The town remains prime destination for Gautengers and even those from other parts of Mpumulanga who seek to escape urban pressures. Every indication is that residents as well as developers and even Government departments, are determined to preserve Dullstroom's 'country village' heritage. By way of example of this, a proposal for a 1000-stand golf estate in the area was recently rejected on environmental grounds and the backers have been asked to return with a more scaled down version. Every home built in Dullstroom has to be approved by the Dullstroom Council for both construction and aesthetic standards. Admittedly the town is now much larger and busier than it used to be, but there is acceptance that there are some compromises to be made if development, wealth and growth are to be accommodated. Fortunately there is sufficient land in the area to ensure generally low densities. For example, the new Lost Valley eco-estate 5km from Dullstroom on the Lydenburg road has no more than 35 stands in a 1000ha area. A further example of a sound development is the Highland Gate Golf and Trout Estate about 18km south east of the town where about 75 percent of the 466 stands have been sold at prices ranging from R800 000 per stand. Infrastructure installation on the estate is well advanced and the first transfers have taken place. In terms of the general residential market in Dullstroom, prices are still reasonable with, for example, a two bed, two-bathroom home selling for about R820 000, ranging up to three-bedroom properties selling for about R1-million. Undeveloped stands meanwhile are selling for between R250 000 to R450 000 for 1000sqm - numbers that are in keeping with much of the rest of the market in Mpumulanga. The image that Dullstroom is overpriced therefore has to be put to rest. And there are still opportunities in the area for developers, notably in the retirement village market where there is a shortage of stock. Further evidence of the robustness of the local market is the fact that private developers are putting up two new shopping centres on the main Lydenburg road to house boutique art shops, coffee houses and restaurants.