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Loans.com.au is now offering loans for self-managed super funds in a bid to capture part of the growing market.
Its SMSF loans offers an interest rate of 4.99% (5.04% comparison rate) – 1% cheaper than the equivalent offered by Westpac.
Upfront fees on properties of less than $1 million include a $600 legal bill, a $150 settlement and a $220 valuation.
The loan is available for residential investment property refinances and purchases up to 80% LVR.
Loans.com.au managing director Marie Mortimer says the SMSF they treat SMSF loans the same as normal residential property loans, with lenders’ mortgage insurance paid by the lender.
“Banks give SMSF loans a different capital weighting because they consider them to be commercial loans,” Mortimer says.
“We don't have a capital weighting on SMSF loans so it’s a normal mortgage deal with the risk spread across our mortgage portfolio rather than a riskier commercial portfolio.''
Government bodies have recently being sounding warnings about growing debt in the SMSF sector.
Both the Reserve Bank and the government have hinted at a <a href="/news">crackdown on the self-managed superannuation sector</a>, with both entities saying they are concerned about the number of property investments being made in the industry.
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awalsh-7Ub9EypybQ

Loans.com.au offers first SMSF loan

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Landlord obligations will severely tighten in Tasmania following amendments to the Residential Tenancy Act being passed by parliament last month.
Landlords are now barred from increasing rents in six month intervals, are required to maintain tenanted properties to a minimum level and must give tenants six weeks notice of eviction.
According to the Tenant’s Union of Tasmania tenanted homes must now be
<ul>
<li>Weatherproof and structurally sound </li>
<li>Clean and in good repair </li>
<li>Equipped with bathroom and toilet </li>
<li>Serviced with a kitchen sink, hotplates and an oven (which can be a microwave)</li>
<li>Supplied with electricity and one fixed form of heating</li>
<li>Provided with curtains (except properties owned by Housing Tasmania)</li>
<li>Adequately ventilated</li>
</ul>
Landlords are now barred from requiring tenants to pay fees to lodge rent.
They may only increase rent in 12 month intervals, up from 6 months.
Landlords must provide 42 days notice for an eviction at the end of a fixed term lease, up from 14.
And landlords may not take photos of properties that identify the tenant.
But landlords may now evict tenants on a non-fixed lease if a family member of the landlord wants to move in while tenants must now give 21 days notice of leaving at the end of a fixed term lease.
According to Tenants Union Victoria the new amendments to the Act will likely commence on July 1st 2014 with some of the minimum standards coming into force as late as 2017.
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Landlord rules overhauled in Tasmania - minimum standards, rental increase limits, six week eviction notice

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LJ Hooker has appointed a Shanghai-based concierge to act as a conduit between Chinese property buyers and Australian and New Zealand vendors.
In a partnership with Chinese property portal Juwai.com, Jessie Zhong will field inquiries from Chinese buyers about LJ Hooker listings and act as a go-between for the local agent.
Zhong will also help arrange property inspections, accompany purchasers on buying trips as translator and advisor and attend Chinese property shows.
LJ Hooker CEO Georg Chmiel says Chinese buyers often need to build a rapport before transacting.
“Chinese individuals tend to emphasize trusted relationships or ‘guanxi’ in making property investments. Having a Shanghai-based Chinese national to help our LJ Hooker agents will enable them to more effectively build these relationships.”
Guanxi refers to the relationships one holds with other people which allows them to call in favours or exert influence on behalf of others. It is similar to the idea of social capital.
Guanxi is integral to successful business in China.
Juwai.com co-CEO Andrew Taylor says while the new service will help Chinese buyers, its biggest impact will be to help Australian vendors find new buyers.
“The Property Concierge will make A-NZ LJ Hooker agents more effective at selling and give them a boost when pitching to vendors for their listings.
Last month Property Observer wrote on <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/marketing-your-property-to-chinese-buyers/2013092465226">how to market your property to Chinese</a> buyers.
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Personal concierge to sell direct to Chinese buyers

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In a sign of recovery for the Gold Coast, Ray White Surfers Paradise sold seven out 10 properties up for auction in the Gold Coast at the weekend with more than $2.5 million of sales.
Three of them sold before auction.
Ray White Surfer’s Paradise CEO Andrew Bell says buyers seem compelled to act sooner rather than later.
“It bodes well for local real estate and shows buyers no longer expect properties to languish on the market, so they’re jumping straight in with offers vendors can’t refuse.
“Competitive bidding of late has seen many properties selling well above reserve, including one property which achieved a sale price 26% reserve earlier this month.”
The auction sales included a four bedroom house in Helensvale which sold for $671,000 and a two-bedroom Paradise Waters apartment in Atlantis West which sold for $430,000.
The properties which sold before auction included a beachfront two-bedroom apartment in the Bahia building for $360,000 and an Ashmore home with a freehold marina berth for $550,000.
Bell says there has been a series of strong auction sales.
“Today’s result is further evidence the long awaited upturn in the city’s property market is well underway,” he said.
“This year the Gold Coast is in keeping with the best markets in Australia and our auction success rates of late are up there with Sydney and Melbourne.”
A recent CBRE report says things are looking better in the Gold Coast.
“The Gold Coast market is finally stabilising, with the perception of good value buying having boosted the prestige market in particular. However, the new unit market remains fragile,” it said on Tuesday.
Herron Todd White’s latest report says Central Gold Coast is firming up.
“Market activity for detached housing (between $0 to $500,000) on the central Gold Coast has been gradually firming over the past six months, with the higher bracket ($500,000 to $1,000,000) remaining slow to steady, however over the past few weeks we are seeing increased sales in the latter price range,” the report says.
“We are even seeing signs of $1 million and above housing market lift in recent months.”
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Gold Coast clearance rates improve: Ray White

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Three Western Australian men have been charged with scamming $6 million from foreign buyers when purchasing six rural properties on their behalf.
The Major Fraud Squad said the three men – a 70 year-old and a 45 year-old from York, and a 43 year-old from South Perth – misrepresented the sale price of properties in the state’s mid west region, and funnelled the profits into other companies.
The sales took place between 2008 and 2011 and were worth more than $17 million.
The trio will appear in the Perth Magistrates Court later this month.
More to come.
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Property scam nets WA trio $6 million

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The Whitsunday area is now at the bottom of the property market and set to rise, according to the latest Herron Todd White monthly report.
It says the market is fairly steady across the board with a shortage of rental houses and a fair demand for new houses and units.
This may mean it’s time for Whitsunday buyers to invest the lazy $500,000 which Herron Todd White previously recommended buyers hold spare.
According to the REIQ, unit prices in the whole Whitsunday area have increased 7.6% over the past year – led by massive increases in Airlie Beach.
The median unit price in Airlie Beach in the year to June 2013 was $434,500, 44.8% greater than the previous year. RP Data puts that figure at 58%.
In Cannonvale REIQ says unit prices fell 4.6% over the past year. RP Data says they fell 10.4%.
In July Herron Todd White said Airlie Beach was seeing an improvement but mainly in the sub $500,000 market.
It said the unit market was close to the bottom of its cycle and could be set for a rebound, though some units were afflicted by very high body corporate fees.
“Last year saw builders and others snapping up the bargain buys of residential land on offer. This has eased the over-supply of land with values firming a little. There is still good land buys available especially in the acreage lots and future development sites,” Herron Todd White wrote in July.
“The Bowen market has eased with investment monies still speculating on future demand by mining and Abbott Point upgrades.
“Real estate in Airlie Beach locality now seems cheap compared to the past few years, but we are still in a bear market. How long will this bear market last is how long to hang onto that lazy $500,000 before investing.”
Cannonvale was recently labelled as one of the biggest turnaround waterfront suburbs in Australia.
Houses prices in the suburb increased 20.25% in the past two years, according to Real Estate Investar. Three to four years ago house prices fell 14.85%.
It’s also one of the highest yielding waterfront suburbs in Australia with two bedroom units yielding 6.68%.
According to PRDNationwide yields across the Whitsunday area were at 4.6% for houses and 4.8% for units in quarter two.
It said activity in the house market overall was slowly increasing to the levels experienced during the stimulus driven period of 2009 but affordability was attracting fly in fly out miners.
“Affordability for units within the Whitsundays is at its highest level since 2003,” PRDNationwide said.
“While the majority of unit sales transact for $299,999 or less (at 68%), there has been a revival of activity for above $700,000 over the second half of 2012, amounting to 17% of total sales. This is up from 7% recorded two years prior.
“It appears that the affordability of this coastal market has attracted many fly in fly out miners to base their young families in the Whitsundays.”
According to RP Data the median unit price has fallen 34.2% over the past five years in Airlie Beach and 31.4% in Cannonvale.
Houses seemed more stable with house prices falling -8.7% in Cannonvale over the past five years.
A two-bedroom unit in Airlie Beach at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-unit-qld-airlie+beach-112885399">57 &amp; 57a5 Golden Orchid Drive</a> is listed for sale at $280,000. Agent Charmaine Potter says the property rents at $470 per week – a yield of 8.73%.
A three bedroom Airlie Beach unit at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-unit-qld-airlie+beach-114617759">3/7 Lamond Street</a> is listed for sale at $310,000. It last sold in 2004 for $250,000.
A three bedroom Airlie Beach unit at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-unit-qld-airlie+beach-111946367">2/9 Hermitage Drive</a> is listed for sale at $275,000. It currently rents at $350 per week – a yield of 6.62%. In 2006 it sold for $280,000.
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Whitsunday at bottom of market

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Sydney home prices increased 0.9% in the past week – the strongest weekly price gain for all capital cities, according to RP Data.
It was well ahead of number two Brisbane, where home prices increased 0.3% in the week ending October 6.
Home prices were unchanged in both Melbourne and Perth and were slightly lower in Adelaide, down 0.1% for the week.
In the past year Sydney had the greatest trend price growth (up 8.5%) followed by Perth (up 7.5%), Melbourne (up 6.0%), Brisbane (up 1.5%) and Adelaide (up 0.7%).
Click to enlarge
<a rel="shadowbox" href="/images/stories/2013/10/08/weekly-oct-9-big.gif" title="Click to enlarge"><img src="/images/stories/2013/10/08/weekly-oct-9-small.gif"></a>
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Sydney home prices jump 0.9% in one week

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The developers of the Palace Theatre site in Melbourne have slashed the height of a proposed tower but this hasn't stopped local music fans stepping up a campaign against the redevelopment.
In late September Jinshan Investment Group revised plans for its apartment and hotel development.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/10/07/w_hotel_08.jpg" width="470" height="292" alt="w_hotel_08">
Red outline indicates previous plans, Source: Urban Melbourne
It has reduced the height from 99.75 metres to 72.25 metres while the setback to Bourke Street has been reduced from 8 metres to 5 metres, according to plans by architecture firm Bates Smart viewed by Urban Melbourne.
This has reduced the $180 million development to 22 storeys, but the general external design remains the same.
There are now just 90 one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, significantly less than the 145 in the previous application. There are still 200 hotel rooms in the development – just five less than before.
The group <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/leisure/melbourne-cbd-s-palace-theatre-sells-for-%2413-million-to-likely-chinese-developers/2012083056312">bought the site in 2012</a> for $13 million <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/commercial/w-hotel-set-for-site-of-melbourne-s-iconic-palace-theatre/2013072963322">and lodged original plans to build a W Hotel</a> on the site in July.
Meanwhile a campaign to save the Palace Theatre, a famous Melbourne music venue, is aiming for 30,000 signatures.
And more than 600 people have indicated they will attend a rally at the State Parliament on October 12.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/10/07/w_hotel_09.jpg" width="470" height="235" alt="w_hotel_09">
Source: Urban Melbourne
Planning Minister Matthew Guy dismissed previous plans in early July, saying the developers were dreaming.
"The developer is dreaming if he thinks the government is going to approve this in the form in which it has been submitted.  It is too tall, it is in the wrong location,” he told ABC Radio in July.
Melbourne Heritage Action, a local action group, objects to the plans.
We believe that it is completely unsympathetic to the heritage values of the Bourke Hill precinct, destroys a building (and a part of a second building) of local heritage significance (and) ignores height controls designed to protect the low scale of the precinct, which help maintain its heritage character,” the group says on its website.
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Palace Theatre plans updated as locals protest

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Workers in the Port of Brisbane are desperately seeking rental accommodation in the area, one local real estate agency would have you believe.
Justin Greacen from Acuity says a booming import-export industry means contractors are working 12 hour plus shifts and need places to live close to the docks.
He says this has increased demand for bayside properties, especially for new properties which require less maintenance.
“The Manly area has historically been characterised by three-bedroom, chamferboard properties. These houses require a lot of maintenance and usually have a single bathroom, so they have not been traditionally attractive for renters who would be required to share bathroom facilities in a multiple-bedroom property,” Greacen says.
“Making new townhouses like Balé Vue Residences, with 2.5 toilets and 2 bathrooms, is a lot more appealing for young, professional people wanting to share accommodation, and has therefore increased interest in the area among potential renters, as well as people wanting to downsize.”
Greacen is currently marketing units Balé Vue (pictured below).
<img alt="maley-west-oct-2-one" height="208" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/10/02/maley-west-oct-2-one.jpg">
But analyst Simon Pressley from Propertyology warns investors not to get too excited.
“That whole precinct is a very important area to Brisbane’s economy. It’s officially Brisbane’s second biggest employment node outside of the CBD itself but that hasn’t changed overnight,” Pressley says.
“That’s always been the case. Going forward as Brisbane’s population grows and as our connection with Asia increases that precinct will take on even greater significance.”
He says the Bayside suburbs aren’t experiencing any great boom and those saying it is have vested interests in selling property.
“The performance of property values is always going to be linked to the capital cities.”
“If Brisbane doesn’t have a spectacular period then the Bayside suburbs won’t either. But I think Brisbane in general is going to have a good three to five years.”
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Port of Brisbane's possible rental boom

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A basement retail space in Collins Street Melbourne has sold for $1.655 million to a private investor.
The 667 square metre site at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-retail-vic-melbourne-500844227">325 Collins Street</a> is leased to a Chinese grocery store until April 2014 with options until 2020. It earns $187,746 per annum plus GST in rent.
It was sold by Fitzroys agents Andrew Hewett and Chris Kombi.
It is in the basement of the Mark Building. The space includes a car space, a storage unit and a toilet.
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Basement Melbourne retail space sells for $1.7 million

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/broadbeach-qld-4218">Broadbeach</a> offers plenty of reasons to live vertically, but moving from a substantial family home into an apartment can expose the compromises of high-density living. Privacy, room for guests and usable living space tend to matter more when an apartment is intended as a permanent home rather than an occasional coastal base.

A typical residential floor at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-eveleigh-broadbeach-7-9-surf-parade-broadbeach-qld-4218">The Eveleigh</a>, on Surf Parade,&nbsp;contains just four apartments. The 94-residence development by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/hirsch-faigen">Hirsch &amp; Faigen</a> is predominantly made up of expansive three-bedroom homes, with a limited collection of half-floor penthouses above.

Across the apartment floors, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a> has used the relatively limited number of residences to give each home greater access to natural light and outlook. Living spaces extend towards full-height glazing, while a series of bay windows frame selected views across the Pacific Ocean, city and hinterland rather than treating the building edge as a continuous wall of glass.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360965]

“The apartment floors deliver a collection of homes that embrace controlled outlook via a series of bay windows deliberately framing moments of view,” Rothelowman Director Kim Lowman said.

From outside, those projecting forms contribute to the tower’s faceted profile. Strong horizontal and vertical elements establish its proportions, while the changing position of the sun alters the light, shadow and reflection across the façade throughout the day.

The same attention moves inside the apartments, where the material palette combines warm timber, natural stone, metallic detailing and softer curved forms. Kitchens sit within the main living zone, with stone island benches, integrated joinery and European appliances, before the living areas extend towards the glazing and the outlook.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360981]

Three genuine bedrooms provide room to accommodate family and guests, while two secure car spaces and storage address some of the practical considerations that can become more noticeable when moving from a larger home. Feedback from the display suite has centred on the warmth and restraint of the interiors, with buyers commenting that the residences feel like homes rather than conventional coastal apartments.

A limited collection of half-floor penthouses occupies the upper levels, increasing the scale of the living spaces and adding private balconies and elevated finishes. From this position, the outlook extends between the ocean and hinterland.

Outside the private residences, The Eveleigh separates its shared spaces between the podium and rooftop. The podium is centred on wellness, with subtropical landscaping surrounding a swimming pool and pool terrace, yoga garden, private gymnasium, sauna and hot and cold plunge facilities. Landscaped retreats and pavilions provide additional places to sit away from the main recreation areas.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360966]

Higher in the building, a rooftop pavilion and private dining suite sit alongside resident lounge, barbecue and outdoor dining areas, opening towards panoramic views across the ocean, city and hinterland.

“Buyers are no longer just looking for an apartment, but a lifestyle where they can relax, reset, and enjoy a balanced way of living,” Hirsch &amp; Faigen Director of Sales Matt George said.

Interest to date has come from established owner-occupiers and interstate lifestyle purchasers, including buyers planning a future move to the Gold Coast. Many are coming from larger homes and want to reduce ongoing maintenance without giving up space for family and guests, privacy, two car spaces or the ability to entertain at home.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360969]

Much of that daily life can also take place beyond the building without requiring a drive. Kurrawa Beach and Pratten Park are an easy walk from Surf Parade, while Pacific Fair, Oracle Boulevard, The Oasis, restaurants, cafés, entertainment and public transport are also within walking distance.

The Eveleigh is Hirsch &amp; Faigen's fourth Gold Coast development since entering the market in 2021, following The Hemingway at Palm Beach, The Emerson at Kirra and Yves at Mermaid Beach. Each of the preceding projects sold out before completion.

“Broadbeach had been on our radar throughout our time operating on the Gold Coast,” the developer said. “Following our projects in Palm Beach, Kirra and Mermaid Beach, Broadbeach represented the natural next step for the business.”

The Surf Parade site brought together proximity to the beach, protected coastal outlooks and walkability to dining, shopping and recreation. Hirsch &amp; Faigen also identified the street as an emerging premium residential address, with enough separation from Broadbeach's busier destinations to retain a quieter environment at home.

The Eveleigh is now under construction by Maxcon, with completion forecast for mid-2028. Three-bedroom residences are currently available from $2.87 million.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=149670]

Joel Robinson

The Eveleigh brings house-like apartments to Broadbeach

A long-stalled Campbelltown development site is back in play, with new plans for 139 apartments set to supersede a mixed-use scheme approved almost a decade ago but never built.

The new proposal for 28 Cordeaux Street would deliver 116 market and 23 affordable apartments in a part 14-storey building, bringing a substantial new project into a Campbelltown market where new apartment supply remains limited.

Plans have been filed over the 3,092 sqm corner site at Moore-Oxley Street, around 600 metres from Campbelltown Railway Station and the city-centre retail core.

The site already carries a mixed-use residential approval dating to 2016. Doroch Architects has now been engaged on a larger replacement scheme, which is progressing as a State Significant Development Application following a Housing Delivery Authority determination in August 2025.

The apartment mix comprises 39 one-bedroom, 72 two-bedroom and 28 three-bedroom residences. Two-bedroom apartments make up just over half of the project, while three-bedroom homes account for 20 per cent.

<img alt="First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="136dd5b9-3791-4da6-9e31-76f533f5b4de" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Campbelltown%20da2.png?VersionId=LgOSy9nwf5u.MGswBBwaGGxuX8QpHSl_" />

Of the 139 apartments, 23 will be delivered as affordable housing under the in-fill affordable housing provisions of the Housing SEPP. The affordable component represents 15 per cent of the residential gross floor area and will be managed by a registered Community Housing Provider.

Doroch has sought to break the scale of the building into two distinct elements, with a masonry podium of around four storeys establishing the street edge before the residential tower steps back above.

The corner position has shaped that approach. Cordeaux Street faces toward the commercial and civic centre, while Moore-Oxley Street leads into the lower-scale residential neighbourhood to the south, and the design verification report describes the site as "bridging the commercial core to the north and established residential areas to the south."

The podium will be expressed predominantly in face brick, while the upper levels shift to brushed and grooved concrete cladding with darker metal detailing. Recessed sections, deep balcony edges and landscaping break down the upper form, with an approximately 11.8-metre setback to the northern boundary addressing the adjoining St Peters Anglican School.

<img alt="First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c8b3d2d3-c561-4bfc-a5d9-a68c0c10dac1" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Campbelltown%20da1.png?VersionId=AeAEyJU02Gk2k5noUj2StziCvdQ7fW4B" />

Campbelltown has been starved of new residential developments in the last decade.

The only other notable development set to come to market this year is ALAND's Queen Square, a mixed-use precinct on over two hectares that will comprise apartments above a vibrant ground-level retail and hospitality dining precinct.

First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site

First Look: Sherlock Construction pitches apartments for low-rise Deception Bay

Queensland builder-developer MAYD has revealed the first look at its major North Kirra beachfront development, lodging amended plans that reduce the number of apartments and increase the proportion of larger residences.

The project is planned across a substantial 4,742 sqm amalgamated site spanning seven lots at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/2-6-pacific-parade-bilinga-qld-4225">2-6 Pacific Parade</a> and 27-33 Golden Four Drive in Bilin​ga, directly opposite Nor​th Kirra Beach.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/mayd-group">MAYD</a> secured the site for $32.5 million in 2025, in what was one of the Gold Coast's largest property transactions of the year.

The development will be delivered across two stages, with the first stage carrying an estimated gross realisation value of around $360 million.

The latest amendments seek to reduce the overall apartment count and shift the project further toward the owner-occupier market, with larger residences designed for buyers wanting considerably more space than traditionally offered in a beachfront apartment.

The residential mix will include townhomes, oversized two-bedroom apartments, substantial three-bedroom residences and four-bedroom homes.

MAYD has appointed Cera Stribley to lead the architecture and interiors, with the Melbourne-based design practice drawing on the beachfront setting through a series of ocean-facing terraces and heavily landscaped balconies.

Strong horizontal forms and curved balconies will define the exterior, with subtropical landscaping integrated throughout the building to soften the built form and increase the connection between the residences and the beachfront.

The project will also include an extensive collection of resident wellness and lifestyle facilities, continuing the broader shift across the Gold Coast's luxury apartment market toward larger homes supported by resort-style amenity.

<img alt="MAYD" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d1bcbb05-e659-4b47-8bd4-1e595315e2ad" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%202.05.03%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=jj0XEud1X1DuLt7_KyElhjMdZGOXmLHP" />

MAYD Founder Todd Mould said North Kirra was increasingly appealing to buyers attracted to the more established, lower-density character of the southern Gold Coast.

"North Kirra presents one of the most compelling luxury residential opportunities currently emerging in Australia, combining absolute beachfront with the character and authenticity that buyers are increasingly seeking, and the same sense of tight-knit community that defined Burleigh and Currumbin perhaps 10 or 15 years ago," Mould said.

"With Gold Coast Airport on its doorstep, it also offers a level of accessibility that broadens its appeal across almost every market demographic."

The project comes as the southern Gold Coast continues to attract an increasing share of high-end apartment development and buyer activity.

Kirra in particular has emerged as one of the region's more tightly held beachfront markets, with its relatively low-density character, established surf and hospitality scene and proximity to Gold Coast Airport differentiating it from the higher-density markets further north.

Mould said those characteristics had informed the approach MAYD and Cera Stribley had taken to the project.

"We've worked closely with Cera Stribley to create a vision that is deeply connected to its surroundings," he said.

"Inspired by the coastline itself, the architecture has been shaped around space, privacy and resort-style living, creating a collection of homes that reflects the next generation of luxury on the southern Gold Coast."

MOTIV Managing Director Carly Cottam, who has been appointed to market the project, said buyer attention had continued to move south along the Gold Coast.

"Purchasers who may once have defaulted to Broadbeach, Main Beach or Surfers Paradise are increasingly recognising the value of a genuine beachfront location that offers lower density, strong amenity and a more established sense of community," Cottam said.

"Kirra has a powerful combination of growing demand and genuine scarcity. Beachfront supply is inherently constrained, the area remains relatively low density, and buyers are increasingly placing a premium on locations that feel established, uncrowded and authentic rather than heavily developed."

Cottam said the proximity to Gold Coast Airport was also proving increasingly important for interstate and second-home buyers.

"Being minutes from Gold Coast Airport makes it particularly compelling for interstate buyers, frequent travellers and second-home purchasers who can access an authentic coastal lifestyle almost immediately after stepping off a flight."

The acquisition takes MAYD's active development portfolio to more than $500 million, with the North Kirra project representing one of its largest undertakings to date.

MAYD is targeting an early 2027 launch.

First look at MAYD's North Kirra mixed-use precinct

<main data-perf-region="main">
Castle Hill, the longtime hub of the Hills District, has been one of the major beneficiaries of Sydney's Metro expansion, with improved connectivity helping drive continued population growth, development and buyer demand across the Hills District.

But despite that growth, the suburb has seen relatively few major new apartment projects brought to market over the past 18 months.

Hills District developer Reve Group is looking to fill that gap with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nova-r-ve-castle-hill-2-garthowen-crescent-castle-hill-nsw-2154">Nova Rêve</a>, a major new mixed-use precinct on the corner of Garthowen Crescent and Old Castle Hill Road, a short walk from Castle Hill Metro Station and Castle Towers.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377679]

The project will comprise three residential towers alongside a hotel, restaurants, cafes and a skybar, more than 1,600 sqm of ground-floor retail and almost an acre of landscaped gardens.

It represents the largest project undertaken by Reve Group, the development arm of the Kassis family, which has been building across the Hills District for more than 30 years through Kassis Homes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377675]

Nova Rêve also represents a significant step up from the family's first apartment development, Grand Rêve, which was delivered nearby on Garthowen Crescent.

Grand Rêve introduced larger, house-like apartment layouts and premium inclusions including Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances to the Castle Hill market.

Nova Rêve takes that approach to a precinct scale, combining the residential component with hospitality, retail and substantial public and resident landscaping.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377685]

Reve Group Managing Director Sam Kassis said the project reflected the family's three decades of building in the Hills, which has evolved from trophy homes on quarter-acre blocks to larger-scale apartment development.

"Grand Rêve was our first apartment project here and it showed us what this pocket of Castle Hill could be. Nova Rêve is the refinement of that idea: not just apartments, but a place the whole suburb can use," Kassis said.

A key part of that approach is the hotel, which has been designed to operate as an amenity for the wider Castle Hill community rather than solely hotel guests.

It will include restaurants, cafes, skybars and all-day dining, alongside conference and event facilities catering to business functions, community groups and private events.

At ground level, more than 1,600 sqm of shops and cafes will open onto the surrounding streets and landscaped areas.

Almost an acre of gardens designed by Land and Form Studios will run through the precinct, incorporating pathways, seating, barbecue areas and children's play spaces.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377680]

Reve Group's Romio Georges said creating an active ground plane had been central to the planning of Nova Rêve.

"There are gardens with pathways, barbecues, seating and play areas, shops and cafes opening onto the street, and a hotel with restaurants and a skybar that anyone in Castle Hill can walk into," Georges said.

The project's elevated position on one of Sydney's highest ridgelines will also provide apartments with outlooks toward the Sydney skyline, surrounding parkland and the Blue Mountains.

More than 80 per cent of the apartments will occupy corner positions, with Turner responsible for both the architecture and interiors.

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[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152737]

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Alistair Walsh

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