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Do you have the renovation chops to make it on TV? More importantly, have you ever thrown a punch? (It will make sense later.)
After watching Adam and Lisa’s triumphant comeback earlier this week with perfect scores all round, some viewers may be considering a crack at the reality TV show. Now’s your chance – applications are open for the third season of House Rules.
Property Observer perused the application forms for the show (don’t worry, there are no plans to don the overalls). We were glad to see that questions are a good deal less comprehensive than <a href="/expert-insights/building/want-to-join-the-block-2015-heres-how-to-apply">those put to contenders for The Block</a>, though we assume the process from couch to televised construction site is a long one.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the show, both you and your team member must be over 18 years old on the day of your application. You both also need to be Australian citizens or permanent residents for at least two years. While it might look like everything happens in a flash on television, contestants need to commit to a filming period of up to three to four months. Those who can’t take time off work need not apply.
Personal info
The application begins with the basics: Each person must fill in their name, contact details, occupation and previous education or work experience. While all the teams this season are partners, it looks like Seven is open to colleagues, siblings or friends competing together as well.
About You
While The Block wants to know your dream job, the highs and lows of your relationship and what brings you to arguments, House Rules is thankfully a little less intrusive. You’re asked to describe how you and you team mate met. You’re also asked who makes the big decisions and who has an eye for design – hopefully Seven is looking to shake up the “men build, women shop” trope built over previous seasons.
Contestants must detail any renovation, building and trades experience they have and explain why they would enter a home reno show.
Seven also casts a careful eye over your history, asking whether you have appeared in any other TV shows and if you have any criminal charges or convictions, or whether you’ve been subject to any non-judicial disciplinary hearings or tribunals.
If you’re prone to a blow up beyond the standard reality TV “I can’t do it anymore!” and storm out, you might be out of the running. The application also asks whether you’ve ever hit anyone in anger or self defense and to provide details if so.
You also have to detail anything that might stop you from physically working on a construction site.
About your home
Of course, it’s not all about you (and your partner). It’s also about your house. While Seven is obviously after a home that’s a <a href="/expert-insights/building/channel-7s-house-rules-returns-for-season-two">little worse for wear</a>, there’s a lot more that goes into picking the perfect makeover subject.
Seven wants to know your address, how many people live at your home (perhaps hoping for another <a href="/expert-insights/building/tasmanias-biggest-bedroomed-home-listings-for-house-rules-brady-bunch-style-families">Brooke and Grant situation</a>) and how long you’ve been living there.
They need to know who owns the property, when the house was purchased, its purchase price and the current mortgage – after all, that’s what the channel will have to cough up if you win. You need to state the current value of the house and how old it is, with details of any renovations.
You will have to describe the current condition of the home – if this season is anything to go by, the shabbier the better.
Then there are the practicalities of filming a television show. Is the property within 100 metres of a school? Is it under a flight path? Are there any restrictions to access on the property? Will your fellow contestants have to contend with asbestos or lead based paint?
You also need to say whether you’ve submitted any development application plans for the property, and describe your design style.
Photos and videos
Then comes the audio/visual component. Applicants need to submit photos of their home’s exterior and just about every room inside. You’re also encouraged to submit a copy of its current layout, along with a proposed house layout. Seven also encourages contestants to submit a video tour of their home, but it’s not compulsory.
Interests and hobbies
At this stage, you’re given a list of hobbies and interests to check off. They range from the obvious (renovation and design, sport, fashion) to the bizarre (medical).
Terms and conditions
No matter how passionate you are about renovating (or having your mortgage paid off), a few details can kill your application before it’s even been submitted.
In particular, you can’t be an employee or associated with any news or media outlet, including a web based media outlet, either in Australia or elsewhere (unfortunately ruling Property Observer out). If you, a family member or anyone living at your house has been an employee, officer, director or agent of Seven or its affiliates in the past two years, you’re also out.
At this stage, Seven also notifies you that you won’t be paid for your audition and that you’ll behave yourself once you’re there.
While you won’t be signing over your life if you sign up for House Rules, you will be signing over your medical details. All contestants must agree to a medical or psychological test including a drug and prohibited substances screen and a communicable disease check-up, with information from the test handed over to the producers.
For those worried about being edited in an ugly light (a common complaint from Steve of The Block: Fans v Faves), you might have good reason:
“The Producers will own the copyright in the Recording and may edit the Recording in any way and may synchronise the audio from the Recording with other visual images and the vision from the Recording with other audio.”
So if you do throw your hat in the ring, don’t complain if you end up looking like a dill in front of your friends.
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jrichardson-uRX5hFdKfN

House Rules season three: Do you have what it takes?

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Being the trustee of a self-managed super fund (SMSF) gives you the opportunity to manage your own superannuation investments and make your own investment choices.
As the trustee and member of a SMSF, you can have full control over how your retirement savings are invested, whether you want returns from property, shares or even art and collectables.
If you’re thinking of setting up a SMSF, your duties as a trustee will include devising an investment strategy, accepting contributions and paying benefits.
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is the authority of SMSFs, enforcing the majority of regulations and restrictions that apply to the investment strategy. This morning Peter Iordanidis of the ATO provided an overview of SMSFs for trustees. 
Some top tips to ensure your fund is compliant:
<ol>
<li>
 Understand the sole purpose of your fund As a trustee, you must ensure that the sole purpose of your SMSF is to provide for its members in retirement. Even if you use a professional to do certain tasks on your behalf, you still must comply with super and tax laws to protect your members’ assets. To ensure that you get the full tax concessions available to SMSFs, you must pass the sole purpose test. Your investment decisions should be based on increasing returns to your fund. You need to consider diversification, risks and likely returns from your assets. You also need to consider your members’ needs and circumstances – even if you are the only member. For example, if you’re nearing retirement age, you may want to change your SMSF asset mix to include more low risk, low reward investments.  
</li>
<li>
Make sure you don’t get any benefit pre-retirement… With post-retirement benefits the sole purpose of your SMSF, you must ensure that you don’t use the fund to get any current day benefits, or you face penalties including the loss of your tax concessions, fines up to $220,000 or up to five years’ jail time. Trustees are prohibited from dipping into their funds to pay for bills, school fees or for any non-retirement investments. As a trustee you are prohibited from borrowing money from the SMSF pre-retirement (with some exceptions) and all transactions made with your SMSF must be made “at arm’s length”. Trustees must make and maintain investments on a strict commercial basis, while the purchase and sale prices of fund assets should always reflect true market value. You can use your SMSF to invest in a wide variety of assets, even art and collectables. You can use your fund for artwork and collectables, but you cannot enjoy a direct or indirect benefit from the investment by displaying it in your home or business prior to retirement. 
</li>
<li>
…And your family doesn’t either A fund is prohibited from lending money to a member of the fund or a relative of a member. The definition of relative is quite broad – this can include siblings, parents, children, and extended family members. The definition also covers the spouse of any family members. That means that you can’t lend money from your SMSF to your sister-in-law. Your SMSF is also prohibited from providing financial assistance to a member or a member of a relative, whether directly or indirectly. This means can’t use your SMSF as security for your child’s mortgage. Iordanidis provided the example of a husband and wife who were trustees of their SMSF. Their SMSF sold a property it owned, but no money was paid for the property, as the sale contract created a loan between the fund and the purchasers. However, it turned out that the purchasers were relatives of the husband and wife, which meant that they had made a loan to family members. The trust incorrectly advised the ATO that the loan was repaid in full, and the fund was deemed non-complying and stripped of its tax concessions. Trustees are generally prohibited from acquiring non-cash assets from related parties – a rental property, for example. 
</li>
<li>
Do your paperwork (or get someone else to do it for you) As a trustee for a SMSF, you have a range of annual responsibilities. You must keep your records up to date and value assets at their current market value at least once a year. You have to prepare financial statements, lodge an annual return and report contributions, even if no contributions were made that year. You’ll also need to lodge an income return every year from the year you set up your fund, for each member. Most of those duties can be performed by an accountant, but it’s your responsibility to make sure they are done and lodged with the ATO. The ATO also requires an audit of your SMSF each year, performed by an approved SMSF auditor who is registered with ASIC and has a SMSF Auditor Number. The auditor can’t be a trustee member of the fund, or your accountant who prepares your other financial statements. You’ll also need to make sure you appoint the auditor early enough for them to do the audit and for you to submit it.  An audit is required even if you haven’t made any contributions in the year.  When you engage professionals, make sure you have a clear understanding of their responsibilities. Any contraventions of super or tax law that are identified by your auditor must be fixed. You can ask the ATO for advice on how to go about rectifying any mistakes you’ve made.
</li>
</ol>
There are a range of other rules and regulations surrounding SMSFs that you need to know to receive full tax concessions (and avoid penalties). Go to the <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/" target="_blank">ATO's website</a> to learn more.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE TO READ:
<a href="/guides/ato-cast-doubts-on-smsf-property-zero-interest-loan-strategy">ATO cast doubts on SMSF property zero interest loan strategy</a>
<a href="/guides/taxing-times-for-self-managed-super-funds">Taxing times for self-managed super funds</a>
<a href="/guides/investors-should-expect-smsf-borrowing-to-come-under-greater-government-scrutiny">Investors should expect SMSF borrowing to come under greater government scrutiny</a>
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Self-managed super funds: Top tips from the ATO

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A total of 10 childcare centres, all leased, will be auctioned later this month by Burgess Rawson.
The childcare centre freeholds all have triple net lease terms, where the tenant is responsible for the payment of rates and structural maintenance.
<ol>
<li>1-3 Beautel Street, Waterford, QLD. Secure lease to 2018. Rent at $97,567 per annum. 
</li>
<li>2 Blackbutt Place, Byron Bay, NSW (pictured above). Secure lease to Goodstart to 2023. Rent at $55,543 per annum. 
</li>
<li>4A-6A Finchley Place, Kealba, VIC. Secure lease to Goodstart to 2020. Rent at $95,771 per annum. 
</li>
<li>13 Tenterfield Avenue, Hoxton Park, NSW. Secure lease to Goodstart to 2021. Rent at $137,859 per annum. 
</li>
<li>1 Orchard Street, Baulkham Hills, NSW. Secure lease to 2024. Rent at $129,509 per annum. 
</li>
<li>1 Niland Rise, Templestowe, VIC. Secure lease to national operator to 2024. Rent at $93,102 per annum. 
</li>
<li>104-106 Main Hurstbridge Road, Diamond Creek, VIC. Secure lease to national operator to 2024. Rent at $126,821 per annum. 
</li>
<li>5-7 Hercules Street, Tamworth, NSW. Secure lease to 2018. Rent at $56,724 per annum. 
</li>
<li>28 Keen Street, Lismore, NSW. Secure lease to 2024. Rent at $56,327 per annum. 
</li>
<li>69-71 Telford Street, VIC. Secure lease to Goodstart to 2020. Rent at $101,586 per annum.</li>
</ol>
The properties all be auctioned at the Crown Conference Centre in Southbank at 10:30am on Wednesday 25 June.
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10 leased childcare centres for sale later this month

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Singapore’s Frasers Centrepoint Limited has trumped Stockland Group’s bid for Australand Limited, offering $4.48 per share.
Stockland had previously made a $2.5 billion bid for the residential and commercial developer through a share swap deal. Frasers Centrepoint has countered with a $2.59 billion off-market takeover offer. The Singaporean company has now entered into an exclusive four week due diligence period with Australand.
Frasers Centrepoint's bid has likely knocked Stockland out of the running for Australand, with Stockland <a href="/expert-insights/investing/stockland-finally-ups-australand-offer-to-4-35-per-security">calling their $4.35 per security bid a "final offer"</a>. Australia's largest diversified property group <a href="/expert-insights/investing/stockland-swoops-on-australand-stake-in-possible-takeover-precursor">purchased a 19.9% stak</a>e in Australand in March. 
According to Lim Ee Seng, group chief executive of Frasers Centrepoint, the Singaporean listed company intends to extend its business interests in Australia through the purchase.
“The Proposal will catapult FCL [Frasers Centrepoint Limited] to being one of Australia’s leading real estate companies with a portfolio of scale and quality. Australia is a core market for FCL,” he said.
“The Group chose to enter the Australian market over a decade ago due to favourable fundamentals including its transparent regulatory environment, strong corporate governance, as well as its deep and mature property market. We already have an established platform and good brand recognition in Australia, but real estate is a business where scale and depth matters. This Proposal will be the catalyst that will help FCL to deepen our roots and accelerate our growth in a market that we believe will continue to offer long-term growth prospects.”
Frasers Centrepoint Limited’s bid of $4.48 per stapled security is 4% up from yesterday’s closing price of $4.31. Under the proposal Australand’s shareholders are entitled to keep the expected first half 2014 distribution of up to 12.75 cents per share. They will also be entitled to any additional distribution expected for the second half of 2014 on a pro rata basis for the period between 1 July 2014 and when the offer becomes unconditional, again with a maximum value of 12.75 cents per share.
As of 31 March 2014, Frasers Centrepoint’s assets totaled approximately S$11.4 billion ($9.74 billion at today’s exchange rate). 
This article has been amended to correct an error in the Singapore dollar value of Frasers Centrepoint's total assets. 
 
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Frasers Centrepoint makes surprise $2.59 billion bid for Australand

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May saw the number of homes listed on the market grow by 5.2%, according to SQM Research.
A total of 366,413 homes were on the market in Australia last month, with five Fridays for the month boosting numbers. The research firm believes that <a href="/expert-insights/buying/market-frenzy-fading-with-asking-prices-at-a-standstill-and-stock-levels-stagnating-sqm-research">stock levels have stagnated</a>, with last year’s “frenzy in the market” fading. 
The total number of listed homes for May, by capital city:
<ul>
<li>
Adelaide: 16,879 Stock on the market was up 4.3% from April (16,182 homes listed). Listings were down 6.0% from May 2013 (17,959). 
</li>
<li>
Brisbane: 27,966 Stock on the market was up 8.1% from April (25,852 homes listed). Listings were up 0.7% from May 2013 (27,766). 
</li>
<li>
Canberra: 3,542 Stock on the market was up 7.9% from April (3,283 homes listed). Listings were down 11.4% from May 2013 (3,998). 
</li>
<li>
Darwin: 1,543 Stock on the market was up 9.7% from April (1,407 homes listed). Listings were up 21.7% from May 2013 (1,268). 
</li>
<li>
Hobart: 4,499 Stock on the market was up 1.7% from April (4,422 homes listed). Listings were down 4.2% from May 2013 (4,696). 
</li>
<li>
Melbourne: 47,492 Stock on the market was up 6.4% from April (44,622 homes listed). Listings were down 2.2% from May 2013 (48,511). 
</li>
<li>
Perth: 22,207 Stock on the market was up 8.3% from April (20,507 homes listed). Listings were up 5.7% from May 2013 (21,011). 
</li>
<li>
Sydney: 25,699 Stock on the market was up 12.9% from April (22,762 homes listed). Listings were down 6.4% from May 2013 (27,468). 
</li>
</ul>
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How many homes were listed in your capital city last month?

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May’s dip in home values has many wondering whether we’re at the end of a price boom, or whether we’re just seeing a seasonal dip in values.
Property Observer’s Jonathan Chancellor <a href="/expert-insights/finance/last-months-price-growth-dip-the-first-since-may-2013-so-rba-will-be-content">noted earlier this week</a> that home prices have dropped every May for the past three years, and that last month’s fall was the first in twelve months. 
However, Propell National Valuers are among those who think that the 1.9% drop in national home prices recorded by RP Data is cause for concern, with national research manager Linda Phillips writing that "the quantity of red ink is noticeable". This is the second time in a month that Phillips has claimed that <a href="/news/housing-boom-coming-to-an-end-propell">“booming” house prices are at an end</a>. 
Here are four factors triggering a change in the market, according to Propell.
<ol>
<li>Holidays. According to Propell, the combined Easter and ANZAC Day break gave "everyone pause for thought".</li>
<li>Falling consumer confidence.</li>
<li>“The negatively perceived federal budget”.</li>
<li>The approaching winter.</li>
</ol>
The<a href="/expert-insights/blooming-jacarandas-accompany-unusually-late-autumn-property-sales-burst-he-said-she-said"> unusually warm May in Australia’s south-east</a> has "not been enough to override a change in market sentiment."
Phillips predicts that media coverage of the price drop "will be enough to get would-be buyers backing off from the market". She expects that prices will trend downward in the months to come.
RP Data recorded price falls in most capital cities for May.
“Brisbane was supposed to be the one spot that would record strong growth in 2014 but it is not immune from the weak economy,” writes Phillips. Darwin was the one city that recorded an increase in dwelling prices over the quarter, with a 5.5% rise. However, Propell remains sceptical of the positive result.
“Darwin was the only capital to show an increase and that was due to a jump in unit prices of plus 4.7% which may turn out to get adjusted in coming months.”
Phillips expects that home prices will "stabilize or drift downwards a little as Australians adjust to a tougher life after the federal budget, in whatever form it passes through the senate".
Despite many experts forecasting a rise for interest rates when they do finally move, Phillips believes that economic conditions may push the Reserve Bank of Australia into cutting rates by the year’s end.
"As the economy weakens, and home prices stop driving economic activity, I am sticking my neck out and suggesting that interest rates will have to start falling again by the end of the year. The market is still trading on the assumption of interest rate stability but our rates are starting to look too high for the state of the economy," she writes.
"Without the excuse of rising property prices to sustain interest rates, the Reserve Bank is likely to come under pressure to reduce interest rates further, the only way to reduce the A$ exchange rate to a point where economic activity gets stimulated again."
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Four reasons the property boom is ending: Propell

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The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has again chosen to keep the overnight cash rate at its record low level of 2.5%. The cash rate has not moved since August 2013.
The decision was widely anticipated by property industry commentators, with 16 surveyed industry experts recently <a href="/expert-insights/finance/16-experts-predict-no-change-from-rba-tomorrow">predicting the cash rate would stay on hold</a>.
RP Data’s research director Tim Lawless says that recent results in the property market provide a backdrop for the RBA’s decision.
“From a housing market perspective, the Reserve Bank should be less concerned about housing markets overheating, with RP Data yesterday reporting the first fall in dwelling values in a year over the month of May and the trend rate of growth across the housing market has been cooling,” he says.
“Australia’s housing market has seen two years of escalating property values, so from a cyclical perspective the housing market is due for a slowdown.  Cooler housing market conditions shouldn’t surprise the Reserve Bank, who have been warning about overheated conditions and speculative investment activity in the Melbourne and Sydney markets.”
According to Lawless, the current housing market will encourage the RBA to keep rates low for now.
“Gross rental yields in both these cities have fallen to near historic lows as value growth has substantially outpaced rental growth.  With the heat potentially coming out of the housing market, the RBA will find it much easier to keep interest rates at their low setting in an effort to continue stimulating housing construction and consumer spending.
“Add to the recently weak housing market a stubbornly high Australian dollar, lower commodity prices, slowing dwelling approvals and weaker consumer sentiment post budget and it’s clear that the RBA is likely to hold off on rate hikes for the foreseeable future,” said Lawless.
Property Observer’s Jonathan Chancellor agrees, writing yesterday that the <a href="/expert-insights/finance/last-months-price-growth-dip-the-first-since-may-2013-so-rba-will-be-content">Reserve Bank will be content with a slight dip in home values</a> over May. 
LJ Hooker deputy chair L Janusz Hooker said today’s decision is unsurprising given the stability of the economy.
"Looking forward, the only hiccup appears to be the uncertainty surrounding which federal budget measures will pass parliament," said Hooker.
"Initially this caused a drop in consumer confidence but that appears to have passed.
"The good news for home owners is the longer this uncertainty remains in place the longer interest rates will remain on hold."
Hooker predicts that the economy’s movement away from the mining sector will lead to future rate increases, but probably not until the end of this year or the beginning of 2015.
Michelle Hutchison of finder.com.au says that while interest rates are low, buyers shouldn’t wait for property prices to drop before investing.
"While there was no change to the cash rate today, interest rates are set to rise so it's a good time to consider locking in a fixed interest rate,” says Hutchison.
“For first home buyers, don't wait for property prices to fall as rising interest rates could outweigh the benefit of a cheaper property,” she says.
Low interest rates and slowing property price appreciation have made <a href="/expert-insights/finance/thanks-to-low-interest-rates-affordability-at-highest-level-for-over-a-decade-hia-cba-index">housing more affordable at a national level</a> than it has been for more than a decade, according to the March 2014 quarter HIA-CBA Housing Affordability Index, released last week.
For more on how to take advantage of low rates and prepare for a rise, <a href="/expert-insights/finance/how-to-prepare-for-an-interest-rate-increase">click here</a>.
 
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RBA keeps interest rates on hold for June

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Investors should steer clear of Brisbane’s inner city, New South Wale’s Hunter region and Queensland's Emerald, according to Hotspotting.com.au’s Terry Ryder.
In his <a href="https://hotspotting.com.au/reportDetail.php?num=146" target="_blank">Over-supply Alert</a>, commentator and regular Property Observer contributor Ryder nominates 10 regions that investors should avoid due to oversupply issues. According to Ryder, “supply is the factor most over-looked by property investors,” with many focusing on demand.
He attributes the Gold Coast’s five year price tumble to oversupply, while the same factor is also to blame for Wyndham City’s stagnation. With oversupply, writes Ryder, comes a fall in rents which in turn pulls down property values.
The regions Ryder to avoid fall loosely into two “danger situations”: inner city apartment markets and regional centres where increasing supply has coincided with declines in demand due to the resource sector slowdown.
Here are Ryder’s top 10 markets to avoid:
<ol>
<li>
Brisbane inner-city (QLD) 
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Emerald </a>(QLD) 
</li>
<li><a href="/news">Gladstone </a>(QLD) </li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Gracemere</a> (QLD) 
</li>
<li>
Hunter region (NSW) 
</li>
<li><a href="/news">Mackay </a>(QLD)</li>
<li>
Melbourne inner-city (VIC)
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Moranbah</a> (QLD)
</li>
<li>
Perth inner-city (WA)
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Port Hedland </a>(WA)
 
</li>
</ol>
This article continues on the next page. For Terry Ryder's explanation of each city's market, click below.
<hr class="system-pagebreak">
 Terry Ryder explains why each region is affected by oversupply issues.
<ol>
<li>
Brisbane inner-city (QLD) Despite the “aura of safety and respectability” surrounding CBD apartment markets, Ryder warns that <a href="/news">Brisbane</a>’s CBD residential market hasn’t performed well historically. He notes the city has 69 apartment developments, of 100 or more units each, scheduled for the next five years, which “suggests the situation will get worse before it gets better.” 
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Emerald </a>(QLD) Ryder cites the shrinking Bowen Basin coal industry as a factor in Emerald’s growth prospects, with new stock from developers hitting at exactly the wrong time. “But currently this is a market to avoid – at least until the new resources projects get under way and the existing accommodation surplus is absorbed.” 
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Gladstone </a>(QLD) Gladstone’s vacancy rate currently sits at 8%, up from 1.5% in August 2012. According to Ryder, Gladstone is now experiencing the effects of a wave of developer activity in late 2012 and early 2013. 
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Gracemere</a> (QLD) About 10 kilometres out from Hotspotting favourite Rockhampton, Gracemere “has just been smashed by developers” according to one of Ryder’s clients. Ryder sees the almost doubling of residential building approvals in Gracemere from 2011-2012 to the next year as a “warning signal.” 
</li>
<li>
Hunter region (NSW) The coal industry’s downturn has also hit New South Wales, with Ryder claiming that despite several other strong economies in the area, the resources sector once “elevated its status to a boom region.” Though he believes that the coal industry’s contraction isn’t likely to be permanent, Ryder says the downturn in demand is occurring alongside a rise in developer activity, driving oversupply. 
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Mackay </a>(QLD) Mackay is another region feeling the effects of a contracting coal industry, according to Ryder. But he believes that it will eventually pick up. “Mackay has been a strong regional property market numerous times in the past and will be again in the future. It's a growth centre and it has one of Queensland's most important export ports for the resources sector,” he writes. “But currently this market is still in decline and is one to avoid until the bottom has been reached.” 
</li>
<li>
Melbourne inner-city (VIC) This isn’t the first time Ryder has raised concerns over Melbourne’s inner city market. Last month, he wrote that <a href="/expert-insights/buying/the-inner-melbourne-boom-is-toxic-growth">“the inner Melbourne “boom” is toxic growth if ever I’ve seen it</a>.” “Local investors should stay well away from this market,” advises Ryder. 
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Moranbah</a> (QLD) With a vacancy rate of 10%, “the Moranbah market is a basket case – and Australia’s most spectacular example of the rise and fall of a property market,” writes Ryder. Again, Ryder writes that although the area will recover in the future, “right now it’s the nation’s No.1 No Go Zone.” 
</li>
<li> Perth inner-city (WA) Oversupply is a smaller issue in Perth’s inner city than in Melbourne or Brisbane, writes Ryder. But nevertheless he cautions investors against the area. “There are high levels of urban renewal activity in and around the <a href="/news">Perth </a>CBD and this is likely to see considerable new construction in the near future,” he writes. 
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Port Hedland </a>(WA) Ryder urges investors to disregard marketing materials when it comes to Port Hedland, where properties are taking five months to sell as the mining boom winds down.
</li>
</ol>
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Terry Ryder’s top 10 markets to avoid

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National residential property listings rose 5.2% between April and May, with 366,413 residential properties listed according to SQM Research.
The research firm believes that stock levels have stagnated, with last year’s “frenzy in the market” fading. Total stock on the market was down 1.8% from May 2013.
However, SQM has also noted that the monthly rise in stock levels was largely due to the five May Fridays this year. With only four Fridays usually occurring in a month, the extra week meant more listings for a larger sample, particularly given that many new listings are released on a Friday for the weekend.
Darwin was the only capital city to see a big jump in listings since May last year, with stock up by 21.7%. According to SQM, stock level increases are an ongoing trend in the city. Canberra saw the largest decrease in stock listings in the last year. Despite an expected downturn in the city, stock on the market decreased by 11.4%.
On a monthly basis, no capital city saw a decrease in listings. However, the smallest increase in stock on the market was recorded in Hobart, where the number of listings rose 1.7% for the month to 4,499.
Average house and unit prices have also stayed relatively flat on a month to month basis as shown by SQM Research’s Asking Price Index. SQM recorded a 0.7% increase for house prices between April and May and a 0.5% increase for units.
SQM Research’s managing director Louis Christopher says that given market conditions, he doesn’t expect an increase in interest rates right now.
“Some heat has come out of the national housing market as SQM Research is no longer recording the large scale, year on year decreases in listings that was occurring this time last year,” he said.
“Right now, it appears to be a market that is steady and not too strong yet not too weak. At this stage I don’t believe the market is at the point where an upward pressure would be placed on interest rates.”
 
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Market "frenzy" fading with asking prices at a standstill and stock levels stagnating: SQM Research

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A young Victorian man has been declared ineligible to hold a licence or act as an agent’s representative for seven years after stealing $14,753 in rent and bond money.
James-Paul Moularas, 23, stole the money from the tenants of five properties in <a href="/news">Travancore</a>, <a href="/news">Brunswick</a>, <a href="/news">Brunswick East</a>, <a href="/news">St Kilda East</a> and <a href="/news">Preston</a>.
Victoria Civil and Administrative Tribunal senior member Robert Davis found that between 11 October and 15 November 2012, Moularas had fraudulently failed to account for, deliver or pay money had received or held as an agent’s representative. He also failed to promptly pay all money he had received in his role to his employer or its specified trust account. The tribunal heard that Moularas had not acted fairly or honestly in relation to his duties as an agent.
Davis said there was “no doubt in his mind” that Moularas’ conduct would be considered unprofessional.
In November 2012, Moularas confessed that he stole the money to his employer, Secure Invest Property Group Pty Ltd, owned by his uncle. His uncle and parents repaid the money that he stole for his own use.
Moularas, who is originally from Adelaide, will be ineligible to hold a licence until 30 April 2021. Davis considered banning Moularas permanently but decided that a seven year ban was appropriate given that this was his first known offence. Moularas did not appear at his tribunal hearing.
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Real estate agent representative who stole nearly $15,000 from tenants banned for seven years

The residential transformation of St Kilda Road is set to continue into with more new apartment plans for the sought-after boulevard.

Wing Tai Asia has lodged plans for a major residential tower at 464-466 St Kilda Road, replacing the former VACC House with an 18-storey mixed-use development designed around a retained heritage podium and a sculpted contemporary tower.

The proposal, prepared under Victoria’s Significant Residential Development with Affordable Housing pathway, would deliver 325 apartments and ground-floor retail across the prominent 4,653 sqm boulevard site in Melbourne’s St Kilda Road North Precinct.

The project centres on the adaptive reuse of the site’s heritage-listed VACC Building, an eight-storey office designed by Bernard Evans that has occupied the address for decades. Planning documents state the development would involve “carefully dismantling and conserving off-site the original metal fabric of the podium visible from St Kilda Road,” before reinstating it as the defining frontage of the new scheme.

Above the restored podium, Wing Tai is proposing a curvilinear residential tower. The scheme includes 172 one-bedroom apartments, 63 two-bedroom apartments, 66 three-bedroom apartments, and 24 four-bedroom apartments, alongside two ground-floor food and beverage tenancies fronting St Kilda Road.

The tower has been designed with substantial articulation and variable setbacks to minimise perceived bulk and maintain view corridors along the boulevard. Urbis, which prepared the planning report, said the design “has been significantly articulated through a curvilinear design” with “an interplay with materials, façade expression and depth” to create visual separation and visual interest.

The proposal also includes 254 basement car spaces, landscaped pedestrian links connecting St Kilda Road and Queens Lane, and a biophilic landscape strategy featuring canopy trees, raised planters, cascading greenery and a glass oculus pool overlooking the eastern frontage.

Planning documents confirm the $270.1 million development will contribute 3 per cent of project costs to the Social Housing Growth Fund as part of the application process.

Wing Tai acquired the St Kilda Road property in 2018 alongside Abacus Property Group for $95.38 million, before later consolidating ownership of the site. The property previously served as the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce headquarters for around 60 years.

The transformation of the St Kilda Rd boulevard is already beginning to materialise, with a number of high-profile projects recently completed, launched, or approaching launch as developers continue to back the long-term appeal of the precinct.

Among the most notable recent completions is Louise by Samuel Property Group, just off the strip on Queens Lane, the same pocket Hirsch &amp; Faigen recently launched The Queensbury. Mirvac is too on the same street with The Albertine, which is approaching completion.

Dexus recently secured approval for its slice of St Kilda Road, while Gurner also has approved plans for the precinct.

Joel Robinson

Wing Tai unveils 325-apartment St Kilda Road tower on former VACC House site

Malaysian developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/s-p-setia">SP Setia</a> is the latest to jump into St Leonards booming Transport Oriented Development precinct.

The developer, which has previously delivered Sapphire by the Gardens apartment development in Melbourne, identified the Atchison Street site in 2023. It filed a Scoping Report around 12 months ago, and now has revealed the designs for the new&nbsp;40-storey mixed-use tower.

The State Significant Development Application covers <a href="https://next-portal.urban.com.au/projects/14650/summary">20-22 Atchison Street</a>, a 1,374 sqm site positioned between St Leonards Station and the new Crows Nest Metro station.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cox-architecture">COX Architecture</a>, the project would deliver 181 apartments, above a four-storey commercial podium, five basement levels, and new public domain works along Mitchell Street. The apartment mix comprises 35 one-bedroom apartments, 39 one-bedroom-plus-study apartments, 85 two-bedroom apartments, and 22 three-bedroom residences.

The proposal has been lodged as a shop-top housing development under the NSW Government’s TOD planning pathway, which allows increased density around key transport infrastructure. The site sits within the recently rezoned Crows Nest Accelerated TOD Precinct.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b799673d-48e2-46b0-801a-0e33a9330100" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20site.png?VersionId=dPh0UfwfaHpbFL1R7H1cbZNbIW0CHbCC" />

SP Setia acquired the Atchison Street site as part of its continued expansion into the Australian apartment market. In comments made to City &amp; Country (The Edge Malaysia) in 2023, SP Setia President and CEO Datuk Choong Kai Wai described the acquisition as “a strategic move” aligned with the group’s post-pandemic market recovery strategy.

“Our target for this exceptional development is local and overseas buyers, including first-home buyers, downsizers and investors,” Choong said.

The tower has been designed as a slender vertical form rising from a mixed-use podium, with COX Architecture positioning the development as a response to the evolving St Leonards and Crows Nest skyline.

“The purpose of the project is to facilitate the delivery of high-quality housing at a strategically located site and deliver a built tower outcome that is consistent with the desired future character of St Leonards and aligns with the TOD controls,” the design report stated.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b1a85eee-76f7-436c-a6da-73ba827b9b13" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20entry.png?VersionId=dA9jHGPMcm.dDbwk4QfxqWiY5bfh3UVt" />

The podium would incorporate retail uses fronting Atchison Street, commercial tenancies, landscaped communal areas, and pedestrian improvements along Mitchell Street. Vehicle access and loading would be consolidated via Atchison Lane.

Residents would have access to more than 665 sqm of communal indoor and outdoor spaces, while the development proposes 96 parking spaces across five basement levels.

The proposal also includes a commitment for 10 per cent of residential floor space to be allocated toward affordable housing through a monetary contribution.

COX said the tower form responds directly to the emerging high-density character of the precinct while seeking to maximise solar access, cross ventilation, and outlook from apartments.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2163f85c-f63b-4be3-aafa-f8763976cec5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Article%20Feature%20Image%20%28Grid%29_5.png?VersionId=WiAmtIKJ6.ZQ41EtYEQ1fol7AeorKBlL" />

“The building is orientated towards north,” the Apartment Design Guide compliance report noted, adding that the tower’s slim form was driven by the constrained inner-urban site dimensions.

The design also incorporates landscaped setbacks and communal open space at podium level, intended to soften the interface with surrounding streets and improve pedestrian amenity.

The project adds to a growing wave of redevelopment proposals reshaping St Leonards and Crows Nest following the opening of the Sydney Metro City line and the NSW Government’s push for higher-density housing around major transport nodes.

Last week Stockland filed plans just down the road. They want to build a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/601-pacific-highway-st-leonards-nsw-2065">52-storey tower on Pacific Highway</a>.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-stockland-plans-52-storey-538-apartment-st-leonards-tower">First look: Stockland plans 52-storey, 538-apartment St Leonards tower&nbsp;</a>

First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/urban-property-group">Urban Property Group</a> has revealed plans for a new mixed-use tower at 10 Dangar Street, Wickham, advancing a proposal that would reshape the southern gateway to Newcastle’s city centre with one of the city’s tallest residential buildings.

The State Significant Development proposal, now on exhibition, seeks approval for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/bowline-10-dangar-street-wickham-nsw-2293">43-storey tower</a> immediately adjacent to the Newcastle Interchange. The project would deliver around 200 apartments, including 42 affordable housing dwellings, alongside 99 co-living units, a 171-room hotel, retail space, and new public domain integrated through the site.

The scheme marks a significant escalation of plans previously approved for the site. Urban Property Group took over the prominent 2,904 sqm parcel, where excavation and demolition had already commenced under an earlier consent for a 14-storey mixed-use development.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="58a96dd9-407f-4d20-86b4-94e4bfeef74b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20podium.png?VersionId=LGlf08pdFGAZDzvx_CXC4XakHNZRuEE0" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/sjb-architects">SJB</a>, the tower has been conceived as a landmark transit-oriented development anchored to the Newcastle Interchange precinct. The proposal includes 245 build-to-sell apartments across a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom residences, as well as two penthouses. Fifteen apartments and one operational unit are earmarked for NDIS housing. The co-living component would add a further 99 units, while the podium would accommodate retail uses and hotel facilities.

SJB said the site presents “a valuable opportunity to anchor the precinct by setting the standard for design, active ground planes and character at the key southern gateway.”

The architecture responds directly to the site’s position beside major transport infrastructure and within one of Newcastle’s fastest-evolving urban renewal precincts. The tower form sits above a sculpted podium designed to frame new public spaces, including a through-site pedestrian link connecting Station Street to Hannell Street, landscaped plazas, and activated retail edges.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a7bd6ff0-f7db-4ce8-a6dc-ea56e72c6149" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20lanne.png?VersionId=xzf39VADyhj7zBQY2I9fx9vI62u2tuSb" />

The design report describes the project as part of the broader transition of Wickham into “a vibrant, high-quality mixed-use urban precinct” that leverages proximity to the station, open space, and regional connectivity.

A detailed public art strategy has also been prepared for the development. The strategy positions the project as “a transit-oriented development of state significance at the gateway to Newcastle’s city centre” and outlines a series of integrated artworks responding to Newcastle’s industrial and transport heritage.

Creative Road’s curatorial framework for the project, titled Unveil, draws on “stratified surfaces, carved volumes, and light-filled apertures” while referencing Newcastle’s transformation from an industrial city into a contemporary education and technology hub.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="77a882bb-14b1-4d28-99ff-9438e39508c0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20site.png?VersionId=cevgo_vN0eKPK78P8YcEu3mKPLkpFqE7" />

The proposal is being advanced through the NSW Housing Delivery Authority pathway after being declared State Significant Development in June 2025. The accompanying scoping report states the development aims to “maximise the site’s proximity to the Newcastle Interchange by delivering transit-oriented development” while increasing housing supply and affordable housing provision within the Newcastle LGA.

Urban Property Group’s plans align with the long-term strategic vision established under the Wickham Master Plan, which identified the interchange precinct as suitable for substantial uplift in height and density. The current proposal would significantly intensify that vision, positioning the tower among the tallest developments proposed for Newcastle.

The site sits immediately north of the Newcastle Interchange, bounded by Dangar Street, Hannell Street, and Charles Street. It is surrounded by a rapidly growing cluster of residential towers and mixed-use projects that have emerged following the completion of the light rail and transport interchange.

First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s latest tower at Wickham interchange

Bottega House has completed settlement of a landmark riverfront site in Macquarie Street, St Lucia, representing its first major Brisbane development.&nbsp;

Positioned on the banks of the Brisbane River, the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/180-macquarie-street-st-lucia-qld-4067">premium site at 180 Macquarie Street</a> features uninterrupted river frontage in one of Brisbane’s most tightly held residential precincts.&nbsp;

The proposed development, currently under assessment with Brisbane City Council, has been designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/plus-studio">Plus Studio</a> with interiors by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/mim-design">Mim Design</a> and will deliver a boutique collection of premium residences positioned specifically for owner occupiers and downsizers.&nbsp;

The residences are set to redefine luxury apartment living in the area, with a focus on architectural quality, refined finishes, landscape integration and elevated amenities including curated wellness facilities, resort-style pools and recreation spaces rarely seen in the local market.&nbsp;

Exclusive sales for the project will be led by Keenan &amp; Byrne, ahead of an anticipated launch later this year.&nbsp;

Bottega House Managing Director Nick Malloch said the project reflects the group’s ambition to deliver a highly curated residential offering within one of Brisbane’s most tightly held precincts.&nbsp;

“This is an incredibly rare riverfront opportunity and one we have approached with a long-term perspective,” Malloch said.&nbsp;

“Our vision from the outset was to create a boutique collection of residences that feel more like private homes than traditional apartments, with generous proportions, refined finishes and exceptional amenity throughout."

Malloch says there is a&nbsp;lack of premium owner-occupier stock of this quality in the market, particularly for downsizers wanting space, privacy and a true lifestyle offering without compromise.&nbsp;

"Demand is expected to be strong given the scarcity of premium riverfront opportunities of this nature within Brisbane’s inner-west."&nbsp;

Bottega House secures landmark riverfront site in St Lucia 

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The arrival of the first piling rig officially marks the commencement of construction at SIERA’s new beachside apartment development, Exhale, in Northcliffe.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/exhale-surfers-paradise-8-enderley-avenue-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Exhale</a>, a glass-encased tower featuring 54 large-scale apartments at 8 Enderley Avenue, is SIERA’s third Gold Coast development. It follows the recently completed PIPIS Bilinga beachfront project, which achieved suburb-record prices, and the soon-to-be-completed Chevron Island development, Tapestry.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=359603]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/siera">SIERA</a> Founder and Managing Director Brent Thompson said the arrival of the piling rig represented a significant milestone for the development, which is scheduled for completion in late 2028.

Over the next month, around 260 piles are expected to be installed as work progresses on the basement structure. The building is anticipated to rise above ground level early next year, before unveiling its sculptural glass curtain wall, developed in collaboration with specialist façade engineers.

“The façade was designed to maximise panoramic coastal views while creating a distinctive architectural identity,” Thompson said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=355935]

Designed by BDA Architecture, Exhale will comprise just 54 two- and three-bedroom residences across 26 levels, a level of low-density living rarely delivered in this beachside pocket between Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach.

The project has been conceived as a resident-only building, with no short-stay accommodation permitted. SIERA says the model is intended to appeal to long-term owner-occupiers rather than transient holiday demand.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=361052]

Residences have been designed with large-format layouts and expansive glazing, with most apartments featuring more than 30 metres of glass frontage to maximise natural light and ocean views.

The amenity offering spans two levels and centres on wellness and lifestyle, including a heated magnesium pool, sauna, yoga and Pilates studio, gymnasium, private dining facilities, cinema lounge, and dedicated surfcraft storage.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=359607]

More than half of the apartments have already sold. SIERA has also opened a sales gallery for Exhale at its Chevron Island commercial premises, near its Tapestry tower and the site of its second Chevron Island apartment development, which is slated to launch in early 2027.
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[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=112661]

Jessie Richardson

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