Townhouses are the least expensive, while detached villas, which range from three to six bedroom are costlier depending on price and location. Those with a lake view command the highest tag. DUBAI - Arabstoday   Far away from the heart of Dubai lies one of its most exclusive residential neighbourhoods: Arabian Ranches.With the Dubai Polo and Equestrian Club at its doorstep, the Ranches provides the perfect family home for those who can afford the tag.
\"A three-bedroom townhouse in Arabian Ranches rents at anywhere between Dh115,000 and Dh170,000 annually, depending on location and view,\" says Aine Guilfoyle, Property Consultant at House Hunters Real Estate Brokers.
While that doesn\'t sound like an exorbitant figure, it\'s key to understand that different types of properties command different
prices.

\"Townhouses are the least expensive, while detached villas, which range from three to six bedrooms, increase in price according to size and location. Naturally, detached villas with a golf course and lake view command the highest rents: between Dh180,000 and Dh200,000 annually,\" she says.
Compare that to a rental of Dh90,000 for a similar villa in nearby Mirdif and the difference begs an answer as to why it is so expensive to live in the Ranches.
First off on everyone\'s list of pros is safety. Ranches is a gated community, intended specifically for families, \"with an abundance of community parks, pools, excellent desert golf course and convenient access to Emirates Road towards Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, explains Guilfoyle.
Jo Gowing, a stay-at-home mum from New Zealand wouldn\'t want to live anywhere besides the Ranches. \"I love that it\'s extremely quiet and so far away from the high-rises,\" she says. \"I have a two-year-old son and a 10-year-old dog, so there was no way we could live in an apartment in the heart of the city,\" she says.

Despite the proximity of licensed bars at the Golf and Polo clubs, the largely Western expat community still wish there were more options in F&B outlets. \"Currently, our only choices are outlets in the Village Community Centre,\" says Gowing. \"Although we have Le Marche supermarket here, and a Spinneys in MotorCity, we drive down to Mirdif City Centre, since options in the Ranches are rather limited,\" she says.
Katherine Geskes, a British translator living in a three-bedroom villa in the Ranches, admits that although all the basics are covered, the retail options still leave a lot to be desired.
\"Everything you need on a daily basis is here. If you never left the Ranches, you wouldn\'t die, but you\'d surely be very bored,\" she says.
\"Although it\'s a beautiful community to live in, I sometimes find it a bit bland. Despite its name, there\'s no Arabian touch to the Ranches. This could be just about anywhere in the world.\"