Recent content by HonestTable

Don’t calculate net yield only against AED 1,853,000. Use the total cash committed, including purchase-related and financing costs where applicable. Those may not reduce annual rent, but they do reduce the return on your actual capital. Then run the same calculation with one month vacant and a...

Deposit handling should be kept out of the bargaining. The deposit should be dealt with according to the agreement and applicable local requirements, not treated as leverage for accepting a higher rent. Before writing, I’d document the condition of the studio, any unresolved maintenance, the...

One more practical point: separate base rent from service charges in the conversation. If building charges have actually changed, show that distinction clearly rather than presenting one unexplained total. It makes the review easier to understand and avoids confusion later about which part is...

I agree on checking the comparables, but I’d go further: don’t let several advertised studios establish the whole case. Those units may sit vacant or eventually agree lower terms. The current arrangement gives you known payment reliability and known treatment of the property. I’d propose an...

One addition to Omar’s list: establish who pays each recurring charge when the apartment is occupied and when it is empty. A serviced arrangement can otherwise lead to the same expense being missed or counted twice. I would not settle on a valuation range until you have four items: exact...

So far I’d describe this as a plausible selectivity signal, not a confirmed citywide turn. The strongest clues are the condition split and longer-lived stock; the weakest is the isolated 5.7% figure until its sample, matching method and earlier-period comparison are clear.

I’d build a small property-level table: neighbourhood, initial ask, latest ask, completed price where known, first listing date, condition, and whether it was relisted. Even an imperfect table would show whether the 83 days and 5.7% are broad patterns or driven by a handful of cases.

There may also be a date lag in the completed data. June listings and transactions recorded as completed in June need not belong to the same negotiating period. I’d note when each extract was taken and whether later updates revised the completed prices or counts.

Yes, though perfect listing histories may not be available. A workable alternative is to separate clearly identifiable new listings from carried-over stock. If the work-needed homes are mostly older carry-overs, that supports selectivity more than a sudden flood of poor-condition June listings...

Neighbourhood separation is essential in Cairo. Combining areas can create an apparent inventory shift when the real change is that more listings came from one part of the city. I’d want the 83-day figure and 5.7% gap broken out using the same neighbourhood groups.

Buyer financing may also affect the apparent discount. A conditional offer and an offer with fewer financing uncertainties are not equivalent from a seller’s perspective. Completed prices alone may therefore miss why one seller accepted less.

Maria’s area question is crucial. I would keep the adjustments separate: first normalize every comparable to the same area definition, then account for condition, parking and outdoor space. Do not simply add all the percentages together. At the asking price, the 5%, 10% and 15% condition...

There are a few moving parts, so I’d appreciate a sense-check from people following Cairo closely. I’m looking mainly at student housing priced between EGP 52,610,000 and EGP 78,910,000. In my sample, the typical listing has been visible for nine days, but that does not tell me whether...

Before committing, obtain the actual fee history and reserve position for the student property, plus recent energy bills if available. For the townhouse, arrange a condition inspection focused on the expensive building elements and ask what, if anything, is shared with neighbouring owners. For...

Give both advisers the same comparison table so their assumptions cannot pass unnoticed. Include purchaser identity and residency, direct versus entity ownership, transfer-tax allocation, registration and notary costs, annual property charges, exit treatment and what happens on death or...