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In the December quarter, the gap between rates for investors and owner occupier borrowers widened, with investors now paying 0.21 per cent more on average, RateCity report.
Despite higher rates for some investors, overall mortgage rates fell for both variable and fixed, with the largest cuts applied to the 3-year fixed rates.
"Interestingly, fixed rates – including 5-year terms – are more competitive than variable rates on average and the gap is widening, making fixed rates an appealing option for some people now," RateCity money commentator Sally Tindall noted.
"However, competition in the variable space is driving sharper deals than fixed.
"For example, variable rates are sitting as low as 3.69 per cent, while one of the lowest 5 year fixed rates is 4.39 per cent," she said.
She noted home loan rates have gone both up and down in the space of three months.
The major banks all chose to hike rates by an average of 0.18 percentage points on the back of APRA’s requirement that they hold more capital while competition at the bottom of the market sharpened with around 25 lenders choosing to cut their lowest variable rates to as little as 3.65 per cent.  
"Unsurprisingly, existing mortgage holders primarily missed out on this news as the majority of these cuts were for new customers only.
"The most dramatic change occurred in investor borrowing where there was a $2.1 billion drop in lending figures in just four months.
"The falls came on the back of the introduction of higher home loan rates for investors of up to 1.44 percentage points, with around half of the market adopting this two-tiered pricing structure. 
"We expect lenders will continue to tweak their home loan products in the year ahead in an attempt to reduce risk and control investor growth including a continued tightening of LVR requirements."
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Gap between rates for investors and owner occupiers widening: RateCity

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GUEST OBSERVER
Sydneysiders desire to have a house with a harbour or ocean view. Elsewhere a distant mountain view will do. But a view from the house to the vast space is bad for us – the allure of the capacious world out there can only make our body, and our mind, relentlessly unsettled.
The French proverb la forteresse assiégée – fortress besieged – is often used to describe the dilemma of being strangled inside while the freedom of space outside is irresistible. Brilliant though it may seem, the external world lying tantalisingly beyond a thin layer of glass is an inescapable distraction. The million-dollar view, or the readily available one via a smartphone, is not only bad for our body, but also our soul.
<h2>Turning away from the interior</h2>
The ancient Romans would have been terribly puzzled as to why the moderns would want a view of the depressing distance. The rich lived in introvert courtyard houses called domus, while the poor lived in multi-storey apartments known as insula. The poorest of all lived on the upper levels of the insula, with a view (the invention of the safety lift by Otis in 1852 has, up to now, reversed the vertical social pecking order in a multi-storey apartment building).
The Chinese, too, lived in inward-facing courtyards for thousands of years until well into the 20th century. For both the Romans and the Chinese, a slice of sky and the watchful eye of Heaven sufficed. Abundant in pre-modern Chinese literature is the recurrent theme of melancholy caused by gazing into the space afar in a lofty building; Nietzsche’s “pathos of distance” evokes similar sadness and frustration of modern times.
What then has triggered us to clamber willingly into la forteresse assiégée, which, incidentally, the Chinese writer Qian Zhongshu used as a metaphor for an unhappy marriage? Our relentless pursuit of the expansion of space, in both matter and manner, has caused the loss of interior and, more preciously, its associated strength of one’s inner life, which is essential to withstand the pressure of an increasingly depersonalised exterior world.
The works of Edward Hopper – the 20th-century American painter who is said to have portrayed the quintessential human alienation in our time – may shed some light on this syndrome. Hopper’s paintings reveal glimpses of life in a house. The characters, John Updike observes, are as silent as those found in 17th-century Dutch paintings:
As with Vermeer, a mystery seeps in and saturates the most modest levels of activity.
But the solitude is of a different kind: Hopper’s characters are no longer as content as Dutch housewives and children. They are painted with impasto and with no detail, stiff and expressionless. Updike calls this “a polluted silence”.
Polluted by what, I have wondered. Only daylight, oxygen and view are abundant.
Consider this painting by Hopper, Excursion into Philosophy: the man, dignifiedly dressed in white shirt and business trousers, sits on the rim of a solid bed. Beside him lies an opened book. But his frowning facial expression is impervious and yet unsettling – a classical Hopper.
Yes, Hopper is about suspension and the beautifully unsaid, but we still puzzle over what causes the man’s impossible reconciliation: he is torn apart between the book and the half-naked woman lying in bed behind him, and more so the expansive green prairie and blue sky outside the window.
The view invades the room with aggressive glare; the two large patches of light cast on the floor and the wall make it impossible to snug in a corner of the room. Even the bed, painted with Hopper’s heavy brushstroke, looks as hard as a rock.
Hopper once joked about this painting: “He has been reading Plato rather late in life”. But judging from the near-impeccable blue cover of the bed, nothing ever happened.
Did Hopper’s paintings in the early part of the 20th century foretell the increasing impossibility of the interior? His characters, it seems, are struggling for some degree of interior life. Hopper’s windows often have blinds for the upper part, whereas the large area of glass in the lower part admits view and light with abundance.
Dutch windows, unlike that of Hopper’s, and certainly nothing like that of our modern rooms wrapped by floor-to-ceiling clear glass, work in subtle ways. They help to create a cosy intimacy in the room with hints of the street or the garden beyond. In these rooms we see a water jar here, a mandolin there, and a map on the wall. A map or seascape oil painting adequately avails an imagination of the external world, which the Dutch had <a href="https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Dutch_Empire">under their command</a>.
The intimacy in a room, which makes one feel at home and content in one’s world, is contributed by a serene illumination. Daylight admitted in these rooms is never abundant. Dutch windows often do not serve the purpose of viewing out.
It is a little eerie to notice that a Dutch window is a reversed Hopper: the lower part, which is the larger part, of the window is equipped with shutters only (glass was expensive and a rare commodity in those days), while the upper part has fixed leaded panes. Daylight pours in from the upper part to give the room a heavenly illumination. Only when weather permits is the lower part opened.
If glass can be afforded, the lower part is a casement frame fixed with coloured glass. Daylight as such is dimmed down to emit a mysterious gloom in the room.
As for the English in the 18th and 19th centuries, with heavy drapes drawn, they were content to sit around the warm fire to read a long novel: while the body is in a comfortably sedentary posture, the mind is let loose to roam freely in the space of imagination.
What we therefore ought to realise is that the million-dollar view is the bait of a modern trap – its fatal destiny, most tellingly settled by T.S. Eliot, is simply to be “distracted from distraction by distraction”.
Xing Ruan is professor of Architecture, Associate Dean International and Director of Architecture, UNSW Australia and author for The Conversation.
He can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/xing-ruan-219197" target="_blank">here</a>.
 
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Why the million-dollar Sydney view is bad for our body and our soul

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Armadale's Redcourt, one of Melbourne’s most prestigious houses, has been bought by Wendy and Anastasious Tasiopoulos from the Dr Tass cosmetic clinics.
<a href="https://redcourtestate.com.au/home/" target="_blank">Redcourt,</a> built in 1888 by the merchant Edward Yencken, fetched $11.5 million according to documents lodged on its settlement last month.
It was sold by entrepreneur Adam Garrisson, who had bought the Queen Anne-style mansion in 2009 in a derelict condition from the state government.
The heritage-listed 3500 sqm property had been a residence for art and music students in the 1950s, but was abandoned in 1996. 
Yencken, honoured as 'father' of the Melbourne merchants, sold the Joseph Reed-designed home in the 1890s to the mining entrepreneur, founder of BHP and member of Parliament, WR Wilson. After Wilson came John Turnbull Esq, Western district and Queensland pastoralist, then Norman Falkiner, the grazier, racehorse breeder and politician, who engaged the architectural firm of Butler &amp; Bradshaw to carry out extensive additions in 1914.
Redcourt at Orrong Road, Armadale, was listed in 2013, then 2014, selling late last year. Kay &amp; Burton’s Gerald Delany and Ross Savas were the listing agents.
Garrisson's four-year renovation project featured work from fashion designer Akira Isogawa and chef Shannon Bennett.
It had last sold at $3.65 million.
Melbourne GP and cosmetic physician Dr Tass Tasiopoulos practices non-surgical procedures from clinics in Port Melbourne, Elsternwick and Crown Spa Melbourne.
 
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Dr Tass buys Armadale trophy home, Redcourt after makeover

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Racing couple Gai and Rob Waterhouse are selling their former family home in the Mosman enclave Clifton Gardens.
With a price guide of $6 million, the couple have the property scheduled for February 27 auction after 32 years ownership.
They now prefer Balmoral and <a href="/news/gai-and-robbie-waterhouse-tipped-as-dunsinea-mittagong-cattle-farm-buyers">their Southern Highlands retreat</a>. 
The <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-mosman-121723666" target="_blank">Burrawong Avenue</a> home has four bedrooms with Harbour views over Shark Island to Watsons Bay and beyond. There's also what appears to be a hat display cabinet!
The Waterhouse family has owned the property since 1983, but rented out in the past four years.
Selling agent Sally-Anne Lawlor of 2088 Realty has the listing.
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Waterhouse racing clan list in Mosman

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NRL coach Ricky Stuart has sold his Sutherland Shire waterfront property which was listed with $3.5 million hopes.
It was bought in 2011 for $2.65 million from the former champion swimmer Ian Thorpe who paid $2.9 million in 2003 for the Port Hacking waterfront.
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Stuart's 2011 purchase of <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-port+hacking-120274921" target="_blank">2 Wallendbeen Avenue</a> marked his return to the sporty shire, having previously owned at Burraneer Bay.
Stuart had been on the receiving end of the weaker property market in Sydney's eastern suburbs, as he sold his former Vaucluse house for $2.3 million in 2011 having paid $2.75 in 2006 while coaching the Sydney Roosters.
He has been coaching the Canberra Raiders since 2014, renting the former home of Kevin Rudd.
Marketed promoting its sporting property pedigree, it is understood around $3 million was secured through Jon Brookes at Brookes Partners.
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Ricky Stuart sells in Sutherland Shire

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<div>The WBP buyers agency were in attendance at the auction of 51 David Street, Kew last Saturday. </div>
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<div>There were 100 people at the <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-kew-121563914" target="_blank">Buxton auction</a> with around eight bidders pushing the price to a strong $2.61 million sale.</div>
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<div>Having sold for $2.17 million in February 2014, the four bedroom property has had a price growth of over 20 percent in two years.</div>
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<div>WBP's Greville Pabst put the sale down to the quality of the property as opposed to the state of the market.</div>
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<div>"It's too early to gauge any market trend for 2016, but this suggests solid demand that will flow into 2016, especially for houses," he said.</div>
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<div>The Victorian style family home has four bedrooms, two bathrooms and an expansive decking at the rear of the property.</div>
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Early bird Kew auction result signals strong price growth continuation

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The Slater and Gordon managing director Andrew Grech has sold his Kew trophy home to the Shen family for $11.2 million.
The Grech family bought <a href="/news/slater-gordon-managing-director-andrew-grech-lists-in-kew">the Victorian era home</a> in 2008 for $4.51 million.
Kay &amp; Burton selling agent Sam Wilkinson said family reasons were the cause of the sale.
Designed by Stephens &amp; Co Architects, in collaboration with award winning interior designers Tania Di Lizio, the fully renovated three level Victorian mansion has been viewed as one of Kew's best property renovations.
The five bedroom home sits on 1800 sqm of Paul Bangay landscaped gardens. The grounds feature a solar-gas in-ground pool and poolside gymnasium.
The property has a home cinema, an upstairs library, and a pool-view alfresco entertaining pavilion.
The Australian Financial Review's Rear Window column, which followed the listing with zeal, suggested it had been expected to sell for $10 million.
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Slater & Gordon boss secures $11.2 million Kew trophy home sale

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New apartment sales dropped 15.1 per cent nationallyï¿½in November 2015, according to theï¿½Housing Industry Associationï¿½sï¿½new home sales report,ï¿½released on Thursday.
HIA chief economist Harley Dale said it was a ï¿½confluence of factorsï¿½ that droveï¿½the home construction decline, with aï¿½steeperï¿½descent apparent for the ï¿½multi-unitï¿½ market compared to detached houses.
The HIA New Home Sales Report, a survey of Australiaï¿½s largest volume builders, showed a third consecutive decline in November 2015.
ï¿½A confluence of factors is driving a decline in leading indicators of new home construction.
"The lagged effect of slowing population growth, an up-tick in variable mortgage costs, over-reach on the part of APRAï¿½s credit controls, and an easing in property price growth in Sydney and Melbourne are all in play,ï¿½ said Dr Harley Dale.
"In a welcome sign for the short term residential outlook, leading indicators such as HIAï¿½s new home sales didnï¿½t fall sharply in the second half of 2015."
HIA new homes sales fell by 2.7 per cent in November 2015, a result driven by a 15.1 per cent drop in ï¿½multi-unitï¿½ sales.
Detached house sales increased by 1.1 per cent due to a stronger November across the eastern seaboard.
Over the three months to November last year detached house sales fell by 4.1 per cent while the sale of multi-units dropped by 11.8 per cent.
In the month of November 2015 detached house sales increased in three out of the five mainland states.
Detached house sales increased by 8.0 per cent in Queensland, 3.3 per cent in Victoria, and 0.7 per cent in New South Wales. Detached house sales fell by 1.0 per cent in South Australia and by 9.0 per cent in Western Australia.
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HIA's Harley Dale blames APRA credit over-reach for housing construction decline

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The contracted buyer of the $16.85 million Soul penthouse on the Gold Coast has been ordered to pay the developer $14.1 million - but won't get to keep the unit.
Industrial transport entrepreneur Charlie Caltabiano was sued by receivers for Juniper Property Holdings, developer of the Surfers Paradise landmark.
Queensland Supreme Court judge David Jackson declare that the 2007 deposit together with interest accrued was to be forfeited to the plaintiff.
The defendant was ordered to pay $14,132,246 including interest of $1,471,509 over the failed Soul deal.
Caltabiano was at the Gold Coast having a drink in April 2006 when he saw a display for Soul apartments.
He spoke to the salesman, Justin Daniels and noticed the four level penthouse was priced at $16.85 million. 
As constructed, the penthouse had a total floor area of 1,043 square metres, divided between 519 square metres of internal living area and 524 square metres of balcony or roof deck outdoor area.
After he opted not to proceed to the 2012 settlement the penthouse sold for $7 million<a href="/news/soul-surfers-paradise-penthouse-auction-results-in-7-million-sale-to-tony-fung"> at McGrath auction last year to businessman Tony Fung</a>.
The Juniper receivers claimed Mr Caltabiano, who paid a $1.68 million deposit on the luxury four-level apartment, breached the contract when he failed to settle on it three times over two years.
The plaintiff claimed a declaration that the deposit, together with interest accrued, was to be forfeited along with damages for breach of contract in the sum of $8,817,552.
The judge rejected Mr Caltabiano’s claims he reneged on the deal to buy the penthouse because the sellers misled him over its value.
Mr Caltabiano claimed the seller told him the Jade penthouse had sold for $20 million and that the Q1 penthouse sold for $7.8m but had half the floor size of the Soul penthouse — both sales that were untrue.
The judge said taking the other sales claims at their word and without any other research about the apartment’s value was “incredible”.
“It is commercially illogical and inherently improbable that in deciding upon a $16.85 million purchase the defendant would not have obtained such advice,” <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/qld/QSC/2016/5" target="_blank">the judgement read</a> "because of reliance on the alleged representations made by the plaintiff’s sales consultant comprising comparisons with properties that the defendant did not know anything about.
'This is where the defendant’s story is incredible," the judge noted.
Mr Caltabiano founded Force Corp, that rented out equipment like cherry pickers and hydraulic lifts in 1994, which by 2007 was a $100 million company.
The Gold Coast Bulletin reported the business was bought by Coates Hire last year.
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Juniper receivers win Soul penthouse default settlement court battle 

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Everyone had them as moving to the United States, but Australian actor Cate Blanchett with her husband Andrew Upton have instead purchased an 1890s English manor in East Sussex for £3 million ($6.25 million).
It was secured the property last month for £750,000 less than it was originally listed for through Knight Frank back in May last year, according to the <a href="https://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/article1657254.ece?CMP=OTH-gnws-standard-2016_01_16" target="_blank">Sunday Times</a>.
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She sold her historic Sydney property, Bulwarra, in Hunters Hill last year having listed with hopes of $20 million to a buyer from China.
The new UK home sits on five hectares of English countryside, not too far from their former Brighton terrace house.
<a href="https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-52330817" target="_blank">Highwell House</a>, located in the small town Crowborough, has seven bedrooms, seven bathrooms and five reception rooms.
The home had fallen into disrepair, but renovated and restorewith bespoke materials and hand crafted finishes.
A 19th-century French chandelier hangs in the reception hall, with a large oak staircase leading up to the second level.
Featuring large bay windows and Belgian stone kitchen sink, work tops and tiling, the home also comes complete with turret.
It was 2003 when Blanchett paid $3.7 million for a home in Brighton, East Sussex, after deciding Islington, London was an unsuitable environment for baby son Dashiell.
The Regency house overlooked the English Channel.
It is said that author Lewis Carroll saw a white rabbit bounding down the tunnel on the grounds of the property in the 1860s, inspiring him to write Alice's Adventures In Wonderland.
Early last year they bought the city apartment of Wizard founder Mark Bouris in the historic Astor building as their Sydney bolthole.
Cate Blanchett and director husband Andrew Upton purchased the sandstone waterfront Hunters Hill trophy home in 2004 for $10.2 million.
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Cate Blanchett buys back in the UK

Design-led developer-builder Lowe Living has unveiled its latest residential development, Jardin House, marking its first foray into Melbourne's blue-chip City of Boroondara.

Located a short walk from Camberwell Junction, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/jardin-house-by-lowe-living-camberwell-335-camberwell-road-camberwell-vic-3124">Jardin House</a> has been designed to appeal to affluent local downsizers and established families seeking a low-maintenance alternative to the large homes that have long defined Camberwell and surrounding suburbs.

The project will comprise a collection of two and three-bedroom apartments ranging from 92 sqm to 280 sqm, alongside a limited number of penthouse residences featuring rooftop terraces spanning more than 100 sqm, with optional private pools.

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[smartcode_project:default project_id=146717 project_image_fid=372212]

Lowe Living Co-Founder and Managing Director Tim Lowe said Camberwell represented a natural next step for the developer as it expands into some of Melbourne's most tightly held residential markets.

"Jardin House is an important project for our team as it marks the next evolution of our portfolio into different well-established blue-chip pockets of Melbourne," Lowe said.

"Camberwell, with its incredible walkability, family-led neighbourhood feel and superb access to education and transport, makes it a natural choice for us."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=146717 project_image_fid=372227]

Designed by Tristan Wong Architects, with interiors by Hecker Guthrie and landscaping by Acre, the development takes inspiration from the Art Deco architecture that remains a defining feature of many of Camberwell's established streets.

A curved facade, arched openings, textured brickwork and sculpted forms reference the suburb's architectural heritage, while extensive landscaping softens the building's presence and creates a strong connection to the surrounding tree-lined streetscape.

The project will be set behind a secure gated entrance, with residents arriving through landscaped gardens designed to create a transition between the public realm and private residences.

Inside, the residences feature natural stone and timber finishes, full-height glazing, Miele appliances and generous open-plan living areas designed for long-term owner occupation.

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While the apartments themselves have been designed to attract discerning owner-occupiers, it is the amenity offering that sets Jardin House apart from many other boutique projects currently launching across Melbourne.

The centrepiece is a 350 sqm private bathhouse curated in partnership with Aurora Spa &amp; Bathhouse founder Lyndall Mitchell.

The wellness precinct includes mineral pools, hydrotherapy experiences, a Himalayan salt room, sauna, steam room, cold plunge pools and dedicated relaxation spaces, creating what Lowe Living describes as a private wellness retreat exclusively for residents.

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The collaboration follows Lowe Living's recent partnership with Aurora at Maison Savoy in Brighton, although Jardin House is the first project to incorporate both indoor and outdoor wellness experiences.

Emma Lowe, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Lowe Living, said wellness was becoming an increasingly important consideration for apartment buyers.

"Collaborating with Lyndall Mitchell from Aurora Spa &amp; Bathhouse for a second time is an intentional nod to creating residences that are more than just homes, but a way to enrich the lives of our residents through wellness and longevity," Lowe said.

The amenity offering is complemented by a Technogym fitness studio, residents' lounge, private dining spaces and concierge services.

The launch comes as developers increasingly target Melbourne's established eastern suburbs, where rising land values, ageing housing stock and growing downsizer demand are creating opportunities for boutique apartment projects.

Lowe said the company expects significant generational wealth transfer across suburbs such as Camberwell in coming years, creating further demand for luxury apartment living.

"Camberwell is a blue-chip suburb where homes regularly transact for multiple millions of dollars," he said.

"The generational change of wealth in these locations expected in the coming years is significant, so we see an opportunity to create exclusive residences that appeal to older families and downsizers in order to meet this demand."

Apartments at Jardin house start from $1,195,000. The project forms part of Lowe Living's near-$1 billion portfolio of new developments across Melbourne.

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Joel Robinson

Lowe Living launches Jardin House in Camberwell

As <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/north-sydney-nsw-2060">North Sydney</a> continues its transition from a commercial centre into a more layered residential and lifestyle precinct, a new generation of apartment developments is reshaping expectations around scale, amenity, and long-term liveability.

Improved transport connections through the Victoria Cross Metro, continued investment in dining and public spaces, and a constrained supply of new luxury apartments have sharpened demand for homes that combine proximity to the CBD with the privacy and outlook traditionally associated with harbourside houses.

At 177 Walker Street, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/aland">ALAND</a>’s new apartment development <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-walden-north-sydney-177-walker-street-north-sydney-nsw-2060">The Walden</a> enters the market with a distinctly residential approach to high-rise living. The 30-level tower will deliver 161 residences, ranging from one-bedroom apartments through to sub-penthouses and a full-floor penthouse, all oriented to capture uninterrupted views across Sydney Harbour, the Opera House, and out toward the Pacific Ocean.

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Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a>, the project takes advantage of the site’s natural topography and elevated position above the harbour. Rather than relying on density alone, the architecture focuses on outlook, orientation, and spatial flow, with every apartment occupying a corner position to maximise natural light and cross ventilation.

Rothelowman says the site itself shaped much of the architectural response.

“The site has a long history in terms of its inevitable transformation and when we came in, we took inspiration from the idea of reestablishing a sense of the site’s natural terrain and fall. Our scheme aims to integrate with the terrain and the landscape, using the undulating site to slowly reveal glimpses and views of the harbour. The rotation of the tower off grid means every apartment has a view and is naturally cross ventilated. The building's colour palette is quintessentially Sydney, with bronze and sandstone and a luminescent green colour in the glass, making it very earthy and grounded in its location.”

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Inside the residences, the emphasis moves toward larger-format living typically associated with standalone homes. Kitchens sit at the centre of the apartments, connecting directly to open-plan dining and living areas before extending outward into expansive winter gardens and balconies. Calacatta marble, bespoke joinery, integrated appliances, and custom metal detailing are used throughout, while three distinct interior palettes, Terrace, Opera, and Harbour, allow buyers to personalise the spaces without compromising the architectural consistency of the project.

The larger residences place particular attention on separation between entertaining and private zones. In many apartments, master suites occupy the outer corners of the floorplates, allowing bedrooms to benefit from floor-to-ceiling glazing and harbour outlooks independent of the living spaces. Dressing rooms and ensuites continue the material palette through fluted detailing, freestanding baths, and layered stone finishes.

Rothelowman says the design intent centred on creating homes that feel enduring rather than transient.

“Our philosophy is all about the way people live in these spaces, and we wanted to create homes that reflect the quality of life in this unique Sydney location. The apartments showcase expansive living spaces that are generous, sophisticated, and bold, with the ability to connect with views throughout each apartment.”

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A separate four-storey amenity building known as The Pavilion expands the residential offering beyond the apartments themselves. Positioned alongside the tower, the building consolidates wellness, recreation, and social spaces into a dedicated resident retreat. Facilities include a 20-metre rooftop pool and sundeck, sauna, spa, ice bath, wellness studio, gymnasium, concierge service, wine cellar, residents’ lounge, private dining spaces, and dedicated co-working areas with meeting rooms and boardroom facilities.

The amenity mix reflects the buyer profile emerging in North Sydney, where owner-occupiers and downsizers are increasingly prioritising convenience, apartment scale, and long-term usability over purely investment-driven decisions.

The Walden also represents a significant milestone for ALAND, marking the company’s first major move into Sydney’s inner-city luxury apartment market after more than two decades delivering large-scale residential communities across Greater Sydney. Founder Andrew Hrsto says the Walker Street site stood apart because of both its positioning and its rarity.

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“As a company, we had been searching for a site in one of Sydney’s blue-chip locations, spanning the Eastern Suburbs, the Sydney CBD and the North Shore, and when we had the opportunity to purchase this site, we immediately recognised that it could be something iconic.”

At launch, The Walden recorded more than $103 million in sales, with buyers drawn to the project’s harbour positioning, apartment scale, and proximity to the Metro, which now connects North Sydney to Barangaroo in three minutes and Martin Place in five.

ALAND has commenced construction, and is expecting a completion date in 2028.

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The Walden pairs house-scale living with North Sydney connectivity

The ACT will become the first jurisdiction in Australia to abolish stamp duty for all first home buyers, with no income caps and no property price thresholds from 1 July.

The move, announced as part of the ACT Budget, completes a key election commitment from the Barr Government and removes what Chief Minister Andrew Barr described as one of the biggest barriers to entering the housing market. The reform forms part of the ACT's long-running transition away from transaction taxes and towards a broader-based property tax system.

"This budget marks a major milestone in our long-term tax reform program," Barr said, adding that the government had maintained a sustained focus on removing barriers to home ownership. He said stamp duty had long been one of the largest upfront hurdles facing buyers and that from July, "that barrier is gone" for first home buyers in the Territory.

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The changes come alongside a range of measures designed to encourage new housing supply, including support for the delivery of so-called "missing middle" housing such as terraces, townhouses and low-rise multi-unit developments.

The announcement has renewed debate around whether the ACT's approach could provide a blueprint for improving housing affordability nationally.

New research from OurTop10.com.au, conducted by Primara Research, suggests the Territory's decade-long reform agenda has produced outcomes unmatched elsewhere in Australia.

While stamp duty costs have increased by an average 67 per cent nationally over the past decade, the ACT has recorded growth of just 15 per cent, the lowest increase of any jurisdiction.

The Territory has also emerged as one of the strongest performers on housing delivery. Based on population-weighted housing targets, the ACT is sitting less than one per cent behind its target. Victoria is the next closest at seven per cent behind, while the national average sits 25 per cent below target. New South Wales is tracking 39 per cent behind.

The latest reform removes one of the final barriers facing first home buyers in Canberra.

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The average Australian home buyer currently pays $61,714 in stamp duty. In the ACT, that figure is $38,399 despite the Territory having the third-highest median house price in the country.

Until now, the ACT's first home buyer concession scheme only applied to purchases up to $1.02 million, around $51,000 below Canberra's median house price of $1.071 million. In practical terms, many first home buyers were unable to access the median-priced home without losing the concession.

From July, those restrictions disappear.

Every first home buyer in the ACT will pay no stamp duty, regardless of income or purchase price.

Canberra remains one of Australia's most expensive housing markets, with dwelling values increasing 82 per cent over the past decade. However, that growth ranks only 11th among Australia's 15 major housing markets, suggesting affordability pressures have been less severe than in many other parts of the country.

Simon Ma, CEO of OurTop10.com.au, said the latest reforms recognise that many first home buyers have simply outgrown thresholds set years ago.

"Many first home buyers aren't just looking for a way onto the ladder, they want a home their family can actually live in," Ma said.

"In a market where the median house price is over a million dollars, a concession scheme that cuts out at $1.02 million was never going to get them there.

"Removing the ceiling entirely means ACT first home buyers can now pursue the home they actually want, rather than limiting themselves to a price point designed for a very different market."

Whether other states follow remains to be seen. But at a time when most jurisdictions are struggling to improve affordability while also increasing housing supply, the ACT has quietly become the national test case for both.

15% stamp duty growth. Just 1% off the national housing target. Zero stamp duty for FHBs. Is the ACT the blueprint for the great Australian dream?

ACT abolishes stamp duty for first home buyers

A rooftop pool and spa overlooking the Brisbane CBD, private dining spaces, expansive landscaped gardens and a residents' lounge are set to crown <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/callista-on-park-west-end-49-mollison-street-west-end-qld-4101">Callista on Park</a>, the final residential building within Brisbane's West Village precinct.

The rooftop amenity collection has been designed as an extension of the lifestyle already established throughout West Village, providing residents with a series of indoor and outdoor spaces that capitalise on the building's elevated position above West End.

A swimming pool and heated spa form the centrepiece of the rooftop offering, surrounded by landscaped gardens developed through a collaboration between developer Sekisui House and ASPECT Studios. The design incorporates expansive lawn areas surrounded by English garden-inspired planting.

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Residents will also have access to two barbecue and outdoor dining areas positioned to take advantage of views across Brisbane's skyline, neighbouring Mollison Park, and the surrounding inner-city landscape.

For larger gatherings, the rooftop includes a private dining room centred around a substantial stone island bench, complete with a full kitchen and a 10-seat dining table set beneath four-metre-high ceilings. The space has been designed to overlook both the rooftop gardens and the Brisbane CBD skyline.

A separate residents' lounge provides an additional indoor retreat connected to the broader rooftop amenity offering, creating another space for residents to work, relax or entertain guests.

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The attention to detail extends beyond the rooftop.

Upon arrival, residents will enter through a lobby featuring a bespoke ceiling light installation developed in collaboration between Sekisui House and Alcorn Middleton Architecture. The arrival experience is complemented by private resident mailboxes and carefully considered interior finishes designed to reflect the premium positioning of the building.

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The amenity offering forms part of Callista on Park, the final residential release within the decade-long transformation of the former Peters Ice Cream Factory site into West Village, one of Brisbane's most established mixed-use communities.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a> and being delivered by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/builders/hutchinson-builders">Hutchinson Builders</a>, Callista represents the most premium residential offering within the masterplanned precinct.

Construction is now entering its final stages, with scaffolding beginning to come down and completion expected in the first quarter of 2027.

Prices for the three-bedroom plus MPR apartments start from just over $2.6 million.

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Callista will mark the final opportunity to purchase within West Village, where residents have direct access to more than 35 retail, dining, wellness and medical operators including Harris Farm Markets, Woolworths, Function Well and Goodlife Health Clubs, Metro Arts, and a growing collection of restaurants and cafés.

Located just 800 metres from the Brisbane CBD, the precinct also places residents within walking distance of South Bank, West End's dining scene, riverfront parklands and major public transport connections.

For Sekisui House, which has delivered more than two million homes globally, Callista serves as the concluding piece of the West Village masterplan, bringing together the precinct's heritage character, parkland setting and emphasis on walkability in a final collection of larger-format residences.

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Rooftop pool, private dining and skyline gardens to crown West Village's final apartment release, Callista on Park

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/wahroonga-nsw-2076">Wahroonga</a>’s enduring appeal has long been tied to its balance of bushland, established amenity, and access to some of Sydney’s most respected education and healthcare institutions.

Along Fox Valley Road, that combination is becoming increasingly sought after by buyers looking to remain connected to the Upper North Shore lifestyle while prioritising walkability, wellbeing, and convenience.

Developer Capital Corporation's initial vision of a 62-hectare site on Fox Valley Road was that they could create their own walkable community, bordered by&nbsp;more than 25 hectares of bushland and adjoining Coups Creek.

<img alt="Wahroonga" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b84917a1-0d75-49b9-888c-ddf7ebfd6692" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/NEW2026_Wahroonga_Walkway.gif?VersionId=Gk3_xi5ssYfalmwuQQ5umQakddceC31j" />

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-residences-at-wahroonga-estate-169-fox-valley-road-wahroonga-nsw-2076">The Residences at Wahroonga Estate</a> draws directly on the area’s natural landscape, with walking trails and green corridors linking into sections of Lane Cove National Park. The surrounding network of bushwalks, cycling tracks, and reserves reinforces the suburb’s long-standing reputation as one of Sydney’s most nature-oriented residential pockets, while still maintaining close ties to village retail and transport infrastructure.

The address places residents within minutes of Wahroonga and Turramurra villages, where cafés, local grocers, boutiques, and everyday services support a highly localised lifestyle. Popular nearby venues including The Fox Café and Breeze Valley Café provide easy options for morning coffee or casual dining, while longstanding retailers such as IGA Wahroonga Fresh and Novella Fine Books continue to anchor the area’s village character.

&nbsp;

<img alt="Wahroonga" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c4a950f7-4f05-4370-b360-b106359788e5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/2026_Wahroonga_Entry_Gates.gif?VersionId=7n5kh9ymu.azYEYDemJkPgiIAfSw44oj" />

Healthcare access remains one of the defining locational advantages of the estate. Sydney Adventist Hospital, known locally as The San, sits directly adjacent and is one of the largest and most respected private hospitals in New South Wales. The hospital precinct incorporates specialist medical services, radiology, physiotherapy, and outpatient care, contributing to growing buyer demand from downsizers and owner-occupiers seeking long-term convenience and peace of mind.

Research commissioned by Capital Corporation found that health and wellbeing considerations are increasingly influencing downsizing decisions, particularly among buyers wanting to remain within familiar neighbourhoods while accessing medical infrastructure more easily.

Education has also historically underpinned demand across Wahroonga and the broader Upper North Shore. The estate sits close to several of Sydney’s leading private and independent schools, including Knox Grammar, Abbotsleigh, Barker College, Pymble Ladies’ College, Ravenswood School for Girls, and Loreto Normanhurst. Co-educational options including Wahroonga Adventist School and Sydney Adventist School further strengthen the area’s appeal to established families looking for long-term schooling pathways within a tightly held catchment.

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Transport connectivity supports the suburb’s liveability without compromising its quieter residential character. Wahroonga and Turramurra train stations provide direct rail access into the Sydney CBD, while the nearby Pacific Highway and M1 motorway strengthen links across the North Shore and broader metropolitan area. At the same time, the heavily treed streetscape and low-density character continue to distinguish the precinct from more urbanised parts of Sydney.

The Residences at Wahroonga Estate forms the first stage of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/capital-corporation">Capital Corporation</a>’s broader masterplanned vision for the precinct, delivered alongside the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

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Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/group-gsa">GroupGSA</a> with interiors by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/coco-republic-interior-design">Coco Republic</a>, the development integrates landscaped communal spaces including a pet-friendly Green Spine, resident lounge, BBQ pavilion, and direct bushland access, reinforcing the project’s focus on outdoor connection and community-based living.

Now under construction by Gold Star iCIRT-rated builder <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/builders/dasco-australia">DASCO</a>, The Residences at Wahroonga Estate will deliver a collection of one, two, and three-bedroom apartments priced from $990,000, with completion anticipated in 2027.

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Jonathan Chancellor

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