfolios and other bank- ing activities, as well as the im- pact of their activities across a broad set of environmental, social and governance consid- erations. ESG has now become part of the Bank's Customer Due Dil- igence process. As the regu- latory landscape continues to evolve and issues related to cli- mate change and social respon- sibility gain more prominence, banks are screening their cur- rent and prospective customer base for the risks posed by ESG factors when assessing custom- ers and their projects. All economic activities face climate risk. A bank's impact on the environment includes its investments in customers' projects with banks seeking to transition risks by moving to a lower carbon economy and a more sustainable one. It is the responsibility of banks to not only choose green projects – but to make green projects the norm in their operations. APS Bank supports community project about RNH Bighi APS Bank supported 'Reliving Bighi through Communities' Stories', an artistic-research pro- ject on the ex-Royal Naval Hos- pital ("RNH") Bighi, located in Kalkara. The project examined the historical and architectur- al function of the former RNH Bighi, and the social and cultur- al relevance for the place to the connected communities. Preliminary research, including archival and literature material was followed by an open call to the public for the submission of community stories related to the former RNH Bighi. Contributors were then invited to a series of gatherings, to share their mem- ories and experiences. Five short films, produced from the research and community-sourced con- tent, were screened at an event for the community. The event also included a moderated, pan- el discussion amongst the pro- ject team members about their experience of the project and spontaneous interaction with the community audience.Short films created from this research are be- ing shared on Esplora's YouTube channel. Reliving Bighi through Communities' Stories is a collab- oration between Esplora – Mal- ta's Interactive Science Centre, community and socially engaged artist Kristina Borg, heritage consultant Christian Mifsud and filmmaker Matthew Calleja from Videocafe. This project is supported by Arts Council Malta and APS Bank.