OREANDA-NEWS. Until the middle of the 1990’s elite real estate realty did not exist in Moscow as an entity. Most prestigious and most expensive on that moment were what was called Zhekovskiy Dom, which were built in 1960-70’s, reported the press-centre of  Penny Lane Realty.

House on the even side of the Kosigin street until now considered to be very prestigious, mostly because of its location. The standards for the elite real estate in Moscow have began to change rapidly since 1996, when on the Veresaeva street was built first elite house in Moscow. From that time the basic place for the concentration of the apartments of top- class became the regions Of Ostozhenka, Prechistenka, Tverskaya, Arbat. Until now this territory is the focus of the most expensive apartments in the country and one of the most expensive in the world. The cost of new apartments here frequently begins with 15 thousand dollars for 1 sq. m.

The major principle, by which status is defined and, correspondingly, the price of real estate, in the English-language peace they designate as the principle of three L, in the Russian version - three M: location, location and again location. The majorities of Russian customers for “elite” apartments are looking for them; being also guided by this factor. Therefore, although people talk about overpopulation and about other deficiencies of the “golden mile” buyers are assured: the present apartments of top- class are found only here. As the director of the department of elite real estate of Penny Lane Realty Alexander Ziminskiy notes, with this selection “the clients value not only the prestige of region and proximity to the center of Moscow, but also the homogeneous social medium, which was formed in these territories”.

True, that for the past couple of years the regions of elite building in Moscow nevertheless gradually enlarge their boundaries. This is due first of all with the fact that areas in the center convenient for the building began to run low. Then appeared new possibilities for the building at the places of the conclusion of large industrial zones, like factory “Red October” (“Gold Island”) or plant “Natural Rubber” (region Of Plyushchikhi) The territories of the former factories give to developers one big advantage size. “Next to each house it is possible to arrange “the territory for the life”, which according to its qualitative characteristics will correspond to house itself”.

Furthermore, as some experts consider, that Ostozhenka region is strongly overestimated. Sales on “golden mile” are not as active as before. “When the building Of Ostozhenka only began, buyers, in the essence, acquired not concrete apartment, but concept, dream about the gold life on “golden mile”. Now, when concept is personified into the life, some of its components prove to be completely questionable, discusses Kaydo Kaarma. - The basic problem of Ostozhenkia lies in the fact that it is not intended for the family stay, consequantly these executive and business-like apartments most of the time are empty”.

The demands of domestic buyers for elite apartments because of the absence of their own examples were formed, from one side, under the effect of the foreign standards, with another - under the pressure of Russian reality and stereotypes. Hence the discordance of opinions and tastes. “Because of the considerations for safety, many buyers have great desire to live in the populous complexes with protection, fenced territory from the environment, in the large and remote from the ground apartments”. Others for the same reasons prefer the isolated club houses with the face-control and the limited number of neighbors.

One of the last tendencies on the market is connected with “the passage” of top- apartmnets only further from the center and with the appearance of more major multi-apartment projects. New elite houses will further increase in number of floors. Especially as the attitude of buyers toward a large quantity of neighbors also changes. “Certainly, this size is incapable to ensure comfort of stay, inherent to limited number of apartments club houses. But, as show the results of sale of apartments in a number of similar objects, this does not confuse buyers. The clear example of a similar habitable complex is project “Fusion Park”. “The requirements are erased for the large scales projects: is conducted the building of skyscrapers and many-storeyed houses”, However, this position is not approved by all.

As a whole “elite real estate” - the concept is just as misty as “ordinary apartments”. There is the specific collection of associations and requirements, which answers the typical project, but there is no clear signs and boundaries. Situation with the classification is complicated by the fact that realtors and the housebuilders love to pick out subcategories directly in the elite segment. From their names and differences in the inexperienced user it can hurt your eyes. Deluxe, club, VIP- class or class A all these are considered to be designation of elite houses. “Everything, which is close to them, but for whatever reasons does not suffice to “complete elite status”, it is accepted to call them B- class or premium. “The category of project is determined by housebuilder himself. Overstating as a rule, occurs. Frequently in order to sell, it issues “business” for “the elite”, premium for deluxe”.

In the past year, when apartments in Moscow’s market rose in price with the unprecedented speed, elite segment somewhat lagged behind in the middle rates. Its increase was smoother, but steadier. When during the last year's autumn- winter Moscow market arrived into the state of stagnation, “elite” apartments continued gradually to collect in the price. As a whole, last year the cost of this form of housing grew by 70%. There were no such forecasts predicted by any company. As a result in 2006 Moscow entered into tens of the most expensive cities of the world based on the cost of habitable real estate.

The today most expensive proposals in the elite segment are concentrated on the market for already owned apartments, whose owners are willing to rent them out for a high price. Apartments in all known branded houses, such as “Agalarov khaus”, “Stolnik”, “Monolith”, are sold on the price above 30 thousand dollars for 1 sq. m. “It is understandable that this purchase can be compared with the acquisition of expensive automobile, for example Bentley, when the part of the money you pay not for the functionality of machine, but for the brand. Staying in this house together with comfort and convenience in the location assumes specific status, for which the buyer is ready to pay”. According to the data “new quality”, the minimum level of prices on the elite market - 7 thousand dollars, maximum - 37 thousand dollars.

According to the report of the company  Knight Frank for the first quarter of 2007, the mean cost of 1 sq. m on the primary market for elite apartment composed 16,8 thousand dollars, on the second - 19 thousand dollars. The rate of increase in the prices within this period reached 15,4% and 0,8% respectively. As a whole in the first five months of 2007 an increase in the cost on the primary market for elite dwelling was of about 16%. These data attest to the fact that in the elite segment reductions in the prices does not be worth awaiting. They will continue to grow, although it wil not have the same rate of increase as in 2006.