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The Sydney suburb of Annandale is among the fastest suburb across Australia, according to Investar’s latest report.
The property data firm says that the average time that a house in Annandale stays on the market is 41 days.
A example is a recently sold four bedroom house at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-nsw-annandale-124862262" target="_blank">65 View Street</a> (above) that stayed on the market for 26 days before it was sold for $3.83 million.
Another example is a recently sold four bedroom house at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-nsw-annandale-124819934" target="_blank">159 Nelson Street</a> (below) that stayed on the market for 28 days before selling for $2.85 million.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2017/06/14/159%20Nelson%20Street.jpg" alt="">
<table style="width: 473px;" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="98">
Suburb
</td>
<td valign="top" width="47">
State
</td>
<td valign="top" width="64">
Postcode
</td>
<td valign="top" width="65">
Dwelling
</td>
<td valign="top" width="72">
Bedrooms
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
Days on market
</td>
<td valign="top" width="77">
Current median price
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="98">
Croydon Park
</td>
<td valign="top" width="47">
NSW
</td>
<td valign="top" width="64">
2133
</td>
<td valign="top" width="65">
Unit
</td>
<td valign="top" width="72">
Studio and 1
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
38
</td>
<td valign="top" width="77">
$412,500
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="98">
Kensington
</td>
<td valign="top" width="47">
VIC
</td>
<td valign="top" width="64">
3031
</td>
<td valign="top" width="65">
House
</td>
<td valign="top" width="72">
2
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
39
</td>
<td valign="top" width="77">
$775,000
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="98">
Bowden
</td>
<td valign="top" width="47">
SA
</td>
<td valign="top" width="64">
5007
</td>
<td valign="top" width="65">
Unit
</td>
<td valign="top" width="72">
Studio and 1
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
40
</td>
<td valign="top" width="77">
$340,000
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="98">
Annandale
</td>
<td valign="top" width="47">
NSW
</td>
<td valign="top" width="64">
2038
</td>
<td valign="top" width="65">
House
</td>
<td valign="top" width="72">
4
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
41
</td>
<td valign="top" width="77">
$2,500,000
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="98">
Woolloomooloo
</td>
<td valign="top" width="47">
NSW
</td>
<td valign="top" width="64">
2011
</td>
<td valign="top" width="65">
Unit
</td>
<td valign="top" width="72">
Studio and 1
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
41
</td>
<td valign="top" width="77">
$800,000
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="98">
Beecroft
</td>
<td valign="top" width="47">
NSW
</td>
<td valign="top" width="64">
2119
</td>
<td valign="top" width="65">
House
</td>
<td valign="top" width="72">
3
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
42
</td>
<td valign="top" width="77">
$1,350,000
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="98">
Fairlight
</td>
<td valign="top" width="47">
NSW
</td>
<td valign="top" width="64">
2094
</td>
<td valign="top" width="65">
Unit
</td>
<td valign="top" width="72">
2
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
42
</td>
<td valign="top" width="77">
$900,000
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="98">
Narraweena
</td>
<td valign="top" width="47">
NSW
</td>
<td valign="top" width="64">
2099
</td>
<td valign="top" width="65">
House
</td>
<td valign="top" width="72">
3
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
43
</td>
<td valign="top" width="77">
$1,250,000
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="98">
Caulfield South
</td>
<td valign="top" width="47">
VIC
</td>
<td valign="top" width="64">
2162
</td>
<td valign="top" width="65">
House
</td>
<td valign="top" width="72">
3
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
44
</td>
<td valign="top" width="77">
$1,100,000
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="98">
Allambie Heights
</td>
<td valign="top" width="47">
NSW
</td>
<td valign="top" width="64">
2100
</td>
<td valign="top" width="65">
House
</td>
<td valign="top" width="72">
3
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
45
</td>
<td valign="top" width="77">
$900,000
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
The average median price of a house in Annandale is $1.69 million, an increase of $21,000 compared to last year’s median price.
Annandale is popular with 1831 more website listing visits than most suburbs in NSW.
Established independent residents take up 25 percent of the residents in the area.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Annandale among the fastest selling NSW suburbs

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Caufield South is among the fastest selling suburbs across Australia, according to Investar’s latest report.
The property data firm says that houses in the Victorian locality spend 44 days on the market before being sold.
<table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="98">
Suburb
</td>
<td valign="top" width="47">
State
</td>
<td valign="top" width="64">
Postcode
</td>
<td valign="top" width="65">
Dwelling
</td>
<td valign="top" width="72">
Bedrooms
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
Days on market
</td>
<td valign="top" width="77">
Current median price
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="98">
Croydon Park
</td>
<td valign="top" width="47">
NSW
</td>
<td valign="top" width="64">
2133
</td>
<td valign="top" width="65">
Unit
</td>
<td valign="top" width="72">
Studio and 1
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
38
</td>
<td valign="top" width="77">
$412,500
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="98">
Kensington
</td>
<td valign="top" width="47">
VIC
</td>
<td valign="top" width="64">
3031
</td>
<td valign="top" width="65">
House
</td>
<td valign="top" width="72">
2
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
39
</td>
<td valign="top" width="77">
$775,000
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="98">
Bowden
</td>
<td valign="top" width="47">
SA
</td>
<td valign="top" width="64">
5007
</td>
<td valign="top" width="65">
Unit
</td>
<td valign="top" width="72">
Studio and 1
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
40
</td>
<td valign="top" width="77">
$340,000
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="98">
Annandale
</td>
<td valign="top" width="47">
NSW
</td>
<td valign="top" width="64">
2038
</td>
<td valign="top" width="65">
House
</td>
<td valign="top" width="72">
4
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
41
</td>
<td valign="top" width="77">
$2,500,000
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="98">
Woolloomooloo
</td>
<td valign="top" width="47">
NSW
</td>
<td valign="top" width="64">
2011
</td>
<td valign="top" width="65">
Unit
</td>
<td valign="top" width="72">
Studio and 1
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
41
</td>
<td valign="top" width="77">
$800,000
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="98">
Beecroft
</td>
<td valign="top" width="47">
NSW
</td>
<td valign="top" width="64">
2119
</td>
<td valign="top" width="65">
House
</td>
<td valign="top" width="72">
3
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
42
</td>
<td valign="top" width="77">
$1,350,000
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="98">
Fairlight
</td>
<td valign="top" width="47">
NSW
</td>
<td valign="top" width="64">
2094
</td>
<td valign="top" width="65">
Unit
</td>
<td valign="top" width="72">
2
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
42
</td>
<td valign="top" width="77">
$900,000
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="98">
Narraweena
</td>
<td valign="top" width="47">
NSW
</td>
<td valign="top" width="64">
2099
</td>
<td valign="top" width="65">
House
</td>
<td valign="top" width="72">
3
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
43
</td>
<td valign="top" width="77">
$1,250,000
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="98">
Caulfield South
</td>
<td valign="top" width="47">
VIC
</td>
<td valign="top" width="64">
2162
</td>
<td valign="top" width="65">
House
</td>
<td valign="top" width="72">
3
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
44
</td>
<td valign="top" width="77">
$1,100,000
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="98">
Allambie Heights
</td>
<td valign="top" width="47">
NSW
</td>
<td valign="top" width="64">
2100
</td>
<td valign="top" width="65">
House
</td>
<td valign="top" width="72">
3
</td>
<td valign="top" width="52">
45
</td>
<td valign="top" width="77">
$900,000
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
A recent example is a two bedroom house at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-vic-caulfield+south-125309742" target="_blank">213 Bambra Road</a> (above) that spent 11 days on the market before being sold for $962,500.
Another recent example is a three bedroom house at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-vic-caulfield+south-125300874" target="_blank">82 Trevelyan Street</a> (below) that spent 26 days on the market before it was sold for $1.83 million.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2017/06/15/82%20Trevelyan%20Street.jpg" alt="">
The median price of a house in Caulfield South is $1.475 million, which is a decline from last year’s median price of $1.505 million.
Caulfield South has 876 more website listing visits than most suburbs in Victoria.
Older residents account the majority taking up almost 20 percent of the residents in the area.
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Caulfield South houses sell within 44 days

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GUEST OBSERVER
Australian super members have earned returns of 117% on average since the depths of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) nine years ago, despite February producing the first negative monthly return since January 2017. Recent data also reveals the risk for members in trying to time the market over that nine-year period and the cost of potentially switching products due to a relatively short period of underperformance.
SuperRatings has reported a return of -0.3% in February for members in a balanced option fund. Over the nine years since the GFC, the median balanced option fund has delivered an average return of 9.0% per annum (representing accumulated growth of 117%). For members in growth option funds (growth assets of 77–90%), the median return has been even higher, reaching 9.9% per annum. or an accumulated 134%.
Our data also reveals that a flight to relative safety in times of volatility can have long-term effects on investment performance. If the volatility of the GFC resulted in a member switching from a relatively riskier growth option to a balanced option during the depths of the crisis in 2009, they would be approximately $17,700 worse o today (assuming a starting balance of $100,000). 
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2018/3/16/super%20rating%201.jpg" alt="">
The lesson for superannuation members is that a focus on long-term performance is essential. While members may feel unnerved by recent volatility, it is impossible to ignore the significant gains that super funds have delivered since the start of the bull market in 2009.
February’s market correction had a negative impact on super fund returns, but when assessed within the context of long-term performance, the overall effect is negligible. Our estimate is that the median balanced option return for February was -0.3% for accumulation funds and -0.4% for pension funds. Australian shares managed to rebound from early falls, with the S&amp;P/ASX 200 Index 90% recovered by the end of the month. Despite the recent market pullback, superannuation members have good reason to be positive.
Ater nine years, you might say the global share market rally is getting a bit long in the tooth, but this is at odds with the economic data, which is pointing to a strengthening economy.
Market corrections, while they can cause members to panic, are often a necessary check against bubbles. What the recent volatility tells us is that the market is capable of self- re flection, and that investors are focused on valuations as well as the broader economic picture.
Choice of fund matters
Looking back to the start of the bull market, there has been significant dispersion between the best and worst performing balanced funds. The worst performing fund has only managed to outperform inflation since July 2013. 
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2018/3/16/super%20rating%202.jpg" alt="">
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2018/3/16/super%20rating%203.jpg" alt="">
REST in top spot over 10 years
SuperRatings’ return data for January show that REST has taken first place among balanced option accumulation funds, returning 7.0% per annum. over 10 years, followed by CareSuper, which returned 6.9%. All funds within the top 10 have delivered in excess of CPI plus targets, highlighting the strength and consistency of Australia’s top performers.
Among growth funds, CareSuper was the leader, returning 7.3%, followed closely by Energy Super, which returned 7.3%. While balanced funds still represent the most popular option among members in both the accumulation and pension phase, growth option performance is becoming increasingly relevant. Since 2008, member allocation to higher growth options (including local and international shares, property, and high growth options) has risen from 8.4% to 13.6%, and SuperRatings expects that this trend will continue. 
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2018/3/16/super%20rating%204.jpg" alt="">
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2018/3/16/super%20rating%205.jpg" alt="">
Kirby Rappell is CEO of <a href="https://www.superratings.com.au/" target="_blank">Super Ratings</a>.
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Super members are in a winning market despite volatility: SuperRatings

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Australia is ranked in the top third of countries in almost all indices measuring the best countries to retire, according to our analysis of nine separate ageing and retirement indices.
The problem is, experts contriving such indices can’t agree about which ingredients should be included and which are most important.
The flaw of averages
While composite ageing indices provide us with what appear as simple comparisons, the underlying methodologies are complex, prone to judgement, and can be tweaked to obtain certain results.
Using indicators that aggregate outcomes for the older population within a country also ignores differences between people within this population. Sub-indices by gender and more granular age-groups do exist, but one improvement could include an inequality adjustment based on outcomes by socioeconomic status or income.
What about just asking people about their life? Studies that compare differences in people’s own evaluations of life across countries show these are substantially explained by social and economic differences across countries. And when comparing individuals in high-income countries such as Australia and Britain, good physical and mental health appear most correlated with life satisfaction, while in middle-income countries like Indonesia, income is more important.
But that doesn’t differentiate by age. When the OECD asked older people across rich countries what mattered to them, they said that “health” and “environment” were most important while “civic engagement”, “community” and “income” domains were less so. By contrast, younger groups attributed less weight to “environment” and more to “income”.
Such indices usually involve scoring a country in several categories and combining these into a composite score and ranking. Done well, these can reveal how life in one location is better than another and in which categories it is lagging.
So what do existing indices suggest is important for older people’s well-being? And which countries come out on top?
Ingredients for a good old age
The ingredients used in an overall index differ, ranging from the employment rates of older people in each country, to their political participation, income, levels of exercise, and life expectancy.
These indicators and weights are often chosen subjectively by experts constructing each index. Some comparisons focus on current standards of living and comprise social, environmental, health, and economic indicators. These are probably more immediately relevant to people.
By contrast, indices that aim to measure the likely future for older people mostly comprise financial indicators and those that relate to retirement income system design, demography, and economic conditions. These are probably of greater concern for those thinking ahead about the impacts of population ageing.
Where to retire?
Despite the flaws with such comparisons, few people can help themselves. So how does your country rank?
European countries – particularly Nordic ones – are consistently highly ranked across ageing indices (see figure below). Such results reflect their high health outcomes, high incomes, generous social welfare, and comparatively well-designed retirement income systems. These are also countries that top the subjective happiness rankings.
Lower and middle-income countries receive lower rankings from the current well-being indices in which they feature. India and China, where there is low public provision for retirement, occupy high rankings among indices that emphasise fiscal sustainability over the quality of life of older people.
Australia is ranked in the top third of countries in almost all indices. It ranks particularly highly in the Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index, largely due to the design of its retirement income system.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/91573/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">For what it’s worth, one could take an index of these indices to summarise. Such an index, call it the CEPAR meta-index of ageing, indeed shows Nordic countries taking the top three places, followed by Australia and the US, with the UK coming somewhere in the middle of 25 countries – apparently well ahead of places like France and Italy. Something to ponder when contemplating the good life in old age.
Rafal Chomik, Senior Research Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research (CEPAR), UNSW
David Rodgers, PhD Student in Economics, UNSW
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-is-one-of-the-worlds-best-places-to-retire-or-is-it-91573" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Is Australia really one of the world's best places to retire? 

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The superannuation fund for the real estate industry has called for stricter controls on the establishment of self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs) with small account balances.
It follows the release of the Productivity Commission’s draft report on superannuation, which finds that SMSFs with low account balances perform “significantly worse” than APRA regulated funds.
The Productivity Commission’s draft report confirms recent Australian Tax Office data on the performance of SMSFs, which show that very low balance SMSFs are unsustainable – often delivering negative returns – and that a lack of scale is a major risk to members.
REI Super is calling for new rules to make it harder for people with under $200,000 in their super to set up an SMSF.
The Productivity Commission’s draft report found that “many smaller SMSFs (those with balancesunder $1 million in assets) have delivered materially lower returns on average than larger SMSFs.”
It found that “costs for low-balance SMSFs are particularly high, and significantly more so than APRA-regulated funds. These high costs are the primary cause of the poor net returns experienced by small SMSFs on average.” 
It comes on top of devastating evidence before the Royal Commission into the Banking and Financial Services Industry earlier this month, of financial advisers pushing people with small superannuation balances into SMSFs, without considering whether or not it is in their best interest.
REI Super CEO Mal Smith said the ATO data showed that approximately one in five SMSFs have account balances of $200,000 or under. 
“This is a significant proportion of the superannuation industry to be subject to such considerable risk.
“The data is clear, and shows that you need an average of $2 million in your SMSF until you start to match the returns of APRA regulated funds.”
Mal Smith said the fund had recently spoken to several REI Super members who set up an SMSF, only to return to the fund after realising it was a mistake – due to low returns and hidden costs.
“One member with an account balance of $100,000 was advised to go into an SMSF by her accountant.
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“Another member was given bad advice and set up an SMSF with her husband with a combined account balance of $300,000.
“Like the other members we spoke to, they have returned to REI Super, where they have told us they are better off.
“They told us they were not prepared for how hard it was, how much time it took, and how much expertise was required to make informed investment decisions.”
Mal Smith said it shouldn’t be as easy as it is to set up an SMSF when good returns on low balances are on average not achieved.
“Changes to SMSF rules would help prevent financial advisers from encouraging people into an SMSF when it is not in their best interest.”
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REI Super calls for tougher regulation of low account balance SMSFs

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Featuring the nation’s only rooftop skystand overlooking a major sports stadium, a new residential development in Woolloongabba has begun marketing.
Adjacent to Brisbane’s Gabba stadium, the Silk One project will boast a rooftop terrace 20 stories high, providing residents views of the ground.
The development is just 300 metres from the planned Woolloongabba Cross River Rail train station, 350 metres from Woolloongabba Busway and within two kilometres of major lifestyle and entertainment developments including Queens Wharf, Howard Smith Wharves and Dexus Waterfront,
"Silk One will combine lifestyle, access and amenity" suggests the developer.
Sarazin managing director Darren Dougan said the developer chose the Woolloongabba site, as it’s in prime position to take advantage of a changing Brisbane market.
“Contrary to the gloom portrayed by oversupply a couple of years ago, the proof is in the data - Brisbane’s off the plan prices are flat, not falling, and are forecasted to grow,” Mr Dougan said.
“Queensland’s interstate migration is the nation’s highest , the affordability gap between 1 Brisbane and Sydney is now at 66 per cent plus the jobs market is surging - with 130,000 2 net new jobs within the past year ,” he said.
CBRE Brisbane Managing Director Paul Barratt confirmed the confidence in Brisbane’s inner-city residential apartment market, “Brisbane not only offers premium value at attainable prices, but with the market due for a natural correction - the Queensland capital is ahead of its southern counterpart when it comes to long-term financial return.”
“Smart money follows infrastructure, and Brisbane’s infrastructure is at an all time high, in fact, there is over $12 billion in projects planned or under construction in the CBD alone,” he said.
The project will deliver 178 residencies comprising a mix of one, two and three bedroom open plan apartments with prices starting from $369,000 (including one car park).
Strategically designed to maximise the birds-eye views of the Gabba stadium, the unique Silk One skystand rooftop will offer an outdoor dining and BBQ space, resort-style pool, gym and spa as well as a big screen TV near the bar to ensure not a minute of the action is missed.
For those wanting to enjoy Brisbane’s glorious weather privately, each of the varying orientations benefit from deep balconies all northerly facing apartments on level eight and above benefit from stunning city skyline views.
Registrations and expressions of interest are now <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-qld-woolloongabba-128459410" target="_blank">open</a> ahead of the global launch on 23 June 2018
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Australian first Skystand provides new views for Brisbane apartment buyers

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Bellevue Hill ranks as the priciest suburb with its median rent for houses at $1,875 a week.
The Rock in Sydney was the dearest location for apartment rentals, according to CoreLogic.
Sydney took all the top 10 suburbs in both lists.
There is a <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-bellevue+hill-422769938" target="_blank">$3800 a week rental currently on offer</a> in Bellevue Hill at Latimer Road (above).
Houses                                                                    
NSW Bellevue Hill Woollahra $5,316,587 $1,875   
NSW Northbridge Willoughby $3,811,426 $1,800    
NSW Vaucluse Woollahra $5,471,853 $1,795                
NSW Clovelly Randwick $3,160,606 $1,750                 
NSW Double Bay Woollahra $3,994,114 $1,735            
NSW Rose Bay Woollahra $3,696,415 $1,700              
NSW Dover Heights Waverley $4,133,440 $1,675         
NSW Mosman Mosman $4,041,599 $1,650                  
NSW Balgowlah Heights Manly $2,934,921 $1,573       
NSW Potts Point Sydney $5,866,920 $1,525               
 
Units
NSW The Rocks Sydney $2,025,499 $1,050
NSW Tamarama Waverley $1,564,541 $920
NSW Huntleys Cove Hunters Hill $1,370,826 $900
NSW Millers Point Sydney $1,810,199 $875
NSW Darling Point Woollahra $2,292,686 $848
NSW Haymarket Sydney $994,160 $828
NSW Milsons Point North Sydney $1,620,837 $800
NSW Cremorne Point North Sydney $1,439,944 $795
NSW Double Bay Woollahra $1,360,699 $770
NSW Pyrmont Sydney $1,153,278 $770
 
 
 
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Pricey Bellevue Hill ranks as Australia's dearest rental suburb

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ASIC has banned former National Australia Bank branch manager, Rabih Awad, from engaging in credit activities and providing financial services for seven years.
The ban is the result of an on-going ASIC investigation, following a breach report lodged by NAB alleging that bank employees in the greater western Sydney area were accepting false documents in support of loan applications and falsely attributing loans as having been referred by NAB introducers in order to obtain undue commissions.
ASIC found that Mr Awad recklessly gave NAB information and documentation in loan applications that was false or misleading. 
Mr Awad was found to have given NAB false payslips, letters of employment, and entered false referee contact details in NAB’s lending systems in multiple home loan applications.
A majority of the false documentation submitted to NAB by Mr Awad was provided to him by a real estate agent who was previously registered as a NAB Introducer.
ASIC also found that:
<ul>
<li>Mr Awad received the false documents directly from the NAB Introducer rather than the customer, in violation of NAB’s Introducer Program; and</li>
<li>on occasion, Mr Awad received false documents from the NAB Introducer via email to his personal email account, before forwarding the documents to his NAB email account and subsequently attaching them to various customers loan applications.　</li>
</ul>
Mr Awad has the right to lodge an application for review of ASIC’s decision with the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
On 16 November 2017, NAB announced a remediation program for home loan customers after an internal review, prompted by whistleblower reports it had received, found that some home loans may not have been established in accordance with NAB’s policies.
NAB identified that around 2,300 home loans since 2013 may have been submitted with inaccurate customer information and/or documentation, or incorrect information in relation to NAB’s Introducer Program.
Mr Awad’s banning follows the permanent bans of former NAB employees, Danny Merheb and Samar Merjan (also known as Samar Awad) from engaging in credit activities and providing financial services.
It should be noted that another banker named Rabih Awad, who is a mobile lender at CBA, is not the same Mr Rabih Awad as mentioned in the ASIC judgement, according to a CBA spokesperson.
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Reckless liar loan fraud prompts ASIC ban on former NAB branch manager

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The New South Wales budget surplus forecast has increased by $600 million.
The NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet advised the projection for the 2017/18 year was revised up to $3.3 billion, from $2.7 billion.
The state government’s half-yearly budget review also revealed the first home buyers assistance scheme would cost $461 million this financial year.
“A significant reduction in transfer duty is derived from our first home owners grants and the concessions and tax cuts that form part of that.”
However, an increase in land tax will help offset the loss the government makes from the first home buyer concessions.
Higher than expected property values has pushed up the land tax revenue forecast by more than $100 million.
Land tax receipts from owners of investment properties and holiday homes in NSW are forecast to be $867 million higher than expected over the next three years.
Mr Perrottet said he was confident the Sydney housing market would remain healthy.
“We see the property market remaining strong, we see completions continuing at record levels,” Mr Perrottet said.
Fairfax Media noted the forecast assumes that the average price of residential properties sold in 2017-18 will be around 1.8 per cent above the average price the previous year. 
Stamp duty revenue in the three years to 2020-21 has been revised down by $657 million, largely due to the take up of stamp duty concessions for first home buyers in a housing affordability package announced in the June budget.
Between June and November, 13,672 people have received stamp duty concessions, compared with 3970 people in the same five month period last year.
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NSW property investors to pay $100 million more in land tax as values rise

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As announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison during the 2019 election campaign, from 1 January 2020 eligible first home buyers will be able to enter the housing market sooner.
Up to 10,000 guarantees per year will allow eligible first home buyers to purchase a home with a deposit of as little as five per cent.
Applicants will be subject to a range of eligibility criteria, including taxable incomes of up to $125,000 per annum for singles and up to $200,000 per annum for couples in the previous year, they must be Australian citizens purchasing property in Australia and they must be taking out owner-occupied loans on a principal and interest basis. 
Properties purchased under the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme will be subject to regional price caps. 
Regional price caps will be set with a view to ensuring equitable access to the scheme across Australia.
The coverage of the guarantee will be broadly consistent with parental guarantee products offered by some lenders. The guarantee will remain in place until a loan is refinanced or the outstanding loan balance falls below 80 per cent of the property purchase price—whichever comes first.
Access to the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme will occur as part of the normal home loan application process, with limited additional effort for first home buyers being required when seeking a guaranteed loan, the assistant Treasurer and Minister for Housing, Michael Sukkar said.
The bill introduces amendments to the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation Act 2018 to implement the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme and establish a new research function within the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation.
The bill expands the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation's functions to enable it to provide guarantees.
Sucker noted based on median household income and a 15 per cent saving rate (on before-tax income), it takes approximately eight years to save a 20 per cent deposit on a median priced home. 
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How the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme guarantee will work 

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

Joel Robinson

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bottega House secures landmark riverfront site in St Lucia 

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

Staff reporter

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