Why Investors Are Still Buying Property in Dubai

Some doomsayers are warning that the property boom in is now over, thanks to an oversupply of property in Dubai. While this may indeed be the case across some parts of the emirate, certainly as far as apartments are concerned, overall demand for property in Dubai, which initially stimulated international appetite for UAE real estate, reportedly continues to outstrip supply.

Property in Dubai has witnessed robust growth over the past few years, since the Dubai government developed a strategy aimed at encouraging foreign investment, supported by the liberalisation of foreign freehold ownership of property in Dubai.

The decree was officially issued by the then Crown Prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum in 2002, and stems from the emirate's desire to reduce its reliance on oil, and to diversify its economy into the financial services and tourism sectors.

With prices of property in Dubai generally low and payment terms rather favourable, the government sparked a wave of mass investment in property in Dubai from investors from all around the world.

This in turn led to increasing levels of new developments and regeneration. In fact, the plans for the emirate are truly remarkable and the state's pockets are seemingly bottomless.

Dubai's awesome skyline is rapidly expanding, as it is one of the fastest growing cities in the world - a true global hub for large businesses.

The volume of investments in new property in Dubai is expected to reach well in excess of £100 billion by 2020.

Capital growth
Prices of property in Dubai have appreciated significantly over the past few years, as demand has far exceeded supply. This has typically attracted a surge of speculators - many of which have traded in off-plan property in Dubai - buying and selling title deeds, long before ground has even broken on a new development, otherwise referred to as 'flipping'. This is not uncommon in an emerging market, as it can prove to be a highly lucrative, high risk, way of making money.

Average prices of property in Dubai's 'Marina Terrace', for example, constructed by Damac, have appreciated by well in excess of 200 per cent since the development was launched in 2002.

Residential units in 'The Waves', also located in Dubai Marina, have appreciated by over 160 per cent per cent since its launch, also in 2002.

Cluttons Middle East reports that the average price of property in Dubai stood at between £90 to 100 per square foot in 2004. Today, that figure stands at close to £250 per square foot.

Alex Upson of Cluttons Middle East says: "A one-bedroom apartment in The Greens sold by the developer in 2004 for approx £75,000. Today the same unit changes hands at £250,000."

Although capital growth has now generally slowed, average prices of property in Dubai continue to grow at an impressive rate, currently appreciating at annual rate of around 15 per cent per year, according to Middle East business provider, AME Info. However, with so many off-plan projects now nearing completion, there is a genuine fear that there may soon be an oversupply of property in Dubai and that the phenomenal level of growth recorded in the past cannot be sustained.

Not so, according to some market experts. "Investors who enter the market now will be able to snap up a property in Dubai for far less than if they wait until a later date, says an AME spokesperson. "Furthermore, buying property in Dubai early will allow owners to enjoy considerable capital appreciation.

"Sitting on an asset that is rising in value makes obvious sense. The boom in property in Dubai is far from over, as all the drivers of growth in the market are firmly in place." Upson supports these views, adding that the residential market remains "very active", due to growing demand for property in Dubai from end-users. "If buyers are looking for growth then current demand appears to be exceeding supply and prices continue to rise," he says. "However, we urge caution and always recommend thorough research into comparable property prices and developer history. Delays in delivery should be expected."

Construction delays are one of the biggest risk factors of buying property in Dubai. Earlier this year Middle East developer Rakaa Properties estimated that 40 per cent, or $160 billion (£79.5 billion) worth of total construction projects in Dubai have so far been suspended, due to rising material costs, which in part is fuelling soaring inflation levels. Construction delays are also holding up the supply of property in Dubai, which could very well culminate in further capital growth over the coming years.

In fact, 57,000 properties in Dubai were due for completion last year, and yet only 11,000 residential units were actually delivered, according to Peter Riddoch of Damac Properties.

Nevertheless, the volume of land being purchased in the emirate is increasing - up 170 per cent in 2007 to reach $48 billion (£24billion), illustrating the fact that there are plenty more developments in the pipeline. Much of this land is being purchased by Britons, who are now the leading foreign owners of land in Dubai, according to a report compiled by the Dubai Land Department.

Major developments
Nakheel, which is currently constructing The World, among other projects, has announced that it plans to build the 'Universe'. The project, which will be situated off the coast of Dubai, in between Palm Deira and Palm Jumeirah, will take up to 20 years to construct.

Other spectacular projects recently announced or already under construction, include the £395 million Palazzo Versace, Trump International Hotel & Tower on Palm Jumeirah, and the world's first rotating tower, the latter scheme, an 80-storey skyscraper, will see each floor spin around a central core, offering residents an ever-shifting view of the Persian Gulf.

Buy-to-let
Anyone wishing to invest in buy-to-let property in Dubai should expect to achieve an annual rental yield of eight to ten per cent, according to Riddoch. However, investors in rental property in Dubai should avoid prime developments, as they tend to offer relatively low rental returns.

The greatest returns from rental property in Dubai can be found in The Palm Jumeirah and Old Town Burj Dubai, according to UAE estate agency Asteco.

However, the largest rental increases are being recorded in the cheaper areas in and around International City. Comparable data shows that the greatest annual rental increase of property in Dubai has been recorded in International City, where average two-bedroom apartments have appreciated by 36 per cent year-on-year.

The declining cost of finance to buy a property in Dubai could yet boost the market further. This is because the UAE Dirham (AED) is fixed to the US dollar, which means that the currencies do not fluctuate against each other and remain fixed at one value. Consequently, the UAE Central Bank has to follow US interest rates, which currently stands at 2.25 per cent. This effectively devalues the local currency, it also lowers the cost of borowing money to buy property in Dubai, which can lead to higher property investment returns.

Moving forward it's almost impossible to forecast what will happen to the market for property in Dubai. The sheer volume of new homes coming onto the market suggests that it's not long until there is an oversupply of property in Dubai, if not already the case. However, the emirate has one of the fastest growing populations in the world.

It's reported that up to 857 people are moving to Dubai every day, totalling some 5,000 per week. In fact, Peter Riddoch of Damac Properties estimates that around 60,000 people will be looking to purchase property in Dubai this year. He also reports that Dubai's workforce, which currently stands at around two million will grow to around five million by 2015, undeterred by the likely introduction of VAT next year.

One thing is for sure - Dubai will keep growing.

by Marc Da-Silva

Property Investors! Are You Under Pressure?

As the credit crunch bites, fixed rates come to an end, and cash flow dries up, more and more investors are feeling the squeeze. Countless investors I talk to are finding things tough with several even going back to work full time, and only last week a high profile lead provider was in the spotlight on the forums as his Ready Made Deal partner went into liquidation. These things are never nice to hear but will, I fear, become more commonplace in the months ahead.

Whether we are individually 'hurting' yet or not, this is a wake up call to us all. It is all too easy to get complacent when cash flow is rolling OK and the feel good factor of easy money is around. But as they say, the only thing we can be certain of is 'change' and the successful people are those that are prepared for and adapt to changing conditions.

If you are 'hurting' or feel that you will be shortly then PLEASE make sure your head is not in the sand and take some action NOW! I remember several years ago when I got made redundant again and things got on top of me as it took me 8 months to find work. I continually felt so overwhelmed and I will never forget the feeling of instant relief when I faced up to the mess we were slipping into and TOOK ACTION. It was an unbelievable feeling of the proverbial weight being taken off of my shoulders and there was far more help around than I ever imagined once I faced up to the fact that I needed it - understanding listeners to talk to, experienced people to advise and guide, clear sighted help from an independent viewpoint who could see through the fog when I couldn't.

As I have said many times in the past, property can be a lonely business at the best of times but even more so if you are struggling and not facing up to it. Confide in a partner, trusted friend or mentor. Speak to your creditors as early as possible to put them in the picture and gain their support and understanding. Look at all possible income sources and brainstorm ways to raise capital or generate extra income. Its incredible how resourceful we can all be when we put our minds to it and it can be surprisingly good fun too. It is also important to look at ways to reduce your outgoings to help bridge the cash flow gap - both personally and in your businesses.

On a brighter note its certainly not all doom and gloom out there with many BMV bargains still to be had out there and more financing options available. The biggest stumbling block is still the lenders themselves but that is an issue we cannot control, and why those who have looked after their cash reserves in anticipation of this market will be doing the deals that others can't.

Work Less and Earn More

Perhaps, the most protracted parts of property management are the synchronization of rent gathering and increases. So as to abridge your property management for superior profitability, focus on the listed three items first:

1) Rent should be due on the first day of the month. Some people gather rent founded on when during the first month an occupant or tenant moved into the place. This is a disastrous tactic. Knowledgeable property managers will tell you to at all time pro-rate the rent of the first month and then gather all upcoming rents on the first of the month.

2) Raise rent on all leases at restitution. When signing the lease, it should be implicit that rents will ascend at the ending of the lease period. The best way out is to make the resident or tenant agree to the increase in rent in their original lease. People are usually excited to get a new place and usually agree to the raise on the rent by say $50 after a year from now.

3) Raise all month-to-month payments at the same time. If you utilize a rigid lease period with the inhabitant having an alternative of pulling out on a month to month basis, then plan all increases at the same time. By this means you can send out a blanket letter to all residents fitting in that category. This is a way of making everyone feel equal as when a whole group of people receive the same notice they do not feel singled out for the increase. What is more is that it is easier to modify your bookkeeping/billing program one time per year for this function than multiple times. Additionally, if you decide intelligently what time of year to put into practice these enhances, less people would be going away from your place because of the supplementary rent for the reason that they will be too active to look for a different place, the weather would either be too hot or too cold, or they will wish to have stable holidays. The lifestyle of your residents would give you a fair idea about the best time of the year.

If you develop your business to take benefit of this kind of management process in a methodical manner, you will discover that property management is not as hard or time consuming as is generally believed. Property Management can be a magnificent and money-spinning part of the business.