# JLT or Greens??



## madso (Jan 21, 2014)

Hi all,
We've been recently looking for places to buy with a view of moving there ourselves. We've zeroed in on Greens and JLT. Briefly considered Tecom and Marina as well but gave up after seeing few Tecom houses and Marina traffic
Our budget is about 1.6 M with maybe 40% self and 60% finance.
I have multiple questions for each.
For JLT:
1.We are looking at a 2 bed+Maid's , close to the Metro station by walk .Can anyone recommend some good buildings in JLT with good amenities(pool, Jacuzzi, play area, gym) in that budget?
2.I've been reading about all the towers and my understanding is the following towers are to be avoided:
Dubai Gate 1
Dubai Arch
Lake View
Concorde
Icon 1/2

Does that mean all others can be considered? In the viewings I was given figures of 15 or 15.8/sqft for service fees? Are those the standard charges?

3.I looked at Lake Terrace floor plans and though have read excellent reviews of the construction and amenities, the floor plan looked weird. Curved bedrooms etc look flashy and good on paper but totally impractical for living with space wastage etc
Are all houses in Lake Terrace like that?
4.Also, saw Saba3 and Lake shore both of which we liked but when we were walking across the lake near Lake shore, we could smell sewage. It was just for a couple of minutes but really bad smell. Does anyone know if there's a sewage smell issue in that cluster?

For Greens:
1.Are all houses with Open kitchens? We saw a couple of houses and though the amenities and community seemed excellent, the master bedroom layout was really odd. If we fit a queen size bed, the main door would be only partially open.
Also, security was little questionable because I saw people tailgating and no security personnel was around.
2.Can anyone give an idea about the service fees in Greens? I understand that there are no separate PDC charges in Greens. Is that correct?

Further, I've been seeing so many offers for Finance.(ADIB, Mashreq, HSBC, NBD) Any word of advice on which is the best? We are looking at banks which will allow a bulk payment sometime in the year(in addition to monthly payments) without any penalty and zero pre-payment charges if closed early.

We are serious buyers and any advice would be much appreciated and help us in choosing the right house for us. Thanks in advance.


Madso


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## rsinner (Feb 3, 2009)

Financing - check out souqalmal website. Local banks would generally have better terms than the likes of HSBC.

Greens - personally prefer Greens over JLT. WHat apartments were you looking at in Greens?There are high rises (golf tower etc.), "newer greens" (Travo, Arno, Turia, Mosela etc), and then the older greens. All of them are subtly different from each other.
Also, I am surprised about the comment regarding tailgating. Tailgating happens everywhere (does not make it right), but generally the traffic is slow in Greens (but it does get busy during rush hour). My understanding is that JLT gets much more busier with traffic.


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

I live in the Greens.

Not sure what you mean about odd master bedroom layouts. Pretty much all the bedrooms I've seen are standard square rooms with bathrooms attached. 

Emaar definitely has security guards around the Greens.

From the perspective of long term value and marketability, I'd go for the Greens over JLT, hands down. It's an Emaar community so the whole place is managed by a single developer which makes it easier to maintain the quality of the landscaping and community amenities. JLT consists of separately owned and managed towers. 

You will get more for your money in JLT. But Greens is a safer investment in the long run. 

JLT is district cooling so you pay an extra surcharge for AC usage. Greens is not. AC is included as part of your maintenance fees.


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## madso (Jan 21, 2014)

Thanks for your reply rsinner. 
Yes, I agree that Greens is beautiful. But it doesn't have the pace of JLT(saw it at night one time and looked haunted, hardly any lights etc).
But having said that, every time I go there for a viewing or school, I get confused because it's really lovely.
My work place is in JLT, so traffic would not be a problem since I would mostly walk to work(has been a dream so far) 
I think the newer greens is much more expensive and would typically be in the range of 2-2.5 M which is much higher than what we are planning.
Yes, Tailgating does happen everywhere but we also happened to notice the community park gate ajar and anyone could've entered then. Dubai is safe but when we pay for round-the-clock security, it makes one wonder.

Sound advice on the mortgage bit. I'll research local banks.


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## madso (Jan 21, 2014)

@Tallyho.
Thanks for your reply. Would you be able to tell me the service charges for Greens? Read from the internet that it's around 18/sq ft. 
I agree with you on the investment bit. 

About the bedroom layout, the one we saw had an entry door and to the left was the wardrobe and bathroom. Can't fit the bed there as it would block either. If we fit it near the door, it gets blocked. Nor the balcony door. Maybe it was one-off layout but it was weird. The balcony was amazingly spacious though and the community seemed well-managed.
And as you said, one developer managing everything helps.

Thanks again.


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## rsinner (Feb 3, 2009)

madso said:


> @Tallyho.
> Thanks for your reply. Would you be able to tell me the service charges for Greens? Read from the internet that it's around 18/sq ft.


I think that's the right ballpark. I remember notices being put up with the charge break up when I used to live there.
This includes the "chiller" fees so even though it appears higher its actually not much different to what you have in JLT (where the district cooling charges are separate as TallyHo mentioned).

I am also surprised by the bedroom thing. We had a very good bedroom with a separate closet space and an attached bathroom. Quite spacious. My understanding was that the tall towers and the older Greens closer to the race track were generally on the smaller side.
In any case, with your budget you may end up on the lower side of asking prices there so you may have to make compromises.


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

Traffic in JLT is no longer an issue since they completed the road system, and in fact I'd say the access in and out to SZR is probably easier at JLT than The Greens. Lots more restaurants, supermarkets, amenities, etc, around JLT too and the new park there is quite nice also. Plus you've got 2 Metro stations in close proximity which also open up easy access to the Marina.


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## ganeshindubai (Apr 2, 2013)

Banks nowadays are stringent ... kudos to EXPO win

Lakeview - JLT or Greens is the best option ... but I doubt In 1.6MN budget you would not get 2BHK now !


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## kmdxb (Jan 19, 2014)

ganeshindubai said:


> Lakeview - JLT or Greens is the best option ... but I doubt In 1.6MN budget you would not get 2BHK now !


Doubt it for that price as well, I sold my 2bed in the Greens last year for 1.88 - and that was before the expo win which raised the prices (and was a bit lower than could of been as it was tenanted, had it been sold vacant then it would of been around 1.95). Don't know what prices are like in JLT though.


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## madso (Jan 21, 2014)

Thanks for your replies rsinner, Gavtek, ganeshindubai and kmdxb.
I thought the same about the prices but Dubizzle and Bayut portray a different picture.
Gavtek, I agree that JLT seems to have everything dn traffic woes are also eased out now. After the tram comes up, it may even be worth little more in future. thanks for all your advice. Will continue looking and update on this forum as I progress.


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## richardnetworking (Feb 6, 2014)

*!*

Jlt




madso said:


> hi all,
> we've been recently looking for places to buy with a view of moving there ourselves. We've zeroed in on greens and jlt. Briefly considered tecom and marina as well but gave up after seeing few tecom houses and marina traffic
> our budget is about 1.6 m with maybe 40% self and 60% finance.
> I have multiple questions for each.
> ...


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## laura1305 (Feb 9, 2014)

Greens ...the traffic in JLT is a nightmare!


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

laura1305 said:


> Greens ...the traffic in JLT is a nightmare!


No it's not.


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## sumitchugh81 (Feb 20, 2014)

*Rent - JLT vs Greens*

Hi,

I am Sumit and am moving to Dubai in mid-June with my wife and a 4 month-old kid.

I went to do a recon of the areas to move to and loved the Greens. My office is in JLT so the commute should not be an issue (or will it be )

Would really appreciate if my fellow expats can guide on the following:

1. Will the Greens be a suitable area for the family with a young kid?

2. I may have to travel a lot initially. Is the Greens safe for my wife to stay alone?

3. Are there a lot of Indians around in the Greens?

Alternatively, I might rent in JLT (as it will be closer to my office). But somehow I don't get a community feel from the area. Can anyone suggest a good tower in JLT with the following:

1. Safe, well-maintained apartment buliding
2. Kids play area/ parks within the building compound
3. And the same questions as in the Greens 

Thanks


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

Would really appreciate if my fellow expats can guide on the following:

1. Will the Greens be a suitable area for the family with a young kid? _Yes, as is most of Dubai._

2. I may have to travel a lot initially. Is the Greens safe for my wife to stay alone? _Yes, as is most of Dubai. _

3. Are there a lot of Indians around in the Greens? _Yes. Is there anywhere in Dubai that doesn't have a lot of Indians?_


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## sumitchugh81 (Feb 20, 2014)

@ TallyHo... thanks for a quick reply though I was looking for a specific reply on the Greens!

Can anyone suggest specific buildings in the Greens to avoid?


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## rsinner (Feb 3, 2009)

sumitchugh81 said:


> Can anyone suggest specific buildings in the Greens to avoid?


They are all pretty much the same given that they are all from the same developer and managed by the same company. Obviously then there are things like size, view, size of swimming pool, high rise or medium rise, age of the property etc. all of which you are the best judge of and need to take a call on.


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## sumitchugh81 (Feb 20, 2014)

Thanks rsinner. 

I was just wondering if certain buildings are better than others in terms of view or accessibility. 

Anyways thanks everyone for their inputs. I will most likely rent an apartment in the Greens.


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

There's a road that runs through the middle of the Greens. Everything south of that road is technically the Views, and the quality is higher. These are the high-rises by the golf course and the mid-rises alongside the lake. Typical Emaar finishes. 

The low-rises in the rest of the Greens have more basic finishes. The four quads closer to Choithrams look nicer from the outside and have larger apartments, but the finishes are still pretty basic. Very nice pool areas and play areas, however. 



sumitchugh81 said:


> Thanks resigner.
> 
> I was just wondering if certain buildings are better than others in terms of view or accessibility.
> 
> Anyways thanks everyone for their inputs. I will most likely rent an apartment in the Greens.


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## sumitchugh81 (Feb 20, 2014)

Thanks TallyHo and all others on this forum! Your posts have been a great help.


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