I am in DUBAI in the United Arab Emirates, where my husband (an architect) is designing exciting new projects.  It’s an architect’s dream world here, where if you conceive it, they will build it.  In fact, our condo overlooks one of those dream buildings – in fact, the world’s TALLEST, the Burj Khalifa in Downtown Dubai.  Everywhere you look are buildings the likes of which you’ve never seen before.  It’s like Oz – or Disneyland – in the desert.

So I am now an international real estate agent working both here in Dubai AND in Atlanta, and travelling back and forth on a regular basis.  But to be certain my clients in Atlanta are well taken care of while I am away, I have paired up with the Cathy Lamon Team at Keller Williams Buckhead.  Cathy has been a Realtor for more than twenty years and is, with me, one of the top agents in the city.  Cathy, her husband Bob Seymour, and assistants Brenda Plaugher and Robin Wyman will be my “feet on the ground” in Atlanta when I am in Dubai.  So please continue to call me for your real estate needs and to send me your referrals!   Here is a picture of the team:

I will be back and forth for a while, but we will move back permanently to Atlanta in the future.  We have kept our home and three investment properties there, and it will always be HOME.

Now, more about Dubai.  I will answer the questions I get asked most often first.

(1) is it safe?  YES.  Dubai is a melting pot of people around the globe.  It is an oasis of tolerance and very fun and exciting place to live.  There is very little crime here.

(2) do you have to cover up?  NO.  Although it is a Muslim country, only ten percent of the people here are from here.  As mentioned before, there are people here from all over the globe.  I wear my normal clothes.

(3) Can you drive there?  YES.  I will be free to drive where I please and they even drive like we do – on the right hand side of the road.

Dubai is a very friendly and welcoming place and there are fascinating things to see and do everywhere you look.  It’s on the Persian Gulf, so there are miles and miles of beaches.  In fact, Dubai likes beachfront so much they built more of it.  The PALM ISLAND is a man built peninsula and is filled with condos, villas, and luxury hotels.  And there are many other fascinating areas.  For instance, the Marina has skyscrapers that have sprung up along the waterfront.  There are free trade zones where it is easy for American companies to open (no corporate income tax).   One of those is Media City, where I work (at Keller Williams Dubai) and where CNN is also.  There is no income tax here, and the U.S. will exclude some of the money we make here from our taxable income, so there are great tax advantages.

I am excited about our new adventure.  Please come see me in Dubai!  If you would like to follow our adventures, please subscribe to my blog, www.yousaydubai.com – and please never hesitate to call or email me for help with Atlanta real estate (or real estate anywhere!) or to pass along your referrals!