<html><body>
The Perth property market has turned the corner and is now well into its upswing, according to property clock estimates from property valuers and investment advisors WBP Property Group.
WBP places Perth houses at seven o’clock on the property clock and its unit market further into an upswing at eight o’clock.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/10/clock-generic.jpg">
<ul>
<li>At 12 o’clock the market is at its peak (demand exceeds supply)</li>
<li>At 3 o’clock the downswing has set in (an evenly supplied market)</li>
<li>By 6 o’clock it has bottomed out (an oversupplied market).</li>
<li>At 9 o’clock the market is rebounding (supply tightening)</li>
</ul>
In its commentary on the Perth detaching housing market, WBP says supply has decreased and there has been a "significant increase in buyer activity in the sub-$500,000 market".
“Yields are continuing to rise as rental levels increase, which is resulting investors come back into the market.
“With supply issues now coming into effect and housing shortage becoming more evident, it is considered the cycle will continue for the medium term,” says WBP.
Taking a look at the Perth unit market, WBP says strong rental demand and the increase in the median rental has resulted in higher yields.
“Investors that are looking for even to positively geared properties are active in the sector,” says WBP.
According to October data from RP Data-Rismark released yesterday, Perth was the strongest performing market over the month, with dwelling values up 0.4% over the month and 3.5% year-on-year to a median of $460,000.
The Perth median house price is up 3.8% year-on-year to October to a median of $475,000, while unit prices are 3.5% to a median of $397,500.
RP Data puts Perth yields at 4.5% for houses and 4.9% for units.
According to RP Data senior research analyst Cameron Kusher the Perth housing market is just starting to turn around after more than five years of decline.
"Perth prices are still 7% below their peak," he says.
</body></html>

lschlesinger-FZcF9M3vE6

Perth property market into its upswing: WBP

<html><body>
As lenders continue to cut fixed-rates, demand for this mortgage type rose to a six-month high, according to October mortgage approval figures from Mortgage Choice.
Over the month, 22% of all new home loans taken out by new borrowers via a Mortgage Choice broker were for fixed rates, just above the 12-month average of 21%.
The most recent lender to cut its fixed-rate mortgages was Credit Union Australia (CUA), the nation’s biggest customer-owned lender, which dropped its one, two and three-year fixed rate home loans to 5.3% this week, following moves by other lenders throughout the month.
Currently, <a target="_blank" href="/news">three lenders offer a one-year fixed rate home loan under 5%</a> while Mortgage Choice says seven lenders on its panel dropped their fixed-rate loans over the past week.
Of those borrowers who did lock in a fixed-rate, the most popular term (74% of all fixed-rate home loans) was three years, followed by two-years (16%).
Only 5% of fixed-rate borrowers chose a one-year fixed rate term.
“Following speculation last month of fewer rate cuts to come this year, and the latest CPI data hinting at less rate activity, it comes as no surprise that borrowers are taking advantage of the good fixed rate loan offers available. By securing their interest rate they are also locking in peace of mind over the next few years," says Mortgage Choice spokesperson Belinda Williamson.
The Mortgage Choice October figures also show a considerable uplift in the preference for ongoing discount rates loans, reaching 40% of all new loans approved. This follows two consecutive monthly drops in demand in August and September.
 “There was a downward trend on the popularity of discount rates loans – where the loan is discounted over the entire loan term – in the months before October, as economists were predicting a number of rate cuts by the Reserve Bank before the end of the year,” says Williamson.
“This month appeared to buck this trend however, as we saw an increase in ongoing discount rate loan appeal. As the talk of further rate cuts dries up, this increase shows more borrowers are now shopping around for long-term bargains.”
Standard variable rate loan demand fell by three percentage points to 15% of all new loan approvals, while the preference for basic variable rates remained steady at 19%.
Demand for line of credit loans - popular with investors - fell by one percentage point to 3% and introductory rate popularity remained at less than 1%.
</body></html>

Demand for fixed-rate mortgages climbs to six-month high: Mortgage Choice

<html><body>
The median <a target="_blank" href="/news">Hobart </a>house price fell by 8.1% to a median of $340,000 in the September quarter, according to the latest figures from the Real Estate Institute of Tasmania (REIT).
This has pushed back prices to levels last seen around early 2008.
The median house price fell despite a 4.2% rise in the number of Hobart houses sold over the quarter to 393 and the number of days taken to sell a house decreasing by one day to 58.
Across the state there was a 6.2% increase in house sales to 1,242.
Figures released yesterday by RP Data-Rismark suggest Hobart house prices are continuing to fall, recording a 4.5% fall in the Hobart dwelling price over October (one month ahead of REIT figures) to a median of $300,375 with houses down 3.8% ($313,000) and units down 10.1% ($247,500).
According to the REIT, <a target="_blank" href="/news">Launceston </a>was the only region in Tasmania to record an increase in its median house price over the quarter – up just 0.9% to a median of $265,000 and the only region to record an increase in median rent paid per week, with the rent for two-bedroom units up 20% for the quarter ($270 per week) and the year, and rent for three-bedroom houses steady for the quarter ($240 per week).
Across the state the median house price fell 1.7%, a 3.4% decrease overall for the year, to a median of $285,000, while unit prices fell more steeply, down 3%, a 4.2% decrease overall for the year to a median of $232,750.
The decline did not affect the prestige suburb of <a target="_blank" href="/news">Sandy Bay</a>, just south of the CBD, where the median sales price was up 26% over the quarter and 4.9% year-on-year to a median of $640,000.
The most affordable suburbs or town in Tasmania is <a target="_blank" href="/news">Queenstown</a>, where the median price has risen 33% over the past 12 months to September to $100,000.
Click to enlarge
<a title="Click to enlarge" rel="shadowbox" href="/images/stories/2012/10/reitnov2.gif"><img src="/images/stories/2012/10/reitnov2thumb.gif"></a>
The price declines were particularly severe in the outer suburbs of Hobart, where the median house price fell 8.3% over the September quarter to a median of $307,250 to be down 11.6% over the past 12 months, while unit prices fell 18.5% over the quarter to a median of $232,250, down 17.8% since September last year.


<hr class="system-pagebreak">
House prices declined in the middle suburbs by 10.2% over the quarter to a median of $300,750, while units in the middle suburbs were more resilient, holding steady at a median of $241,000 and down a relatively modest 3.6% year-on-year.
Click to enlarge
<a title="Click to enlarge" rel="shadowbox" href="/images/stories/2012/10/reitnov21.gif"><img src="/images/stories/2012/10/reitnov21thumb.gif"></a>
The severe house price declines in the suburbs did not extend to the inner city, where house prices rose 7.9% to a median of $469,150 while units fell marginally by 1.9% to a median of $321,250.
REIT president Adrian Kelly says the increased number of sales over the quarter is a “positive sign bringing real estate in Tasmania back to a similar position as it was at the beginning of the year”.
“Anecdotal evidence from agencies across the state also indicates they are receiving similar or more enquires about properties for sale,” he says.
“There are currently seven municipalities across Tasmania recording a median house price higher than that of the state median, those being Brighton, Clarence, Hobart, Huon Valley, Latrobe and the West Tamar.”
First-time buyers increased slightly for the quarter, accounting for 18% of house sales across the state, with a median house price of $237,500.
<a target="_blank" href="/news">Devonport </a>on the central north coast of Tasmania recorded the highest number of sales for the quarter of 38. Despite this, house prices fell 14.2% to a median of $220,750 and are down 7.2% year-on-year.
</body></html>

House prices tumble further in Hobart suburbs despite rise in sales activity: REIT

<html><body>
Private investors were the most active purchasers of Brisbane industrial property over the year to September, according to research by Savills.
These investors bought 43% of the $500 million worth of industrial property that was reported as sold in Brisbane over this 12-month period.
The chart also shows that more than a third (36%) of businesses have been snapping up their own warehouse premises rather than rent – not surprising, as industrial land values have fallen 30% since 2007, according to Savills.
 
<img src="/images/stories/2012/11/pie_chart2.gif" width="500" height="326" alt="pie_chart2">
Click to enlarge
<a href="/images/stories/2012/10/savillsnov2.gif" rel="shadowbox" title="Click to enlarge"><img src="/images/stories/2012/10/savillsnov2thumb.gif"></a>
Savills reports that there is a good level of activity for industrial assets priced between $2 million and $5 million across "all asset types and precincts".
Yields range between 7.75% and 9.75% for industrial property across Brisbane.
</body></html>

Private investors top buyers of Brisbane warehouses 

<html><body>
The brief rally in Melbourne dwelling values ended in October with property values expected to bounce around near the bottom of the market for another 12 to 18 months, according to RP Data senior research analyst Cameron Kusher.
As the quarterly data (below) shows, Melbourne median house values are flat again, while unit prices are starting to decline after rising strongly in August and September. 
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="1"><tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="99"></td>
<td valign="top" width="84">
MEDIAN HOUSE PRICE
</td>
<td valign="top" width="86">
QUARTERLY CHANGE
</td>
<td valign="top" width="83">
RENTAL YIELD
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="99">
OCTOBER
</td>
<td valign="top" width="84">
$508,000
</td>
<td valign="top" width="86">
0.6%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="83">
3.6%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="99">
SEPTEMBER
</td>
<td valign="top" width="84">
$507,750
</td>
<td valign="top" width="86">
2.8%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="83">
3.6%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="99">
AUGUST
</td>
<td valign="top" width="84">
$495,000
</td>
<td valign="top" width="86">
2.6%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="83">
3.6%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="99">
JULY
</td>
<td valign="top" width="84">
$510,000
</td>
<td valign="top" width="86">
-0.2%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="83">
3.6%
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
 
 
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="1"><tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="86">
 
</td>
<td valign="top" width="86">
MEDIAN UNIT PRICE
</td>
<td valign="top" width="97">
QUARTERLY CHANGE
</td>
<td valign="top" width="75">
RENTAL YIELD
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="86">
OCTOBER
</td>
<td valign="top" width="86">
$420,000
</td>
<td valign="top" width="97">
-1.3%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="75">
4.5%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="86">
SEPTEMBER
</td>
<td valign="top" width="86">
$417,500
</td>
<td valign="top" width="97">
4%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="75">
4.3%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="86">
AUGUST
</td>
<td valign="top" width="86">
$428,750
</td>
<td valign="top" width="97">
2%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="75">
4.4%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="86">
JULY
</td>
<td valign="top" width="86">
$426,000
</td>
<td valign="top" width="97">
-0.7%
</td>
<td valign="top" width="75">
4.4%
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
 Source: <a href="https://www.myrp.com.au/" target="_blank">RP Data</a>. Note the median price is the middle price of all settled sales over the three months to the end of the final month.
“Melbourne did start to see a recovery in the last six months, but we were always a little bit surprised at this recovery,” Kusher says.
“The market did not correct for very long or by very much though and there is still the potential for further correction.”
Kusher says it could be 12 to 18 months before the market starts rising, and even then gains are likely to be modest.
Melbourne also has the weakest rental yields for both houses (3.6%) and units (4.5%) of all capital cities and is also the only capital city where gross returns (capital growth combined with rental income growth) are in negative territory (-0.8% in October), providing little  incentive for investors.
“Investors should be looking outside of Melbourne," Kusher says.
“The low rental yields are just a function of strong price growth over the last four to five years to late 2011, but with no pressure on rents due to extra housing coming through from the inner city unit market,” he says.
Unit values fell 3.2% over October to a median of $420,000, and Kusher says oversupply from inner -city developments is definitely a factor.
“There is a huge amount of supply in areas like Docklands and the CBD.”
Kusher says property market observers should keep in mind that a market like Perth is just starting to turn around, having taken 5 ½ years to fall from its peak. This was also the case with the Sydney market.
“Perth is just turning around and is still 7% below its peak. Sydney fell 10% from peak to trough,” he says.
Melbourne property prices only started trending down in late 2011 and are currently down only 2.4% from a year ago – the recent rally helping to correct some of the previous losses.
Kusher says the outlook is a little better for Melbourne houses than units.
This is principally because residential developers, which hold of lot of land-banked stock on the outskirts of the city, can hold off releasing this to the market.
However, developers of inner-city apartments that have sold off the plan are already committed to build, or in many cases, apartment projects are already under construction.
</body></html>

Property investors should look outside of Melbourne as short-term rally ends: RP Data

<html><body>
Nearly two-thirds of property investors and buyers expect the cash rate to fall over the next six months, according to a survey of more than 800 Property Observer readers.
More than a third (35%) of those surveyed expect one more rate cut over the next six months – the most popular choice among readers of the website with just over a quarter (28%) expecting two rate cuts (50 basis points)  between now and March next year.
However, a significant proportion – roughly in one five – expect no more rate cuts over this period while more than one in ten readers (12%) expect the cash rate to rise by either 25 basis points or 50 basis points in the short term.
The results of the survey suggest there is fair amount of uncertainty among investors and borrowers about the direction of interest rates.
This is also borne out by the response to a refinancing question in the survey with just a quarter of borrowers saying they would consider refinancing over the next year - a lower mortgage rate is a reason why many borrowers would refinance.
The results of the survey come less than a week until the Melbourne Cup Day November RBA cash rate decision, where sentiment has swung from a sure-bet of a rate cut to it now being a close call following a speech by RBA deputy governor Philip Lowe, who said “very low interest rates in many other economies should not be seen as a good thing or something to aspire to”.
<a href="/news">Commonwealth Bank chief economist Michael Blythe</a> interpreted the speech to mean that it was now only a “50-50 call” as to whether the RBA would cut rates.
Similarly, in a recent column for the Australian Financial Review, economist Christopher Joye said November rate cut hopes were dimming <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/fewer-economists-expecting-a-november-cup-day-rba-rate-cut-bloomberg/2012102657470">despite 21 out 28 economists polled by Bloomberg</a> still expecting the RBA to trim further.
Joye highlighted that bank interest rates rather than the target cash rate set by the RBA were having more of an impact on stimulating demand.
“The RBA is belatedly starting to acknowledge that interest rates, as opposed to its target cash rate, are getting quite stimulatory for rate-sensitive sectors,” said Joye.
"Two major banks have now cut the price of their fixed-rate home loan products to 20-plus-year lows. Unsurprisingly, auction clearance rates are reinvigorating," he added.
</body></html>

A maximum of two more rate cuts to come say uncertain Property Observer readers

<html><body>
Frank Lowy, the co-founder and chairman of the Westfield Group, has been inducted into the newly launched Australian Property Hall of Fame.
Lowy received the industry honour in front of 600 guests at the Property Council’s Property Congress gala dinner in Sydney last night.
The Australian Property Hall of Fame has been established by the Property Council of Australia to "honour individuals for their major pioneering contribution, sustained leadership and lasting legacy to the property industry and Australian society".
Lowy founded what was later to become Westfield alongside fellow Hungarian immigrant John Saunders.
Their first venture as business partners was in a small sandwich selling partnership until they set up their own delicatessen in <a target="_blank" href="/news">Blacktown</a>. They opened their first shopping centre, Westfield Place in July 1959.
Lowy came to Australia with his family via Israel in the early 1950s having survived the Nazi occupation of Hungary.
Lowy was inducted alongside the late Dick Dusseldorp, founder and chairman, of Lend Lease Corporation and the late Ray Powys, AMP’s first property investment manager and founding president and inaugural CEO of the forerunner to the Property Council, the Building Owners and Managers Association.
Property Council National President Darren Steinberg said each of the three inductees were giants of the industry.
“The Australian Property Hall of Fame acknowledges property industry pioneers whose astonishing imagination, unbridled energy and keen entrepreneurial talents transformed Australia into a dynamic, prosperous society,” Steinberg said.
“The inaugural inductees not only shaped Australia’s urban landscape, they helped unleash an aspirational ethos and vitality that defines our national identity.”
</body></html>

Westfield co-founder Frank Lowy inducted into Australian Property Hall of Fame

<html><body>
An internal ASIC taskforce will investigate the collapse of Victorian non-bank lender and debenture issuer Banksia as well as consider regulation of the wider Australian unlisted debenture sector.
Banksia Securities collapsed last week placing $660 million in small investor savings at risk. The financier lent on debenture holders' money as mortgages to fund property purchases.
Apart from Banksia, the other notable debenture issuer to collapse recently was <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/news/provident-capital-s-creditors-vote-to-liquidate/2012102457415" target="_blank">NSW-based non-bank lender Provident Capital,</a> with unsecured creditors voting to liquidate the $130 million sub-prime lender last week.
Debenture issuers unlike banks, building societies and credit unions are not generally regulated by APRA nor are there any prudential standards that apply.
The ASIC taskforce will be led in Melbourne by Commissioner John Price and will make its recommendations to Treasury.
“The <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/industry-news/victorian-non-bank-lender-banksia-securities-collapses/2012102657456">failure of Banksia</a>, an unlisted debenture company that has operated a mortgage financing business across a large part of regional Victoria, will affect the lives of many everyday Australians. ASIC wants to take a closer look as it is another area of retail-funded shadow banking,” says ASIC chairman Greg Medcraft.
"At the moment there are laws around disclosure and, to a limited extent, the conduct of debenture issuers. But we need to lift the regulatory intensity to make sure that investors are confident and informed.’ "The taskforce will review the extensive work we’ve done to date around the regulation of the unlisted debenture sector. The taskforce’s work may involve making recommendations to Treasury about law reform given we have pushed the existing conduct and disclosure regime to its limit.’ "We will also work closely with Banksia receivers and managers McGrath Nicol to try and get the best result for Banksia investors and retail clients who Banksia provided credit to.
"Importantly, we’ll also continue to remind debenture trustees of their obligations as gatekeepers to protect investors and monitor debenture investments - particularly bad loans and liquidity problems,” says Medcraft. 
Prior to the collapse of Banksia and Provident Capital, unlisted debenture issuers were on ASIC’s radar with the watchdog undertaking “general market reviews” of the sector and conducting “risk based surveillances on a small number of debenture issuers”.
ASIC is not a prudential regulator but will monitor disclosures made by debenture issuers.
</body></html>

ASIC taskforce to investigate Banksia collapse and seek regulation of unlisted debenture sector

<html><body>
Meriton has enough development land in its Sydney war chest for now and will not buy any more development sites unless the deal is “very attractive”, according to founder Harry Triguboff.
Australia’s biggest apartment builder has acquired six sites in Sydney this year at a combined cost in excess of $200 million.
The sites have the capacity for 2,000 apartments worth around $1.3 billion.
“We will only buy more land now if we consider the deals are very attractive,” said Triguboff in a report in The Australian.
“We have enough stock of land to develop and it is not necessary to take on debt.”
Meriton most recent development site purchase was a $21 million acquisition of a former industrial property in Rosebery in inner south-east Sydney with plans to build 200 apartments.
Triguboff’s biggest site acquisition this year was in Chatswood on Sydney’s north shore, with approval for 547 apartments. Meriton paid $50 million for the Thomas Street car park with plans for two towers of 29 stories each, one of which will be retained by Meriton as serviced apartments – a growing part of the Meriton business.
Other acquisitions included $48.5 million spent to acquire the controversial Lewisham Estates development site which has amended potential for between 377 and 430 units.
Meriton has also acquired sites in Talavera Road in North Ryde (423 units), South Dowling Street, Zetland (400 units) and McEvoy Street. Waterloo (200 units)
As it prepares to embark on its new building program, Meriton is also seeking to sell around 700 of its older Meriton apartments, some up to nine years old.
Meriton receives the full purchase price on older units immediately but must wait until new projects are completed to receive full payment on new apartment sales.
Older apartments up for sale include 400 units at South Dowling Street, Waterloo (priced around $600,000), 100 waterfront units at Abbotsford (around $650,000) as well as 170 units on the Gold Coast (around $420,000).
Triguboff expects interest rates to fall further making it cheaper to buy an apartment then rent.
He says borrowers can source variable loans as low as 5.5% well below the advertised variable rates of the banks at around 6.5%.
He expects rates to fall to around 4% and says rents are not rising.
</body></html>

Debtless Meriton halts Sydney apartment site buying spree as it seeks to sell 700 older apartments: Harry Triguboff

<html><body>
A four month mini-rally in capital city dwelling values has ended, with RP Data-Rismark recording a 1% fall over the eight capital cities in October to a median national dwelling value of $460,000.
The small fall in October follows dwelling value gains of 1.4% in September, no change in August, a 0.6% rise in July and a 1% gain in June.
A noticeable decline was the 3.2% fall in Melbourne unit values over the month, down 6% year-on-year to a median of $420,000.
“In particular, Melbourne unit values have shown a greater decline in values than any other mainland capital city over the past 12 months,” notes RP Data-Rismark.
Market commentators have warned that the Melbourne apartment market is heading into a situation of oversupply, particularly due to the large number of projects underway in the city and <a target="_blank" href="/news">Docklands</a>.
Click to enlarge <a title="Click to enlarge" rel="shadowbox" href="/images/stories/2012/10/rpnov1.gif"><img src="/images/stories/2012/10/rpnov1thumb.gif"></a>
Delivering housing forecasts last month, BIS Shrapnel managing director Robert Mellor said there would a big rise in new apartments being completed in Melbourne over the next two to three years, exacerbating the current oversupply of housing in the city.
RP Data research director Tim Lawless says the weak October result highlights how “delicately balanced the Australian housing market is”.
“Whether the October decline is a blip on the path to a recovering market or a sign of further weakness is yet to be seen.
“Other indicators are suggesting the market has gathered some strength, with auction clearance rates holding firm around the 60% mark across the two major auction markets and owner-occupier housing finance numbers showing steady improvements since February 2012, albeit from a very low base.”
However, he also points out that despite the current cash rate of 3.25% being just 25 basis points higher than the “emergency lows seen in 2009, there has yet to be a real improvement in consumer confidence or housing market transaction volumes”.
“Until we see optimists outnumber pessimists in consumer confidence surveys, a recovery in the housing market is likely to remain precarious,” he says.
<hr class="system-pagebreak">
Among the major capital city markets, the greatest decline was recorded in Adelaide where dwelling values declined by 2.4% to a median of $370,000 though they are still up for the quarter (1.3%).
Melbourne dwelling values fell 1.1% to a median of $470,000 to leave its housing market flat (0.4%) over the past three months.
Sydney property values fell by 0.9% to a median of $530,000 to be largely unchanged on a year ago (up 0.6%). It remains the strongest performing mainland capital city market for 2012 up 2.4% since January.
Brisbane also registered a 0.9% decline to a median of $410,000 – down just 0.8% year-on-year.
The stand-out major capital city market remains Perth, which recorded a modest 0.4% gain to $460,000, with property values up 3.5% since October last year.
Among the smaller markets, Darwin continues to surge, with a 4% rise recorded over October to a median of $486,000 and up 8.6% on a year ago.
Hobart (down 4.5% in October, 4.6% year-on-year) and Canberra (down 1.3% in October and 1.6% year-on-year) continue to fall.
Click to enlarge
<a title="Click to enlarge" rel="shadowbox" href="/images/stories/2012/10/rpnov12.gif"><img src="/images/stories/2012/10/rpnov12thumb.gif"></a>
Unit values were slightly more resilient that houses in October, declining 0.6%, compared with the 1% decline for houses.
Rismark International’s CEO, Ben Skilbeck, commented, “We are starting to see a reversal of the relatively poor performance of the top 20% of the market as compared to mid-market segment. Over the last quarter the top 20% of suburbs by price have outperformed both the mid-market and the bottom 20%.”
</body></html>

'Precarious' housing market recovery halts in October: RP Data-Rismark

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

Joel Robinson

The Eveleigh brings house-like apartments to Broadbeach

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

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

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

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

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

<main data-perf-region="main">
Castle Hill, the longtime hub of the Hills District, has been one of the major beneficiaries of Sydney's Metro expansion, with improved connectivity helping drive continued population growth, development and buyer demand across the Hills District.

But despite that growth, the suburb has seen relatively few major new apartment projects brought to market over the past 18 months.

Hills District developer Reve Group is looking to fill that gap with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nova-r-ve-castle-hill-2-garthowen-crescent-castle-hill-nsw-2154">Nova Rêve</a>, a major new mixed-use precinct on the corner of Garthowen Crescent and Old Castle Hill Road, a short walk from Castle Hill Metro Station and Castle Towers.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377679]

The project will comprise three residential towers alongside a hotel, restaurants, cafes and a skybar, more than 1,600 sqm of ground-floor retail and almost an acre of landscaped gardens.

It represents the largest project undertaken by Reve Group, the development arm of the Kassis family, which has been building across the Hills District for more than 30 years through Kassis Homes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377675]

Nova Rêve also represents a significant step up from the family's first apartment development, Grand Rêve, which was delivered nearby on Garthowen Crescent.

Grand Rêve introduced larger, house-like apartment layouts and premium inclusions including Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances to the Castle Hill market.

Nova Rêve takes that approach to a precinct scale, combining the residential component with hospitality, retail and substantial public and resident landscaping.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377685]

Reve Group Managing Director Sam Kassis said the project reflected the family's three decades of building in the Hills, which has evolved from trophy homes on quarter-acre blocks to larger-scale apartment development.

"Grand Rêve was our first apartment project here and it showed us what this pocket of Castle Hill could be. Nova Rêve is the refinement of that idea: not just apartments, but a place the whole suburb can use," Kassis said.

A key part of that approach is the hotel, which has been designed to operate as an amenity for the wider Castle Hill community rather than solely hotel guests.

It will include restaurants, cafes, skybars and all-day dining, alongside conference and event facilities catering to business functions, community groups and private events.

At ground level, more than 1,600 sqm of shops and cafes will open onto the surrounding streets and landscaped areas.

Almost an acre of gardens designed by Land and Form Studios will run through the precinct, incorporating pathways, seating, barbecue areas and children's play spaces.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377680]

Reve Group's Romio Georges said creating an active ground plane had been central to the planning of Nova Rêve.

"There are gardens with pathways, barbecues, seating and play areas, shops and cafes opening onto the street, and a hotel with restaurants and a skybar that anyone in Castle Hill can walk into," Georges said.

The project's elevated position on one of Sydney's highest ridgelines will also provide apartments with outlooks toward the Sydney skyline, surrounding parkland and the Blue Mountains.

More than 80 per cent of the apartments will occupy corner positions, with Turner responsible for both the architecture and interiors.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152737]

<h3 data-end="3697" data-section-id="q3n5ak" data-start="3672">&nbsp;</h3>
</main>

Larry Schlesinger

Editor's Picks

Have something to contribute?

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News