<html><body>
Camelot Station, the 400ha Devils River property with views to Lake Eildon, has been listed for sale with nine separate titles.
The <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-devils+river-127208582" target="_blank">849 Skyline Road, Devils River</a> offering has a modern three bedroom home.
<div class="wp-caption">
Camelot Station has two fireplaces.
There is also a separate guest house and six metre pool with wide terraces and decks.
<img class="size-full wp-image-269726" src="https://www.realestate.com.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/12142953/capi_5c3488bd1957ff2b1cc810a08cc5617a_6c034e10b98a1c466281902dd48009d2.jpeg" alt="Camelot Station, 849 Skyline Road, Devils River. H" data-capiid="6c034e10b98a1c466281902dd48009d2">
</div>
Unique Estates agent Janine Lum has the offering of the property, originally a sheep station with history dating back to the gold rush.
With an asking price of $3.7 million to $4 million, the property comes with a private airstrip and 14 dams.
<div class="wp-caption">
Two Melbourne schools have a nearby presence with Geelong Grammar’s Timbertop campus on the other side of Lake Eildon, along with Penleigh and Essendon Grammar’s Eildon camp.
Camelot Station backs onto the recently completed exclusive Cathedral Lodge Golf Course.
</div>
<div class="wp-caption">
  
</div>
 
<div class="wp-caption">
  
</div>
 
</body></html>

j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Devils River trophy home, Camelot Station listed at $3.7 million plus

<html><body>
<div>
The young high flying Sydney investor Nathan Birch has given his mildly bearish property predictions for 2018.
</div>
<div>
"We are entering into a period of uncertainty," the face on Binvested forecast.
"Tighter lending regulation from APRA has made it difficult for buyers all over Australia to get finance.
"This has meant fewer buyers across all markets," says the young investor who knows just what it is like to seek finance and to sell in tightened circumstances.
Birch recently confirmed he had "briefly" fallen behind on "one or two mortgages" citing increased lending restrictions arising from the much-heralded Australian Prudential Regulation Authority investor crackdown.
He predicts it is likely the market will stagnate over the next 12 to 18 months.
"But, despite what the general population may think, this is excellent news for investors especially for those who are cashed up and finance ready.
"This year will be an excellent time to buy."
"While many are finding it difficult to get finance, those who are ready to pounce will have the opportunity to pick up properties for cheap."
He suggests the next 12 to 18 months will offer a "small window of opportunity" to buy properties that are ‘on sale’, before the market picks up speed again.
He says it was the type of market that he built my foundation portfolio on back in 2004 to 2009 as having fewer people buying properties, "it becomes easier to negotiate a good price."
"Vendors become more flexible with the amount they are willing to accept, because at the end of the day, they need to sell.
"If they want to sell, they have to settle for less."
Birch's opinion is that rates will continue to remain low over the next 12 to 18 months, unchanged for some time.
"The banking system is currently in unchartered waters. If the RBA was to increase the cash rate now, millions of Australians would find it difficult to repay their mortgages.
"This would have a flow on effect; with less consumer spending causing damage to the economy.
"The APRA changes have done what a rate rise would normally do – without causing financial strain for those with existing mortgages."
 
</div>
</body></html>

APRA credit squeeze victim Nathan Birch sees stagnate property markets in 2018

<html><body>
Kilolo, a meticulously crafted Balinese infused four bedroom residence has been listed with $3.3 million to $3.6 million hopes.
Set adjacent the Great Ocean Road, <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-lorne-127239626" target="_blank">the home at 1144</a> enjoys sweeping views of the ocean to Lorne.
The home comes with Indonesian inspired luxury featured throughout the five pavilions with detailed recycled timber work, ornate tiling, bamboo ceilings and exposed beams, while floor to ceiling glass and expansive sliding doors ensure easy indoor/outdoor entertaining.
<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/2018/1/12/lorne2.jpg" alt="">
Kilolo is Balinese for Peaceful Hill.
1144 Great Ocean Road, Lorne has been listed through Ian Stewart of Great Ocean Road Real Estate in conjunction with Tyrone Provan of Great Ocean Road Real Estate Lorne 
Featured on Getaway, the home offers seclusion and privacy being set on one acre of beautiful terraced gardens with a golf bunker and green.
Johnny Depp once stayed at Kilolo which was modelled on the Amanusa Hotel in Nusa.
It has been a Stayz at $1250 a night.
</body></html>

Kilolo, the Getaway-featured Stayz offering at Big Hill, Lorne listed

<html><body>
A Dromana boatshed on the Mornington Peninsula has sold for $590,000.
It marked shed 179’s first sale in 26 years.
The vendor included all the property’s contents, the fishing boats, kayaks and boating equipment.
Hocking Stuart Rosebud and Dromana selling agent Steve Edmund said at 15x10m, the <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-vic-dromana-126986462" target="_blank">boat shed No. 179 </a>was about four times the size of the average beach box.
It housed the Dromana Boat Hire business for decades, run by Paul Donnelly.
<div class="wp-caption">
<img class="size-full wp-image-268786" src="https://www.realestate.com.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/10123653/capi_e63c1c0b03b6088d61d543aef8520825_063b1ba670426d307bcbb58e3b318e6e.jpeg" alt="179 Boat Shed Dromana, for Herald Sun realestate" data-capiid="063b1ba670426d307bcbb58e3b318e6e">The buyers, a local family, would continue to run the bayside business, Edmund told The Herald Sun. 
<div class="wp-caption">
The buyers are considering adding a coffee nook to the property.
</div>
The shed first hit the market mid-year with another selling agency with a $600,000-$650,000 price guide.
The business had opened about 10 years prior to the last sale 26 years ago.
Only Mornington Peninsula Shire residents and ratepayers were eligible to buy the shed.
</div>
<div class="wp-caption">
  
 
</div>
</body></html>

Dromana boat shed sold for $590,000

<html><body>
This year the Chinese Communist Party will tackle some of it’s biggest economic hurdles.
In 2017, we saw the consolidation of China’s power and influence globally, and of Communist Party leader Xi Jinping’s power nationally. This year, the party will try to use this to tackle some of its biggest economic hurdles such as financial risk, environmental pollution and maintaining social cohesion.
A first and overriding priority will be managing and preventing major financial risks within the Chinese economy. China will continue to clean up and tighten controls over its financial sector.
Beijing has already banned risk-laden <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2017/11/02/cryptocurrency-exchanges-officially-dead-in-china/#79cae9a2a839" target="_blank">Bitcoin from its financial system</a>, and <a href="http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-12/25/c_136851284.htm" target="_blank">the government says</a> it will maintain a “proactive fiscal policy and prudent monetary policy” for 2018.
This is in line with moves earlier in 2017 to curb credit growth and consolidate the country’s <a href="https://www.caixinglobal.com/2017-11-27/financial-regulators-seek-to-tame-chinas-15-trillion-wild-west-101176493" target="_blank">100 trillion yuan (US$15 trillion) financial services asset-management industry</a> under a single regulatory umbrella.
Regulators have also issued <a href="http://www.scmp.com/news/china/economy/article/2124964/china-issues-new-code-conduct-tame-overseas-investors" target="_blank">a 36-point code of conduct</a> for the country’s private enterprises to follow when investing overseas. This is part of a move to clip the wings of China’s most aggressive global deal makers, firms like HNA Group and Fosun International. These businesses responded enthusiastically to the government’s “going out” policy to link China to the rest of the global economy, launched at the beginning of the century.
On the one hand, China has banned investments in gambling and “sensitive” industries and restricted investments in property, hotel, film and sports. But projects linked to China’s ambitious Belt and Road initiative <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-18/china-further-limits-overseas-investment-in-push-to-reduce-risk" target="_blank">are actively encouraged</a>. So 2018 should see a continuation of China’s expanding economic influence globally through infrastructure and other major projects.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201458/original/file-20180110-48505-14mg7t0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201458/original/file-20180110-48505-14mg7t0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
Beijing’s agenda is clear and the message from the centre is tightly controlled. How Hwee Young/AAP
<h2>Tackling pollution, of all kinds</h2>
In line with the party’s focus on stability and risk minimisation is a clear determination to move away from high-speed growth to high-quality growth. “Quality” here means an economy that is cleaner and more user friendly.
The government is trying to reduce pollution. Measures to close down polluting factories and make local officials more accountable for environmental damage <a href="https://cen.acs.org/articles/95/i26/China-looks-restore-blue-skies" target="_blank">are starting to make a difference</a>.
A major component of the shift to a cleaner economy is China’s determination to free itself <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-economy-trade-coal/china-oct-coal-imports-fall-to-21-28-million-tonnes-on-air-pollution-campaign-idUSKBN1D80FG" target="_blank">from any reliance upon carbon imports</a>. This has potentially major implications for the Australian economy, which has done so well over the past few decades largely because of its commodity exports to China.
China is also no longer willing to accept imports of Australian waste, leaving Australia with the question of how else to deal with <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-10/china-ban-on-foreign-rubbish-leaves-recycling-industry-in-a-mess/9243184" target="_blank">its accumulating stockpiles</a>.
Social stability for economic and political stability
In an unusual move during last year’s annual end-of-year economic convention, the government <a href="http://www.scmp.com/news/china/economy/article/2125135/big-picture-chinas-most-important-economic-meeting-year" target="_blank">detailed concerns from the wider public</a> on issues such as online scams, sex discrimination in the workplace and a lack of kindergarten services in certain regions. This reflects the party’s concern with social cohesion.
Maintaining a harmonious society has long been a concern of China’s leaders. In 2018, the anti-poverty campaign - one of Xi Jinping’s pet projects - will accelerate, with millions of rural poor being relocated <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/07/china-move-millions-people-homes-anti-poverty-drive" target="_blank">to new housing with water and power</a>. This will not only boost GDP and economic growth figures, it’s also aimed at promoting support for the party and its leaders.
Chinese leadership’s emphasis on social harmony extends to supporting the party in its policy endeavours. A series of recent measures have been aimed at strengthening party organisations in <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-ngos/china-to-strengthen-communist-partys-role-in-non-govt-bodies-idUSKCN10X07C" target="_blank">business and civil society organisations</a>.
In line with existing provisions <a href="http://www.fdi.gov.cn/1800000121_39_4814_0_7" target="_blank">in China’s Company Law</a>, these measures seek to ensure that all organisations in China (local and foreign, commercial and non-profit) make room within the organisation for the operations of a Communist Party cell. This allows the party to monitor and influence the operations of any organisation.
The rolling out of a social credit system is also aimed at monitoring and influencing the behaviour of <a href="http://www.wired.co.uk/article/chinese-government-social-credit-score-privacy-invasion" target="_blank">both organisations and individuals</a>. It operates by awarding social credit points for good social behaviour, whether it be corporate philanthropy or an individual picking up rubbish on the kerbside. It also deducts points for bad behaviour, such as traffic law violations, failing to pay bills on time or domestic violence. There are even <a href="http://www.scmp.com/news/china/economy/article/2095876/new-credit-rating-system-gives-china-big-carrot-even-bigger-stick" target="_blank">“blacklists”</a> for the worst offenders.
Beijing’s agenda is clear and the message from the centre is tightly controlled. But the messiness and the unknowns will lie in its local implementation.
China has always struggled, and always will struggle, with the question of how to balance direction from a central government with local implementation for local circumstances.
For example, a recent decree requiring all local areas to move away from coal fired heating, towards natural gas, hit a snag when thousands of houses and schools were <a href="http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2124800/why-chinas-winter-fuel-crisis-cold-hard-lesson-law" target="_blank">left without heating in freezing conditions</a> in northern China. It forced authorities to back-track on implementing the policy.
The key for the government will be to strike a balance between reform and preserving stability. Aggressive reforms will be duly countered by other policies if they are seen as posing risks to economic stability.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/89911/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">If successful, China’s reforms will allow its economy to take the lead in adapting to a dynamic world. But the sheer size of its ambitions (both global and local) also contains the risk that failures, if they occur, could have devastating impacts.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alice-de-jonge-118840" target="_blank">Alice de Jonge</a>, Senior Lecturer, International Law; Asian Business Law, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065" target="_blank">Monash University</a>
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-we-can-expect-from-chinas-economy-in-2018-89911" target="_blank">original article</a>.
</body></html>

What we can expect from China's economy in 2018

<html><body>
Labor MPs might be <a href="https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300122237/nudge" target="_blank">rubbing their hands together with glee</a> at a Treasury memo that shows the federal opposition’s negative gearing policy will have a “small” impact on the property market. But insights from <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-08/govt-negative-gearing-claims-contradicted-by-official-advice-foi/9309736" target="_blank">behavioural public policy</a>, as highlighted by the 2017 Economics Nobel laureate - Richard Thaler and his colleague Cass Sunstein, tell us that how people respond to this policy will be more about how the government frames it.
<a href="https://static.treasury.gov.au/uploads/sites/1/2018/01/FOI_1876_Documents_for_release.pdf" target="_blank">The Treasury memo</a> showed the Labor policy of limiting negative gearing to existing homeowners will have a limited impact as the changes are unlikely to encourage investors to sell quickly. Also, owner-occupiers dominate the housing market and the costs of selling are high.
However, this assumes that people are forward-looking, well-informed, good with numbers and perfectly responsive to new information. <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/behavioural-economics-a-very-short-introduction-9780198754992?cc=au&amp;lang=en&amp;" target="_blank">Behavioural economics</a> shows us that people do not always think so deeply and logically about their choices.
How any changes to negative gearing are sold to us – as a loss or gain, as a one-off or ongoing, in terms of short versus long term costs and benefits – will impact how Australians react.
Most of us aren’t whizzes with mathematics. As Nobel prize winner Herbert Simon <a href="http://diva.library.cmu.edu/webapp/simon/index" target="_blank">has shown</a>, in place of complex mathematical algorithms we use heuristics. These are simple rules of thumb that draw on our intuitions, experience and gut feel.
<h2>Heuristics and biases</h2>
One common example of a heuristic is the <a href="http://psiexp.ss.uci.edu/research/teaching/Tversky_Kahneman_1974.pdf" target="_blank">availability heuristic</a>. This is when we make decisions based on easily available information such as recent events and highly emotive experiences. Our brains work better with narratives and stories than with facts and figures.
Nobel economics laureates George Akerlof and Robert Shiller <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://press.princeton.edu/titles/8967" target="_blank">have applied</a> a similar insight to analyse people’s perceptions of housing market fluctuations. They noted that we hear lots of stories about how house prices are on an upward trend. Via the availability heuristic, we easily remember these emotionally engaging stories, much better than we can remember the dry facts about the history of house price instability and housing market crashes.
This leads us to overestimate the chances of continuing house price rises, and to underestimate the chances of a fall, driving unsustainable house price increases – as witnessed, for example, in the American sub-prime property markets before the global financial crisis.
While heuristics can help us to decide quickly, they sometimes lead us into systematic mistakes – “behavioural biases”. This does not mean that we’re all hopelessly irrational. But for negative gearing it matters how a potential change is <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://science.sciencemag.org/content/211/4481/453" target="_blank">framed</a>, and how that fits into our heuristics and biases.
Most economists (including those at Treasury) <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/fungibility.asp" target="_blank">assume</a> that one dollar is a perfect substitute for any other dollar. Whether we save A$100 via a tax break, win A$100 from a scratch card or earn A$100 from working overtime, it makes no difference.
Contrary to this view, behavioural economics <a href="http://faculty.chicagobooth.edu/richard.thaler/research/pdf/mentalaccounting.pdf" target="_blank">has shown</a> that the way we treat money is different depending on the contexts in which we earn and spend it. We have different “mental accounts” for consumption, wealth, regular income and windfalls. We are more likely to splurge money we’ve won from a scratch card than money we’ve earnt doing overtime.
This is another reason why framing is important. How the government frames a negative gearing change will determine the mental account to which we assign it, and therefore how we respond.
If negative gearing changes are considered a one-off hit – the opposite of a scratch card windfall – then property owners won’t worry so much. On the other hand, if the change to negative gearing is seen as an ongoing drain on our incomes, then they will worry a lot.
Another factor that will come into play is <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://academic.oup.com/qje/article-abstract/106/4/1039/1873382" target="_blank">loss aversion</a> – people are much more likely to worry about losses than gains. <a href="http://www.nber.org/papers/w8143" target="_blank">Evidence from behavioural experiments</a> shows that home-owners over-estimate the value of their properties. This makes them reluctant to sell at reduced prices in a falling market.
It also means that Australians will resist negative gearing changes if these are framed as a loss, creating political pressures for a policy u-turn. It is difficult to predict how people might respond, but behavioural economics shows that any ructions might be avoided if the negative gearing change is framed as a gain.
For instance, Treasury <a href="https://static.treasury.gov.au/uploads/sites/1/2018/01/FOI_1876_Documents_for_release.pdf" target="_blank">predicts</a> that the additional revenue raised from restricting negative gearing could be up to A$3.9 billion. Therefore, the negative gearing changes could cover more than 80% of <a href="http://budget.gov.au/2017-18/content/bp2/download/bp2.pdf" target="_blank">federal government expenditure</a> on veterans and their families.
<h2>In the long and short term</h2>
Treasury’s <a href="https://static.treasury.gov.au/uploads/sites/1/2018/01/FOI_1876_Documents_for_release.pdf" target="_blank">modelling</a> notes there might be downward pressure on house prices in the short term from changing negative gearing, but that this will be small overall.
But <a href="http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.699.7719&amp;rep=rep1&amp;type=pdf" target="_blank">a range</a> of models and experiments have shown that people are disproportionately focused on tangible, short-term outcomes. For example, most of us find it hard to persuade ourselves to go the gym: the short-term costs are inconvenience and discomfort and the benefits seem intangible and distant. This is called “present bias”.
Recent work in behavioural economics confirms that framing (alongside a range of other socio-psychological influences) has a strong impact on our choices. Framing will determine how we perceive the policy, which mental account we will use to process it and how the various heuristics and biases identified by economics and psychologists will play out.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/89765/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">In the debates around negative gearing policy changes, these behavioural insights have not been highlighted. So perhaps Treasury could have added some psychology, alongside the economics, in arguing that house price falls are likely to be limited.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michelle-baddeley-434298" target="_blank">Michelle Baddeley</a>, Research Professor at the Institute for Choice, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180" target="_blank">University of South Australia</a>
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/treasury-memo-misses-the-real-impact-of-labors-negative-gearing-policy-89765" target="_blank">original article</a>.
</body></html>

Gain or Loss: Treasury misses the behavioural impact of Labor's negative gearing policy

<html><body>
Figures compiled by realestate.com.au show that searches for Australian property by Chinese-based property seekers fell 15 per cent nationally last year.
Sydney searches were down more than 30 per cent and Melbourne down over 10 per cent.
"The biggest drops were in the last quarter of 2017," REA Group chief economist Nerida Conisbee told Fairfax Media.
"I think a lot has to do with taxes introduced last year, sentiment towards Australian property in general and perhaps a slowdown in the construction cycle meaning less to buy.
"Chinese capital controls are perhaps also making an impact – fewer Chinese developers may be impacting buyers." 
</body></html>

Chinese property searches for Sydney property down 30 percent on realestate.com.au

<html><body>
A striking Sorrento home not far the Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club and Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron has been listed for sale.
Expressions of interest close January 31, 2018 with offers expected between $4.4 million and $4.8 million.
Adjacent to Camerons Bight down a private road, the Camerons Close home has views across the bay from the upper level living, dining and kitchen area, as well as the outdoor entertaining deck.
The property has four bedrooms, three bathrooms and a study. 
There is a solar heated, self-cleaning 17 metre swimming pool.
<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/2018/1/9/mart.jpg" alt="">
The 2,000 sqm parcel last sold for $680,000 in 2007 before its build.
Briggs Shaw Blairgowrie agent Sally Johnstone and Stephen Brown are marketing the home.
 
 
 
 
</body></html>

Camerons Close, Sorrento trophy home has $4.4  million plus hopes

<html><body>
<div class="cq-article-content-paras section">
The veteran property developer Harry Triguboff said many of his Chinese buyers "can't settle" on their off the plan apartment purchases.
"And everyone thought that the Australian buyer would come in when the prices started coming down – they haven't – I knew they wouldn't."
"It's not bad, it's very bad," developer Harry Triguboff said in response to government taxes and credit restrictions on foreign buyer's residential property acquisitions.
A sharp drop in foreign buyers was detailed in the latest ANZ/Property Council of Australia survey of more than 1700 property professionals from across the industry.
"When we start saying that stamp duty for foreign buyers should be 12 per cent instead of 4 per cent, that is called stupid," Triguboff told The Australian Financial Review.
Triguboff said foreign buyer demand started to soften more than a year ago, with prices now going "lower and lower".
"Many of the Chinese can't settle. So now we have to resell them – there is another problem."
</div>
<div class="related-quotes section">
Last May Harry Triguboff, Australia’s biggest apartment developer, noted he was financing about $200 million mostly Chinese buyers of his apartments as China imposed tougher currency controls to get money out of the country. </div>
<div class="related-quotes section"> </div>
<div class="related-quotes section">The ANZ/PCA survey reveals that over the past three months, total residential property sales to foreigners dropped in every state barring South Australia.</div>
<div class="related-quotes section"> </div>
<div class="related-quotes section">Click here <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2018/1/11/ANZ.jpg" target="_blank">to enlarge.</a>
</div>
<div class="related-quotes section"> <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/2018/1/11/ANZ2.jpg" alt=""></div>
<div class="related-quotes section">
<div class="page" title="Page 8">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
Foreign investment – states and territories and national Source: ANZ-Property Council 
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</body></html>

Local buyers are not buying apartments forfeited by Chinese buyers: Harry Triguboff

<html><body>
The REINSW has slammed low upfront fee disruptive agencies.
"Consumers are at risk of not achieving the best price for their property if they use the services of companies that charge an upfront fee," according to the Real Estate Institute of New South Wales president Leanne Pilkington.
She said with the cooling Sydney market consumers are at risk of paying even when their property does not sell. “There had been a lot of press surrounding companies that offer a flat fee upfront to sell a consumer’s home rather than the traditional commission model,” she said.  “There is no motivation or incentive for these agents to take a professional approach in achieving the best possible result as they have already been paid regardless of the outcome,” she said.  Ms Pilkington said in buoyant markets upfront fees are attractive to consumers seeking to save money but they are not significantly tested because of the high demand and low supply.  “As the peak body REINSW is therefore concerned for sellers in this changing market who are vulnerable to such low cost high risk strategies that have the potential to leave them in the lurch.  “We encourage consumers to explore a full range of options when it comes to selling their most valuable asset: don’t just go for the lowest cost option as the risks are too high if you get it wrong. Never take anything on face value, do your research and ensure that you are making the best decision. “As the market cools the true value of an experienced real estate professional can really be seen,” Ms Pilkington said.
The press release did not name any agencies, but the most recent arrival has been Purplebricks.
<div>
Last year Hayden Groves, the president of the Real Estate Institute of WA, claimed these disruptive agencies offered "poor value to consumers."
Groves said Purplebricks' fixed fee of $4500 sounded "enticing to sellers.
"Then you are effectively on your own," he wrote.
</div>
Purplebricks, an online property platform that claims to have a unique low-cost model, was also attacked last year by a leading Australian property industry executive, the First National Real Estate chief executive Ray Ellis.
“Australians understand the extra value that a professional agent brings to the marketing, negotiation and sale of property, and therefore continue to choose agents to maximise their sale price," said Ellis.
Purplebricks opened its Sydney office late in 2016.
A Purplebricks agent was accused by Fairfax Media of "a lack of professionalism from start to finish" in an article on a Sutherland Shire listing where the vendor hoped to save more than $33,000 on the $1.85 million to $1.95 million property offering.
There was an upfront $12,000 outlay - a $5500 fixed-fee, $1370 in August auction fees plus money spent on additional advertising.
The debt was reportedly in the hands of Purplebricks debt partner RateSetter, after the vendor opted to defer payment until the end of her campaign.
<div>
"I don't see why I should have to pay all that money for no result and a lack of professionalism from start to finish," she alleged.
The property was sold in November by a traditional agency, but only after the price guide was dropped to $1.5 million to $1.6 million. 
Purplebricks co-founder and CEO Michael Bruce defended the agent's conduct saying he "gave comprehensive and sound advice to our customer based on their extensive experience, knowledge of market conditions and after undertaking a comparative analysis.
"It is ultimately the customer's decision, despite the advice, what price they wish to market the property for," Michael Bruce noted.
</div>
</body></html>

No motivation for best result, as REINSW slams upfront fee disruptive agencies

Buyers considering a residence at boutique Gordon townhouse development <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-townhouses/lume-gordon-43-47-dumaresq-street-gordon-nsw-2072">Lume</a>&nbsp;now have another reason to bring forward their decision.

For a limited time, purchasers of a residence at Lume will receive a BMW iX3 50 electric SUV, valued at more than $120,000, as part of their purchase. The offer is designed to add value for buyers while complementing the lifestyle envisioned for the architecturally designed Upper North Shore development.

Scott Timmins, Development Manager at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/winim">WINIM</a>, said the partnership was created to provide buyers with a compelling reason to act.

"In today's market, buyers need a compelling reason to act now, and the BMW partnership was designed to create that catalyst. We wanted to add genuine value for our future purchasers. Choosing the all-electric BMW iX3 50 also reflects the values behind LUME, forward-thinking design, innovation and a more sustainable way of living. It's a premium incentive that complements the lifestyle our buyers aspire to and rewards those who commit early."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7354 project_image_fid=374893]

Delivered by WINIM in partnership with Burtonwood Investment Partners, Lume comprises 14 architecturally designed two, three and four-bedroom townhomes created for families seeking the space of a freestanding house with the ease of modern, low-maintenance living.

The three-storey residences, designed by award-winning architecture practice <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a>, have been tailored for families and multi-generational living, featuring private internal lifts, flexible lower-level spaces, generous open-plan living and entertaining areas, media rooms, and landscaped outdoor spaces with custom outdoor kitchens.&nbsp;

Inside, engineered oak flooring, bespoke dining joinery with integrated wine fridges and backlit bars, sculptural porcelain bathrooms, Parisi freestanding baths and Astra Walker tapware create interiors that balance functionality with refined finishes.

Each townhome has been designed to combine generous internal spaces with sustainability initiatives such as EV charging infrastructure, while <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/arcadia-landscape-architecture">Arcadia</a>'s landscaped communal areas, centred around a restored creek line and native planting, encourage residents to connect with nature and spend more time outdoors.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7354 project_image_fid=269527]

Rothelowman's Gary Tsui said the architecture was conceived to respond carefully to its Upper North Shore setting.

"Our vision was to create elegant, uplifting homes that draw on and positively contribute to the local character through meticulously considered design and an interaction with the surroundings."

The communal landscape has been designed as more than an open space between homes. Arcadia's Ben Newell and Kate Phillips said the adjoining reserve provided an opportunity to create a distinctive natural retreat for residents.

"Just as waterways carve their way through Ku-ring-gai's landscape, a raised boardwalk weaves through the reserve, connecting the homes to this tranquil oasis."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7354 project_image_fid=374892]

Located just 300 metres from <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/gordon-nsw-2072">Gordon</a> Village and Gordon railway station, Lume offers convenient access to Sydney's CBD while placing residents close to some of the North Shore's leading schools, including Ravenswood, Pymble Ladies' College and Knox Grammar. Lane Cove National Park, Gordon Golf Club and a range of cafés and restaurants further reinforce the family-focused lifestyle on offer, with the BMW iX3 50 complementing everything from local trips around Gordon to weekend drives and city commutes.

Construction is underway with completion expected in mid-2027.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=7354]

Joel Robinson

Boutique Gordon townhomes now come with a BMW iX3 50

Two apartments have sold for more than $10 million at EADE Byron Bay, setting some of the highest apartment prices ever achieved in the coastal town and underlining the growing appetite for luxury beachfront apartments in Australia's most popular coastal locations.

The $210 million project by Vitale Property Group has now secured more than $70 million in sales, led by residences that changed hands for $12.75 million and $11.75 million.

The record-breaking transactions reinforce the shift occurring in Byron Bay's premium property market, where affluent downsizers and lifestyle buyers are increasingly opting for high-end apartments over large beachfront homes.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/eade-byron-bay-29-shirley-street-byron-bay-nsw-2481">EADE Byron Bay</a> occupies a rare 6,000 sqm absolute beachfront site on the corner of Shirley and Milton Streets overlooking Main Beach and The Wreck surf break, just 350 metres from Byron Bay's town centre.

The 25-residence development is the first beachfront apartment project approved in Byron Bay in more than a decade and is currently under construction, with completion expected in May 2027.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145590 project_image_fid=359521]

The project has attracted a mix of local Byron Shire residents downsizing from larger homes, alongside interstate buyers from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane seeking a permanent coastal lifestyle without compromising on space.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/hayball">Hayball</a> and with interiors by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/alexander-co">Alexander &amp; Co</a>, EADE comprises&nbsp;10 garden apartments ranging from 284 sqm to 622 sqm, nine with private pools, five full-floor apartments and 10 rooftop residences with private plunge pools, expansive outdoor entertaining areas and uninterrupted ocean views.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145590 project_image_fid=359527]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/vitale-property-group">Vitale Property Group</a> Managing Partner Chris Vitale said the project's combination of scale, location and limited future supply was driving buyer demand.

"There isn't another beachfront holding in Byron Bay of this size and position that could be developed again," Vitale said.

"Buyers are responding to the scarcity and the irreplaceability of a site of this calibre and to floorplans they can't find elsewhere in the market.

"We are seeing buyers place significant value on quality, space, design, resort-style amenities and the rarity of the location. The sales achieved to date demonstrate that discerning purchasers recognise the long-term significance of what is being created at EADE Byron Bay.

"Many are coming from larger homes in the Byron region, or from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, and are after the space, security and convenience, without the upkeep of a house."

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145590 project_image_fid=359523]

The Byron Bay project follows Vitale Property Group's delivery of the Mondrian Hotel and Private Residences at Burleigh Heads, with EADE continuing the developer's focus on luxury coastal developments.

Residents will have access to a resort-style swimming pool, gymnasium, sauna, cold plunge pool, concierge services and dedicated workspaces, while the project is targeting an 8-Star Green Star rating.

EADE Byron Bay is being exclusively marketed by Projx Australia in conjunction with WHITEFOX Projects.

WHITEFOX National Projects Director Phillip Rand said demand had been driven predominantly by owner-occupiers.

"We are seeing buyers at EADE place significant value on quality, space, design, resort-style amenities and the rarity of this location," Rand says.

"The sales achieved to date demonstrate that purchasers at this level recognise the long-term significance of what is being created at EADE Byron Bay."

Residences at EADE Byron Bay are currently priced between $4.75 million and $15.95 million.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=145590]

Vitale breaks Byron Bay records with EADE sales flurry 

When buying an apartment, most people compare the big-ticket items first. Floorplans. Kitchens. Balcony size. Natural light. The view.

But there's one everyday consideration that often doesn't come up until after moving in: how parcels are delivered.

As online shopping has become part of everyday life, parcel deliveries have shifted from an occasional event to a regular occurrence. Australians spent a record $82.6 billion shopping online in 2025, with almost one in every four retail dollars now spent digitally.

For apartment residents, that can present a challenge.

If nobody is home to accept a delivery, parcels may be redirected to a nearby Post Office, left in a building lobby or common area, or require building management to step in. In higher-density buildings, where dozens or even hundreds of residents may receive deliveries each day, parcel management has become an increasingly important part of everyday living.

That can create a range of frustrations. A missed delivery often means making time to collect a parcel elsewhere, while packages left unattended in foyers or mail areas can create clutter and increase the risk of theft. What seems like a minor inconvenience can quickly become a recurring issue for residents who shop online regularly.

It's one of those details that rarely features in a display suite but can have a noticeable impact once residents move in.

As a result, buyers are beginning to look beyond traditional apartment features and consider how a building supports day-to-day convenience, including whether there are secure options for receiving deliveries.

Australia Post's Parcel Lockers provide one solution.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CkF2oKmlACg?si=C50sDaoUUn2nuLmq" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Rather than having a parcel delivered directly to an apartment, eligible deliveries can be sent to a nominated Parcel Locker. Once the parcel arrives, residents receive a notification through the AusPost app or SMS and can collect it using a QR code or one-time PIN at a time that suits them.

The Parcel Locker network now includes more than 1,500 locations nationwide, with installations at Post Offices, shopping centres, transport hubs and an increasing number of residential developments. By providing a secure collection point, Parcel Lockers help reduce missed deliveries and avoid parcels being left unattended in common areas.

For developers, parcel infrastructure is becoming another way to improve the resident experience. Rather than relying on concierge staff or leaving parcels in communal spaces, secure collection points help streamline deliveries while preserving the presentation and functionality of shared areas.

For buyers, it's a reminder that the best apartment features aren't always the most obvious.

A generous floorplan or quality finishes might help narrow the shortlist, but the conveniences that simplify everyday life, whether that's EV charging, secure bike storage or reliable parcel delivery, often become the features residents appreciate most once they're living there.

The apartment feature many buyers don't think about, until their first missed delivery

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/hg-developments">HG Developments</a> is doubling down on Maud Street in Newstead, filing plans for a new apartment tower just a few doors down from its under-construction Aire Newstead development.

Recently submitted to Brisbane City Council, the proposal is for an 18-storey building designed by bureau^proberts, which has drawn heavily on Brisbane's subtropical design principles while referencing the suburb's industrial heritage.

A total of 64 apartments are planned for the amalgamated 1,518 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/17-21-maud-street-newstead-qld-4006">17–21 Maud Street</a>, a short walk from the Brisbane River and Newstead Riverwalk.

<img alt="First look: HG Developments plans 18-storey subtropical apartment tower for Newstead" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a400c7fd-bd15-48f8-a63b-10ede92efe00" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Maud%20st%20bldg.png?VersionId=.0vPmjpbC7CNP7kqGWa6L7rGIwsNExaw" />

"The building is defined by a series of vaulted motifs that reinterpret the arches, colonnades and layered facades evident throughout Newstead's historic built fabric," the Urban Design Report states.

"Combined with recessed glazing and generous balconies, these elements create a layered building envelope that provides shade, weather protection and opportunities for natural ventilation whilst establishing a distinctive architectural identity."

The proposal comprises 64 two, three and four-bedroom apartments across 18 residential levels, positioning it alongside a growing number of taller residential projects transforming Newstead's northern precinct. The tower incorporates extensive subtropical landscaping, with cascading planter boxes, deep planting at street level and a landscaped rooftop recreation area.

<img alt="First look: HG Developments plans 18-storey subtropical apartment tower for Newstead" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1d8140f4-8b98-45cd-b1b8-1efe8c8e266b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Maud%20st%20podium.png?VersionId=VAZtbCoD44YCJ57N99fQCAKeSJx7ldZs" />

Bureau Proberts has prioritised passive environmental design throughout the project, with generous balconies, recessed glazing and operable façades helping reduce solar heat gain while maximising natural ventilation. River views become available from the upper levels, while the building has been orientated to capture prevailing breezes from both the Brisbane River and the west.

The architects say landscape is intended to be integral to the building rather than an applied element.

"Vertical greenery, cascading planter boxes and elevated gardens are woven throughout the architecture, softening the built form and strengthening the connection between residents and the subtropical environment."

"Through the integration of landscape, high-quality materials and passive design principles, the development delivers a refined residential address that celebrates Newstead's heritage character while contributing positively to Brisbane's evolving subtropical identity."

Newstead has remained one of Brisbane's most active apartment markets in recent years, with a number of developers continuing to back the inner-city suburb.

HG Developments is currently delivering the 40-apartment Aire Newstead at 25 Maud Street. Fortis recently launched the 65-apartment <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/crest-walker-newstead-12-kyabra-street-newstead-qld-4006">Crest &amp; Walker</a> on Kyabra Street, while builder-developer BPG and Don O'Rorke's Consolidated Properties are both expected to launch their respective Newstead projects before the end of the year.

HG Developments doubles down in Newstead with second Maud Street apartment development

Walk past a new apartment development promoting its sustainability credentials and it's easy to picture rooftop gardens, mature trees, landscaped courtyards and residents surrounded by nature.

But in many cases, that's not actually what those sustainability ratings guarantee.

Australia's leading environmental rating tools have played a significant role in improving the energy efficiency and environmental performance of buildings. Yet despite their focus on reducing emissions, many don't require developers to include trees, biodiversity or meaningful green space.

In other words, a building can achieve one of the country's highest sustainability ratings while containing little more than concrete, glass and hard landscaping.

That disconnect has led to the emergence of a new movement across Australia's property industry: nature-based cities.

The concept goes beyond designing buildings that consume less energy. Instead, it encourages developers to treat nature as essential infrastructure, integrating biodiversity, tree canopy, living landscapes and green spaces into projects from the earliest stages of planning.

Research has consistently linked access to nature with better physical and mental health, cooler neighbourhoods, improved biodiversity, stronger climate resilience and more connected communities. As Australia's cities continue to become denser, advocates say those outcomes should be considered just as important as energy efficiency.

Nature Based Cities (NBC) was established in 2022 to help accelerate that shift.

Founded by Hamton Executive Chairman Paul Hameister OAM, the not-for-profit was created after research highlighted a significant gap in Australia's sustainability framework. While existing environmental rating tools rewarded energy performance and emissions reductions, they placed little emphasis on the inclusion of living landscapes.

"We've always wanted to do more, and we know other developers who want to do more, but the ESD rating tools just aren't there," Hameister says.

"In Australia, you can have a five-green-star rated building that's concrete and glass with not a blade of grass.

"The focus is on reducing emissions, which is laudable, but there hasn't been enough attention paid to protecting and re-establishing nature. We need both for the health of the environment and for communities."

Since its launch, NBC has developed independent design guidelines and accreditation frameworks that encourage developers to prioritise ecology, biodiversity, tree canopy, walkability and living landscapes alongside traditional sustainability measures. The organisation first focused on medium and high-density residential developments before recently expanding into precinct-scale communities and masterplanned neighbourhoods.

Jan Talacko, founder of sustainability consultancy Ark Resources and a member of the Nature Based Cities Advisory Council, says the initiative addresses an area that has largely been overlooked by the property industry.

"Throughout my 25 years of working collaboratively with all stakeholders in the property sector, I've always favoured a pragmatic approach to sustainable design which encourages initiatives that not only meet environmental expectations but also improve amenity," Talacko says.

"Whilst we are making steady progress in relation to energy and carbon emissions from buildings, there has been much less emphasis on encouraging biodiversity and tackling the urban heat island effect.

"The Nature Based Cities initiative responds to a gap in the suite of tools currently used by the property development sector, which don't provide sufficient incentive, or recognition, for the integration of landscaping and greenery."

For apartment buyers, the shift is also changing the questions worth asking.

Rather than assuming a sustainable building will naturally include abundant green space, buyers are increasingly being encouraged to look beyond environmental ratings and ask what nature is actually being delivered. How much tree canopy will the development create? Has biodiversity been considered? Are landscaped spaces designed for people as well as appearance?

As Australia's cities continue to grow upwards and outwards, the next generation of sustainability may not simply be measured by lower emissions, but by how successfully developments bring nature back into everyday urban life.

Staff reporter

Editor's Picks

Have something to contribute?

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News