Homefront: 'Is now a good time to buy in Dubai's Sports City?'

With all the offers on at the moment, do you consider it a good time to buy in Dubai? I've been considering Sports City, so do you consider that area a good long-term investment? JY, Dubai
This is a very dangerous question to ask a real estate agent. Joking apart, I do actually believe this is a great time to jump onto the property market.

One point to stress though: if you are considering buying as an end user, the time to buy is always now. The reason being is that you are buying for the long term and for the purpose of habitation; presumably your stay in Dubai will be for a sustained period so buying to live in at any time is a wise move.

If you are buying for investment, ie to rent out, timing the market is key. Timing the market is when one buys at the bottom of property cycle, for example when the prices are at their lowest. This maximises the investment, assumes future capital growth and guarantees profit later when one decides to sell.

So the real question is, is now the right time to buy?

I guess if you asked 10 brokers this question, you could potentially get 10 different answers. From my perspective, the Dubai property market has now passed four-and-a-half years of downward pressure on property prices. If we are not actually at the exact bottom of this cycle, we are most definitely very close to it, so the time to buy is most definitely upon us.

It is true that potentially there may be some areas of Dubai that might witness further softening of prices going into 2019, by say 5 or perhaps 10 per cent. However, as we more into the new year, you will see prices start to firm up and eventually go up. This may still take six to 12 months or perhaps even less.

The facts speak for themselves. There have been a number positive steps undertaken by the government in recent months in collaboration with the Dubai Land Department. These include giving longer 10 and five-year visas and making life happier through the lowering of service fees, government fees, school fees etc. This will all make Dubai a magnet for foreign investment, especially with all the infrastructure spending on roads, transport, leisure, retail and hospitality as we get closer to Expo 2020.

Developers are adding to the attraction of property ownership with fantastic payment plans and post-handover payment plans. It is true that it seems there is too much choice for the investor at the moment, however, paying for these properties has never been easier. Despite interest rates remaining high, many developers are acting as banks themselves by giving interest-free repayment plans for three, five and seven years post handover. This allows buyers to enjoy their property and pay for it in instalments, helping end-users especially.

To name Sports City as an investment hotspot would not be correct. It is indeed a good area but I would also look at others such as Jumeirah Village Circle or Al Furjan.

Look for what is happening in these locations and other areas in terms of government spending such as improved road links, Metro connectivity, leisure facilities, food and beverage and other retail outlets. All these add to the attraction of the project/area and in turn will bring you good return on investment and potential future capital growth.

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Homefront: 'I'm moving out after losing my job. Will my landlord return my cheques?'

Homefront: 'Can a landlord charge two month's rent for breaking a contract after a week?'

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Mario Volpi is the sales and leasing manager at Engel & Volkers. He has worked in the property sector for 34 years in London and Dubai

The opinions expressed do not constitute legal advice and are provided for information only. Please send any questions to mario.volpi@engelvoelkers.com

The specs: 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio

Price, base: Dh198,300
Engine: 2.0L in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 280hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 2,250rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7L / 100km

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

Pearls on a Branch: Oral Tales
Najlaa Khoury, Archipelago Books

23-man shortlist for next six Hall of Fame inductees

Tony Adams, David Beckham, Dennis Bergkamp, Sol Campbell, Eric Cantona, Andrew Cole, Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba, Les Ferdinand, Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Matt Le Tissier, Michael Owen, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Scholes, John Terry, Robin van Persie, Nemanja Vidic, Patrick Viera, Ian Wright.

FIXTURES

Saturday
5.30pm: Shabab Al Ahli v Al Wahda
5.30pm: Khorfakkan v Baniyas
8.15pm: Hatta v Ajman
8.15pm: Sharjah v Al Ain
Sunday
5.30pm: Kalba v Al Jazira
5.30pm: Fujairah v Al Dhafra
8.15pm: Al Nasr v Al Wasl

Take Me Apart

Kelela

(Warp)

LUKA CHUPPI

Director: Laxman Utekar

Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Cinema

Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Kriti Sanon, Pankaj Tripathi, Vinay Pathak, Aparshakti Khurana

Rating: 3/5

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8

Transmission: nine-speed automatic

Power: 630bhp

Torque: 900Nm

Price: Dh810,000

THE SPECS

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch

Power: 710bhp

Torque: 770Nm

Speed: 0-100km/h 2.9 seconds

Top Speed: 340km/h

Price: Dh1,000,885

On sale: now

Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)

Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi

Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi

Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai

Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi

Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia

Match info:

Real Betis v Sevilla, 10.45pm (UAE)

BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Friday (all kick-offs UAE time)

Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (10.30pm)

Saturday

Freiburg v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)

Paderborn v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)

Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)

Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen (5.30pm)

Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)

Sunday

Schalke v Augsburg (3.30pm)

Mainz v RB Leipzig (5.30pm)

Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf (8pm)

Indika

%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2011%20Bit%20Studios%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Odd%20Meter%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsole%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PlayStation%205%2C%20PC%20and%20Xbox%20series%20X%2FS%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

How to turn your property into a holiday home

Ensure decoration and styling – and portal photography – quality is high to achieve maximum rates.
Research equivalent Airbnb homes in your location to ensure competitiveness.
Post on all relevant platforms to reach the widest audience; whether you let personally or via an agency know your potential guest profile – aiming for the wrong demographic may leave your property empty.
Factor in costs when working out if holiday letting is beneficial. The annual DCTM fee runs from Dh370 for a one-bedroom flat to Dh1,200. Tourism tax is Dh10-15 per bedroom, per night.
Check your management company has a physical office, a valid DTCM licence and is licencing your property and paying tourism taxes. For transparency, regularly view your booking calendar.

The Baghdad Clock

Shahad Al Rawi, Oneworld

MATCH INFO

World Cup qualifier

Thailand 2 (Dangda 26', Panya 51')

UAE 1 (Mabkhout 45 2')

The Light of the Moon

Director: Jessica M Thompson

Starring: Stephanie Beatriz, Michael Stahl-David

Three stars

Analysis

Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more

Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club race card

5pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic (PA) Prestige; Dh110,000; 1,400m
5.30pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic (PA) Prestige; Dh110,000; 1,400m
6pm: Maiden (PA); Dh80,000; 1,600m
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship (PA) Listed; Dh180,000; 1,600m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap; Dh70,000; 2,200m
7.30pm: Handicap (PA); Dh100,000; 2,400m

Europe’s rearming plan

Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital

Votes

Total votes: 1.8 million

Ashraf Ghani: 923,592 votes

Abdullah Abdullah: 720,841 votes

Zidane's managerial achievements

La Liga: 2016/17
Spanish Super Cup: 2017
Uefa Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
Uefa Super Cup: 2016, 2017
Fifa Club World Cup: 2016, 2017

MATCH STATS

Wolves 0

Aston Villa 1 (El Ghazi 90 4' pen)

Red cards: Joao Moutinho (Wolves); Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa)

Man of the match: Emi Martinez (Aston Villa)