Mark Wallington's Blog: All Categories

It’s reaching the end of 2007 and that downturn in the market that has been predicted by many a property expert has yet to materialise, and now it seems that it’s going to take even longer than expected.  All signs point to the cooling of the property market, with the boom extending beyond what investors thought, and the release dates for most property projects about to arrive.  This, however, is not going to be the case, as further construction delays are pushing back projects, and much needed supplies of property are still stuck in the pipeline.

Delays, delays and more delays

It is shocking that there are so many delays on the construction on freehold properties and rental properties in Dubai, especially since the Emirate has a reputation for…

As one of the earliest freehold developments to be released on the Dubai property market, Emirates Hills continues to set the bar for what wealthy investors should expect from buying.  Located near to the Emirates Golf Club, and just across the road from other key developments like Dubai Marina and the Palm Jumeirah, Emirates Hills is the epicentre of the Emirates Living Community that also includes The Meadows, The Lakes and The Springs.  As the most expensive, most exclusive and most luxurious property development in Dubai, we wonder if new and upcoming projects can really compete with this one that continues to attract many buyers.

New and upcoming luxury developments

It is really difficult to predict if the landscape of Dubai property will change…

Villas in Dubai reflect a mixture of architectures so there is something for every type of property buyer.  With Mediterranean, European and even traditional Arabian designs, there are so many shapes and sizes to pick, whether you are a small family or a large family, or even a couple that just likes space.  Most of Dubai’s villas are spacious, and the general features of rented villas have been applied to freehold villas, with added facilities. 

Arabian Ranches

The Arabian Ranches is a very popular development by Emaar that has attracted all types of families due to the vast choice of villa sub-developments.  For buyers with a big budget, there is Hattan, a range of exclusively designed villas that are spacious, fitted with luxury, and overlooking…

Dubai has now become one of the world’s top holiday destinations, due to the beautiful scenery, amazing beaches and luxury facilities.  The finest hotels are all right here, and if you want to experience the holiday of a lifetime, this is the place to be!  The most popular times to visit Dubai are always a difficulty for regular visitors, or people that want to become regular visitors, as hotel prices become very expensive, and bookings fill up very quickly. 

What to do on your Dubai holiday?

There is so much to do; you can try something new each day.  Pristine beaches line the coast; there are a number of great shopping malls selling everything you could ever want.  There are museums, souks, boat trips and then of course you can arrange a desert…

The beauty of the Dubai property market moving so quickly is the benefits it can bestow upon those who know the market and buy and sell on a frequent basis. Whilst some of you won't be looking beyond moving into your new property, there are investors out there who purchase property with the intent of selling it soon after purchase at a profit, and then investing in another project, and continuing along this line. Whilst this is of course the aim in any property market, the speed with which property can exchange hands in Dubai, this process can be rapidly speeded up. The result is a profit can be made on the original purchase price very quickly.

However it does mean that there are often a lot of apartments for sale at one time. With villas, the… Read Full Post

The Dubai property market is still in boom, dragging on longer than any market expert could have or would have expected, but does this prolonged boom means that speculation is no longer possible?  Many property buyers made a lot of money out of Dubai property, particularly the first buyers who took a risk and bought off-plan.  Here we are five years after all this started, prices have rocketed to amongst the most expensive in the world, and there are countless finished or finishing projects.  What are property investors on the Dubai real estate market to do now?

Buying off-plan

This is how previous buyers speculated; can you still do the same today?  You just might be able to buy properties off a developer for cheaper than you would find on the…

 A brief glance over the Dubai property market and its quickly becomes evident that there is a large discrepancy in the ratio of villas to apartments available for sale. Whilst there are numerous apartments on the market in Dubai, the same cannot be said for villas. The cause? Well this serious imbalance is a result of limited land to build on, combined the more profitable nature of apartments for developers. From a developer's point of view, it makes more sense to build upwards that it does to purchase large amounts of land and build villas.

How does this effect property buyers looking for a villa then? Well you can expect to pay more for a villa than you would for an apartment per square foot. Looking at it on this basis, back in 2006 villa prices per… Read Full Post

When you think about buying property in Dubai, most people limit their choices to villas or apartments.  While this is true for the most part, there has been a sudden increase in the number of town homes available on the market, which might be a good solution for families that want to live in a house, but don’t want the huge villa or the costs associated with a villa.

Choosing your property in Dubai

Most property investors are buying a property that meets all their standards, but is also a viable investment should they come to sell, and many people do.  This is a good reason to buy a town home, as they are still quite scarce even though their popularity is increasing.  Since a standard villa is much more common, not to mention the many apartment…