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Journalist Shirley Liu looks at the features and security credentials of the various banking apps available in Australia.
The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.finder.com.au">finder.com.au</a> scribe compares the offerings from the big four banks to see how they work and what you can do with them.
But always keep security in mind when using online banking apps and make sure you don’t do it over a free public wifi.
<a target="_blank" href="https://t.co/PwfRo0EgXD"><img height="229" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/08/tweet-of-the-day-aug-20.gif" alt="tweet-of-the-day-aug-20"></a>
 
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po-LsXgBTHBmX

A look at mobile banking apps in Australia

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Recent surveys found Melbourne auction listings are selling for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/victoria/melbourne-auction-homes-selling-10-over-advertised-price/2013080863977">11% more than their pre-auction price guides</a> while <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/new-south-wales/sydney-auctions-selling-well-above-price-guides/2013081964121">Sydney auction properties are selling at 12%</a> more than their price guides.
Both surveys suggested the trend of selling above prices guides had increased significantly over winter.
What’s your experience?
{module Have the auctions you’ve seen been selling for more than 10% above the price guide?}
 
And  
{module Do you think higher spring stock levels and more choice for buyers will reign in the trend of runaway auctions?}
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Will spring auction prices continue to exceed price guides?

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If you are determined to refinance, you should begin by calculating what your new monthly repayments will be as well as how long it will take to recover the cost of switching loans.
There are numerous free calculators online, but a good starting point is ASIC’s MoneySmart website mortgage switching calculator, which allows you to include fees and monthly charges.
A financial comparison should only be a starting point, though.
You should research your prospective new lender, especially if it is not a household name, and find out where it sources its funding, how long it has been lending and what customer support is available.
A simple Google search of your new lender might reveal any past disputes with borrowers, disciplinary action faced or issues concerning its financial stability.


<hr>
This article was taken from Property Observer's <a target="_blank" href="http://propertyobserver.com.au/ebooks/free-ebook-12-tips-for-refinancing-your-mortgage" style="font-size: 14px;">free eBook: 12 tips for refinancing your mortgage</a>.</body></html>

Thoroughly compare loans

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The five key Australian Bureau of Statistics releases that keep property investors well informed:

<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/6416.0" target="_blank">House Price Index</a> – Eight Capital Cities 6416.0 released quarterly.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/5609.0" target="_blank">Housing Finance Australia</a> 5609.0 released monthly.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/3101.0" target="_blank">Australian Demographic Statistics </a>3101.0 released quarterly.
<a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/8750.0Dec%202010?OpenDocument" target="_blank">Dwelling Unit Commencements Australia</a> 8750.0 released monthly.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2011/quickstat/0" target="_blank">ABS QuickStats</a> – 2011 Census data released every five years.
Source: ABS
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The five key ABS stats to monitor for property investors

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The new Property Observer ebook has arrived. 
This e-book – written by superannuation and personal investment journalist Michael Laurence – is intended to help guide you through the do’s and don’ts of SMSF property investing.
<img alt="tweet-of-the-day-aug-19" height="76" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/08/tweet-of-the-day-aug-19.jpg">
You can go and download a free copy of the ebook <a target="_blank" href="http://propertyobserver.com.au/ebooks/free-ebook-21-dos-and-donts-for-smsf-property-investors">here</a>.
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Free eBook: 21 do’s and don’ts for SMSF property investors

<html><body>Australian Property Monitors (APM) has released a list of results from 299 auctions in Sydney for the weekend of August 17. The clearance rate was 81.6%. <a style="font-size: 14px;" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://www.homepriceguide.com.au/saturday_auction_results/Sydney.pdf">Click here</a> for the auction results, and click on each street address to see the property's marketing.</body></html>

APM's Sydney 299 auction results show a 81.6% clearance rate

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The top 10 most searched terms on realestate.com.au:
<img alt="numberonejuly11" height="38" width="30" src="/images/stories/2013/07/NUMBERS/numberonejuly11.jpg">
"Pool"
<img alt="numbertwojuly11" height="35" width="30" src="/images/stories/2013/07/NUMBERS/numbertwojuly11.jpg">
"Waterfront"
<img alt="numberthreejuly11" height="39" width="30" src="/images/stories/2013/07/NUMBERS/numberthreejuly11.jpg">
"Living + areas"
<img alt="numberfourjuly11" height="39" width="30" src="/images/stories/2013/07/NUMBERS/numberfourjuly11.jpg">
"Granny flat"
<img alt="numberfivejuly11" height="33" width="30" src="/images/stories/2013/07/NUMBERS/numberfivejuly11.jpg">
"Bedrooms"
<img alt="numbersixjuly11" height="35" width="30" src="/images/stories/2013/07/NUMBERS/numbersixjuly11.jpg">
"Views"
<img alt="numbersevenjuly11" height="36" width="30" src="/images/stories/2013/07/NUMBERS/numbersevenjuly11.jpg">
"Investment"
<img alt="numbereightjuly11" height="32" width="30" src="/images/stories/2013/07/NUMBERS/numbereightjuly11.jpg">
"Duplex"
<img alt="numberninejuly11" height="32" width="30" src="/images/stories/2013/07/NUMBERS/numberninejuly11.jpg">
"Swimming pool"
<img alt="numbertenjuly11" height="19" width="30" src="/images/stories/2013/07/NUMBERS/numbertenjuly11.jpg">
"Shed"
Source: REA
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Australians's top search on the net is for a pool: realestate.com.au

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Fitch Ratings warned last weekn about possible future pain for current homebuyers tempted into a mortgage by record low interest rates. It suggested mortgage repayments could rise 40% if rates were to return to their 2008 highs.
Property Observer published the warning which wasn't taken well by Andrew Wilson from Australian Property Monitors who questioned its credibility.
<a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/DocAndrewWilson"><img alt="wilsontweet-aug-19" height="251" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/08/wilsontweet-aug-19.jpg"></a>
It was interesting to see the same warning came through in the UK over the weekend with experts there urging caution as signs point to higher interest rates.
"The inevitable rise of interest rates is a real problem waiting to happen. A lot of people are on the cusp of being unable to afford their mortgage repayments and it won't take much to push them over the edge," financial planner at Evolve Financial Planners, Jason Witcombe,  told The Telegraph.

<div style="color: #282828; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 10px;" class="fourthPar"></div>
The Halifax Affordability Review found mortgage payments in the UK accounted for 27% of new borrower’s disposable income between April and June this year, down from a peak of 48% in the third quarter of 2007. 
<div style="color: #282828; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 10px;" class="fourthPar"></div>

<div style="color: #282828; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 10px;" class="fifthPar"> </div>
{module Do you think the Fitch Ratings warning about the possible impact of interest rates is nonsense?}
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Was Fitch Ratings warning about the likely possible impact of interest rates nonsense?

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You should begin investigating refinancing by speaking to your mortgage broker or current lender first.
Your current lender may be willing to offer you a better product at a more competitive rate with better features rather than see you walk out the door.
This could save you a lot of money as well as the hassle and cost of refinancing with another lender.
In addition, if you find yourself under financial pressure or struggling to make repayments, your existing bank may allow you to change the terms of your loan or even negotiate a payment holiday or reduced repayment schedule for a period of time while you sort out your affairs.
This might be a better option than refinancing.
But don’t restrict yourself to speaking to just your current lender or one alternative.
A reputable mortgage broker will offer hundreds of loans through a wide range of different lenders including credit unions, building societies, the big four banks, smaller banks and non-bank lenders, which might better suit your circumstances.
This article was taken from Property Observer's <a target="_blank" href="http://propertyobserver.com.au/ebooks/free-ebook-12-tips-for-refinancing-your-mortgage">free eBook: 12 tips for refinancing your mortgage</a>.
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Talk to your current lender or a mortgage broker first before considering a range of alternatives

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Sydney has had five consecutive weeks with weekend auction clearance rates topping 80%, according to Australian Property Monitors.
Property Observer has been tracking it for a number of weeks now. Indeed on July 22 we first asked if readers thought it would make three consecutive weeks and 60% said it wouldn’t. How wrong they were as the momentum shifted upwards a gear from July into August.
Sentiments has changed though. On our August 2 poll some 65% of readers correctly opined Sydney would make it through its fourth consecutive week above 80%.
{module Can Sydney achieve its sixth consecutive week of weekend auction clearance rates above 80%?}
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Can Sydney achieve its sixth consecutive week of weekend auction clearance rates above 80%?

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.

Joel Robinson

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

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

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

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

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

A collection of just 25 large-format apartments and penthouses overlooking Goodwin Park is entering the Coolangatta market, with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/marea-residences-coolangatta-27-27a-dixon-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Maréa Residences</a> combining a low-density, residential-only approach with uninterrupted park and Pacific Ocean outlooks.

Located at 27 Dixon Street, Maréa comprises three and four-bedroom residences alongside a limited number of dual-level penthouses, with the project positioned between Goodwin Park and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/coolangatta-qld-4225">Coolangatta</a>’s coastal precinct.

Construction has commenced, with completion currently estimated for late 2027. Three-bedroom residences are priced from $1.8 million.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374005]

The project has been designed around its northern outlook across the park, with the building’s architecture, landscaping and material palette intended to establish a connection with the neighbouring green space. The residences have been configured to maximise natural light and views across Goodwin Park towards the ocean.

Inside, the material palette incorporates timber, stone and brushed brass, complemented by curved detailing and ambient lighting. Kitchens and bathrooms carry the same natural material approach, while residences also include basement parking, storage and lift access.

Maréa’s penthouses are arranged over two levels and include private pools, adding another layer to the project’s focus on larger-format apartment living. Across the development, residences are configured with three or four bedrooms rather than the broader mix of smaller apartment types commonly found in larger projects.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374010]

Resident amenity is concentrated at rooftop level, where landscaped entertaining terraces and pools take advantage of elevated views across Coolangatta and the Pacific Ocean.

The project has so far been particularly well received by local owner-occupiers and downsizers, according to Urban Activation Property Sales and Marketing Director Matt George, with the residential-only format, construction quality and northern park outlook among the features resonating with purchasers.

“The uninterrupted northern aspect overlooking Goodwin Park has been a key point of difference, with buyers attracted to the sense of serenity and open space the park provides, while still enjoying easy access to the ocean and being within walking distance of the lifestyle and amenities Coolangatta has to offer,” George said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374002]

“The combination of high-quality construction, a residential-only building, park outlook and proximity to the beach has resonated strongly with the local downsizer market.”

The Dixon Street address is within walking distance of Coolangatta Beach and the broader southern Gold Coast coastline, including the surf breaks at Snapper Rocks and Kirra. Coolangatta’s cafés, restaurants and retail are nearby, while Gold Coast Airport is also within close proximity.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150999]

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