Ashiana Housing Scheme has been an exemplary project in the history of Pakistan and especially Lahore real estate. It generated genuine appreciation from people across the country and so far there have not been any reported cases of unfair allotment of houses in Ashiana. Because of Ashiana Homes, hundreds of thousands of poor families will soon have a place to call home.

The popularity of this scheme and piling applications by shelter-less people of Punjab suggested that more such projects need to be initiated. Well, the prayers of poor have been answered as the CM Punjab lately announced that 5 marla residential plots will be distributed among the needy people across Punjab. The focus this time is on the residents of smaller towns and remote villages.

The project was in pipeline from last few months and reports have confirmed that the Government of Punjab is done with selecting the residential plots suitable for this project. Right now, the authorities have included 110,554 residential plots in this scheme and there are fair chances that various similar projects will be initiated during this year.

The most encouraging aspect of this project is that the dwellers of Katchi Abadis are also eligible to claim for their zameen. According to news, it will take a little more than a month for this project to finish. The announced date for the project to begin is 26^th April and it is expected to complete by 30^th March. The officials right now are surveying the chosen plots and verifying the residents of Katchi Abadis.

Just like Ashiana Homes, these residential plots will be aided with complete facilities like water and gas pipelines, electricity and other infrastructure that makes a residential land a sound investment in Pakistan real estate. Computerized balloting for these 5 marla plots will be held on the 6^th of June. Zameen will keep you updated about the project and its details.

Ferozpur is one of the busiest roads in Lahore and connects various important parts of the city with each other as well as with other highways. A diverse range of traffic can be seen here during different parts of the day and night. Many public busses and vans use this route for reaching southern part of the city, as Ferozpur road is the main link between the city and the housing societies newly developed in the south of Lahore. It is believed that these housing societies will benefit from all developments done on Ferozpur Road and experience an increase in their value of real estate in Pakistan.

The maddening traffic here affected thousands and thousands of people who travelled daily on this route and remained stuck for hours at different points on Ferozpur Road. Finally, a flyover was added in the Kalma Chowk in Aug 2011 to lower the traffic pressure. This flyover has reduced the 60% load on that signal and now the chowk is no more packed with heavy traffic of all sorts. All such developments combine to strengthen the value of commercial as well as residential property in Lahore and encourage developers to extend their projects in the southern and western part of the city.

The current Cheif Minister of Punjab Mr. Shahbaz Sharif do not appear satisfied with the traffic condition on Ferozpur Road and believes that a lot more is required to be done in order to lubricate the traffic here. The commitment of the Chief Minister is not limited to fixing the traffic condition on roads but he is determined to deliver fine and flawless public projects to the people at large. He believes that public transport system needs improvement so that people do not feel miserable while travelling on public busses and thus playing their part in reducing the pollution in Lahore and traffic load on its road.

The busy commercial areas on Ferozpur Road are causing traffic issue on both the service lanes and Mr. Sharif has a plan to fix. He said that a parking plaza would be shortly constructed on the Ferozpur Road to address the parking issue. He did not reveal more details about the project but it is very encouraging to note that his efforts are not meant to benefit a particular class or group of people but are directed towards making people’s life easier.

The concept of gated communities is becoming increasingly popular in Pakistan. DHA Valley Islamabad is one of the finest additions among the gated communities located in the federal capital. It falls under the umbrella of Defence Housing Authority and thus enjoys a very strong reputation in Pakistan real estate. The popularity and demand of homes and property in DHA Valley Islamabad is not limited to local buyers, investors, and brokers but a lot of queries have been made by the overseas Pakistanis in the community Forum at Zameen.

DHA Valley Islamabad is synonym to living a luxurious and secure life stamped by the most reliable and popular housing society of Pakistan i.e. DHA. Once the development work finishes in DHA Valley, the residents here will enjoy a green, fresh, secure, and fully facilitated lifestyle that would meet international standards. These promises have enticed the overseas Pakistanis to book a plot or two here and construct their houses in the highly secure city of Pakistan as soon as they shift to Pakistan. Many of these overseas Pakistanis have dual nationalities but they still pick Pakistan as the country they will ultimately head to. Their interest in the property here is not just an expression of their love but an attempt to support the real estate sector of their homeland.

The development work is on in DHA Valley at a faster pace and there are various Pakistan estate agents listed at Zameen who deal exclusively in DHA Valley Islamabad properties. The planned development in this society include a Harvard International Medical University, Mega Malls, International Standard School System, Jacaranda Family Club, underground wiring, Soan Marina and most of all round the clock maintenance services. Greenbelts, parks, and artistic landscaping dominate the society and offer a wonderful atmosphere for the families as well as business executives. The very location of DHA Valley Islamabad makes it nicely away from the rush and usual hustle bustle of big cities and yet close enough to be accessed from the adjoining areas of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Any investment in DHA Valley Islamabad would be worth it.

Ashiana Housing Project is one of its kinds in the history of Pakistan real estate. The transparency of the project, as claimed by those who have received the keys of their houses in Ashiana, is inspirational. The very idea of owning a house in a big city was far-fetched by countless government servants, widows, labours, private employees, and disabled people let alone having it in a society that offers complete amenities required for a secure and comfortable life. With such high quality construction, well-planned infrastructure, and raving facilities, Ashiana Housing Society truly is a dream come true for the low-income families.

The popularity and demand of the project has called for the expansion of the scheme. In 2009, what started as a 480 houses block in Atari, Lahore has spread to other cities of Punjab, including Sargodha, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Sahiwal, Jehlum, and Faisalabad. New land has been purchased by the Government of Punjab in the mentioned cities as well as in other areas of Lahore real estate. Ashiana Qaid, at Sabora Atrai has delivered all the 480 houses to the deserving candidates selected through highly transparent scrutiny in July 2011. The concerned authorities have promised that each Ashiana Housing project would include hospitals, industrial areas, schools, colleges and universities, public transport and all related state of the art welfare features.

At Ashiana Qaid, the extension work has begun and another batch of 2,000 houses is to be delivered by the due time. This extension includes five marlas plots and all 935 plots will be allotted to the right candidate through fair balloting system. To accommodate the increasing demand for plots and houses in Ashiana Projects in Lahore, Ashiana Iqbal has been planned. The number of houses in Ashiana Iqbal would be 8,000, which is double the number of houses in Ashiana Qaid but the applications received for the new allotments are normally 20 times more than the available units. This data shows that highly robust construction work and detailed planning would be required to deliver the very best of this dynamic project as well as benefit the business of properties in Pakistan.

Property in Islamabad have always been considered a secure investment and there are countless reasons behind it. Few years ago, property in the adjoining areas of Islamabad were available on cheaper rates but their prices sky rocketed quickly and various small villages are now transforming into chic housing societies linked with the city through highways. Most of the plots and houses in the societies near Islamabad and Rawalpindi are either booked or sold. Same is the case with properties in the premises of the Capital. As soon as new plots are announced in new sector and sub sectors of Islamabad, countless application mount, showing the value and demand of properties in Islamabad.

The Capital Development Authority invited application for plots in Sector G-6 and by the last day, about 1,700 applications were received for 1,120 available plots. The size of these plots varied, ranging between 111 and 2100 square yards and most of the applications were received for bigger plots. Among these applications, quite many were for the 666 square yard plots, which were only 48 in number. The management and the real estate experts are quite satisfied with response from people and are hopeful to witness similar activity in Pakistan real estate. The next step in plot allocation is sorting the applications. For the plots that have received more applications, a lot will be held to keep the process fair.

For the CDA as well as real estate agents, the public response to these applications was very surprising. Since the applications were to be submitted with 10% down payment of the plot, it was quite astonishing the number of applications received was much more than the available plots. The vision for city’s expansion was conceived few years ago and the public response to this confirms that Islamabad needs more space to accommodate the people interested in living and investing here. Sector G 6 is one of the 38 sectors, which are planned for the city’s expansion. CDA will invite applications for the residential and commercial property in Islamabad‘s sector F in next couple of months.

Be it cultural or political front, Lahore has always been able to grasp much attention. There are various great things associated with this city including spicy food spots, historical buildings, lush gardens, famous colleges, lively people and of course the flourishing Lahore real estate. All of these traits have been source of pride for the residents of Lahore and force of attraction for the international investors. Many foreign projects are running successfully in Lahore making the city very safe and conducive for foreign investment. Several similar projects are under consideration and some have now moved from papers to ground.

Khamas Group, one of the prominent real estate developers from UAE, is among the companies interested in investing in Lahore real estate. Director of Khamas Group of Companies, Salah Khamas, believes that Lahore is the city of opportunities therefore the company plans to finalize a $100 million investment deal in residential sector of the city. According to Khamas, Lahore has been offering him a homey ambience from the last more than 25 years that is why he believes that investing a $100 million here would be a great idea as well as a safe investment. The company intends to invest in other cities, including Karachi, Islamabad and Gwadar, too.

Some of the details of the project were revealed by the director while talking to a local newspaper. According to him, the planned housing project will include playgrounds, commercial markets, residential areas, parks, community centres, and recreational areas and many other modern facilities. The reducing unrest in the country is motivating the company to extend the range of its investment in country and it hopes that the Government of Pakistan will ensure further stability in country’s social, political, judicial, and economic sector. Khamas Group believes that Pakistan property has lots of potential for foreign investment and the indicators show that robust investment will soon be witnessed in this sector.

It was interesting to note that the group is targeting low-income people through this planned housing project in Lahore. Not only this, the very project will create new jobs in Lahore as all the man power, experts and professionals will be hired from Pakistan and the company will only use the logistics moved here from the UAE.

Those of you who are familiar with the project already know just what kind of an architectural marvel the Centaurus Towers Islamabad is. Although the building is still under construction but the experts believe once it’s finished, it will be the most high profile project in the history of Pakistan real estate. The gigantic structure is designed to stand alongside three towers and will be accompanied by a magnificent shopping mall upon its completion. Like many other modern structures erected in Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore, among other cities of Pakistan, the Centaurus Towers Islamabad will be mixed purpose buildings.

The design of the building may seem outrageous to some but it is just as practical as the architectural design of any other building. WS Atkins, which is a renowned international company, has designed the structure which, upon its completion, will tower over the nearby structures. In case you have not heard of WS Atkins, it is the same company, which designed the world famous Burj Al Arab, as well as the honour of designing the extension of Masjid al-Haram. Like almost all of their other structures, Centaurus Towers Islamabad is a mega project which is scheduled to be completed by 2014.

The highest tower of this multi purpose building will house a total of forty one floors, which is surely good enough to get it a good ranking amongst some of the tallest structures in Pakistan. Centaurus Towers, upon completion, will be three buildings comprising of corporate offices, state of the art apartments and a five star hotel. All three of the towers will be connected via a shopping mall that will stretch the length of all three towers. The total estimated cost of the project is $350 million.

Karachi, the biggest city of Pakistan, is constantly expanding but the good news is that this expansion is well planned. With new housing projects targeting the middle class, the city promises more homey accommodation to the oodles of people interested in living here. Naya Nazimabad City, the most raved about housing society project has been initiated by the private sector of Karachi. This project was launched in Nov 2011 and is expected to complete in a decade’s time. The authorities have claimed that Naya Nazimabad City Phase-I will be ready by 2015.

Naya Nazimabad City, which is spread over a land of 1200 acres is located near Federal B. Area and is at 20 min drive away from the Water Pump Chowrangi. Although this society does not target the elite and residents of posh areas like DHA and Mohammad Ali Housing Society but it pledges to offer the similar facilities and lifestyle. Targeting the middle class and offering them above standard services is a newer trend in Pakistan and experts are of the view that this practice will remain very successful. With Manghopir lake on one side and hills on the other, the location of Naya Nazimabad City is ideal. The stakeholders of Pakistan real estate are quite hopeful to see some serious activity in this sector.

According to initial reports, this society will house 300,000 people in flats and single story structures. The number of houses, which will be constructed under strict scrutiny and administration of the authorities, is not final yet because the count depends on the demand. Just like every good housing society, Naya Nazimabad City will have state of the art infrastructure, well-equipped hospitals, quality education institutes, and other recreational centres. People planning to invest in Karachi real estate finally have an affordable and secure option in form of Naya Nazimabad City where administration is all committed to take the due responsibility and protect their investment.

To ensure security and preserve the calm environment of the society, Naya Nazimabad City will be gated and about 150 men from Frontier Constabulary will do the security checks and gate keeping. The price set for property and houses in Naya City is much reasonable. One can get a 160 square feet single story house in 30 Lacks and the debt component is set to be 12 Lacks. The investors looking for sound opportunities to cash good returns from properties in Pakistan should keep a check on Naya Nazimabad city and make the right move at the right time.

Recently the executive board of Defence Housing Authority Karachi has unveiled the final master plan for the DHA City Karachi, a project that will be completed on 11640 acres of land. The land for this project was obtained in 2005 and it consists of more than 27000 residential and commercial plots . This project will be built on Super Highway and its construction plan will take another 5 to 10 years to complete.

This is a mega project, which is expected to boost the value of Karachi real estate. Real estate investors and landlords in Karachi are upset due to the recent wave of violence that has hit Karachi. The target killing and lawless and chaotic situation in Karachi are forcing families to vacate houses withhold any real estate investment in Karachi and move to other peaceful cities like Lahore and Islamabad.

According to a recent report, due to this influx of the people in Lahore, Karachi real estate has lost some of its value. The value of Lahore real estate, on the other hand has gone up by almost 30%. However, Karachi due to being the largest city and the main business hub of Pakistan still holds great charm in its real estate sector. The recent unveiling of DHA master plan has showed that Karachi estate agents are confident about the potential of Karachi real estate and through this mega projects they are expecting better times ahead.

As this is the mega residential and commercial project, it would be completed by the end of 2030. However, the action plan for the initiation and running of the project will begin by the end of 2012. The primary infrastructure would be ready by 2015 and project would be half done by  2020.

This project is expected to provide quality living to the people of Karachi. All luxuries like community centres, educational centres, green spaces, efficient transport system, walk, and cycling paths are a part of the project. Moreover, security of the area and closer proximity to the main Highways in Karachi make it a spectacular housing scheme.

Investors, for whom the DHA Lahore was the main attraction, are considering DHA Karachi to be a more magnificent project that is expected to surpass DHA Lahore with respect to quality and value of structures. This mater plan spells as good news for the Karachi real estate investors and they are expecting better times ahead!

Bahria Town real estate developers are one of the few land developers who have kept the heart of Pakistan real estate beating. Even amazing is that despite recession, inflation and real estate slump, housing societies launched by Bahria Town receive much attention and maintained good rates. It has been inspirational for the other spurring land developers who would have otherwise been inactive due to deteriorating Pakistan real estate. Now many housing societies are developing on the same standards set by Bahria Town and offer similar facilities but the sort of trust and faith buyers have in Bahria Town’s project, no other housing could earn it.

Bahria Education & Medical City is one of the most raved about housing societies in Lahore. Its convenient location, linked with all major parts of the city like Model Town, DHA and Multan Road, make it highly desirable for the buyers. The society is at 30min drive from Kalma Chowk. The idea of living away from heavy traffic, noise and usual tiring city life and yet being close enough to reach certain destinations in less time, attracts investors and buyers.

Bahria Education & Medical City’s primary feature is its International Standard Educational and Medical Complex with a spacious hospital where specialized doctors and highly skilled professionals are on panel. Since the educational and medical complexes are the focus of this housing scheme, the size of residential plots is kept 5 marlas. The scenic value of each plot is mesmerizing. Wide and lush green belts are kept by the trained gardeners and special plants and trees are planted there to keep the atmosphere fresh and healthy.

The education complex includes an international school and University Medical College where qualified professionals and world’s best teaching facilities promise a sound learning environment for girls and boys. The Medical Complex is a 500-bedded hospital equipped with state of the art technology and specialized doctor.

Since the activity in commercial properties in Pakistan is low, the residential societies have to offer all such facilities, which convince the buyers to make an investment there. Therefore it is very much expected that other prominent housing society will follow the footsteps of Bahria Town this time as well.