Apartment buyers in New South Wales are set to gain a decade of insurance-backed protection against major building defects, after the NSW Parliament passed the Fair Trading and Building Legislation Amendment Bill 2026.&nbsp;

The Bill establishes decennial defect insurance, known in the market as Latent Defects Insurance (LDI), as an alternative to the existing two-year strata building bond. It cleared the Legislative Council with amendments on Tuesday evening (August 4, 2026), with the Legislative Assembly agreeing to those amendments shortly after.

Under the reform, eligible developers can satisfy their statutory bond obligation by taking out an approved decennial-style policy that gives owners 10 years of cover for major structural defects from completion, claimable directly, without first having to pursue developers or builders through costly legal action.&nbsp;

The change forms the final tranche of amendments arising from the 2021 statutory review of the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 and related legislation.

Resilience Insurance, which originated the cover in Australia and has delivered it in NSW since 2022, welcomed the passage and credited the NSW Government for delivering it.

“This is protection apartment buyers have needed for a long time, and the credit for delivering it belongs to the NSW Government,”&nbsp;said Corey Nugent, CEO of Resilience Insurance.

“Minister Chanthivong and his team have shown real leadership in replacing an outdated two-year bond with cover that matches the lifespan of the buildings people are buying into. Reform like this is what good, evidence-based regulation looks like.”

Resilience has delivered LDI in NSW since 2022, protecting thousands of apartments, giving the State, and now the country, real-world evidence of how decade-long, no-fault protection works in practice.

The reform also places NSW within a wider national shift.

NSW is the third jurisdiction to put decennial cover into law. The ACT legislated for it in 2024, with the scheme taking effect in late 2025, and Victoria passed its own framework on 17 June. Between them, the three cover the majority of Australia's apartment market.

The reform commences once the legislation is proclaimed, which is expected in the coming weeks. From that point, developers of Class 2 residential apartment buildings can meet their statutory obligation with an approved decennial policy in place of the bond.

Buyers who purchased into projects that took out the cover early are among the first in the country to take keys to apartments carrying decade-long structural protection.

“With the legislation passed, the focus now turns to making it work for buyers,”&nbsp;Nugent said.

“There are already thousands of apartments in NSW covered by this insurance, bought by developers who moved early. The question every buyer should be asking in a display suite is a simple one: does this building come with 10-year defect cover, and who stands behind it?&nbsp;

“We look forward to working with the Government and the Building Commission in coming weeks as the framework moves to implementation, and to sharing what we have learned over the past four years so the protection reaches owners as smoothly and quickly as possible.”

Other states are working through their own reform programs. Western Australia has indicated that decennial cover is within consideration a later stage of its reform sequence, and Queensland has been examining the settings as it looks at the development pipeline ahead of the 2032 Olympics.

Resilience Insurance acknowledges the NSW Government’s continued focus on strengthening consumer protection while supporting housing delivery across the State.

Fast Facts: What the reform means

<ul style="color:#222222; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:small; font-style:normal; font-variant-ligatures:normal; font-weight:400; text-align:start; white-space:normal; background-color:#ffffff; text-decoration-thickness:initial; text-decoration-style:initial; text-decoration-color:initial">
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Proven at scale:&nbsp;Decennial cover has operated in NSW since 2022, protecting thousand of apartments.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">10 years of cover:&nbsp;Protection for major structural defects runs for a decade from completion, claimable directly and with no legal action required.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">An alternative to the bond:&nbsp;Eligible developers can meet their statutory obligation with an approved decennial-style policy in place of the 2% strata building bond.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Part of a national shift:&nbsp;The ACT has had decennial provisions in force since 2025 and Victoria passed its framework in June. NSW now joins them.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">No-fault, first resort:&nbsp;Owners corporations claim directly from the insurer without first having to establish who is liable for the defect.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Cost-competitive:&nbsp;At approximately 1.8% of build cost, LDI is typically priced below the 2% bond while offering broader, longer protection.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Market position:&nbsp;Resilience originated LDI in Australia and has delivered it in NSW since 2022.</li>
</ul>

Fast Facts: What is Resilience LDI?

<ul style="color:#222222; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:small; font-style:normal; font-variant-ligatures:normal; font-weight:400; text-align:start; white-space:normal; background-color:#ffffff; text-decoration-thickness:initial; text-decoration-style:initial; text-decoration-color:initial">
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Resilience Latent Defects Insurance (LDI):&nbsp;Covers major structural defects for 10 years from completion.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Consumer-first:&nbsp;Direct claim access, no need for lengthy legal action.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Cost advantage:&nbsp;At approximately 1.8% of build cost, LDI is typically priced below the traditional 2% Strata Bond while offering broader protection.</li>
	<li style="margin-left:15px; font-family:Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:#000000">Market leader:&nbsp;&nbsp;Resilience Insurance originated LDI in Australia and is the national market leader.</li>
</ul>

Joel Robinson

NSW parliament passes 10-year defect insurance laws for new apartment buyers

Builder-developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/mcnab-developments">McNab</a> has wasted little time reshaping one of South Brisbane's most significant undeveloped apartment sites after acquiring the property earlier this year.&nbsp;

McNab has lodged plans to scrap an existing approval for two 30-storey towers and instead deliver a single 28-storey residential building, preserving part of the site for a future development opportunity.

The proposal, lodged over <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/64-peel-street-south-brisbane-qld-4101">64 Peel Street and 9 Cordelia Street</a>, is for a residential-led mixed-use development comprising 124 apartments above a landscaped podium, alongside a boundary realignment that preserves part of the land for a future residential project.

<img alt="First look: McNab resets decade-old South Brisbane approval with 124-apartment tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="743bf564-3f8f-45fc-b8d3-bbf18f5b628f" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/mcnab%20Peel%20st%20podium.png?VersionId=EhCxGrVn_VFH3qTbKnI4WppGwaMnOn0t" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/hayball">Hayball</a>, the development will deliver 119 two-bedroom and five three-bedroom apartments across 23 residential levels. A five-level podium will accommodate 135 car spaces, while the ground floor will include a 66 sqm commercial tenancy, an activated residential lobby with work-from-home spaces, and a publicly accessible landscaped plaza linking Cordelia and Peel streets.&nbsp;

Communal amenities will span Level 6 and the rooftop, including indoor and outdoor recreation spaces, a swimming pool, barbecue facilities, kitchen and dining areas, lawn space, sauna, steam room and yoga facilities.

The application also proposes a boundary realignment to create a standalone 1,290 sqm development lot while retaining an adjacent parcel for future redevelopment, allowing the balance of the site to contribute additional housing over time.

Hayball said the architecture has been shaped by the site's elevated corner position at the intersection of Peel and Cordelia streets and Brisbane's subtropical climate.

The design incorporates generous landscaped setbacks, a masonry podium wrapped with planting, large north-facing balconies, and a slender tower profile intended to maximise natural light, cross ventilation and long-range views. The rooftop has been conceived as a wellness-focused retreat overlooking Brisbane, with amenities positioned to capture views towards Mount Coot-tha and the CBD.

<img alt="First look: McNab resets decade-old South Brisbane approval with 124-apartment tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c5f99e84-6ad8-4a87-82d1-869685b754d2" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/mcnab%20tower%20perspective.png?VersionId=Gw0IuJaSAlk.tvGBxInhZOcQAdIB..2b" />

The planning submission positions the proposal as a response to both changing market conditions and Brisbane's Kurilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct planning reforms.

McNab acquired the site after the previous approval was granted, with the existing scheme no longer reflecting current residential market demands, economic conditions, construction challenges, construction efficiencies or the quality of development outcome now being pursued, the planning report noted.

McNab continues to expand its residential development pipeline across Brisbane and the Gold Coast. The developer recently launched The Tannery in West End, securing more than 60 per cent of apartments before the project's public release. It is also delivering Elements Budds Beach in Surfers Paradise and Lucia Highgate Hill, an eight-apartment boutique development overlooking the Brisbane River.

McNab resets decade-old South Brisbane approval with 124-apartment tower

A steeply sloping Bellevue Hill site is set to accommodate a new mid-rise apartment development, with plans lodged for 20 homes that respond to the site's dramatic topography.

The proposal for the consolidated land at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/138a-140-bellevue-road-bellevue-hill-nsw-2023">138A-140 Bellevue Road</a> has been designed by Sydney architecture practice Common Office, which has used the site’s substantial fall to distribute the building’s scale and unlock 20 apartments without presenting the full height to the street.&nbsp;

“The unique design strategy leverages the site’s substantial topographical fall to facilitate increased density, presenting a seven-storey profile to Bellevue Road while rising to 10 storeys at the rear,” Common Office said in its architectural design report.

The apartment mix spans one, two, three- and four-bedroom residences. Four two-bedroom apartments are designated as affordable housing, while the plans also include two adaptable dwellings. The mix is majority three-beds, with the typical three-bed apartment offering around 144 sqm internally, with balconies of around 15 sqm.

The affordable housing component represents 15 per cent of the residential floor area and allows the project to access additional height and floor space under the NSW Government’s in-fill affordable housing provisions. The site also falls within the inner area of the Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy because it is within 400 metres walking distance of Double Bay Town Centre.

<img alt="First Look: Plans lodged for topography-led affordable housing project in Bellevue Hill" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b1230d0f-3bfa-4a11-abaf-0928c66ef345" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Bellevue%20da.png?VersionId=dZeMK3P.OutGjN8ycjsxm8uNsj_QFWQv" />

Common Office has arranged the building around a masonry podium and a lighter upper volume, drawing on two recurring elements of Bellevue Hill’s established architecture: sandstone bases and the vertical proportions of local Inter-war Art Deco apartment buildings.

“The proposal is governed by a holistic design language that reconciles the solid horizontal masonry of the neighbourhood’s podiums with the elegant verticality of its Art Deco heritage,” the architect said.

“The building maintains a consistent rhythmic logic utilising deep recesses and a sophisticated material transition to break down the 10-storey scale into a series of articulated, human-scale volumes.”

<img alt="First Look: Plans lodged for topography-led affordable housing project in Bellevue Hill" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0147f503-1af1-4d51-97fb-c2f1cba63a9d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Bellevue%20bldg.png?VersionId=GoW7q3NlK67OpnePXhk7zvklrlKb72Qc" />

Large-format sandstone tiles will define the lower levels, establishing a robust base that negotiates the change in elevation from Bellevue Road. Above, red-tinted precast concrete frames, recessed balconies, anodised aluminium screens and expanded metal details will create a more vertically expressed façade. Integrated planter beds will introduce greenery across balcony edges and recessed sections of the building.

The elongated northern façade has been divided into three recessed vertical masses to reduce its perceived length. Triangular window elements and metal privacy screens reference the geometry of nearby Art Deco buildings while controlling overlooking toward surrounding homes. The southern elevation will incorporate further privacy screening, landscaped edges and deep balconies to maintain light and ventilation.

<img alt="First Look: Plans lodged for topography-led affordable housing project in Bellevue Hill" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e8679cf1-18bc-4447-8a0f-0052b94ab83c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Bellevue%20da%20rooftop.png?VersionId=5SQqQqRFf76rvE2p1TbxJSweMN70AIbc" />

Private and communal landscaping is distributed throughout the development. A landscaped garden apartment is positioned within the lower portion of the site, while a communal terrace on Level 5 will include a central timber deck, barbecue facilities, resident planting plots and areas for outdoor dining and informal gatherings.

Common Office described the terrace as an elevated sanctuary designed to capture district views and sunlight. Its planting strategy incorporates endemic species associated with the Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub, extending the landscape vertically through the building and providing habitat for local flora and fauna.

A second communal outdoor area is proposed at roof level, with built-in seating, paved gathering areas and perimeter planting.

Bellevue Hill is enjoying renewed momentum in the new apartment market, with several boutique developments recently launched and currently under construction. Positive Investment Enterprise is delivering the 16-apartment Kew Palm House on Birriga Road, while Chanine Developments is also under construction at Florian, a 36-apartment project on Banksia Road.

&nbsp;

Bellevue Hill is enjoying renewed momentum in the new apartment market, with several boutique developments recently launched and currently under construction.

First Look: Apartment development pitched for Bellevue Hill, Double Bay fringe

South Brisbane's apartment pipeline continues to build momentum, with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/trk-property-group">TRK Property Group</a> lodging plans for a 161-apartment tower on Montague Road as developers accelerate investment across the Kurilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct.

The proposal for 176–186 Montague Road would replace an existing office building with a 20-storey residential tower designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cox-architecture">COX Architecture</a>, adding to a growing pipeline of high-density projects reshaping one of Brisbane's fastest-evolving inner-city precincts.

The project has been conceived as a "living building", featuring a flowing tower form, extensive vertical landscaping, and generous communal spaces that respond to the evolving Kurilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct.

TRK Property Group Development Director Matt Kan said the project reflected the confidence developers have in South Brisbane's long-term future.

"South Brisbane is entering an incredibly exciting period, and we see Montague Road sitting right at the heart of that evolution," Kan said.

"With the former Visy site directly opposite us and significant investment planned throughout the broader Kurilpa precinct, there is a real sense of momentum around this part of the city and what it will become over the coming years.

"For TRK, this is an opportunity to be part of that next chapter and deliver a project that responds to where the precinct is heading, while contributing to the continued evolution of Brisbane's river edge."

<img alt="First look: TRK Property joins South Brisbane apartment surge with Montague Road tower plans" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="590fe1ad-f892-4446-a679-80e33a16d029" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/TRK%20tower%20facade.png?VersionId=uOJStrcKpyHFcPE1w6_9SMAFzVMCcZll" />

The scheme includes a mix of one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments, incorporating multi-purpose rooms in selected residences to provide additional flexibility for home offices or expanded living areas. The proposed mix comprises 15 one-bedroom, 13 one-bedroom plus MPR, 73 two-bedroom, 26 two-bedroom plus MPR, 30 three-bedroom, and four four-bedroom apartments.

Rather than adopting a conventional rectilinear tower, COX Architecture has developed a sculpted form inspired by the movement of the Brisbane River.

"The proposal has been designed by COX Architecture as a 'living building' that responds to the site's riverine setting, floodplain history and evolving urban context within the Kurilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct," the planning report states.

"The architectural form draws from the fluid nature of the Brisbane River, with a curved and undulating tower form that creates a varied architectural edge and avoids a conventional rectilinear tower expression."

The podium has also been designed as an architectural feature rather than a conventional parking structure, with cascading planting, screening and natural-toned materials softening its appearance. Resident parking is elevated above ground level to address the site's flood constraints, while habitable apartments sit above flood planning levels. Upper-level communal facilities are designed to accommodate shelter-in-place arrangements during major flood events.

<img alt="First look: TRK Property joins South Brisbane apartment surge with Montague Road tower plans" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="01fa15d0-90df-46c7-9555-7941fc45373c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/TRK%20podium.png?VersionId=mHyua.w1pHGBt9qEdWzrlsv.leztUCwO" />

Communal amenity is a major focus of the proposal. Around 1,815 sqm of shared resident space is proposed across the ground floor, level 19 and the rooftop, including co-working areas, indoor and outdoor recreation spaces, wellness facilities, dining and gathering areas, lawn spaces, a rooftop pool and spa, and extensive landscaping. At street level, a landscaped forecourt and approximately 345 sqm of publicly accessible open space along Montague Road are intended to improve the pedestrian experience while activating the building's frontage.

The development will provide 163 car spaces, including 152 resident bays and 11 visitor spaces, together with 144 bicycle spaces incorporating resident storage, visitor parking, bicycle maintenance facilities and e-mobility charging infrastructure.

The site sits within one of Brisbane's fastest-changing inner-city precincts, less than two kilometres from the CBD and within easy reach of South Bank, West End, the Queensland Cultural Centre and extensive public transport connections. The Kurilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct planning framework is encouraging higher-density residential development to help meet Brisbane's housing supply targets while supporting walkable, transit-oriented neighbourhoods.

TRK Property joins South Brisbane apartment surge with Montague Road tower plans

Article summary

<ul data-end="785" data-start="311">
	<li data-end="459" data-section-id="5hbcyr" data-start="311">Pikos Group has released the five-penthouse collection at Skye Kangaroo Point, headlined by a two-storey sky home spanning more than 1,000 sqm.</li>
	<li data-end="561" data-section-id="1p7lq8n" data-start="460">Early buyer interest suggests the residences could set a new Queensland apartment price record.</li>
	<li data-end="667" data-section-id="1y70z0l" data-start="562">The collection includes four move-in ready penthouses and the highly customised Skye One residence.</li>
	<li data-end="785" data-section-id="yvm0y1" data-start="668">The release caps one of Bri​sbane's most ambitious luxury apartment developments overlooking the Brisbane River.</li>
</ul>

<hr data-end="790" data-start="787" />
Pikos Group has released the five-penthouse collection at its <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/skye-residences-by-pikos-kangaroo-point-8-river-terrace-kangaroo-point-qld-4169">Skye by Pikos</a> development in Kangaroo Point, with early buyer interest indicating the flagship residences could eclipse every apartment sale previously recorded in Queensland.

The collection crowns the luxury riverfront development with five residences, including four completed penthouses and Skye One, a two-level sky home spanning more than 1,000 sqm that will be tailored to its eventual owner.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=90059 project_image_fid=374075]

Wanting to offer a fully customisable home, Pikos is offering Skye One as a blank canvas, allowing the buyer to work alongside the developer's design team to customise the home's layout, finishes and internal spaces.

The residence will feature a 247 sqm private rooftop terrace with its own swimming pool, sauna, steam room, outdoor kitchen and multiple entertaining areas overlooking the Brisbane River and CBD skyline.

The remaining four penthouses have been completed and are ready for immediate occupation, each offering four bedrooms, expansive open-plan living areas, soaring ceilings and private lift access.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=90059 project_image_fid=374059]

One of the defining features throughout the project is its use of Roman Classic Travertine, with more than 20,000 sqm of the natural stone imported from Italy after being personally selected by Pikos Group Founder and Executive Director Pedro Pikos, interior designer Julie Williamson and third-generation stone specialist Mario Caucci.

Pikos said the penthouse collection represented the culmination of the company's long-term vision for Skye.

"True legacy isn't measured by what we build today, but by what endures tomorrow," Pikos said.

"Our ambition is to create places that become more valuable with time, enrich the lives of generations, and stand as timeless landmarks long after we've stepped away."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=90059 project_image_fid=374060]

Williamson said the interiors were inspired by the natural character of Kangaroo Point and the Brisbane River rather than international design trends.

"Materiality tells the story of a place," Williamson said.

"We looked to the movement of the Brisbane River, the texture of the cliff face and the warmth of the surrounding landscape to create interiors that feel understated, enduring and unmistakably Brisbane."

Positioned above the Kangaroo Point cliffs, Skye places residents within walking distance of Howard Smith Wharves, South Bank and James Street while offering uninterrupted river and city views.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=90059]

Brisbane's next apartment price record? Pikos unveils Skye's exclusive penthouse collection

Sydney’s property market is known for high prices, competitive bidding, and mounting pressure on first home buyers. But change is on the horizon.

From late 2025, eligible first home buyers in New South Wales will have access to a new federal government initiative aimed at addressing affordability: the Help to Buy Scheme.&nbsp;

<h2>What is the Help to Buy Scheme?</h2>

The program introduces a shared equity model intended to reduce the upfront cost of entering the property market, particularly in high-demand urban areas such as Sydney.

The scheme operates under a shared ownership structure in which the federal government takes an equity stake of up to 40 per cent for new homes, or 30 per cent for existing dwellings. This arrangement allows eligible buyers to significantly reduce their loan size and avoid the added cost of Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI).

Under this model, purchasers can enter the property market with as little as a two per cent deposit, well below the traditional 10 to 20 per cent usually required. The government’s contribution is not a loan but a co-ownership stake in the property. As such, there is no interest or rent charged on its portion.

Because the government’s equity combined with the buyer’s deposit typically meets or exceeds the 20 per cent threshold, LMI does not apply. The remaining balance, generally between 60 and 70 per cent of the property’s value, is financed through a standard home loan with a participating lender.

The government's equity in the property remains in place until the buyer chooses to repay it voluntarily or until the property is sold. Buyers can buy back the government’s share over time, in increments of at least five per cent, depending on their financial situation.

There is no fixed repayment timeline, but the amount to be repaid will be based on the property's market value at the time of repayment, not the original purchase price.

<h2>How do you qualify for the&nbsp;Help to Buy Scheme?</h2>

To qualify for the Help to Buy Scheme, applicants must meet the following conditions:

<ul>
	<li>Be an Australian citizen at least 18 years of age.</li>
	<li>Be a first-home buyer who does not currently own property.</li>
	<li>Intend to live in the property as their primary residence.</li>
	<li>Earn less than $100,000 per year for individuals, or $160,000 for couples.</li>
	<li>Purchase a property within the regional price caps, currently $950,000 in Sydney, though this is expected to rise to approximately $1.3 million ahead of the program’s launch.</li>
</ul>

While the Help to Buy Scheme does not solve affordability challenges across the board, it does offer a more accessible pathway for a defined segment of the market, particularly younger buyers with moderate incomes who have been priced out of traditional lending routes.

The scheme is expected to commence in NSW in late 2025, as part of a national rollout.

Under the new model, purchasers can enter the property market with as little as a two per cent deposit, well below the traditional 10 to 20 per cent usually required

Help to Buy Scheme: What first home buyers in NSW need to know

The First Home Owners Grant (FHOG) is a government initiative designed to help eligible first-time home buyers by offering financial assistance towards the purchase or construction of a new home.

While the FHOG is a nationwide program, it is administered separately by each state and territory, meaning the eligibility criteria, grant amounts, and property requirements can vary depending on your location. This means that the amount available and the conditions attached to the grant will differ, so it is important to check the specific guidelines for your state or territory.

It’s important to note that the FHOG is just one of several incentives available to first home buyers. In most states and territories, the grant is not linked to stamp duty exemptions or concessions, with the exception of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The FHOG is typically a one-off payment, reducing the overall cost of purchasing or building a new home before any stamp duty concessions are applied.

Below, we provide a breakdown of the First Home Owner Grants available across Australia, outlining the specific details for each state and territory.

<h2>New South Wales First Home Owner Grant</h2>

First Home Owner Grant: Offers a $10,000 grant for new homes valued up to $600,000. For land purchases and owner-builders, the threshold extends to $750,000.

Stamp Duty Benefits: Provides full stamp duty exemption for homes valued up to $800,000, with concessions available for properties up to $1 million.

<h2>Victoria South Wales First Home Owner Grant</h2>

First Home Owner Grant: Provides a $10,000 grant for first-home buyers purchasing or building new homes valued up to $750,000.

Stamp Duty Benefits: Offers full stamp duty exemption for properties up to $600,000, with concessions available up to $750,000.

<h2>Queensland First Home Owner Grant</h2>

First Home Owner Grant: Offers $30,000 for contracts signed between 20 November 2023 and 30 June 2025. The FHOG applies to new homes valued up to $750,000.

Stamp Duty Concessions: Provides additional concessions for properties valued up to $800,000.

<h2>Western Australia First Home Owner Grant</h2>

&nbsp;

First Home Owner Grant: Offers a $10,000 grant for new homes valued up to $750,000 in the southern regions and up to $1 million in the northern regions.

Stamp Duty Concessions: Available for homes valued up to $600,000 for transactions entered into on or after 9 May 2024.

<h2>Australian Capital Territory First Home Owner Grant</h2>

First Home Owner Grant: Replaced by the Home Buyer Concession Scheme, offering full stamp duty concessions for eligible buyers.

<h2>South Australia First Home Owner Grant</h2>

First Home Owner Grant: Provides up to $15,000 for new homes, including houses, apartments, and townhouses. As of 6 June 2024, there is no property value cap for eligibility.

Stamp Duty Relief: Available for new homes and vacant land purchases.

<h2>Tasmania First Home Owner Grant</h2>

First Home Owner Grant: Offers a $10,000 grant for new homes and off the plan purchases.

Stamp Duty Exemption: Between 18 February 2024 and 30 June 2026, first home buyers of established homes valued up to $750,000 receive a full exemption on property transfer duty.

<h2>Northern Territory First Home Owner Grant</h2>

First Home Owner Grant: The Northern Territory provides a $10,000 grant for new homes only. Additional government grants and concessions are available for first home buyers.

Stamp Duty Exemption: The only stamp duty exemption available to property buyers is the House and Land Package Exemption (HLPE).

Eligibility criteria and application processes differ across states. Prospective buyers should refer to their respective state revenue offices for full details on grant availability, conditions, and additional concessions.

Every First Home Owner Grant for new property by state

In the ever-evolving landscape of sustainable architecture and environmentally conscious design, systems and ratings in place can help determine the energy efficiency of residential buildings in Australia.

Australia has multiple building rating systems that evaluate energy efficiency and sustainability in existing and new building designs.

Some systems assess individual building components, while others provide an overall rating for the entire structure.

A rating system ensures that homes are comfortable and energy-efficient, whether you are buying, renovating, or building.

NatHERS (Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme) is a common way for new homes to meet energy efficiency requirements.

As new developments continue to shape the urban environment, understanding NatHERS ratings becomes essential for developers and homeowners. This article delves into the concept of NatHERS ratings, their significance, and how they contribute to creating energy-efficient homes.

<h2>What is NatHERS?</h2>

NatHERS is a national initiative implemented by the Australian government to promote energy efficiency in residential buildings. The scheme aims to provide a standardised method for assessing the thermal performance of homes, considering factors such as insulation, orientation, ventilation, and building materials.&nbsp;

NatHERS ratings are the most common way new homes meet the National Construction Code's (NCC's) minimum energy efficiency requirements.&nbsp;

NatHERS assessments provide thermal and whole-home ratings for new homes, townhouses, and apartments.

The rating helps evaluate the energy performance of buildings, guides homeowners and developers to make informed decisions about the energy efficiency of their properties, and encourages the construction of more sustainable, comfortable, and cost-effective homes.

<h2>How NatHERS Ratings Work</h2>

NatHERS ratings are determined through four accredited software tools (AccuRate, BERS Pro, FirstRate5, HERO) using a calculation engine CSIRO developed to predict building temperature based on various factors.

The tools can model complex effects of building mass, insulation, window size, and other elements.

The outcome is a star rating that reflects the building's overall thermal efficiency, indicating how well it can maintain a comfortable indoor temperature without excessive reliance on heating or cooling systems.

The star rating scale ranges from 0 to 10, with a 6-star rating being the minimum requirement for compliance with the National Construction Code (NCC).&nbsp;

Achieving a higher star rating demonstrates a commitment to energy efficiency and sustainability, as the building is better equipped to minimise its environmental impact and reduce long-term energy costs.

Anyone can use NatHERS tools, but accredited assessors can provide certified ratings and professional advice.

<h2>Benefits of Higher NatHERS Ratings</h2>

Energy Efficiency: Buildings with higher NatHERS ratings are more energy-efficient, requiring less heating and cooling energy. This reduces the structure's carbon footprint and lowers occupants' energy bills.

Cost Savings: Homes with higher NatHERS ratings are generally more energy-efficient, resulting in reduced energy consumption for heating and cooling. This translates to lower energy bills for homeowners, making sustainable living environmentally friendly and economically viable in the long run.

Environmental Impact: Lower energy consumption directly translates to a reduced environmental impact. Buildings with higher NatHERS ratings contribute to the overall goal of mitigating climate change by lowering greenhouse gas emissions associated with heating and cooling systems.

Improved Comfort: Buildings with high NatHERS ratings offer better thermal comfort to occupants. Proper insulation, well-designed ventilation, and optimal orientation maintain a consistent and comfortable indoor temperature, providing occupants with a more enjoyable and healthier space.

Market Value and Desirability: Higher NatHERS ratings can enhance the market value of a property. As energy efficiency becomes a more significant consideration for homebuyers, a well-rated building may attract a premium price and stand out in the real estate market.

Compliance with Building Codes: NatHERS ratings are a vital component of the National Construction Code (NCC), and compliance with these ratings is often a mandatory requirement for new developments. Local councils and planning authorities may set minimum energy efficiency standards that must be met to obtain development approval.

The Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) is a crucial initiative shaping the future of energy-efficient, resilient, and cost-effective homes. With its recent upgrades, NatHERS has evolved into a world-leading tool for the building sector, supporting the global commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

Staff Writer

What is a NatHERS rating in new off the plan apartment developments?

Mixed-use developments have gained significant popularity across Australia in recent years due to their unique blend of residential, commercial, and recreational spaces.

Unlike traditional single-purpose developments, mixed-use projects offer a harmonious integration of various functions within a single locale.

Residential units seamlessly coexist with commercial establishments, retail outlets, dining venues, entertainment hubs, and recreational facilities, with the combination not only enhances convenience but also fosters a vibrant lifestyle and a sense of community.

<h3>Convenience and accessibility</h3>

Mixed-use developments are designed with convenience in mind. They often integrate residential units with commercial spaces, retail outlets, restaurants, and recreational facilities, creating a self-contained community.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=114215 project_image_fid=204874]

The proximity allows residents to enjoy the convenience of having essential amenities and services within walking distance. Whether it's grabbing a cup of coffee, going grocery shopping, or accessing healthcare services, everything is conveniently located, saving residents time and effort.

<h3>Vibrant lifestyle and community</h3>

One of the major advantages of mixed-use developments is the vibrant lifestyle they offer. With a diverse range of amenities and communal spaces, residents have ample opportunities to interact, socialise, and build a sense of community.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=107714 project_image_fid=214122]

The presence of parks, community centres, and shared spaces fosters a lively atmosphere, encouraging residents to engage in various activities and events. The vibrant lifestyle within these developments creates a unique sense of belonging and camaraderie among the residents.

<h3>Potential for higher rental yields and property value appreciation</h3>

Mixed-use developments tend to attract a broad range of tenants and buyers due to their versatile nature. This high demand can result in higher rental yields for investors and potentially lead to property value appreciation over time.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=139989 project_image_fid=212887]

The integration of commercial and retail spaces attracts businesses, which can provide a stable rental income stream. Additionally, the popularity of mixed-use developments often drives up property values, making them a potentially lucrative investment in the long term.

<h3>Enhanced security and maintenance</h3>

Mixed-use developments typically have comprehensive security measures in place. With controlled access points, CCTV surveillance, and professional security staff, residents can enjoy enhanced safety and peace of mind.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108019 project_image_fid=212658]

Additionally, these developments often have dedicated maintenance teams responsible for the upkeep of common areas, landscaping, and infrastructure. This ensures that the overall appearance and functionality of the development are well-maintained, creating a pleasant living environment for residents.

<h3>Live-work-play balance</h3>

One of the key attractions of mixed-use developments is the ability to achieve a desirable live-work-play balance. The integration of residential and commercial spaces allows residents to live closer to their workplaces, reducing commuting time and improving work-life balance.

The proximity to various amenities and recreational facilities encourages an active and healthy lifestyle. Residents can easily access fitness centres, parks, restaurants, and entertainment options, all within the same development, leading to a more fulfilling and convenient way of life.

alisonwarters@gmail.com

The top five reasons to buy in a mixed-use development

When buying a property, everyone needs to be aware of the additional costs that come as part of the buying process.

Often the largest outlay, after the deposit which goes to the bank, is stamp duty.

<h2 style="line-height: 1.38;">What is Stamp Duty?</h2>

Stamp duty is an extra tax to pay the government when you buy land, a property, and other certain assets.

It happens when the legal ownership is transferred. It can also be known as property transfer duty or transfer duty.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="415" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C32BWkB5--c" title="YouTube video player" width="660"></iframe>

<h2>Who pays Stamp Duty?</h2>

In some circumstances, you may get an exemption. For some states, you won’t have to pay for stamp duty if you are a first home buyer or a pensioner for houses under a particular price. There are also stamp duty concessions, where you may be entitled to a discount.

<h2>How much does Stamp Duty cost?</h2>

Each state has different rules which affect how much you need to pay. These rules can affect the rate you pay, and the timeframe you will need to pay in. Before you buy land or a property, make sure you check the up-to-date information for your state’s stamp duty.

You can use a free stamp duty calculator online to see approximately how much you’ll need to pay. Find out if you’re eligible for an exemption by enquiring on a project via Urban!

Overall, the stamp duty you need to pay will depend on:

<ul>
	<li aria-level="1">How much your land/property is worth</li>
	<li aria-level="1">Where your land/property is located</li>
	<li aria-level="1">What type of land/property it is</li>
</ul>

Want to find out more? <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@UrbanAustralia?utm_source=YouTube&amp;utm_medium=Video&amp;utm_campaign=Subscribe&amp;utm_id=Subscribe">Subscribe to our YouTube channel</a> for more property videos.

Ellen Walker

Off-the-plan property explained: What is stamp duty?

Prominent New Zealand apartment and hotel operator, <a href="/developers/safari-group">Safari Group</a>, is offering up a prime investment opportunity for Australians to purchase off the plan in one of the world’s most popular ski destinations.

They recently took to market Mountain Oak Queenstown Apartments, in the growing precinct of Remarkables Park in Frankton, near the airport and at the foot of The Remarkables - the mountain range the locals like to call “The Remarks”.&nbsp;

Sydney investors have shown interest in the one, two and three-bedroom apartments that secure high-season occupancy six months over the year, primarily over summer and winter months.

They average 90 per cent occupancy across their portfolio over January, February, March, August, November and December, while shoulder season months of April, July, September and October are still occupied 70 per cent of the time, with the growing appeal of Queenstown becoming not just a hotspot for the snow, but a lifestyle destination.

Even in the low seasons of May and June, occupancy levels reach around 40 per cent.

<img alt="Safari Group’s Mountain Oak Apartments brings new investment potential to Queenstown" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/f_auto,c_limit,w_1440,q_auto/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/field/image/Ext_Cam15_Sunny.jpg?VersionId=SJAROUM_1s.Tr5ciMk4EEj5oAt_Vewmv" />

Safari’s Safari Hotels arm can also manage the holiday letting for an investor, from the listing on holiday accommodation websites such as Airbnb and Booking.com to the cleaning and maintenance of the investment. They’ve been in the short stay management business for 15 years and offer 24/7 support for investors, an important convenience benefit for any overseas investor

Another major drawcard for Australians is that New Zealand doesn’t have a stamp duty policy - so the entry price of NZ$639,000 (AU$586,000), is all that is payable on completion.

<img alt="Safari Group’s Mountain Oak Apartments brings new investment potential to Queenstown" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,dpr_2.0,q_auto:good/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/313_Livingv2_WEB.jpg?VersionId=nV229fM0ZeYpoxOrX372HyGjfwY_LR8c" />

Safari is starting construction of the 141 apartments in Q2 this year, with a two-year build estimated to complete in mid-to-late 2027.<img alt="" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="15" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXczFpFAb7WuA6f4f9TtKWcqXyNwR8qqtakWv352ERkpqNlP3KwIo8YKxw67jZNHfpjEGIZGv5MQTbnvLZwNt8iu9IVdOrswOjCvBZ4zhSoOOLrpt6etVEZTN1gkBho0r_R72zdHNA?key=yq3daOanqHSb88QFd8jGYKdb" title="Click and drag to move" width="15" />​

The apartments will feature modern amenities and contemporary designs with expansive windows capturing sweeping views of The Remarkables mountain range.&nbsp;

Interiors are equipped with modern finishes, premium appliances, and secure electronic key-locked doors, ensuring a comfortable living experience for residents and guests alike.

With its strategic location near Coronet Peak and Cardrona Alpine Resort, as well as key retail and dining precincts such as Market Street, Five Mile Shopping Centre, and Remarkables Market, Mountain Oak offers a strong proposition for investors seeking high rental yields and capital appreciation in one of New Zealand’s most sought-after locations.&nbsp;

Queenstown’s sustained demand for visitor accommodation and rental properties is underpinned by a shortage of housing options, attracting both local and international buyers.

Safari Group offers low-touch investment proposition in Queenstown’s popular ski fields district

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Seumas Dawes, the London-based Australian merchant banker, sits in equal 859th place with a £90 million worth on the latest Sunday Times Richest 1000 list.
Dawes was in 821st in last year's list. The list, now in its 25th year, was released on Sunday.
Dawes, currently the chairman of the investment committee at Pepper Investment Management, has been the long time senior funds manager at Ashmore, and before that at Paribas and ANX Investment.
It reports that Dawes, 56, sold £17 million of Ashmore shares and <a href="/news">retained a stake worth £75 million in 2006</a>.
Dawes held a number of positions in the Australian public sector including three years as a senior advisor to Paul Keating, the then treasurer of Australia.
<a href="/news">Property Observer reported in February this year that Dawes had poured splurged some of his net worth in a serious Bronte acquisition</a>.
The funds manager and his wife, Rosemary initially spent $12.3 million for a large, modern three-storey residence in 2006.
Unquestionably one of the most expensive coastal suburbs in Sydney's east, the <a href="/news">Bronte </a>property sits along the exclusive strip known as The Cutting.
It was a modern five-bedroom residence on the ocean side of Bronte Road overlooking the beach and ocean.
Then earlier this year the couple splashed out with the $16.5 million purchase of the neighbouring house, which they're set to bulldoze and expand their garden and garaging in grounds prepared by Formed Gardens.
The new works which include gym and cabana, improve the neighbouring contemporary houses's north eastern aspect. It's only going to cost $846,000 apparently, which will take the spend to $29.6 million.
He once had an abode in Potts Point's landmark complex, Wyldefel Gardens.
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Australian merchant banker Seumas Dawes features in 2013 Sunday Times 1000 Rich List

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Australia needs to rework its superannuation system to cope with a wave of five million expected retirees by 2033, according to Westpac’s BT Financial Group chief executive Brad Cooper.
Speaking at an American Chamber of Commerce lunch in Sydney last week, covered by The Weekend Australian and The Sydney Morning Herald, Cooper warned the superannuation system will fail many, despite it being the biggest pension system in the world relative to GDP.
He encouraged political parties to work together to build a system that encourages more voluntary contributions, otherwise the system will be unsustainable. But he said any tax breaks should cut out once people reach a certain level of wealth.
He said should be a formal target on how much super should aim to provide in retirement.
“To shift most super balances towards a healthy income replacement rate, we need to acknowledge the importance of voluntary contributions in our system,” Cooper said.
He says to live comfortably, retirees need to be earning 65% to 70% of their pre-retirement income, but at the current rate many won’t be able to achieve that.
“Take a 20-year old male who enters the workforce and earns an average salary of $72,000 during his working life,” Cooper said.
“He receives 12% compulsory contributions, makes no voluntary contributions and retires at 65.”
Johnson said at a rate of return of 5%, the figure used in recent government announcements, he will earn just 51% of his average salary.
“So, on the compulsory super payments alone, a person earning the average salary cannot get near the preferred income replacement rate of 70%,” Cooper said.
“When you look at the adequacy of compulsory super contributions, you realise that even those earning $90,000 a year or $120,000 a year will also have a large shortfall. They will replace just 45% and 37% respectively.”
Only those who earned $40,000 a year in their working life would reach the 70% standard, but only because of top-ups by age pension.
“Without a government age pension, they would only replace 31%,” Cooper said.
He said this should be ringing alarm bells as the system was designed to ease the burden on future generations of paying for age pension.
With retirees to represent a larger share of the economy, Cooper said that it makes economic sense to foster a system that allows retirees to live comfortably and spend on services.
“Regardless of what we think of the financial challenges facing the governments of today, they’ll be many times worse in 20 years if we do not create an adequate system of savings,” Cooper said.
“If today’s 30-year-olds are the government ages pensioners in 2050, our future economy is in real trouble.”
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Superannuation system will fall short: Westpac’s BT Financial Group chief executive Brad Cooper 

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Julia Gillard has always been a passionate advocate for education and although there’s been heated debate over the Gonski reform package, there would be few to disagree that our education system needs a significant overhaul if we’re to successfully compete on an international arena.
As it stands, Australia pales in comparison to a host of other countries in basics such as reading and maths, and this must change.
Whilst I am largely in opposition to any proposal which suggests stripping funding from universities or converting scholarships into student loans, placing new graduates in a debt situation which - in the USA - has reached proportions oft compared to an unsustainable <a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higher_education_bubble">‘bubble’</a> on the scale of their pre-GFC housing crisis. The problem of providing children with a decent education also resonates across the housing market for our biggest home buying demographic – the family buyer.
No one is debating how lucky we are to live in a wealthy country which has thus far avoided the fate of Europe and America - in which youth unemployment is crippling the prospects for following generations.
However, if we’re to maintain a pool of talent essential for driving the necessary innovation to successfully navigate Australia into a post mining culture, as well as provide the necessary qualifications to enable the earning opportunities for younger generations struggling to ‘afford’ the affluent lifestyle Australia has forced upon its residents – (housing costs of which have been inflated through years of poor planning for population growth, ensuring most need to stay closely located to the capital city centres to secure adequate employment) - Education is a big part of the puzzle.
Yet it remains the case, that one of the substantial difficulties for families – or university students – fighting to gain a foothold into the best university or school suited to their needs - is locked in the cost and scarcity of accommodation.
Melbourne has experienced the largest population growth over the past decade and the subsequent squeeze has forced the greatest influx of residents into the outer suburban ‘growth regions’ – areas such as Caroline Springs, Point Cook and Melton for example, in which you can purchase a family home on a decent block of land for half the current metro median of $561,500.
Yet the advantage these regions offer in terms of affordability gets stripped away due a woeful inadequate supply of infrastructure which is always promised, but rarely delivered. This would include poor roads, nonexistent ‘fast’ public transport systems, and more importantly, oversubscribed, underfunded schools unable to cope with the massive boom of new residents – most of which are families.
Last year the Victorian government announced the development of six new fringe suburbs – Diggers Rest, Lockerbie, Lockerbie North, Manor Lakes, Merrifield West and Rockbank North – which are planned to accommodate no fewer than 100,000 new residents.  Planning Minister Mathew Guy made a point of stressing these suburbs would be adequately facilitated with appropriate infrastructure, and I don’t doubt the goodness of his intentions.  However, currently there are barely a handful of small local primary facilities servicing the area.  
Despite the continual tiresome argument by the HIA that cheap credit, by way of reducing rates, is the ‘only’ quick fix answer to encourage first time buyers to the new housing market.  Many of these first home buyers are young couples looking for suitable abode to raise a family; therefore getting adequate facilities into the regional growth areas is the only long term and ‘urgent’ solution to solving current construction crisis.
This infrastructure should include well facilitated and resourced schools – which I’d advocate is something that would provide a far greater level of encouragement to move ‘outwards’ than a rate cut.
 
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For families in the middle suburban regions of Melbourne, gaining a good education for their children is one of the main reasons many battle to stay centrally located, yet if you analyse the statistics, being in a school zone for one of the top 20 or so government schools in Melbourne can increase the price of properties in the area by at least 10 to 15% – and the smaller the zone, the greater the pain.
For example, the McKinnon Secondary College, located South East of Melbourne’s CBD is one of the best-performing non-selective government schools in Victoria, yet it only has a zone of around six square kilometres which spans over four suburbs.  
<img src="/images/stories/2013/04/cashmoreapril22one.jpg" width="470" height="204" alt="cashmoreapril22one"> Comparing a property on one side of a road outside the zone to the opposing side which falls inside the zone, can result in $100,000-plus difference in the sales price.  Therefore, whilst the school doesn’t discriminate on ability, it unwittingly reserves a place only for those able to afford the inflated accommodation costs.
Rental yields for family accommodation are also significantly inflated for properties located within a popular school zone, and due to consistent demand, capital growth tends to provide better than average returns, therefore, it’s no surprise investors and developers are another demographic who target the localities.
Neither is it unheard of for an old property within the neighbourhood to be rented by a desperate family never intending to move in, but simply using the address to meet the criteria for enrolment into year 7.
I’ve even heard of school principals camping out early mornings and late into the evening, checking letter boxes and electricity usage to assess the level of activity in a property “suspected” of sitting vacant while the family lives elsewhere.
It’s also follows that housing within a popular school zone tends to be held for longer periods – periods lasting at least the length of a child’s secondary education and often beyond.  Issues of supply are therefore at the forefront of concern for families hoping to move in and get a bite of the educational cherry.
It was reported early last year that 229 government schools in Victoria turned students away due to pressures of capacity – the urgency of reform to ensure good teachers and educational facilities meet a certain standard across the board cannot be overstated.
The unfortunate bubble effect on real estate prices in well-established popular and restrictive school boundaries is an issue of concern for all hoping to provide their child with a good education. This is especially the case when school zones are either reduced or extended based on under- or over-capacity.
Therefore, should a property suddenly fall outside the zone, it results in an instant loss of equity. The same would result if a school moved or for some reason closed – something we saw happening with relative frequency in Victoria last year.
Below is a map from the REIV which illustrates the median house price by suburb, relative to the metro median at the end of 2012 which was recorded at $555,000.
The colours coded with the darkest blue indicates house prices which are more than double the metro median, and orange - house prices more than 25% below the metro median.  (The white spaces are areas for which there is insufficient data.)  
 
<img src="/images/stories/2013/04/cashmoreapril22two.jpg" width="470" height="273" alt="cashmoreapril22two">
<img src="/images/stories/2013/04/cashmoreapril22three.jpg" width="470" height="324" alt="cashmoreapril22three">
Source: <a href="https://reiv.com.au" target="_blank">REIV</a>
Not surprisingly, all areas surrounding the ‘good’ government schools which reportedly provide the “best” educational facilities Victoria has on offer, are a shade of blue or deep blue indicating inflated house prices. They also map very closely to the colours exhibited on recently released ABS data which ranks geographic areas across Australia in terms of their relative socio-economic <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/2033.0.55.001~2011~Main%20Features~Main%20Page~1" target="_blank">advantage and disadvantage</a>.
The orange areas are the ‘fringe’ suburbs where first home buyers or families - supposedly ‘moaning’ about inner city house prices - are encouraged to “migrate” and raise their children.
 
<hr class="system-pagebreak">
As mentioned earlier – until we can get a reasonable level of infrastructure into these localities to provide a comparable educational advantage – or fast train services to enable students and quality teachers to commute outside their immediate area – the colours are not set to change and they will continue to suffer a social disadvantage.
University students don’t find it any easier.  We all read the story earlier this year in which contained an example of a young graduate <a href="https://smh.domain.com.au/real-estate-news/theres-also-a-random-guy-that-lives-in-our-laundry-man-rents-newtown-balcony-for-215-a-week-20130319-2gc7m" target="_blank">renting out a balcony</a> in Sydney for $215 per week.  It’s little better in Melbourne, where student accommodation can often equate to a three-bedroom house being converted into a seven-bedroom model (as below) and marketed to a potential investor offering ‘huge rental returns.’
<img src="/images/stories/2013/04/cashmoreapril22five.jpg" width="400" height="559" alt="cashmoreapril22five">
Whilst most students expect to live in ‘sub-par’ accommodation whilst gaining their degree, it should be understood that the price, standard and supply of housing facilities is one of the major aggravations a young graduate will have to endure.
The adequate provision of secure accommodation obviously plays a significant part in the success or failure of their studies.  Expecting students to foot a larger proportion of the bill to support their term at university – as suggested in the Gillard Government reform package – will inevitably feed into the problems mentioned above in regard to overcrowded accommodation.
It will be years until we see the significant effects of increased education funding, and the issues above pose additional questions – do we do away with school zones all together? Pour a higher proportion of any funding package to the disadvantaged suburbs to level the playing field by way of providing comparable alternatives?
There does seem to be a case for highlighting the unfortunate social divide between accessing quality education and the consequential “bubble” in accommodation costs which plays into issues of relative inequality.
Catherine Cashmore is a market analyst with extensive experience in all aspects relating to property acquisition.
 
 
 
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School zones inflate real estate prices and maintain a social divide: Catherine Cashmore

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The Sunshine Coast has taken top spot in a list of the 10 most expensive regional markets in which to buy residential land compiled by the Housing Industry Association and RP Data.
The Queensland region, which had a median lot price of $240,000, edged out Richmond-Tweed (NSW), which had a median lot price of $235,000.
Click to enlarge
<a title="Click to enlarge" href="/images/stories/2013/04/hiaapril18two.gif" rel="shadowbox"><img src="/images/stories/2013/04/hiaapril18twothumb.gif"></a>
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Sunshine Coast heads 10 most expensive regional markets for residential land: HIA-RP Data

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There was a big argument about superannuation earlier this year. Unfortunately, it was about taxing the ‘fabulously wealthy’ and missed a much bigger issue in superannuation: the disadvantage to women.
Superannuation is predicated on time spent in employment, and the gross income of each member. So while the current median super balance of men aged 35 to 44 is around $41,000, for women of the same age it’s $22,600. For those about to retire – 55 to 64 year olds – men have a median $91,000 compared to women with $55,000.
The problem isn’t so much gender bias as structural inadequacy.
Women have different lives to men. They typically take time out to have kids, they work part-time when they re-enter the workforce, and in order to have flexibility with their family responsibilities, they often work on contract from home or they do informal work for cash. All of these choices take contributions out of their super.
During the week I asked my female Twitter followers what financial issues they had right now and what money concerns they had for the future. And I must thank these women for responding – candour about money takes some guts.
Many female respondents said they couldn’t commit to superannuation strategies when they have kids to raise, bills to pay and a mortgage to service (or a deposit to save for).
This connection between current living pressures and poor savings is why the current superannuation system has a compulsory contribution component (9% of wages currently). But relying on compulsory super doesn’t get you to the desired income replacement rate of 70% by the time you retire. It gets you slightly over half – it’s your voluntary contributions that get you to 70 per cent replacement of your working-life salary.
Clearly, women are not making voluntary contributions.
Another theme I saw in the Tweets was the subject of young divorcees: women who marry in their twenties and divorce in their thirties. This is a significant life disruption and leaves women the poorer, especially if property is split and they have custody of children.
Perhaps the most chilling element was the admission that superannuation was beyond their understanding, out of their control and not really set up for them.
They have a point. When you look at the superannuation industry, the funds focus on nine-to-five, full-time workers. They don’t really talk to casual, part time and self-employed workers – the cohorts in which women are strongly represented.
I am largely concerned that we are pushing women away from super, especially if the current system is forcing them to turn away, or turn off completely. What matters most is that half our population is disadvantaged by a supposedly universal system. That’s not something we can ignore.
In the 2030s there’ll be more than five million retirees, and the women can expect to live into their 90s. That’s 30 years of retirement, and they’ll all need an income.
It’s time to bring women into the system.
Mark Bouris is executive chairman of <a href="https://www.ybr.com.au/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Yellow Brick Road</a>, a financial services company offering home loans, financial planning, accounting and tax, and insurance.
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Women are disadvantaged in our superannuation system

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Nationally advertised distressed property offerings are possibly on the decline.
The number of distressed sales in the March quarter was down by 25% on the same quarter in 2012, according to the Landmark White report.
The report noted residential project offerings were at "an untypically low 19% of the total," with the highest numbers of distressed listings in the March quarter coming in the agricultural sector, accounting for 23% of the total number, in part, as a number of farming aggregations were being broken up and sold off individually by receivers.
The latest mortgagee rural sale is the 5440-hectare Goondiwindi Queensland offering, the irrigation stations, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-cropping-qld-goondiwindi-7537323">Mobandilla and Kingumbilla </a>(pictured below) which has a May 23 expressions of interest closing date through Ray White Rural.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/04/distressedapril22one.jpg" width="470" height="326" alt="distressedapril22one">
Across the other sectors industrial and leisure offerings sat at 16% and retail at 15% in the Landmark White report.
As usual the smallest number was provided by the office sector, with only 4% of the nationally advertised receiver sales.
Over the full 12-month period, the residential sector (mainly development opportunities) suffered from a higher ratio of receivers’ listings than any other - with almost one in two (48%) assets in distress when it came to nationwide sales marketing campaigns collated by LMW.
The vast majority of receivers’ stocks advertised for sale were in regional (80%) rather than metropolitan (20%) areas, in the quarter which wasn't that dissimilar to the full year split at 78% to 22%.
For the fourth time in six quarters, more than 50% of all distressed nationally advertised listings were in Queensland, with the Sunshine State making up 54% of the national total during the first quarter of 2013 and 53% across the last 12 months.
The New South Wales share of distressed listings fell significantly in the March quarter; accounting for only 9% of the total, versus 22% across the full year.
The growing share of receiver sales found in Victoria continued in 2013, as 15% of all advertisements placed by receivers and mortgagees were located in the Garden State in the March quarter. This was up from 11% in the December 2012 quarter and 10% in the year to date.
New South Wales had the the most positive change, as only 7% of all properties advertised in that state were listed by a receiver or mortgagee - a record low. By comparison, the proportion in the same quarter of 2012 was 31% and the next lowest was 17% in the September quarter of 2012.
Although the distressed ratio in Queensland dropped by 6%, the report noted it remains stubbornly high at 39% of all advertisements. Victoria saw the smallest improvement in the distressed ratio, with a drop from 20% to 19%, which meant that for the first time in the series, Victoria had a higher ratio than New South Wales.
The report noted the overall national distressed ratio was at its equal lowest of the past 18 months, at 23%.
"Both of which are certainly positive indicators," the Landmark White report noted.
However they noted with just 343 properties advertised for sale (distressed or otherwise), there were fewer new listings in the March 2013 quarter than during any time in the series so far.
They also noted the first quarter of the year was typically quieter than the other quarters due to the Christmas break.
The low number of distressed sales nationally – listed by either a mortgagee, receiver or liquidator –surprised the LMW research manager Ross Horsley, who compiles the data using sales advertisements listed in the national commercial property press.
But Mr Horsley suggests anecdotal evidence suggested that a lot of distressed property remained on banks’ books.
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Victoria overtakes NSW, sitting second to Qld in distressed listings

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Hi Margaret,
 I was wondering, if I buy a house that can be rented out on the short-term holiday rental market, can I, if I wanted to, stay there and rent this back from myself?
 Regards,
Scott
Hi Scott,  
The issue of whether you can rent it back from yourself is only one of the many to consider, and when you buy such a property you have to think of them all! Often the ability to get some kind of personal benefit from a property causes investors to buy property which is not in a potentially good area and which, without the benefit of the holiday option would not be a good investment at all.  
Here are some important points:
<ul>
<li>
The tax office may not see this as an arm’s length transaction if you stay there yourself and may not allow claims for that period
</li>
<li>
Paying the rent, or not receiving the rent if you stayed there free, is pretty similar and still represents a period of personal benefit
</li>
</ul>
Scott I am unclear as to why you would be doing this anyway – paying rent to yourself, presumably via the manager who would be looking after it, means you only get the net rent after management costs.
As I said earlier, the problem is that few places we would like to holiday too are actually good places to invest and a holiday unit is often amongst the worst type of property too. Therefore, doing this could mean you would end up with a bad property, in the wrong area, just for the few weeks benefit, which is not a benefit since you are paying rent anyway!
Stick to buying great properties in strong areas which you legally rent to bona fide tenants – build up a solid portfolio and soon enough you’ll be choosing to holiday anywhere you want.
Margaret Lomas is a best-selling author and writes and hosts the popularProperty Success With Margaret Lomas and heads up the panel onYour Money, Your Call, both on Sky News. She is the founder of <a href="https://destiny.com.au/dotnetnuke/en-au/home.aspx" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Destiny</a>.
Have a property question? <a href="mailto:askmargaret@propertyobserver.com.au" target="_blank">Ask Margaret!</a>
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mlomas-KC9MUPZ6Ca

Ask Margaret: can I rent my holiday house from myself?

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The last five years have been difficult for investors. The GFC and its aftermath of private sector deleveraging, public sector debt problems and household, business and investor caution have led to poor and volatile returns from shares. It seems we are constantly on edge with prognostications of doom getting constant replay with every twitch in markets. Just like The Rolling Stones single last year "all I hear is doom and gloom". Methods of investing that seemed to work well for years have seemingly broken down, or at least many have lost faith in them.
So what should investors do? The following is a list of things that are critical for investors to know and do. Obviously when it comes to investing everything is debatable to some degree, but I hope you find this list to be of value. First, some investment market realities.
Investment market realities
There are four key things to bear in mind about investment markets.
There is always a cycle. The historical experience of investment markets - be they bonds, shares, property, infrastructure, whatever - constantly reminds us they go through cyclical phases of good times and bad. Some are short term, such as those that relate to the 3 to 5 year business cycle. Some are longer, such as the secular swings seen over ten to twenty year periods in shares. But all eventually contain the seeds of their own reversal. Ultimately there is no such thing as new eras, new paradigms and new normals. Such jingles - as wheeled out through the tech boom and more recently through the post GFC gloom - make good marketing spin. But markets tell us there is nothing new under the sun. In fact, when someone tells you about a new whatever, it’s probably already run its course.
It’s a mad, mad, mad world. It’s well known that investment markets are prone to bouts of irrationality which take them well away from levels that may be justified on a long term basis. This is rooted in investor psychology, which is far from rational and flows from a range of behavioural biases investors suffer from. These include the tendency to overreact to the current state of the world, the tendency to look for evidence that confirms your views, overconfidence (particularly amongst males!), an erroneous feeling of safety in numbers and a lower tolerance for losses than gains. While shifts in fundamentals may be at the core of cyclical swings in markets, they are usually magnified by investor psychology if enough people suffer from the same irrational biases at the same time. This in turn creates opportunities for investors who can take a longer term approach and look through extremes of market madness either on the upside or the downside.
Starting point valuations matter, a lot. It stands to reason that the cheaper you buy an asset the higher its prospective return will be and vice versa. Good guides to this are price to earnings ratios (the lower the better) and yields, ie the ratio of dividends, rents or interest payments to the value of the asset (the higher the better). But while this seems obvious, the reality is that many find it easier to buy after shares have had a strong run because confidence is high, and sell when they have had a strong fall because confidence is low.
The power of compound interest. Although the average annual return on Australian shares (11.9% pa) is just double that on Australian bonds (6% pa) over the last 113 years, $1 invested in bonds in 1900 would today be worth $704 whereas $1 invested in shares would now be worth $350,356. Yes there were lots of rough periods along the way for shares just like the last few years (eg the 1930s, 1970s, 1987-96), but the impact of compounding at a higher long term return is huge over long periods of time.
What should investors do?
So, given these market realities, what should investors do?
Know yourself. Now I know we all like to think that everyone is mad except you and me, but the reality is that we all suffer from the psychological weaknesses referred to earlier. But smart investors have an awareness of their weaknesses and seek to manage them. One way to do this is to take a long term approach to investing. But this is also about knowing what you want to do. If you want to take a day to day role in managing your investments then regular trading and/or a self managed super fund (SMSF)  may work, but you need to recognise that investing is not easy. If you are going to trade or run your own investments with, for example, an SMSF, then recognise that this requires a lot of effort to get right and will need a rigorous process. If you don't have the time and would rather do other things like sailing, working at your day job, or having fun with the kids then it may be best to use managed funds
Seek advice. Flowing on from the last point, given the psychological traps we fall into as investors and the fact it is not easy, a good approach is to simply seek the advise of a coach such as a financial adviser, in much the same way you might use a specialist to look after other aspects of your life like fixing the plumbing, your medical needs or helping you get fit. Even I’ve got one.
Invest for the long term. In the 1970s a US investment professional named Charles Ellis observed that for most of us investing is a loser’s game. A loser’s game is a game where bad play by the loser determines the victor. Amateur tennis is an example, where the trick is to avoid stupid mistakes and thereby win by not losing. The best way to avoid losing at investments is to invest for the long term. Get a long term plan that suits your level of wealth, age, tolerance of volatility, etc, and stick to it. This may involve a high exposure to shares and property when you are young or a focus on funds targeting a particular return outcome or level of cash lows when you are close to or in retirement.
 
<hr class="system-pagebreak">
Diversify. This is another no brainer. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket as the old saying goes. But plenty do. It seems that common approaches in SMSF funds are to have one or two high yielding and popular shares and a term deposit. This could potentially leave an investor very exposed to either a very low return or if something goes wrong in the high yield share they are invested in.
Turn down the noise. Once you have worked out a strategy that is right for you, it’s important to turn down the noise on the information flow surrounding investment markets. The past couple of decades have seen an explosion in the volume and ease of access to information surrounding economies, investment markets and individual investments. This is great in a way. But there is little evidence that it’s helping investors make better decisions and hence earn better returns. We seem to lurch from worrying about one crisis after another. Just think about this year: already we have seen a long list of worries starting with the US fiscal cliff, then worries the Fed may exit monetary easing too early, then the Italian election, the US budget sequester, Cyprus, bird flu, North Korea, China, etc. In fact the combination of too much information has turned investing into a daily soap opera - as we lurch from worrying about one thing after another. You'd be better off turning the financial soap opera off and watching The Days of Our Lives or Home and Away!
Avoid short termism. Flowing from the last point, the ease with which information on returns can be accessed is likely reinforcing shorter and shorter investment horizons for investors. An end result of taking a shorter and shorter investment horizon is an ever higher allocation to perceived safe assets such as bonds and cash/term deposits. This may have been fine through the GFC and its aftermath, but will ultimately mean locking into ever lower returns given the low yields now prevailing for bonds and bank deposits. Well might you say, at least I won't lose money on term deposits. But the point is that low yielding deposits will lock in low returns making it hard to meet long term financial goals.
Focus on investments offering sustainable cash flow. This is very important. There’s been lots of investments over the decades that have been sold on promises of high returns or low risk but were underpinned by hope based on hot air (eg, many dot com stocks in the 1990s, resources stocks periodically) or financial alchemy where rubbish was supposedly turned into AAA yield generators (the sub-prime CDOs of last decade). But the key is that if it looks dodgy, hard to understand or has to be based on obscure valuation measures to stack up then it’s best to stay away. By contrast, assets that generate sustainable cash flows (profits, rents, interest payments) and don't rely on excessive gearing or financial engineering are more likely to deliver.
Recognise there is no free lunch. Related to the last point, if an investment looks too good to be true in terms of the return and/or riskiness on offer, then it probably is.
Buy low, sell high. If you do have to trade or move your investments around then remember to buy when markets are down and sell when they are up. This seems like a no brainer, but most people do the opposite. There’s an old saying in investment markets: “flows follow returns”! In other words inflows are strongest after periods of strong returns and outflows are strongest after weak returns. It should be the other way around.
Don't fret the small stuff. It’s easy to spend lots to time worrying about an individual share investment or whether to use this fund manager over that fund manager. But the reality is that the key driver of your return is the assets (shares, bonds, cash, property, infrastructure, listed/unlisted, onshore/offshore, hedged/unhedged) that you are exposed to. In other words asset allocation is paramount and it’s very hard to avoid this.
Don't over rely on expert forecasts. The well known economist J.K. Galbraith once observed that there are two types of economists "those who don't know and those who know they don't know". While that may be a bit harsh - you might say I would say that being an economist - the reality is that point forecasts as to where the share market will be at a particular time or as to its short term return have a dismal track record. Hence all the bad jokes about economists! Good experts will help illuminate and point you in the right direction, but this is what they should be used for.
Recognise the aim is to make money, not to be right. Many investors miss this. Lots of people have lost money doggedly following some assessment that they were sure would be right. But the key is to recognise that getting some view right is not what it’s about. What it’s about is making money. Don’t get hung up on extreme views about where markets are going.
Beware the crowd at extremes. For periods of time the crowd can be right and safety in numbers provides a degree of comfort. However, at extremes the crowd is invariably wrong. Whether it’s lemmings running off a cliff, or investors piling into Japanese shares at the end of the 1980s, Asian shares into the mid 1990s, IT stocks in the late 1990s, US housing and dodgy credit in the mid 2000s. The problem with crowds is that eventually everyone who wants to buy will do so and then the only way is down (and vice versa during crowd panics). As Warren Buffet once said the key is to "be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful".
Finally, if you have the right long term strategy, never despair. Things normally turn out ok eventually. Fortunes are invariably made out of tough times.
Dr Shane Oliver is the head of investment strategy and chief economist at AMP Capital. Please note that this article is intended as general information and not as investment advice.
 
 
 
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soliver-smf6LQXgW9

Four key things to bear in mind about investment markets

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Byron Bay has recorded the highest median house price among 17 key coastal towns during the second half of 2012, according to PRDnationwide research.
PRDnationwide research analyst Aaron Maskrey noted the Byron Bay house price currently sat at $664,000, equating to an increase of 11.1% from the previous year.
The 17 coastal towns also included Coffs Harbour, The Entrance and Yamba in NSW; Agnes Water, Gold Coast, Hervey Bay, Port Douglas, Sunshine Coast, Whitsundays and Yeppoon in QLD; the Fleurieu Peninsula in SA; Bells Beach, Lakes Entrance and 90 Mile Beach in Victoria; and Broome and Dunsborough in WA.
The report found the average gross rental yield achieved for Australian coastal town houses was 4.8%, reflecting a small 0.3% decrease from the previous year. 

Coastal town units registered an average gross rental yield of 4.9% reflecting a 0.8%.

But PRDnationwide warn that despite increasing gross rental yields for units "potential investors should do their homework on each particular market they are interested in, as some unit markets could be subject to oversupply.” 

Mr Maskrey said the highest coastal town rental yield for houses was 8.7% in 90 Mile Beach in Victoria and the highest coastal town rental yield for units was Broome in Western Australia at 7.7%.
"Of all coastal towns included, both Byron Bay and Coffs Harbour were in the top three gross rental yields for units - at 6.3% and 5.9% respectively," he said.

"The Byron Bay house market appears to have lifted off the bottom of its cycle from the second half of 2011," he said.
<img alt="byronbayapril19one" height="264" width="470" src="/images/stories/2013/04/byronbayapril19one.jpg">
"Annual growth in the median house price over 2012 was an exceptional.
"And sales activity strengthened by 42%," he added.

"Observing the demographic shifts within Byron Bay, it is apparent that a large portion of the youth population aged 24 and under have left the region over the past five years, amounting to a fall of almost 3%.
"The age segment of 55 to 74 has increased by a large 5.6% of total residents.
"This significant shift is greater than just a resident population ageing, and signifies a growing number of incoming residents that have just retired or are near retirement."

The research indicated that Coffs Harbour also demonstrated similar demographic changes, with a contraction of 1.3% in youths aged 5 to 14, while the portion of residents aged 55 to 44 increased 1.3%.
"Coffs Harbour has recorded a median house price of $365,000, registering an increase of 2.8% from the previous year." 

Mr Maskrey said The Entrance was another New South Wales coastal market with an increase in sales activity despite the adverse macro-economic factors which have influenced other coastal regions.

"Conversely, buyers have taken advantage of the favourably low interest rates and increased government stimulus spending during 2009 which observed a boost in sales activity coupled with a rise in both the median price of houses and units," he said.

"Over 2012, the median house price has increased by 2.4% to $425,000, with the majority of house sales occurring in the $300,000 to $399,999 price bracket. By observing movements within the house price points, it is apparent that the price bracket of $700,000 to $799,999 has expanded by four per cent, while the $900,000 plus bracket has contracted by three per cent."

The house market within Yamba experienced a significant price correction over 2011 and into 2012.

"However, the second half of 2012 has seen renewed demand enter the market with an increase in activity, resulting in the median price rising by $35,000 (9.5%).
"If there is a sustained period of increased sales activity in 2013 (upwards of 40 house sales over a six month period) then the improved buyer sentiment should see house values continue to build upon the growth experienced at the end of 2012."
Images of Byron Bay lighthouse courtesy of Flickr.
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Byron Bay prices have lifted off the bottom as it tops the list of 17 Australian coastal towns

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A five-bedroom holiday home in Tangalooma Queensland tops the list of the nation's most discounted property with a price slash of 41% over four years, according to SQM Research.
Located in the Bay View Estate of <a target="_blank" href="/news">Tangalooma</a> Island Resort on Moreton Island, the property was first listed in March 2009 for $1,495,000.
It is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-tangalooma-104624146">currently listed</a> by Paul Hagedorn from Ray White Moreton Island for $875,000 and has spent over 1,400 days on the market.
The home (pictured below) features two bathrooms, two living areas, a media room and a rooftop deck.
<img alt="sqmapril15two" src="/images/stories/2013/04/sqmapril15two.jpg" width="470" height="350">
Hagedorn says the original asking price in 2009 was at the top end of the market, and like every owner, the vendors wanted the highest achievable price.
Hagedorn says there is currently a very low demand for holiday let properties and therefore a number of properties have been reduced in price.
He says the 41% price slash is purely a reflection of the market.
“I have never seen prices reduced so much and I’ve been in the industry for over 40 years.
“The market is right at the bottom end,” says Hagedorn.
The current owners built the home around eight years ago.
The property comes with a sub lease to Tangalooma Resort.
Victoria is the only state not represented in the list.
Until recently, <a href="https://sqmresearch.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9badbd870addb4af72206c2eb&amp;id=401d6a899d&amp;e=0aab96dc54" target="_blank">65 Felstead Ave, Sunshine 3020</a> had featured in the list, but the three-bedroom home (pictured below) has recently gone under contract.
<img alt="sqmapril15one" src="/images/stories/2013/04/sqmapril15one.jpg" width="470" height="347">
 
<hr class="system-pagebreak">
The top ten most discounted properties nationwide are as follows:


1
<a href="https://sqmresearch.us5.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=9badbd870addb4af72206c2eb&amp;id=def11a2629&amp;e=0aab96dc54" target="_blank">7 Cassidae Crescent, Tangalooma, 4025</a> 
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div>
Days on the market: 1462</div>
<div>
Initial asking price: $1,495,000 Current asking price: $875,000 Reduction: 41%</div>
<div></div>
<div>
2
<a href="https://sqmresearch.us5.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=9badbd870addb4af72206c2eb&amp;id=50b2df11cf&amp;e=0aab96dc54" target="_blank">5756 Arthur Highway, Taranna, 7180</a> 
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div>
Days on the market: 902</div>
<div>
Initial asking price: $499,000 Current asking price: $299,000 Reduction: 40%</div>
</div>
3
<a href="https://sqmresearch.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9badbd870addb4af72206c2eb&amp;id=b9c21ae7f6&amp;e=0aab96dc54" target="_blank">1/1 Freeman Loop, North Fremantle, 6159</a> 
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div>
Days on the market: 826</div>
<div>
Initial asking price: $4,500,000 Current asking price: $2,795,000 Reduction: 38%</div>
4
<a href="https://sqmresearch.us5.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=9badbd870addb4af72206c2eb&amp;id=2c144e1326&amp;e=0aab96dc54" target="_blank">19 Lychee Drive, Caboolture, 4510</a> 
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div>
Days on the market: 1042</div>
<div>
Initial asking price: $949,000 Current asking price: $598,000 Reduction: 37%</div>
5
<a href="https://sqmresearch.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9badbd870addb4af72206c2eb&amp;id=948f43f499&amp;e=0aab96dc54" target="_blank">15 Gretel, Two Rocks, 6037</a> 
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div>
Days on the market: 1190</div>
<div>
Initial asking price: $1,100,000 Current asking price: $699,000 Reduction: 36%</div>
6
<a href="https://sqmresearch.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9badbd870addb4af72206c2eb&amp;id=e37ebb72b6&amp;e=0aab96dc54" target="_blank">19 Cliff Terrace, Macleay Island, 4184</a> 
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div>
Days on the market: 294</div>
<div>
Initial asking price: $600,000 Current asking price: $385,000 Reduction: 36%</div>
7
<a href="https://sqmresearch.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9badbd870addb4af72206c2eb&amp;id=64a99b213a&amp;e=0aab96dc54" target="_blank">368 Rheban Road, Spring Beach, 7190</a> 
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div>
Days on the market: 875</div>
<div>
Initial asking price: $760,000 Current asking price: $500,000 Reduction: 34%</div>
8
<a href="https://sqmresearch.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9badbd870addb4af72206c2eb&amp;id=1e0368fab2&amp;e=0aab96dc54" target="_blank">20 Rheban Road, Orford, 7190</a> 
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div>
Days on the market: 538</div>
<div>
Initial asking price: $370,000 Current asking price: $245,000 Reduction: 34%</div>
<div>
9
<a href="https://sqmresearch.us5.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=9badbd870addb4af72206c2eb&amp;id=f76162d8ec&amp;e=0aab96dc54" target="_blank">161 Central Avenue, Mount Lawley, 6050</a> 
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div>
Days on the market: 357</div>
<div>
Initial asking price: $1,295,000 Current asking price: $875,000 Reduction: 32%</div>
</div>
<div>
10
<a href="https://sqmresearch.us5.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=9badbd870addb4af72206c2eb&amp;id=1084d9914a&amp;e=0aab96dc54" target="_blank">2/106 Avoca Drive, Avoca Beach, 2251</a> 
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div>
Days on the market: 238</div>
<div>
Initial asking price: $1,995,000</div>
<div>
Current asking price: $1,350,000</div>
<div>
Reduction: 32%</div>
 
 
 
 
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
</div>
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