PROJECT - Ras Al Khaimah: PACIFIC

[vanderlo83]

hi i have bought a studio in pacific and so far i am happy with my purchase and experience with select property. i went for the 15yr payment plan. i quite like the design of the development, modern and not over-the-top. plus the private beach for residents only is a big plus in my eyes and should help to make this development stand out when it comes to resale.

anyone else bought here? this is my first venture into property investment and so i would love to hear your thoughts and opinions.

[vanderlo83]

Originally Posted by Irishka

I like the desigh of Pacific. It gives an impression of being light, clean, airy...

The location is also evry good... It will be within walking distance to a shopping mall and all the restaurants...

It has it's own beach and the prices are just over 1,000 AED per sq ft for a studio - that's sounds good to me!

Irishka do you have more details of which facilities will be nearby to pacific in this location (shopping mall, restaurants etc)?

[Irishka]

Originally Posted by vanderlo83

Irishka do you have more details of which facilities will be nearby to pacific in this location (shopping mall, restaurants etc)?

Hi vanderlo83

I don't have the exact details but if you look at the Masterplan for Marjan Island you can see that literaly next door to Pacific will be a mosque and within walking distance there will be a shopping mall in the centre of the 3rd island...

I have also bought a studio in Pacific and so far I have been happy with the services I received.

The developer has told me that they will start construction in July 2008.

Once you receive a membership number and a password, you will be able to follow the construction updates through the website.

Let me know if you find out any interesting info about future Select Property projects. They have said to me that they have acquired another 2 plots of land on the island.

[Irishka]

For those of you who might be interested in Pacific, they still have a few studios left...

For example, you can still get a studio (e.g. 445 sq ft on the 2nd floor) for 482,000 AED...

But they are selling very fast... The first block that was released in Mar-08 is completely sold out...

[vanderlo83]

Originally Posted by Irishka

Hi vanderlo83

I don't have the exact details but if you look at the Masterplan for Marjan Island you can see that literaly next door to Pacific will be a mosque and within walking distance there will be a shopping mall in the centre of the 3rd island...

I have also bought a studio in Pacific and so far I have been happy with the services I received.

The developer has told me that they will start construction in July 2008.

Once you receive a membership number and a password, you will be able to follow the construction updates through the website.

Let me know if you find out any interesting info about future Select Property projects. They have said to me that they have acquired another 2 plots of land on the island.

where can i see the masterplan?

i believe SP will soon be launching a new project in dubai, in The World.

[Morrismarina]

Is this the one on their website called Aquatainia ???

[THR]

I've come across the following link for Al Marjan's masterplan on another thread

I don't know how up to date it is but it is helpful.

ps. credit to "martinfields" who'd put it on:

http://www.pressbox.co.uk/images/master_plan.pdf

[THR]

Originally Posted by Morrismarina

Is this the one on their website called Aquatainia ???

Yes. They won't release much info about it until the release date - but it's going to be in the world I think

If anybody has more info, plz elaborate

[vanderlo83]

that's as much as I know too. did ask them for some info, but said i'd have to wait till may.

cheers for the link.

[vanderlo83]

incidentally, i read on another thread for another al marjan development (blu mirage i think), someone claiming that that development was the only one/first on the island to have an escrow account. well i've bought into pacific and paid the first installment and this was into an escrow account with dubai islamic bank. also had this verified by rakeen to confirm it is legit. and also i was sent the contract before i had to pay the first installment, unlike other developers it seems who can often make you pay 3 installments before sending you the contract.

[THR]

Originally Posted by vanderlo83

incidentally, i read on another thread for another al marjan development (blu mirage i think), someone claiming that that development was the only one/first on the island to have an escrow account. well i've bought into pacific and paid the first installment and this was into an escrow account with dubai islamic bank. also had this verified by rakeen to confirm it is legit. and also i was sent the contract before i had to pay the first installment, unlike other developers it seems who can often make you pay 3 installments before sending you the contract.

B.Mirage, the residentials seem to have all gone and the only remaining ones seem to be the serviced and hotel apartments
I was considering buying a studio/1bed there but the price put me off (1400aed/psf for GOD's SAKE), fair enough it is going to be fully furnished - but i can furnish my own apartment for much cheaper and re the lease-back, I'd rather have full control over my property as to how much and how long i want to rent it out for and a big plus point again for pacific is its private beach which i think is a must have for an off shore property this type

Re ESCROW, yes pacific already has it in place

Anyways, needless to say, I've already invested too
See you at the house-warming BBQ party in few years time

[Morrismarina]

Well done on your purchase, Pacific is a fantastic development and of course comes with the 15 year payment plan. I haven't bought here myself but sure would like to come to the BBQ.
Only downside I would say is that it does look a bit cramped on the plot....... but this is compensated by the mosque nearby, to give you that wake up call at 6.00am each morning.

[Irishka]

THR - thank you for supplying us with the Master plan.
This is exactly the plan I was referring to.

Yes, there will be a wake up call every morning with the Mosque being nearby, but what I care more about is the shopping mall within walking distance

I am up for a BBQ party too... Has anyone bought a townhouse on the ground floor?

[mazi]

Hello guys,

I have compared all current projects on Al Marjan and have to say PACIFIC wins in my book too

I think another plus point for pacific is the parking which others don't seem to include for free - apparently LHB charges a BIG 45000 aed for it

The design is lovely too - plain, yet nice and airy and I also like how it is further away into the island compared to the other projects AND has its own private beach

Anyways, I am thinking of getting a studio there - are SELECT the sole agents?

[Yousuf27]

Do you think the parking space is really free elsewhere - or do you think the Developer might just have factored it in to apartment prices?

I'm pleased this development has it's fans. I have other properties via SP but this one just doesn't do it for me. Initially when they launched and said they had special permission to build 18 floors it looked OK, but then the height was chopped to 8 floors and now the plot looks overcrowded with apartment blocks with virtually no open spaces. I can see that some like the plain unfussy design but to me - take off the roof detail (which no one will ever see from the ground) and you have a bunch of fairly uninteresting boxes. BAB, BM, LHB are all much prettier imo. I personally also believe there will be issues - which are not obvious now - regarding the exposed location of this development. It will be interesting to see how well the beach keeps it's sand!

The place certainly has it's merits - and clearly plenty of fans - though. Since this forum is a place to gather mixed opinions and broaden one's information base please don't see my comments as negative. I'm just presenting some "balancing" ideas which some might mull over before they take the plunge. After all, no development is going to be completely perfect.

[Irishka]

Originally Posted by Yousuf27

It will be interesting to see how well the beach keeps it's sand!

Interesting point, Yousuf. Never thought of this before.

However, how do the developments on the cresent on Palm Jumeirah keep the sand on their beaches?

The apartments on the cresent are the most expensive in the whole Dubai... The construction companies must have thought about this point?

[Yousuf27]

Hi Irishka, The beaches on the cresecent of Jumeirah Palm are all on the inside of the crescent and the outside is formed of rocks as far as I can see. The length and curvature of the crescent - almost a circle ensures that waves can't get inside it to erode the sand on the inside. I believe it's also well known that the fronds of the Palm are entirely made of sand and the rock crescent was the solution to ensure the fronds would be protected from waves. There is a good Discovery documentary on this which you may have seen.

Al Marjan Island is made of rock but there is no crescent or breakwater around it - no need as the rock is not going to be washed away by wind and wave action, - well not in our lifetime anyway! The beaches inside the Lagoons are generally well protected but I do consider that the location of Pacific means that the beach there will be vulnerable to ocean waves. It depends a bit what sort of breakwater construction they put on the seaward end of the beach - but it's going to need something. The Master Plan doesn't really show much in that respect.

Soem people like waves and will be very happy at Pacific. I have some concerns that the waves crashing onto the beach during Winter storms might make life fairly exciting when you're in for your morning dip. It would be great for windsurfers though. I have been to the site - not out as far as the location of Pacific of course - on a couple of occasions and both times the wave action was significantly more on the Pacific - or ocean - side - than it was in the lagoon where LHB and Harbour View Residence are sited. Sea State 5 - 6 is relatively common in Winter, and you will occasionally see a 7. This will produce significant waves on the ocean side which you will never see in the Lagoons. At such times you may also get a lot of salt deposited on your windows and balcony if your apt faces the ocean.

[THR]

Hi Yousuf,

You seem to have formed your view about Pacific and as you said you have bought elsewhere, so I don’t understand the point in repeating yourself on “Pacific thread” over and over again. It also seems that you were not so keen on people presenting “balancing ideas” (as you put it) on the La Hoya Bay thread where you accused the person of working for a rival project and said:

“Sorry Martin - this is pretty transparent mate! You work for them!….. I'm happy with what I bought! I hope you'll be happy with your purchase too! Have a nice day.”

Frankly speaking mate, the same could be said about you.

You may not wish to invest in pacific. Investors here equally may not wish to invest in LHB. Perhaps you might show other investors the courtesy you seem to desire for yourself.

[Yousuf27]

THR,
Sorry mate; - I thought I'd been asked a question by Irishka and I thought I was answering it. I happen to have some expertise in maritime issues which others may not have and may not even have thought about - which is entirely understandable. I thought I was trying to help, but clearly what I've said helps no-one

If you're referring to what Martinfields was saying on the LHB thread then I think you need to go back and look at it again. He wasn't being helpful by any intepretation of the word - and he celarly had a motive which had nothing to do with help.

I have bought two properties through SP and I think they're a good outfit. I will almost certainly buy more property through them as well.

[mazi]

I disagree with some of the points mentioned above. Pacific including parking still cheaper psf than other projects which dont include parking.

Re the beach, the weather all year round is tropics there, in any event,if you look closely, the beach is not actually facing the open sea and it is in a curve facing sideway and thus the tide won't be flowing into it directly

Re the design, I think it is a matter of taste and we shouldn't be attempting to persuade each other to like our taste. I personally don't like the design of the other projects such as LHB, it looks too traditional for my liking, but again that's just my opinion

After all. i think al marjan as a whole will do well

btw, am i invited to that bbq party (will hopefully be an owner soon)?