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<a target="_self" title="AFL chairman Mike Fitzpatrick buys in South Yarra" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/afl-chairman-mike-fitzpatrick-spends-close-to-%249-million-in-south-yarra/2011062750616"><img src="/images/stories/9.jpg"></a>
The amount AFL chairman <a target="_self" title="AFL chairman buys in South Yarra" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/afl-chairman-mike-fitzpatrick-spends-close-to-%249-million-in-south-yarra/2011062750616">Mike Fitzpatrick and his wife, Helen, spent on their South Yarra hous</a>e in the Domain precinct this week. The sale price was undisclosed but is believed to be close to $9 million.
 
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<img src="/images/stories/485ha.jpg"> 
The combined number of hectares of <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/rural-and-regional/tassie-dairy-farms-draw-mainland-green-investment/2011062650611" target="_blank">two Tasmanian dairy farms</a> snapped up by the Sustainable Agricultural Fund this week. The mainland investment fund was attracted to the farms because of Tassie's clean environment.
 
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<a target="_blank" title="Rents robust, housing slides slightly" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/rents-robust-but-house-prices-slide/2011063050658"><img src="/images/stories/point3.jpg"></a>
 
Australia's capital <a target="_blank" title="Rents robust but housing prices slide" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/rents-robust-but-house-prices-slide/2011063050658">city growth for the month of May</a>, according to RP Data. House prices in every capital city except Sydney declined.
 
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<a target="_self" title="Nicole Kidman's property given reprieve" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/nicole-kidman-s-highlands-retreat-given-reprieve-%E2%80%93-for-now-%E2%80%93-as-coal-company-shifts-exploratory-holes/2011062850631"><img src="/images/stories/2num.jpg"></a>
 
The number of exploratory bore holes Cockatoo Coal has <a target="_blank" title="Kidman's property gets reprieve" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/nicole-kidman-s-highlands-retreat-given-reprieve-%E2%80%93-for-now-%E2%80%93-as-coal-company-shifts-exploratory-holes/2011062850631">admitted to repositioning</a> following <a target="_blank" title="Coal mine fears for Nicole Kidman" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/coal-mine-anxiety-for-nicole-kidman-s-sutton-forest-property/2011062150555">media scrutiny</a> of the news that two of its 120 bore holes in the Southern Highlands would be on the perimeter of Nicole Kidman's Sutton Forest property. The company now says it has repositioned the two holes that were originally supposed to be on Kidman's perimeter, but will not say when it decided to move the holes or how many other holes have been repositioned. 
 
<hr>
<a target="_blank" title="Vineyard sales bring grape expectations" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/vineyard-sales-bring-grape-expectations-from-asian-investors/2011062750626"><img src="/images/stories/5m.jpg"></a>
 
The price hopes for the <a target="_blank" title="Vineyard sales bring grape expectations" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/vineyard-sales-bring-grape-expectations-from-asian-investors/2011062750626">Pettavel Vineyard</a>, in Warrun Ponds, Victoria. Pettavel is one of two wineries in the region being sold by receivers.
 
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/brisbane-market-saturated-with-apartments/2011062950651"><img src="/images/stories/26.jpg"></a>
 
The number of months it would take to sell <a target="_blank" title="Brisbane market saturated" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/brisbane-market-saturated-with-apartments/2011062950651">Brisbane's current stock </a>of units at current clearance rates, according to the latest Midwood Investment report.
 
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/time-s-up-for-unlicensed-mortgage-brokers/2011063050660"><img src="/images/stories/1in5.jpg"></a>
The number of mortgage brokers who have <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/time-s-up-for-unlicensed-mortgage-brokers/2011063050660">left the industry</a> in response to new ASIC regulations that require all mortgage brokers to hold licences.
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cknowlton-QnEa6ntUYP

The 7 must-know numbers of the week

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<a target="_blank" title="Brisbane clocks in at bottom of market" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/brisbane-clocks-in-near-bottom-of-market/2011060350400"><img src="/images/stories/five.gif"></a> 
Brisbane's time on <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/brisbane-clocks-in-near-bottom-of-market/2011060350400/Page-9" title="Brisbane clocks in at bottom of market" target="_blank">Property Observer's property clock</a>. Experts say the residential market is at the bottom of its cycle, and they see a good opportunities for investors going into the next upswing.
 
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/aussie-home-buyers-deeply-in-debt-but-paying-it-off-fast/2011060950452" title="Aussies deeper in debt, but paying it off quickly" target="_blank"><img src="/images/stories/fortyfive.gif"></a>
The percentage of Australian home oweners who <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/aussie-home-buyers-deeply-in-debt-but-paying-it-off-fast/2011060950452" title="Aussies overpay their mortgages" target="_blank">overpaid their mortgages</a> last year.
 
<a target="_blank" title="Chicago Willis Tower" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/international/chicago-s-willis-tower-on-the-market/2011060650422"><img src="/images/stories/oneoheight.gif"></a>
The number of storeys in <a target="_blank" title="Chicago's Willis Tower" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/international/chicago-s-willis-tower-on-the-market/2011060650422">Chicago's Willis Tower</a>, which is 18% empty and looking for a buyer or investor.
 
<a target="_blank" title="America: buyer beware" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/america-buyer-beware/2011060550325"><img src="/images/stories/sevenhundredthousand.gif"></a>
The<a target="_blank" title="America: buyer beware" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/america-buyer-beware/2011060550325"> number of foreclosures </a>during the first quarter of 2011 in the United States.
 
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/commercial/sydney-s-pitt-street-third-most-expensive-in-the-world-for-retail/2011060150362" title="Sydney's Pitt Street retail rents" target="_blank"><img src="/images/stories/three.gif"></a>
Sydney's Pitt Street's ranking in a CBRE list of the <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/commercial/sydney-s-pitt-street-third-most-expensive-in-the-world-for-retail/2011060150362" title="Pitt Street third most expensive for retail" target="_blank">most expensive retail rents in the world</a>.
 
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/aussie-commercial-investors-like-their-chances/2011060750424" title="Aussie real-estate executives like their chances" target="_blank"><img src="/images/stories/fortyeight.gif"></a>
The percentage of Australian real-estate executives who are <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/aussie-commercial-investors-like-their-chances/2011060750424" title="Aussie real-estate execs like their chances" target="_blank">optimistic about their portfolios</a>.
 
<a target="_blank" title="Interest rates hold steady" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/interest-rates-hold-steady-at-4.75/2011060750429"><img src="/images/stories/fourpointsevenfive.gif"></a>
The current interest rate, after the <a target="_blank" title="Rates hold steady" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/interest-rates-hold-steady-at-4.75/2011060750429">RBA decided not to lift rates </a>this month.
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<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/brisbane-serviced-apartments-fill-up-while-coast-empties-out/2011071150767"><img src="/images/stories/83.jpg"></a>
<div>The occupancy ratio of <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/brisbane-serviced-apartments-fill-up-while-coast-empties-out/2011071150767">serviced apartments in Brisbane</a> during the March quarter of 2011, according to ABS figures. This is in contrast to the lacklustre residential market, which continues to languish with flat or falling prices and low buyer interest.</div>
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<div><a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/the-block-sticks-with-made-in-melbourne-formula/2011071150759"><img src="/images/stories/3025.jpg"></a></div>
<div>The amount Channel 9 spent on <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/the-block-sticks-with-made-in-melbourne-formula/2011071150759">four unrenovated terraces in the Melbourne suburb of South Melbourne for next year's season of </a><a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/the-block-sticks-with-made-in-melbourne-formula/2011071150759">The Block</a>. The current series of the renovation reality show is set in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond and has proved a ratings winner. Previous seasons have been based in Sydney.</div>
<div>
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<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/sir-richard-bransons-noosa-getaway-for-hire-%E2%80%93-for-%2417000-a-night/2011071150769"><img src="/images/stories/17.jpg"></a>
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<div>The amount per night it will <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/sir-richard-bransons-noosa-getaway-for-hire-%E2%80%93-for-%2417000-a-night/2011071150769">cost a party of 22 guests to stay in Sir Richard Branson's Makepeace Island</a> off the Sunshine Coast. </div>
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<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/upper-hunter-mining-town-retail-gem-suffers-15-price-slide/2011071250778"><img src="/images/stories/15per.jpg"></a>
</div>
<div>The price slide for the <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/upper-hunter-mining-town-retail-gem-suffers-15-price-slide/2011071250778">Campbell's Corner retail premises in the Upper Hunter mining town of Muswellbrook</a>. The town council bought the building for $3.2 million, and it last sold in 2005 for $3.8 million. </div>
<div>
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<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/consumers-reluctant-to-pay-for-mortgage-broking-services/2011071250771"><img src="/images/stories/61.jpg"></a>
</div>
<div>The percentage of <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/consumers-reluctant-to-pay-for-mortgage-broking-services/2011071250771">consumers who said they would not be willing to pay a fee to use the services of a mortgage broker</a>, according to a survey of 1,050 people by Mortgage Choice. Brokers have traditionally not charged consumers for their services, being paid commissions by lenders instead.</div>
<div>
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<img src="/images/stories/43.jpg">
</div>
<div>The decline in the volume of land sales between the March 2010 quarter and the March 2011 quarter, according to HIA-RP Data. The volume of land sales hit a historic low in the March 2011 quarter.</div>
<div>
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<img src="/images/stories/2800.jpg">
</div>
<div>The size of the former Borders site in Chapel Street, in the inner-Melbourne suburb of South Yarra, now being considered by clothing retailer Topshop. It is understood that Topshop is also considering taking over the former Borders site in the Melbourne shopping centre of Chadstone.</div>
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<a target="_blank" title="Alexandria top suburb for investors" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/alexandria-ranks-as-top-investment-suburb-survey/2011072550899"><img src="/images/stories/7percent.jpg"></a>
The annual growth of house prices in <a target="_blank" title="Alexandira" href="/news">Alexandria</a>, NSW, according to RP Data. Alexandria was <a target="_blank" title="Alexandria number one suburb for investors" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/alexandria-ranks-as-top-investment-suburb-survey/2011072550899">named the number-one suburb for investors</a> by Your Investment Property Magazine.
 
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<a target="_blank" title="Adelaide's smallest block" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/adelaide-s-smallest-block-sells-for-%24205000/2011072550907"><img src="/images/stories/90sqm.jpg"></a>
 
The size of <a target="_blank" title="Adelaide's smallest block sells" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/adelaide-s-smallest-block-sells-for-%24205000/2011072550907">Adelaide's smallest inner-city block</a>, which sold last week for $205,000.
 
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<a target="_blank" title="Woollomooloo wharf sale" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/woolloomooloo-wharf-restaurant-offerings-comes-with-%2425-million-hopes/2011072750928"><img src="/images/stories/25m.jpg"></a>
 
The prices hopes for the premises of<a target="_blank" title="Woolloomooloo wharf restaurants for sale" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/woolloomooloo-wharf-restaurant-offerings-comes-with-%2425-million-hopes/2011072750928"> three high-prolife restaurants on the iconic Finger Wharf in Woolloomooloo</a> being sold on behalf of property investment syndicate Quantum Group. The four lots are the premises of Manta, Kingsleys Steakhouse and Otto Ristorante, and expressions of interest close August 25.
 
<hr>
 <a target="_blank" title="Sale of $14 million apartments indicate tide has turned in Noosa" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/sale-of-%2414-million-apartments-as-tide-turns-for-better-in-noosa/2011072650927"><img src="/images/stories/14m.jpg"></a>
 
The sale price for<a target="_blank" title="Sale of $14 million in Noosa" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/sale-of-%2414-million-apartments-as-tide-turns-for-better-in-noosa/2011072650927"> two beachfront three-bedroom Noosa apartments out of a triplex that sold recently</a>. The sale could mark a resurgence in the Queensland region's luxury market, which has been struggling of late.
 
<hr>
 
<a target="_blank" title="Charter Hall battle" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/proxy-votes-in-charter-hall-office-reit-battle-line-up-to-reject-takeover-proposal/2011072750930"><img src="/images/stories/68.jpg"></a>
The percentage of unit holders who <a target="_blank" title="Charter Hall battle" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/proxy-votes-in-charter-hall-office-reit-battle-line-up-to-reject-takeover-proposal/2011072750930">voted against a proposal by Orange Capital to dump Charter Hall</a> as the responsible entity for the Charter Hall Office A-REIT. Mark Wist, senior asset consultant at Atchison Consultants, says the vote could be seen as a “barometer for sentiment in the A-REIT space” indicating little appetite for change.
 
<hr>
 
<a target="_self" title="Melbourne office sales" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/melbourne-office-sales-to-reach-%242-billion-in-2011-colliers/2011072750932"><img src="/images/stories/2bill.jpg"></a>
The <a target="_blank" title="Melbourne office sales to reach $2 billion" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/melbourne-office-sales-to-reach-%242-billion-in-2011-colliers/2011072750932">sales volume expected for Melbourne offices in 2011</a>, according to Colliers. “The reasons for Melbourne being the hottest office market in Australia will not change overnight. The fundamentals of our economy are very healthy and the medium-term forecast for office rental growth in the CBD is very strong,” says Nick Rathgeber, director of institutional investment services at Colliers.
 
<hr>
<a target="_blank" title="Higher than expected inflation" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/higher-than-expected-inflation-figures-could-trigger-rates-rise/2011072750934"><img src="/images/stories/0point9.jpg"></a>
 
The <a target="_blank" title="Inflation rate higher than expected" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/higher-than-expected-inflation-figures-could-trigger-rates-rise/2011072750934">inflation rate for the June quarter</a>, according to the ABS. This is higher than what economists had predicted, and <a target="_blank" title="Australia has an inflation problem" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/trends/economy/australia-has-an-inflation-problem-and-higher-interest-rates-are-the-only-way-to-fix-it/2011072850943">most</a> now think the <a target="_blank" title="Rates likely to go up next week: RBA" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/trends/economy/rates-likely-to-go-up-next-week-anz/2011072850954">RBA will raise rates</a> in the near future. 
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<a target="_blank" title="Cemetery plot for $200k raises grave fears for Melbourne's affordability" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/cemetery-offering-for-%24200000-grave-concerns-over-melbourne-affordability/2011080150979"><img src="/images/stories/155k.jpg"></a>
The price for an 1866 <a target="_blank" title="Cemetery plot for sale" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/cemetery-offering-for-%24200000-grave-concerns-over-melbourne-affordability/2011080150979">burial vault in Melbourne General Cemetery</a>. The price was initially gazetted at $200,000 by the Department of Health but has since been reviewed. The plot raises grave concerns about Melbourne affordability.
 
<hr>
<a target="_blank" title="Fears for Freo retail" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/fears-for-freo-retail-as-myer-considers-skipping-town/2011080250992"><img src="/images/stories/40years.jpg"></a>  
The amount of time Myer has been in East Freemantle, but now that its lease is almost up <a target="_blank" title="Fears for Freo retail" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/fears-for-freo-retail-as-myer-considers-skipping-town/2011080250992">the retail giant is considering skipping town</a>. Councillors are making a last-ditch appeal to ask Myer, which occupies only two floors of its four-storey building, to reconsider and remain in the town to help its ailing retail market.
 
<hr>
<img src="/images/stories/25k.jpg"> The number of <a target="_blank" title="The Block opens draw thousands" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/thousands-flock-to-the-block-opens/2011080150976">people who went to the open for inspection</a><a target="_blank" title="The Block opens draw thousands" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/thousands-flock-to-the-block-opens/2011080150976">s</a> for the four cottages featured on the Channel 9 reality show The Block the first weekend they were open.
 
<hr>
<img src="/images/stories/10000new.jpg"> 
<img src="/images/stories/plus.jpg">
<img src="/images/stories/7000.jpg">
The amount of money first-home buyers who purchase new homes in Queensland can expect to receive in <a target="_blank" title="Government grants" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/government-property-grants-by-the-numbers-state-by-state/2011080150974">government grants</a>. 
 
<hr>
<a target="_blank" title="Cold Chisel Jimmy Barnes sells" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/jimmy-barnes-lists-highlands-weekender-on-eve-of-cold-chisel-tour/2011080251008"><img src="/images/stories/2point5m.jpg"></a>
 
The price Cold Chisel frontman Jimmy Barnes <a target="_blank" title="Jimmy Barnes Cold Chisel to sell" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/jimmy-barnes-lists-highlands-weekender-on-eve-of-cold-chisel-tour/2011080251008">hopes to achieve for his Berrima weekender</a>, which he has put on the market ahead of Cold Chisel's upcoming national tour.
 
<hr>
<a target="_blank" title="Leonardo DiCaprio" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/new-south-wales/leonardo-dicaprio-struggles-to-find-sydney-s-west-egg-for-gatsby-filming/2011080451026"><img src="/images/stories/30k.jpg"></a> The amount of money actor <a target="_blank" title="Leonardo DiCaprio" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/new-south-wales/leonardo-dicaprio-struggles-to-find-sydney-s-west-egg-for-gatsby-filming/2011080451026">Leonardo DiCaprio is looking to spend per week </a>on a rental property in Sydney while he films the Baz Luhrman-directed Great Gatsby. DiCaprio will play the title role and is reportedly looking for a harbourside property with a sports court.
 
<hr>
<a target="_blank" title="Discount mortgages gain ground" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/discount-mortgages-gain-ground-as-one-big-switch-passes-10000/2011080351011"><img src="/images/stories/10000new.jpg"></a>
 
The number of  <a target="_blank" title="Discount mortgages gain ground" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/discount-mortgages-gain-ground-as-one-big-switch-passes-10000/2011080351011">people who had signed up to the One Big Switch campaign</a> to look for cheaper mortgages in the first two days. The campaign initially had hopes of signing up 1,000 borrowers.
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<a target="_blank" title="East meets West with $8 million sale" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/east-meets-west-with-sale-of-%248-million-northern-beaches-heaven/2011081051101"><img src="/images/stories/8m.jpg"></a>
The amount Wombat fashion chain founder <a target="_blank" title="East meets West in $8 million sale" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/east-meets-west-with-sale-of-%248-million-northern-beaches-heaven/2011081051101">Clair Jennifer secured for her 2.2-hectare resort-style property Heaven</a>, in Ingleside, NSW.
 
<hr>
 
<a target="_blank" title="Carbon tax" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/more-than-half-of-potential-home-buyers-put-off-by-spectre-of-carbon-tax/2011080851067"><img src="/images/stories/57per.jpg"></a>
The percentage of potential home buyers who say the proposed carbon tax is<a target="_blank" title="Carbon tax" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/more-than-half-of-potential-home-buyers-put-off-by-spectre-of-carbon-tax/2011080851067"> dicouraging them from purchasing</a> property in the next year, according to an online poll by mortgage broker Loan Market.
 
<hr>
<a target="_blank" title="Mining magnate buys Perth's second-most expensive house" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/mining-magnate-buys-perth-s-second-most-expensive-house/2011080751060"><img src="/images/stories/39m.jpg"></a>
 
The amount mining magnate Steve Wyatt <a target="_blank" title="Perth second most expensive house sold" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/mining-magnate-buys-perth-s-second-most-expensive-house/2011080751060">spent on the former Dalkeith mansion built for 1980s entrepreneur Alan Bond</a>. It is Perth's second-most expensive sale, with the $57.5 million sale of Angela Bennett's riverfront mansion to Wyatt's business associate Chris Ellison the most expensive.
 
<hr>
<a target="_blank" title="Rents increase in Sydney" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/inner-sydney-rents-up-%2440-a-week-over-the-past-year/2011080951084"><img src="/images/stories/8.jpg"></a>
 
The annual<a target="_blank" title="Sydney rent increase" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/inner-sydney-rents-up-%2440-a-week-over-the-past-year/2011080951084"> average increase in rents in Sydney's inner ring</a>, according to RP Data. Rents went up by 7.3% across Sydney during the year.
 
<hr>
<a target="_self" title="Commercial sales increase" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/melbourne-leads-commercial-boom-as-foreign-investors-step-in/2011081051102"><img src="/images/stories/127per.jpg"></a>
 
The percentage<a target="_blank" title="Commercial sales" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/melbourne-leads-commercial-boom-as-foreign-investors-step-in/2011081051102"> increase in commercial sales during the June quarter</a>, according to Real Capital Analytics. Offshore buyers provided 42% of the capital, and more than half of these funds flowed to Melbourne.
 
<hr>
<a target="_self" title="Hotspot: Broome" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/hotspots-broome-market-turning-around/2011080951098"><img src="/images/stories/6per.jpg"></a>
 
The increase in house prices in the <a target="_blank" title="Hotspot: Broome" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/hotspots-broome-market-turning-around/2011080951098">WA suburb of Broome</a> during the June quarter, defying the WA trend of falling house prices. In the March quarter Broome prices were down 9.1%, so the June figures could indicate that the market is turning around. 
 
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<a target="_blank" title="Brighton bathing box" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/pre-sprint-test-for-brightons-bathing-box-market/2011081151120"><img src="/images/stories/190k.jpg"></a>
 
The price hopes for a <a target="_blank" title="Brighton bathing box" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/pre-sprint-test-for-brightons-bathing-box-market/2011081151120">Brighton bathing box that is set for September 3 auction</a>. A new box fetched a record $260,000 earlier this year. 
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<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/take-two-auction-frenzy-as-only-one-offering-left-on-the-block/2011082351266" title="Investors mop up The Block" target="_self"><img src="/images/stories/922.jpg" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial;"></a>
The price a Melbourne investor paid for <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/take-two-auction-frenzy-as-only-one-offering-left-on-the-block/2011082351266" title="Investors mop up The Block" target="_blank">Rod and Tania's cottage from the Channel 9 reality renovation show The Block</a>.  Another Melbourne investor bought the final property, Josh and Jenna's double-fronted offering, for $1 million. Neither buyer had attended Saturday night's Block auction, where both properties failed to sell.
 
<hr>
 
<a target="_blank" title="Garry Lyon fails to sell" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/garry-lyon-fails-to-sell-hawthorn-home-at-weekend-auction/2011082151234"><img src="/images/stories/3point5.jpg"></a>
The vendor's bid when AFL star <a target="_blank" title="Garry Lyon fails to sell" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/garry-lyon-fails-to-sell-hawthorn-home-at-weekend-auction/2011082151234">Garry Lyon's house was passed in</a> at auction last weekend. Lyon paid $2.74 million for the Hawthorn home in 2005.
 
<hr>
 
<a target="_blank" title="Former owner jumps at Friendly Inn" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/former-owner-jumps-at-opportunity-to-buy-back-friendly-inn/2011082251247"><img src="/images/stories/201.jpg"></a>
The price former owner <a target="_blank" title="Peter Thompson buys Friendly Inn" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/former-owner-jumps-at-opportunity-to-buy-back-friendly-inn/2011082251247">Peter Thompson paid for the Friendly Inn</a>, in Kangaaroo Valley. The pub had been in receivership since 2011, and last sold for $3.67 million in 2005.
 
<hr>
<a target="_blank" title="Wategos Bay listing" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/wategos-beach-listing-to-test-byron-bay-price-rebound/2011082351265"><img src="/images/stories/7point5.jpg"></a>
 
The price hopes of a <a target="_blank" title="Wategos Beach" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/wategos-beach-listing-to-test-byron-bay-price-rebound/2011082351265">two-bedroom cottage in Wategos Beach</a>. The house itself is not pictured in its marketing campaign, which is based on the location alone. The sale could test the recent price rebound in Byron Bay.
 
<hr>
<a target="_blank" title="Former spruiker's directorship ban upheld" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/former-property-spruiker-s-five-year-directorship-ban-upheld/2011082351264"><img src="/images/stories/5.jpg"></a>
The amout of time former <a target="_blank" title="Former property spruiker banned" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/former-property-spruiker-s-five-year-directorship-ban-upheld/2011082351264">property spruiker Dudley Quinlivan is forbidden from becoming a company director</a>. Quinlivan had appealed the ban to the High Court, which found against him. Quinlivan was long regarded as at the vanguard of selling overpriced southeast Queensland properties to mum and dad investors.
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<a target="_self" title="Auction volumes down" href="/news"><img src="/images/stories/24.jpg"></a>
 
The <a target="_blank" title="Auction volumes down" href="/news">percentage of homes sold in June that were taken to auction</a>, according to RP Data. In June 2010 that figure about 30% of homes were taken to auction.
 
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<a target="_blank" title="New home building in the doldrums" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/new-home-building-slumps-in-june-quarter/2011082451276"><img src="/images/stories/47.jpg"></a>
 
The <a target="_blank" title="New home building in doldrums" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/new-home-building-slumps-in-june-quarter/2011082451276">fall in the value of residential construction undertaken during the June quarter</a>, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
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<a target="_blank" title="UK's most expensive property" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/uk-s-most-expensive-home-rumoured-to-have-sold-for-%C2%A3140-million/2011081451149"><img src="/images/stories/140m.jpg"></a>
The rumoured price of the <a target="_blank" title="UK's most expensive property" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/uk-s-most-expensive-home-rumoured-to-have-sold-for-%C2%A3140-million/2011081451149">UK's most expensive property, which sold to a Russian oligarch</a>. The Oxfordshire property at Remenham on the Thames River at Henley was once the home of King George II's son Frederick, Prince of Wales.
 
<hr>
<a target="_blank" title="Paradise Waters auction" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/paradise-waters-auction-could-put-wind-in-luxury-market-sales/2011081551156"><img src="/images/stories/6725.jpg"></a>
 
The price of a property in <a target="_blank" title="Paradise Waters sale" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/paradise-waters-auction-could-put-wind-in-luxury-market-sales/2011081551156">Paradise Waters, on the Gold Coast, that sold </a>earlier this week. It might be a sign that the luxury market on the Gold Coast is turning around, after years of stagnant growth.
 
<hr>
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/former-equititrust-boss-mark-mcivor-lists-popov-designed-gold-coast-home/2011081651176" title="Mark McIvor Equititrust" target="_blank"><img src="/images/stories/50m.jpg"></a>
The Nerang River frontage of the <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/former-equititrust-boss-mark-mcivor-lists-popov-designed-gold-coast-home/2011081651176" title="Mark McIvor lists" target="_blank">Alex Popov-designed house recently listed by former Equititrust boss Mark McIvor</a>. His Gold Coast home on Cronin island sits on a 1,736-square-metre block. McIvor resigned from besieged Equititrust, which he founded, in June 2011.
 
<hr>
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/prime-minister-julia-gillard-seeks-new-sydney-office-digs/2011081751191" title="Julia Gillad" target="_blank"><img src="/images/stories/96.jpg"></a>
 
The number of car spaces in the <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/prime-minister-julia-gillard-seeks-new-sydney-office-digs/2011081751191" title="Julia Gillard office" target="_blank">Bligh Street, Sydney premises the federal government is considering moving its offices into</a>. The six-star green building's bike racks and showers, combined with the paucity of car spaces, are expected to encourage workers to ride or take public transport to work.
 
<hr>
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/couples-save-for-just-over-four-years-for-first-home-deposit/2011081751192" title="First home buyers" target="_blank"><img src="/images/stories/4point1.jpg"></a>
 
The amout of time, on average, it takes a <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/couples-save-for-just-over-four-years-for-first-home-deposit/2011081751192" title="First home buyers" target="_blank">couple to save for a deposit for their first home</a>.
 
<hr>
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/absentee-investor-alert-nigerian-scammers-sell-%24410000-house-they-didnt-own/2011081751195" title="Nigerian property scam" target="_blank"><img src="/images/stories/410k.jpg"></a>
 
The amount of money <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/absentee-investor-alert-nigerian-scammers-sell-%24410000-house-they-didnt-own/2011081751195" title="Nigerian house scam" target="_blank">Nigerian scammers whisked away to a Chinese bank account</a> after selling a house they did not own to an unsuspecting buyer.
 
<hr>
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/vera-wang-buys-in-beverly-hills/2011081851214" title="Vera Wang" target="_blank"><img src="/images/stories/92.jpg"></a>
 
The amount of money (in USD) that fashion designer <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/vera-wang-buys-in-beverly-hills/2011081851214" title="Vera Wang" target="_self">Vera Wang spent on a glass-walled house in Beverly Hills</a>.
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<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/sa-vineyards-up-for-sale-as-downturn-puts-the-squeeze-on-wineries/2011071850831" title="SA vineyards up for sale" target="_blank"><img src="/images/stories/953.jpg"></a>
The combined size of <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/sa-vineyards-up-for-sale-as-downturn-puts-the-squeeze-on-wineries/2011071850831" title="SA wineries up for sale" target="_blank">six South Australian vineyards being offloaded by Cheviot Kirribilly Vineyard Property Group</a>. The organisation says deteriorating market conditions has forced it to sell the assets. “In crude terms grape growers must now ‘find a route to market’ for their products,” Chevriot says in its ASX note.
 
<hr>
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/bank-of-melbourne-entices-customers-with-1-mortgage-rate-discount/2011071850842" title="Bank of Melbourne offers 1% discount" target="_blank"><img src="/images/stories/1percent.jpg"></a>
 
The <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/bank-of-melbourne-entices-customers-with-1-mortgage-rate-discount/2011071850842" title="Bank of Melbourne offers 1% discount" target="_blank">discount on the standard variable mortgage rate being offered by new Westpac offshoot Bank of Melbourne</a> for new customers who sign up for multiple products. “We will reward customers for the depth, breadth and quality of their banking relationship with Bank of Melbourne,” says chief executive Scott Tanner.
 
<hr>
<img src="/images/stories/77.jpg"> 
The <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/brisbane-hotel-sector-recovering-as-occupancy-hits-77/2011071850836" title="Brisbane hotel sector recovering" target="_blank">occupancy rate for Brisbane hotels</a>, which are undergoing a recovery driven largely by coporate travel. Occupancy rates in January, just after the floods, was 60% in the Queensland capital, and takings per room per night have increased from $163 to more than $200. Hotels and resorts on the Gold Coast, however, are not enjoying the same recovery, as the tourism industry is still waning.
 
<hr>
 
<img src="/images/stories/8226.jpg">
The number of new home loan commitments by first-home buyers for the month of May 2011. RP Data predicts that the slowdown in first-home buyers entering the market will lead to robust rental growth and falling rental vacancies. 
 
<hr>
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/august-20-auction-set-for-first-of-the-block-s-cottages/2011071950856" title="August 20 auction set for The Block cottages" target="_blank"><img src="/images/stories/800k.jpg"></a>
 
The price hopes for the <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/august-20-auction-set-for-first-of-the-block-s-cottages/2011071950856" title="August 20 auction set for The Block cottages" target="_blank">first of the four cottages featured in the Channel 9 hit The Block to be marketed on the internet</a>. It is estimated that the house cost about $1 million to buy and renovate, but Channel 9 is happy to make its money from big-name advertisers, rather than flipping property for profit. All four cottages will be auctioned on August 20. 
 
<hr>
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/sydney-prime-offices-to-yield-20-returns-for-investors-cbre/2011072150869" title="Sydney prime office tipped to net 20% yields" target="_blank"><img src="/images/stories/20percent.jpg"></a>
 
The total returns on <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/sydney-prime-offices-to-yield-20-returns-for-investors-cbre/2011072150869" title="Sydney prime office space tipped to net investors 20% yields" target="_blank">Sydney prime office space by 2012</a>, as forecast by CB Richard Ellis. The company says as fewer incentives are offered to tenants in this market and the capitalisation rate compresses, building valuations will go up, and with them, rental yields.
 
<hr>
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/bankruptcy-drama-for-theatre-entrepreneur-michael-edgley/2011071950844" title="Bankruptcy drama for Michael Edgley" target="_blank"><img src="/images/stories/7m.jpg"></a>
 
The amount theatre impressaio <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/bankruptcy-drama-for-theatre-entrepreneur-michael-edgley/2011071950844" title="Bankruptcy drama for Michael Edgley" target="_blank">Michael Edgley, who has filed for bankruptcy, owes his creditors</a>. Edgley, who brought acts like Moscow Circus and Cirque du Soleil to Australia, took out a $4.5 million loan for a Lower Beechmont property in 2007. Receivers sold the property earlier this year for $2.35 million.
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<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/falls-creek-snow-bargains-for-the-brave-beautiful-and-blinkered/2011082951319" title="Ski auction" target="_blank"><img src="/images/stories/30k.jpg"></a>
The price for the least expensive of <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/falls-creek-snow-bargains-for-the-brave-beautiful-and-blinkered/2011082951319" title="Ski auction" target="_blank">77 ski properties in the Victorian snow fields that were sold</a> at a no-reserve auction last week. The properties were sold by developer Morry Schwartz, and the buyers ranged from cashmere-wearing ski bunnies to rough-and-tumble snowboarders.
 
<hr>
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/economy/commonwealth-bank-expects-rates-to-rise-other-banks-not-so-sure/2011082951320" title="Commonwealth bank expects rate rise" target="_blank"><img src="/images/stories/025.jpg"></a>
 
The amount by which the <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/economy/commonwealth-bank-expects-rates-to-rise-other-banks-not-so-sure/2011082951320" target="_blank">Commonwealth Bank expect the Reserve Bank of Australia to raise interest rates</a> in November. However, ANZ and NAB expect rates to remain on hold for quite some time, whereas Westpac expects a rate cut.
 
<hr>
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/international/christina-aguilera-loses-almost-%2440000-selling-her-house/2011082951335" title="Christina Aguilera" target="_blank"><img src="/images/stories/400thou.jpg"></a>
 
The amount, approximately, that <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/international/christina-aguilera-loses-almost-%2440000-selling-her-house/2011082951335" title="Christina Aguilera" target="_blank">Christina Aguilera lost when she sold her Sunset Strip, Hollywood house </a>for about $4.65 million this week. She bought the property for an even $5 million in 2003.
 
<hr>
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/even-building-award-winners-finding-the-market-tough/2011083051345" target="_blank"><img src="/images/stories/8.jpg"></a>
 
The <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/even-building-award-winners-finding-the-market-tough/2011083051345" title="Fall in new home sales" target="_blank">fall in new home sales for the July quarter</a>, according to HIA. New home sales are now at their lowest level since 2000.
 
<hr>
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/international/eureka-penthouse-hoped-to-fetch-sky-high-price/2011083051361" title="Eureka tower" target="_self"><img src="/images/stories/13m.jpg"></a>
 
The price hopes for the <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/international/eureka-penthouse-hoped-to-fetch-sky-high-price/2011083051361" title="Eureka Tower sale" target="_blank">84th-floor penthouse in Melbourne's Eureka tower</a>, which will go on sale next month. The penthouse is nearly 300 metres above ground.
 
<hr>
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/disgraced-property-spruikers-plead-guilty-and-cry-poverty/2011083051348" title="Disgraced property srpuikers" target="_blank"><img src="/images/stories/49point4c.jpg"></a>
 
The amount on the dollar that <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/disgraced-property-spruikers-plead-guilty-and-cry-poverty/2011083051348" title="ACR " target="_blank">creditors of disgraced Australian Capital Reserve property spruiking company received</a>. Three of ACR's directors have pleaded guilty to charges of fraud ahead of their criminal trials. Two are living in multimillion-dollar houses but have claimed to have no assets.
 
<hr>
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/leonardo-dicaprio-gets-his-sydney-tennis-court-for-gatsby-shoot/2011083151370" target="_blank"><img src="/images/stories/10k.jpg"></a>
 
The amount per week actor <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/leonardo-dicaprio-gets-his-sydney-tennis-court-for-gatsby-shoot/2011083151370" title="Leonardo DiCaprio" target="_blank">Leonardo DiCaprio will pay per week to rent a property in Vaucluse </a>while he films the titular role in Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of The Great Gatsby in Sydney.
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<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

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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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Cassidy Knowlton

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