Desk research against primary sources, with the issuing authority linked where a page states an official fee, rule or deadline.
The 12–24 months is not an arbitrary waiting period — it is roughly how long it takes to see a neighbourhood across a full year, sit through a school admissions cycle if you have children, and find out whether the commute holds up once you are working full time rather than viewing flats on a free afternoon. Renting through that stretch costs money you do not get back, but buying before you have those answers risks committing the AED 1M+ entry price to a decision made on incomplete information.
Dubai Hills, Marina and JVC differ enough in character that a year spent in one tells you little about the other two, so treat the rental period as reconnaissance rather than settling for convenience. If you already know your work location and school choice will not change, the calculation shifts — the case for waiting is weakest when your circumstances are the most fixed, and strongest when you moved for a job you are still finding your feet in.
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