Dubai Villas Are The Really Luxurious Buildings

While it is true that smaller apartments offer the best rental yields, it has also been true that capital gains on villas have been far higher in recent years. This trend is set to continue this autumn with villas in shorter supply than ever, and hordes of villa-dwelling bankers moving into Dubai.

Property buyers in Dubai have thus far tended to prefer the prospect of greater capital gains on villas than a better rental return on their capital. A new report from Bahrain-based investment bank SICO notes that villas have appreciated in value by twice as much as apartments since 2002, while rental yields presently stand at around 5% for villas and 8% to 8.5% for studios and one-bedroom apartments. This is a reflection of the preference for expatriate families to live in a villa rather than an apartment, with a garden, parking and independent access.

Then there is the simple fact that about ten times more apartments have been built than villas since 2002, so villas have both a scarcity value as well as being perceived as the better lifestyle choice.

This is not about to change anytime soon. The legions of bankers, stock brokers, lawyers and other financial professionals moving into Dubai are exactly the kind of person who wants to live in a villa, preferably in an upmarket community.

Over the summer one independent study concluded that Dubai was the number one target for expansion by global financial services for the next few years. That is an awful lot of high-earning staff who are by nature villa dwellers.

Moreover, the supply of villas coming on to the market over the next few years is relatively small, and by contrast the number of luxury apartments is going to be fairly big, so the scarcity of villas is going to increase and not decrease. Dubai Villas also offer a crucial extra feature. You actually own a piece of land rather than multiple occupancy rights. And in most countries of the world independent houses command higher prices than apartments, especially in the best locations.

In addition, investors point to the defensive qualities of villas in a possible downturn. People actually want to live in apartments more than villas so they are unlikely to ever be short of a tenant. In addition, villas in the best locations are more likely to keep their value, or at least suffer the smallest falls in value.

Finally villa owners are more able to determine their own maintenance bills. Apartments face annual hassles over the amount of their service charges; community charges for villas are generally far lower and maintenance is at the owner's discretion.

So it would be surprising if the Dubai love affair with its villas ended anytime soon and indeed with the red hot local economy this autumn putting further upward pressure on local house prices, villas will come out on top again for capital gains. Whether that will match the stellar house price increases of last year remains to be seen.

The Information About The Famous Villa Naga

About 1 hour from the international airport and 5 km north of Ubud is the compound of Villa Naga. "Naga" means dragon, an auspicious sign of the Chinese zodiac. The house is designed by Dutch architect, Joost van Grieken using traditional Balinese and Javanese building materials in a very modern minimalist style. The house has been written up in a number of books and architectural magazines as part of the new Bali school of architecture. The long stretched piece of land gives far views over the Wos River – valley, is mainly facing the east, the direction of the sun and moonrise.

The modern designed pavilions were completed in spring 2001 and consist the following. From the entrance pavilion a walkway leads through a lush garden to the central courtyard. Here is the access to main pavilion from where you can experience your first stunning views over the valley.

In this long-house style pavilion the open dining space is accommodated, together with 2 spacious bedrooms. In between the entrance from the gallery to the bedrooms is a private comfortable sitting area located.

Via the dining area, walking over stepping-stones of the main focus fishpond, one reaches the large living pavilion, where the kitchen and the staff quarters are housed. While traditional Balinese and Javanese materials are used throughout, the pavilions with the thatched roofs appear to be modern, so is most of the furniture.

Lombok grasses form the thatch of the roof, but bengkerai wood is used in the roof framework, as well as for all the door and window fittings, and the octagonal load bearing columns; the latter are supported by resilient Javanese white stone. All decorative and art works have been collected by the owner during trips all over Asia. The lighting in the pavilions and gardens create another serene atmosphere during the evenings.

In addition, custom made ivory and polished cement tiles make elegant statements in all pavilions, while the walls are either finished in cream-color sandstone or plastered and painted in Canton green or Tuscan terracotta. Each bedroom has a king size bed, a separate dressing area, a bathroom with an attached open outdoor patio with a freestanding bathtub and shower. Ceiling fans cool the 2 double bedrooms.

All decorative and art works have been collected by the owner during trips all over Asia. The lighting in the pavilions and gardens create another serene atmosphere during the evenings.