I went through this last year and some of my colleagues here recently, my advice is :-
Khalifa Committee - I understand that this is now run as a lottery draw as the demand is so high. You turn up, put your request in the hat and wait to see if you are the lucky winner. I read about this in Gulf News - anybody heard anything else?
Leasing Agents - They are generally all scum without exception but you need them, expect to pay 5% of the first years rent. Hayatt, Al Diyar and Asteco are okay. Do not pay any "viewing fees" of around 100Dhs and get stroppy with the agent if they insist.
Gulf News - Lots of adverts, generally for property that doesn't exist. Best bet is to go down the list of adverts and see what is actually available. Lots of leg work required.
Prices generally running around 70-80k AED for one bed flat, 100-180k for three bed flat and 140k plus for villas. There are exceptions to this and its all a matter of right place, right time. With the new rent cap in place, I think landlords are trying to maximize return with new lets, so price are bound to go up.
