My Own Home takes you inside a reader-owned property to ask how much they paid, why they decided to buy and what they have done with it since moving in
Ericka and Jim Mansfield moved to the UAE two years ago from Colorado, US with their daughters Mika, 9, and Summer, 16.
The entrepreneur couple, who founded electric scooter company ScootUp, bought their Dh8.3 million four-bedroom apartment at Address Beach Residences before they even arrived, getting a head start on their Dh2 million renovations.
Two years later and they’ve loved every minute of living in what Ericka describes as her “baby”, but now they’re ready to move to a villa elsewhere in Dubai, having recently listed the property for just under Dh15 million.
The National takes a tour.
Please tell us about your property
Ericka Mansfield: We have a four-bedroom apartment at Address Beach Residences in JBR, so we have great views. On one side you can see JBR, while on the other you have Dubai Marina.
It’s right in the middle of everything, so we can walk to coffee shops, restaurants, hotels.
Why did you choose to live in these hotel residences?
Ericka: The big reason we decided to live here with our two daughters is so each of them could have their own bedroom, which they had a hand in designing. One of them is a Lego-themed room. They have a lot of Lego projects around here, including a 10,000-brick one of the Colosseum.
At the time, we were the first owners here. It was a new building, which we really like. We liked the fact it is connected to the hotel, so we have a lot of amenities and they’re great.
Jim: We actually own another three-bedroom apartment that we bought off-plan, but we decided it was too small to live in, so we started to look at four bedrooms.
We looked at one in JBR and some places in the Marina. This one just seemed like the best value and size and lay-out. It’s 2,500 square feet and it uses the square footage well.
How have you renovated the space?
Ericka: We remodelled the entire place when we bought it to make it more liveable.
There’s a lot of storage. I challenged the contractor to put in as much storage as possible, so we have a lot of hidden areas in the walls that can hold things like suitcases and shoe racks.
We remodelled the kitchen completely, too, to make it bigger. We built in things we’re used to in the States, like a really big refrigerator, a built-in coffee maker, wine storage.
In our master bedroom, we get the views of JBR and the Marina, so we added a TV in the ceiling that comes up and down, so we wouldn’t ruin the view.
We just tried to make it feel really homely.
Jim: There are two areas for sitting and watching TV. We have a dining area. We also closed off the middle space so that the big main living room has more privacy. It all took about five months.
What was your experience with your contractors?
Ericka: We got really lucky and we hired a contractor through a friend who recommended them to us. They were really amazing to work with.
Especially since we were abroad, we had to do a lot of work and make a lot of decisions remotely. They were very, very good and very thorough.
It took a bit longer than we had hoped, but I guess that’s the world of contracting.
I also worked with a designer who was amazing and could see my vision and really implemented it to the T.
What facilities do you have access to?
Ericka: We have a pool downstairs and also a gym. I was there this morning – I’m at the gym most mornings.
If we want, we can also use the hotel facilities as well, which are separate to ours. You can either sign up or just pay as you go, but it’s nice to have those available.
There are also several restaurants there and the lobby is nice for food and coffee. We can use the Emaar app and get discounts.
Why did you choose this neighbourhood?
Ericka: We’d stayed in the Marina before and we liked it. It’s convenient for most places in Dubai. The kids’ schools are very close. And when it’s not peak holiday time, it’s easy to get to Sheikh Zayed Road.
Having kids, we also love to be at the beach.
Jim: We were also looking for investment value. We looked at other places, such as Downtown, but for us it’s convenient and a better location for an apartment.
Having the scooter business, especially living in JBR, everybody has scooters, because it makes it really convenient to get around.
Ericka: It’s also really nice here in January and February, or in the holiday months, because we can sit out on our balcony and have dinner and get the fireworks shows every night. During the Dubai Shopping Festival, there’s also a drone show like every night at 7pm.
Another time there was a skydiving competition and we were just sitting here and felt like we could just reach out and touch these skydivers who were landing right out there on the beach.
Those things have been unexpected, but really, really cool. It’s like, where else would you ever be where you could see this from your balcony? Only in Dubai.
Why have you decided to move?
Ericka: After living here for a little bit with our daughters, even though they love it here, we want to experience villa living.
Now we’re exploring different areas in the city.
What will you miss most about this place?
Ericka: It feels like my baby. I had a hand in all of the design. It just really feels like our space. And if we left the JBR/Marina area, we won’t have all the things around us that are so easy and convenient.
As much as we want a villa, it probably won’t be the same kind of experience, which I think will take some getting used to, but life’s about changes.
What is an ETF?
An exchange traded fund is a type of investment fund that can be traded quickly and easily, just like stocks and shares. They come with no upfront costs aside from your brokerage's dealing charges and annual fees, which are far lower than on traditional mutual investment funds. Charges are as low as 0.03 per cent on one of the very cheapest (and most popular), Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, with the maximum around 0.75 per cent.
There is no fund manager deciding which stocks and other assets to invest in, instead they passively track their chosen index, country, region or commodity, regardless of whether it goes up or down.
The first ETF was launched as recently as 1993, but the sector boasted $5.78 billion in assets under management at the end of September as inflows hit record highs, according to the latest figures from ETFGI, a leading independent research and consultancy firm.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five largest providers BlackRock’s iShares, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisers, Deutsche Bank X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
While the best-known track major indices such as MSCI World, the S&P 500 and FTSE 100, you can also invest in specific countries or regions, large, medium or small companies, government bonds, gold, crude oil, cocoa, water, carbon, cattle, corn futures, currency shifts or even a stock market crash.
UAE Rugby finals day
Games being played at The Sevens, Dubai
2pm, UAE Conference final
Dubai Tigers v Al Ain Amblers
4pm, UAE Premiership final
Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Jebel Ali Dragons
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: BorrowMe (BorrowMe.com)
Date started: August 2021
Founder: Nour Sabri
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce / Marketplace
Size: Two employees
Funding stage: Seed investment
Initial investment: $200,000
Investors: Amr Manaa (director, PwC Middle East)
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Thailand v UAE, Tuesday, 4pm (UAE)
TV: Abu Dhabi Sports
Asia Cup 2018 Qualifier
Sunday's results:
- UAE beat Malaysia by eight wickets
- Nepal beat Singapore by four wickets
- Oman v Hong Kong, no result
Tuesday fixtures:
- Malaysia v Singapore
- UAE v Oman
- Nepal v Hong Kong
Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Tickets
Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Result
Qualifier: Islamabad United beat Karachi Kings by eight wickets
Fixtures
Tuesday, Lahore: Eliminator 1 - Peshawar Zalmi v Quetta Gladiators
Wednesday, Lahore: Eliminator 2 – Karachi Kings v Winner of Eliminator 1
Sunday, Karachi: Final – Islamabad United v Winner of Eliminator 2
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
THE DETAILS
Director: Milan Jhaveri
Producer: Emmay Entertainment and T-Series
Cast: John Abraham, Manoj Bajpayee
Rating: 2/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10
Tell-tale signs of burnout
- loss of confidence and appetite
- irritability and emotional outbursts
- sadness
- persistent physical ailments such as headaches, frequent infections and fatigue
- substance abuse, such as smoking or drinking more
- impaired judgement
- excessive and continuous worrying
- irregular sleep patterns
Tips to help overcome burnout
Acknowledge how you are feeling by listening to your warning signs. Set boundaries and learn to say ‘no’
Do activities that you want to do as well as things you have to do
Undertake at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. It releases an abundance of feel-good hormones
Find your form of relaxation and make time for it each day e.g. soothing music, reading or mindful meditation
Sleep and wake at the same time every day, even if your sleep pattern was disrupted. Without enough sleep condition such as stress, anxiety and depression can thrive.
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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