EIBOR 3M 3.85% CBUAE Base 3.65% Best Islamic 3.90% Best Conventional 3.78% EIBOR 3M 3.85% CBUAE Base 3.65% Best Islamic 3.90% Best Conventional 3.78%

Buying decisions & costs

The decisions before the mortgage: rent or buy, ready or off-plan, and the deposits, fees and legal rules that set your real budget.

14 articles in this topic

First steps & decisions

First-time buyer mortgage checklist UAE: what to prepare before you apply First-time buyer mortgage checklist for UAE residents and expats. Documents to gather, deposit requirements, upfront costs, DBR rules, and how to get pre-approved in 3-7 days. Rent or Buy in Dubai: The Real Maths (2026) Break-even is 3 to 6 years. We compare rent vs mortgage in 4 Dubai areas with 2026 rates, upfront costs, and worked calculations. RERA Rental Index Dubai: What It Is and How It Affects Your Decision to Buy RERA Rental Index explained: how the Dubai rental index sets legal rent increase limits, where to check your property's registered rent, and how it shapes the rent-vs-buy calculation in 2026. What is a mortgage? Meaning and how it works in the UAE (2026) A mortgage is a loan to buy property, secured against the home. What the word means, how repayment works, the key terms, and the CBUAE rules in the UAE.

Off-plan & new builds

Escrow Account UAE 2026: How It Protects Buyers UAE escrow account explained: how RERA's Law No. 8 of 2007 forces developers to ring-fence off-plan buyer payments, how to verify a project's escrow, and what happens if a developer fails. Off-Plan Mortgage Dubai 2026: When Banks Lend, LTV Rules and the Real Costs How off-plan mortgages work in Dubai in 2026. When banks will lend on off-plan, LTV caps, construction stage drawdowns, developer payment plans vs mortgages, and the cost comparison. Off-Plan Property UAE 2026 Buying off-plan property in Dubai or the UAE: how developer payment plans work, when banks will lend, the 50% completion rule, Oqood vs title deed, and the risks every off-plan buyer should know. Oqood Dubai 2026: What It Is & How to Register Oqood Dubai explained: the DLD's off-plan property registration system, the 4% registration fee, how Oqood protects buyers, and when it converts to a full title deed.

Costs, deposits & rules

CBUAE mortgage regulations 2026: the rules explained CBUAE Notice 31/2013 sets the LTV caps, the 50% debt burden ratio and the early settlement fee limit on every UAE mortgage. What the regulation actually says, and what banks can't legally do. Commercial mortgage UAE: rates, LTV caps and which banks lend (2026) Commercial property finance from EIBOR + 2% with 65 to 70% LTV. Which UAE banks lend, DSCR rules, and a worked example. DLD Dubai (Dubai Land Department) 2026 The Dubai Land Department explained for mortgage buyers: the 4% transfer fee, mortgage registration, the dubailand.gov.ae website, trustee offices, and every DLD step in a property purchase. Early Settlement Fee UAE Mortgage 2026: What Banks Charge and How to Avoid It UAE banks can charge up to 1% of your outstanding mortgage balance (or AED 10,000, whichever is lower) as an early settlement fee. How the cap works, when it applies, and how to minimise the cost. Ejari UAE 2026: How to Register & Why It Matters Ejari explained: what it is, how to register online or in person, what it costs, the documents you need, and why your Ejari history matters when applying for a UAE mortgage. UAE mortgage down payment 2026: 20% expats, 15% nationals 20% for expats, 15% for nationals on a first home under AED 5M, plus the fees people forget. Worked examples.

More topics

Budget the whole purchase

The calculator includes fees and deposit, not just the monthly payment.

Open the calculator → Check eligibility

💬