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

Joel Robinson

Boutique Gordon townhomes now come with a BMW iX3 50

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

Vitale breaks Byron Bay records with EADE sales flurry 

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

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

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

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

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

What does it really mean for a building to be 'green'?

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>

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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

<html><body>
Six mostly inner-ring Sydney suburbs – <a target="_blank" href="/news">Edgecliff</a>, <a target="_blank" href="/news">Randwick</a>, <a target="_blank" href="/news">Ryde</a>, <a target="_blank" href="/news">Newtown</a>, <a target="_blank" href="/news">Surry Hills</a> and <a target="_blank" href="/news">Neutral Bay</a> – recorded annual rent increases topping 10% for new tenancies during the September quarter.
The average rent increase for new tenancies in the RUN Property Sydney data base was 7.7%.
It took new rentals $38 higher a week to $540 a week.
The figures are the average rent for new tenancies, not existing tenants who renew their leases.
The figures come from the latest quarterly rent report by RUN Property, Australia’s largest metropolitan property manager, which manages properties valued at more than $10 billion.
The solid rental returns for property owners in the September quarter compared with the same period last year follow similar results in each quarter over the past year, RUN Property chief executive Rob Farmer notes.
“The smart money is starting to flow back into investment property, especially now that the sales market is off the boil and there are buying opportunities out there,” Farmer suggests.
“Past experience proves that investor confidence slowly grows in the wake of improving rental yields, so there is a small window of opportunity for good buying in the next few months before the world wakes up to what is starting to evolve.
Edgecliff recorded the highest percentage growth up 13% – or $46 a week – to $403 a week.
In Sydney’s Paddington the typical new rental was $62 a week higher at $764 a week.
Ryde was the biggest performer outside the inner-ring suburbs, with an 11% jump to $473 a week.
 
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="1" style="width: 470px;"><tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="121"></td>
<td valign="top" width="113">
Sept 2010 Weekly Rent Average $ 
</td>
<td valign="top" width="123">
Sept 2011 Weekly Rent Average $
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="120">
Average Weekly Rent Difference 
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="120">
Average Weekly Rent Difference % 
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="119">
NEW SOUTH WALES 
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="115">
$501.45 
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="124">
$540.28 
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="119">
$38.83 
</td>
<td valign="top" width="119">
7.7% 
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="119">
EDGECLIFF
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="115">
$357.02
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="124">
$403.69
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="119">
$46.67
</td>
<td valign="top" width="119">
13.1%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="119">
RANDWICK
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="115">
$508.34
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="124">
$568.72
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="119">
$60.38
</td>
<td valign="top" width="119">
11.9%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="119">
RYDE
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="115">
$334.81
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="124">
$373.80
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="119">
$38.99
</td>
<td valign="top" width="119">
11.6%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="119">
NEWTOWN
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="115">
$526.78
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="124">
$587.78
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="119">
$61.00
</td>
<td valign="top" width="119">
11.6%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="119">
SURRY HILLS
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="115">
$507.61
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="124">
$562.48
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="119">
$54.86
</td>
<td valign="top" width="119">
10.8%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="119">
NEUTRAL BAY
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="115">
$446.11
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="124">
$492.51
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="119">
$46.40
</td>
<td valign="top" width="119">
10.4%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="119">
WOOLLOOMOOLOO
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="115">
$528.84
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="124">
$580.61
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="119">
$51.77
</td>
<td valign="top" width="119">
9.8%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="119">
WOLLSTONECRAFT
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="115">
$495.76
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="124">
$543.75
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="119">
$48.00
</td>
<td valign="top" width="119">
9.7%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="119">
GLEBE
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="115">
$495.41
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="124">
$541.99
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="119">
$46.59
</td>
<td valign="top" width="119">
9.4%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="119">
KOGARAH
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="115">
$330.48
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="124">
$360.00
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="119">
$29.53
</td>
<td valign="top" width="119">
8.9%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="119">
PADDINGTON
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="115">
$701.99
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="124">
$764.36
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="119">
$62.36
</td>
<td valign="top" width="119">
8.9%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="119">
DARLINGHURST
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="115">
$482.15
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="124">
$522.88
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="119">
$40.74
</td>
<td valign="top" width="119">
8.4%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="119">
CHIPPENDALE
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="115">
$513.43
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="124">
$556.13
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="119">
$42.70
</td>
<td valign="top" width="119">
8.3%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="119">
BONDI
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="115">
$523.67
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="124">
$567.13
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="119">
$43.46
</td>
<td valign="top" width="119">
8.3%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="119">
POTTS POINT
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="115">
$377.83
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="124">
$407.92
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="119">
$30.09
</td>
<td valign="top" width="119">
8.0%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="119">
CREMORNE
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="115">
$500.83
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="124">
$538.19
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="119">
$37.36
</td>
<td valign="top" width="119">
7.5%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="119">
BRONTE
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="115">
$518.10
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="124">
$555.49
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="119">
$37.38
</td>
<td valign="top" width="119">
7.2%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="119">
LEICHHARDT
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="115">
$583.11
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="124">
$624.99
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="119">
$41.88
</td>
<td valign="top" width="119">
7.2%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="119">
BONDI BEACH
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="115">
$509.13
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="124">
$545.57
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="119">
$36.44
</td>
<td valign="top" width="119">
7.2%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="119">
PYRMONT
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="115">
$578.14
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="124">
$618.86
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="119">
$40.72
</td>
<td valign="top" width="119">
7.0%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="119">
ARTARMON
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="115">
$494.98
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="124">
$529.68
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="119">
$34.70
</td>
<td valign="top" width="119">
7.0%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="119">
LANE COVE
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="115">
$418.33
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="124">
$446.33
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="119">
$28.00
</td>
<td valign="top" width="119">
6.7%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="119">
COOGEE
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="115">
$540.33
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="124">
$575.61
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="119">
$35.28
</td>
<td valign="top" width="119">
6.5%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="119">
ST LEONARDS
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="115">
$499.54
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="124">
$531.88
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="119">
$32.35
</td>
<td valign="top" width="119">
6.5%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="119">
HURSTVILLE
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="115">
$359.48
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="124">
$381.47
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="119">
$21.99
</td>
<td valign="top" width="119">
6.1%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="119">
NORTH BONDI
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="115">
$553.20
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="124">
$586.26
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="119">
$33.06
</td>
<td valign="top" width="119">
6.0%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="119">
ROSE BAY
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="115">
$442.79
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="124">
$468.73
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="119">
$25.94
</td>
<td valign="top" width="119">
5.9%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="119">
CHATSWOOD
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="115">
$593.33
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="124">
$627.42
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="119">
$34.09
</td>
<td valign="top" width="119">
5.7%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="119">
BONDI JUNCTION
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="115">
$601.62
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="124">
$634.95
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="119">
$33.33
</td>
<td valign="top" width="119">
5.5%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="119">
SYDNEY
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="115">
$616.08
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="124">
$648.78
</td>
<td valign="top" colspan="2" width="119">
$32.71
</td>
<td valign="top" width="119">
5.3%
</td>
</tr>
<tr height="0">
<td width="138"></td>
<td width="1"></td>
<td width="113"></td>
<td width="123"></td>
<td width="1"></td>
<td width="119"></td>
<td width="0"></td>
<td width="119"></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
 Source: RUN Property
</body></html>

jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Sydney's six strong rental suburbs - mostly inner city, but Ryde gets aboard

<html><body>
A new report into the property market that takes issue with a traditional metric used to define affordability has found families earning more than $100,000 are less able to buy a house compared with couples earning only $60,000 to $70,000. 
The new Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute has also revealed workers earning less than $40,000 a year are becoming less able to buy property at all.
Report author Terry Burke says traditional metrics use a "30% rule", which states no person should spend more than 30% on housing.
"The problem with that measure is that it assumes every family has equal ability to afford housing, but more household types of have far different and higher expenditures," Burke says.
"For certain families, after meeting necessary expenditures their discretionary income is far less. So what we are proposing the residual market method, you look at the different housing types, different families, and then after expenditures, see what they have left."
Once this measure is applied, the issue of affordability becomes much more dire, the report argues.
"For the households examined, representing about 75% of all Australian households, the residual income method for the lowest 40% of income earners shows a much higher incidence of affordability problems," it argues.
"33.6% use a low-cost-budget-standard, compared to 23.9% by the 30/40 method."
The report also argues that renters have it worst off, particularly aged renters, while families are "problematic, particularly if they have younger children".
"Among households with children, 34.3% were below the low-cost-budget standard, but if the children were under five it was 68%. Why this is the case is probably a combination of the additional costs of the second children being less, and more importantly, a parent may have to drop out of the workforce for some time to undertake child-rearing functions."
Overall, the report found the usefulness of the residual income method is questionable.
"What this is showing," Burke says, "is that singles and couples have much greater capacity to afford housing than suggested by the 30% rule, and that larger households have less capacity to afford."
"You can imagine if you're a single person earning $100,000, then you have a lot to spend on housing, but if you're a family on the same amount, you have much less."
Analysing housing in Melbourne, the report found that families are gradually being pushed into the outer fringe of the city and that more singles are heading into the inner suburbs, resulting in a greater number of smaller apartments being built.
"You don't see a lot of affordable three bedroom apartments being built. It's all one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments," Burke says.
However, the report stops short at putting forward a detailed proposal for solving the crisis. In the end, Burke says, it's up to the government.
"There is nothing new and radical in what we can suggest. It's a problem of land use, high policies around land, zoning permits, negative gearing, and so on."
"It's a problem of supply. We can't come up with any new solutions, because they're pretty well known. The government just has to do them."
This article originally appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.smartcompany.com.au/property/20111017-housing-affordability-measures-attacked-as-new-report-says-families-are-being-forced-to-fringe-suburbs">SmartCompany</a>.
</body></html>

cknowlton-QnEa6ntUYP

Housing affordability measures attacked as new report says families are being forced to fringe suburbs

<html><body>
<img src="/images/stories/philpottflicker.jpg">
A redundant electricity substation on a 77-square-metre block at Marrickville<a href="/news"> </a>suitable for conversion into residential use has been sold for $515,000. 
It’s one of the 1,000 substations that were built across Sydney from the late 1870s as the demand for electricity grew throughout the city.
There are approved plans by Tanner Architects to convert the <a href="/news">Marrickville </a>property into a 159-square-metre, three-bedroom, two-bathroom abode with roof terrace with louvered pergola. It sold to a family who plan to build.
Its BresicWhitney listing agent Matt Carvalho had expected $500,000 plus for the Philpott Street listing. There were six registered parties and four bidders after bidding began at $400,000. 
It’s been subdivided off the neighbouring Globe Mills apartment development.
While many are simple designs, the Marrickville substation was built to fit into the architecture of its factory surroundings. It comes with three high steel roller shutter doors.
Substations were camouflaged as everything from Federation homes and Californian bungalows to castle-like structures.
<img src="/images/stories/philpottplans.gif">
</body></html>

No shocks as redundant Sydney substation fetches $515,000

<html><body>
Melbourne’s median has dropped to $551,000, according to the Real Estate Institute of Victoria’s September quarter market update, given concerns about the international economy and negative consumer sentiment. The results equated to more than two-thirds of Melbourne's homes having either lost value or stayed flat in price over the past three months, with just 78 of the 272 reported suburbs growing in value over that time.
<img src="/images/stories/reivoct17large.gif">
Prices have come back $50,000, or 8.3%, from their peak last December.
“We are now experiencing a soft housing market,” REIV chief executive Enzo Raimondo says.
The 2.8% reduction was on the revised June quarter median house price of $567,500.
The result was similar in the unit market, where the median dropped by 2.3% from $467,000 to $465,500 on revised numbers.
The REIV had surprised the market when it initially gave Melbourne’s median house price as $590,000 in the June quarter, which represented a 5.4% jump. The REIV initially has Melbourne’s median unit price as $474,000, which represented a 3.2% rise.
“The recent trend of reduced demand in the more expensive segments of the market has continued,” Raimondo notes.
And the effects of the surge in population between 2005 and 2010 were still bolstering demand in the more affordable suburbs.
“Across Melbourne this means that the outer suburbs have recorded an overall better result than the inner ones have.”
With a 10% annual jump to $385,000, Deer Park topped the list of suburbs recording positive growth over the year.
Positive growth over the year has also been recorded in Wyndham Vale, Sunbury, Caroline Springs, Berwick, Hawthorn and Balwyn, which topped the list of suburbs with its September quarter growth.
Demand in regional Victoria has largely mirrored that in Melbourne, with the median price of a house dropping by 3.1% to $310,000 from $320,000 in the June quarter.
Of the main regional centres, Geelong recorded a 5.7% jump to a median house price of $390,000.
In Ballarat prices were stable, with the median of $285,000, and in Bendigo there was a 2.6% reduction to $277,500.
“The lesson from the GFC, when the median fell by 14%, is that the market will remain subdued until confidence improves in the economy or there is stimulus in the form of lower interest rates,” Raimondo suggests.
Top 10 Growth Suburbs, Houses (Annual)
Note: Only suburbs where a minimum of 30 sales recorded in each quarter are included.
<table style="width: 470px;" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody>
<tr>
<td width="108"></td>
<td width="133">
Suburb
</td>
<td width="77">
Sept-11 Median
</td>
<td width="77">
Sept-10 Median
</td>
<td width="80">
Annual Change
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
1
</td>
<td>
Deer Park
</td>
<td>
$385,000
</td>
<td>
$350,000
</td>
<td>
10.0%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
2
</td>
<td>
Wyndham Vale
</td>
<td>
$350,000
</td>
<td>
$318,950
</td>
<td>
9.7%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
3
</td>
<td>
Mount Eliza
</td>
<td>
$770,000
</td>
<td>
$705,000
</td>
<td>
9.2%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
4
</td>
<td>
Hawthorn
</td>
<td>
$1,300,000
</td>
<td>
$1,205,000
</td>
<td>
7.9%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
5
</td>
<td>
Frankston South
</td>
<td>
$552,500
</td>
<td>
$515,000
</td>
<td>
7.3%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
6
</td>
<td>
Balwyn
</td>
<td>
$1,590,000
</td>
<td>
$1,490,000
</td>
<td>
6.7%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
7
</td>
<td>
Sunbury
</td>
<td>
$373,000
</td>
<td>
$350,000
</td>
<td>
6.6%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
8
</td>
<td>
Berwick
</td>
<td>
$490,000
</td>
<td>
$460,000
</td>
<td>
6.5%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
9
</td>
<td>
Newport
</td>
<td>
$706,750
</td>
<td>
$665,000
</td>
<td>
6.3%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
10
</td>
<td>
Caroline Springs
</td>
<td>
$443,500
</td>
<td>
$420,000
</td>
<td>
5.6%
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
 
Top 10 Growth Suburbs, Houses (Quarterly)
Note: Only suburbs where a minimum of 30 sales recorded in each quarter are included.
<table style="width: 470px;" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody>
<tr>
<td width="108"></td>
<td width="133">
Suburb
</td>
<td width="77">
Sept-11 Median
</td>
<td width="77">
Jun-11 Median
</td>
<td width="80">
Quarterly Change
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
1
</td>
<td>
Balwyn
</td>
<td>
$1,590,000
</td>
<td>
$1,280,000
</td>
<td>
24.2%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
2
</td>
<td>
Deer Park
</td>
<td>
$385,000
</td>
<td>
$346,500
</td>
<td>
11.1%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
3
</td>
<td>
Brighton East
</td>
<td>
$1,156,250
</td>
<td>
$1,050,000
</td>
<td>
10.1%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
4
</td>
<td>
Newport
</td>
<td>
$706,750
</td>
<td>
$655,000
</td>
<td>
7.9%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
5
</td>
<td>
Glen Waverley
</td>
<td>
$768,800
</td>
<td>
$722,000
</td>
<td>
6.5%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
6
</td>
<td>
Wyndham Vale
</td>
<td>
$350,000
</td>
<td>
$330,000
</td>
<td>
6.1%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
7
</td>
<td>
Boronia
</td>
<td>
$455,000
</td>
<td>
$432,750
</td>
<td>
5.1%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
8
</td>
<td>
Narre Warren South
</td>
<td>
$410,000
</td>
<td>
$395,000
</td>
<td>
3.8%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
9
</td>
<td>
Rowville
</td>
<td>
$550,000
</td>
<td>
$530,000
</td>
<td>
3.8%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
10
</td>
<td>
Carrum Downs
</td>
<td>
$355,000
</td>
<td>
$342,500
</td>
<td>
3.6%
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</body></html>

Melbourne median house prices fall in see-sawing market

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Melbourne’s rental vacancy stands at 2.3% of rental homes managed by real estate agents, representing a small contraction since the 2.5% of July.
The vacancy rate has averaged 2% over the past six months, according to the survey of Real Estate Institute member agencies.
The last time the overall Melbourne market was in balance – a vacancy rate of 3% or higher – was back in January 2005.
Within Melbourne the greatest vacancies are in the outer suburbs, although the rate contracted from 3.2% in July to 2.9% in August.
The middle suburbs' vacancy rate was 2.4%, tighter than the 2.6% in July.
Melbourne’s inner suburbs’ vacancy rate contracted from 2.2% to 1.7%.
Real Estate Institute of Victoria chief executive Enzo Raimondo notes the vacancy rate remains lower in regional Victoria than in the capital, with 1.9% of rental homes vacant in regional Victoria, an increase from the tight 1.6% in July.
It was the highest for more than a year in the regions.
The Geelong region has the highest availability of the main regional centres, with 3.7% compared with 2.1% in July.
In Ballarat the rate tightened from 0.8% to 0.6%.
In Bendigo the rate eased slightly from 0.3% to 0.4%.
Warrnambool’s vacancy rate went from 3.3% to 4.6%, REIV figures show.
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Melbourne's vacancy rate tightens to 2.3%

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The property at 72-76 Bayswater Road, Potts Point is now 40 luxury apartments, next to the Vibe Hotel Sydney. The land was recently valued at $8.9 million. In 1982 my family owned this parcel of land there and had done for a very long time, in fact for over four decades. On the land they operated a 60-room bed and breakfast.  As people do, they grew weary of the property and the going concern of the bed and breakfast, therefore the duly sold the property for $200,000.  At the time, my parents spent the profit! My mother bought a Datsun sunny motor vehicles and a two-bedroom unit at North Bondi. Five years later 72-76 Bayswater Road, Potts Point sold for $4 million and has since re-sold again for more and now the land alone is worth over $8.9 million. 
So what did those original buyers understand about the property and the area that my parents didn’t? At the time Sydney’s Potts Point was very different landscape to what is today. Being the neighbouring suburb to Kings Cross it was the underbelly of undesirable activity. Being only two kilometres to the city, it was and is still a hotbed of action. 
At the top of Bayswater Road Potts Point, you have the most amazing views of the city and ability if high enough to see the majestic Sydney Harbour. I cannot help to feel that person who acquired my old family estate to be a visionary.  To see through the mist of undesirable activity and know that the property was a diamond in the rough would have taken a lot of market knowledge, surely?
 
Most people look at real estate retrospectively and those that do tend to be home owners not investors.  I think every family has a story about the property that got away from them.  Buying, holding and selling real estate takes some market understanding of the suburb the real estate is in and the suburbs ability to change.  In real estate we call this change to a suburb gentrification. 
The sole purpose of an investor is to turn a profit. Real estate is the only asset class that can be controlled by the people, its bricks and mortar, and it truly is “capital in the hands of the people”. No other investment offers the average Australian the ability to engage the powers of leverage and be able to have hands on self-managed approach to the owning an asset.  The challenge is usually not the ownership; it’s the lack of vision of the future that is the dominant mistake by amateur buyers. 
It is hard to imagine for those many who haven’t yet invested into this wonderful wealth creation asset,  as the assumption by many is that real estate is simply home ownership. The tone that is set by investors and visionaries in real estate is a very different to that of a home owner. Investors strive to invest where markets will grow and change and emerge for the better. Home buyers buy on affordability to nest. 
To understand where to invest in real estate, you need to follow the spending habits of government and the consumer habits of people and the places they inhabitant; success in real estate comes with understanding many aspects of the market in detail however one predominant  key to an investors success is researching or even scrutinising the town plan. 
See in the end, it was my family’s naivety to the “highest and best use” of the suburb that robbed them of an achievable small fortune. For in 1987, $4 million was a vast sum of money. Had they just learnt their local town plan, they would have understood the pending alterations to the town plan in Potts Point allowing zoning and infrastructure changes that eventually lead to the pursuant gentrification of the area! They surely would have held the property goldmine they were sitting on.....if they only knew! 
Town planning 
Explaining and understanding town planning is sometimes a little technical, so the easiest way I think of it is as follows: the thousands of moving parts to a city, town or suburb and how these parts relate to one another. Quintessentially it is “the greatest good for the greatest number”. 
When factoring in real estate and the town plan, its bests to break down town planning into just a few sections. 
<ol>
<li>People</li>
<li>Places </li>
<li>Infrastructure</li>
<li>The state town plan </li>
<li>The local environment plan or LEP ( NSW Terminology ) and the development control plan or DCP (NSW Terminology )</li>
</ol>
The principle behind examining the town plan is that investors can find a better property in more sustainable areas if the locality is progressive and well planned. Extracting value through real estate is most easily done when the market does that for you. Ultimately you want to control assets, add as much value to them or have the market provide a value add to ensure the yields remain high for as long as possible. You don’t want to buy real estate and sell it unnecessarily though a lack of education on what is a progressive town plan and what is not.  Let’s examine some of the variables. 
People – Anthropology is the study of people. Demographics is a huge driver in real estate and within any culture there are groups that make up and drive the economy.  People have a huge impact on property prices.  The key is working out where they want to live next and what they are likely to spend their money on. I always find demographics fascinating as the trends are constantly evolving with time. Each generation has sub cultures that they form! 
These changes in household structure mean Australians have an increased desire to re-shape what property looks like and means to them. See the house sizes in Australia are getting smaller. Research shows that many people no longer want the quarter-acre block and within 15 years 30% of all homes in Australia will be single-person households. 
Demographic influences have a wonderful impact on property; study the spending habits of people and you are sure to find a profit! Understand where people see value next and you will find an emerging suburb to buy in. The areas town plan may have already begun to accommodate the needs of the emerging community and will act as a gage as to whether to invest or not. In the 1900s there were five people to a house in Australia, now it’s around two. Everything we do affects housing, for example divorce!  One out of three couples gets divorced, that rate puts pressure on the property market, now mum and dad both need separate homes. 
Places
Linking the study of people and social movements takes vision!  So why is it, that some of the grungy, cheap areas we all know about with high crime rates and undesirables, become the areas that are trendy and fashionable that eventually leads to  spectacular dwelling capital growth and high house prices. Places like Collingwood Melbourne, Redfern or Marrickville Sydney or Fortitude Valley Brisbane are good examples of urban renewal and gentrification at work. 
The real estate market exposes itself to value and opportunity regularly but not every suburb has value thrust upon it at the same time. In real estate there is an old phrase, “It is better to buy the worst house in the best street, than the best house in the worst street.” However I would like to coin a second phrase. “It is better to buy into a suburb that is a blank canvas rather than into a suburb that is a Picasso.” 
If an area is starting to be exposed to change but full change hasn’t yet occurred that is wonderful sign that capital growth will be assured in the real estate in that area! Bowen Hills in Brisbane is a classic example of gentrification that is yet to occur but surely will.  Located just two km to the CBD of Brisbane it is a solid market with an extraordinary future town plan. Yet, it is currently a “blank canvas”! Conversely other suburbs that are a similar distance to the CBD of Brisbane offer fine coffee and one can eat, drink and socialise with an array of merchants to choose from, these suburbs are bustling small pockets of activity. However these suburbs are already “Picassos”. In other words people are paying top dollar to live in the area and if you buy there, you are just paying for someone else’s capital growth. The science of understanding gentrification is to buy in a neighbourhood that is due to become the next great work of art. 
 
Infrastructure - Developers and governments spend billions of dollars on Infrastructure each year. They provide roads, schools, hospitals, transport, and commercial and office infrastructure to boost the needs of the community. And in doing so, re-shape and redefine the planning requirements for both the state and local government areas. You will find growth if you can locate this emerging infrastructure spend. Be sure the infrastructure is real and forthcoming through, and not fictitious stories, political propaganda or a fanciful hope. Check the town plan and government reports to validate your position. 
Aligning your investment next to huge infrastructure spends is a sensible way to gage future growth. I always consider where the public listed property companies are choosing to invest. It would be naive to think they do not have the best town planners working for them.  I follow their investments with great interest and work out how to buy for less in the same area. Governments and listed companies will spend a fortune, literally billions and billions of dollars influencing areas. Capturing that influence is a very smart way of buying property for the long term. 
State town plan - Each state puts out a plan or vision for the future. It is usually a twenty five year agenda of what the city will look like.  Economic hubs such as cities are areas of state significance.  Where people work is typically high on the radar, when considering a suburb to invest in, when considering the states town plan there is llegislation requiring the consideration of the environmental impact of the state driven development.  The state tends to control the following elements. Understanding these elements can help you understand a whole range of drives, such as supply and demand, economics and population movements and whether to invest in that state at all. 
At age 18 I was a real estate agent in North Ryde in Sydney, a government planning imitative the “Chatswood to Epping” rail link was touted to unfold over a three years period.  As a result of the announcement by government many Investors speculated and bought in the area based on the news. It took some six years before a track was laid and ten years for the infrastructure to be delivered. So the lesson is to buy just as they start the construction. I have never seen a major road or rail network half built! But have seen plenty of false starts. 
The local environmental plan and development control plan or DCP (NSW terminology)
LEP – Each local government area puts out a plan or vision for the future. It is on display within the council. It factors in many aspects and is very useful for understanding opportunities and restrictions of an area. This change can literally be street by street. So you need to get an understanding of it.   The single biggest change that can occur in the local town plan is height and density changes.  This forms the backbone of subdivision and extensions and adding value principles for real estate. 
 
Development control plan or DCP - Each area has a development control plan, so when factoring in the “highest and best use of real estate” you need to engage the plausibility of approval. In other words will the parcel of land pass the development consideration that need to be taken into account? If it does, you could well be on your way, to extracting a profit!
Some elements of consideration are listed below:
<ul>
<li>Car parking</li>
<li>Height limits</li>
<li>Building lines – distance shadows etc</li>
<li>Laundry facilities</li>
<li>Water, sewerage, drainage and electricity </li>
<li>Beatification of unused land – landscaping </li>
<li>Minimum frontage and depth</li>
<li>Minimum block size</li>
<li>Plot ratio – number of floors</li>
<li>Density ratio – number of one-, two- and three-bedroom units</li>
<li>Ingress and egress, ( in and out) driveway, right of way, walkway</li>
<li>Fire ratings</li>
<li>Covenants, caveats, encumbrances </li>
</ul>
 
Town planning is a key education requirement for your journey through investing. It can be the difference between selling a property for $200,000 or for $4,000,000. By researching carefully what attributes the people and a suburb have by exploring the areas ability to embrace change via the town plan you may find opportunity. Often suburbs can be targeted for re-gentrification after similar suburbs have been re-vitalised. Property can reap the benefits of this catalyst for capital growth. Seeing the potential and understanding an area and judging change will serve you well. 
The study of real estate fundamentals is important. It will serve you well and serve you for a lifetime. If people took the time to understand and school themselves in real estate practices, wealth would not just be for a select few. Town planning is an imperative schooling for all investors.
Sam Saggers is CEO of<a href="https://www.positiverealestate.com.au/ME2/Sites/Default.asp?SiteID=697F1E57F8A54C7F9582C3C49417EEC4" target="_blank"> Positive Real Estate.</a>
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ssaggers-cYw3HLcXnJ

Successful property investment requires vision

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The shabby face of Fremantle may get a much-needed makeover, with the council entering discussions about the redevelopment of the languishing Kings Square site.
Fremantle entered into a memorandum of understanding with Perth private equity firm Sirona Capital Management, which owns the ageing Myer building on the site.
Sirona, which has retained property developer Luke Saranceni to run the project, plans to deliver 20,000 square metres of refurbished retail and commercial space worth $80 million in 2013.
Earlier this year Myer was considering closing its door after 40 years of trading there. A delegation from Fremantle Council visited Melbourne to persuade the retailer to stay. It currently trades from only two levels of the four-floor building, which Perth financier Kelvin Flynn’s Sirona bought earlier this year.
The council owns much of the property on the historic square and is considering putting a hotel on the site. The MOU allows feasibility studies negotiations with Sirona to take place until June 2012.
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andreadixon-oif3j7eKne

Kings Square in Fremantle set for a facelift

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Philip Smith, the Colliers agent who helped facilitate the transformation of a Wollongong Hotel into a psychiatric facility, says similar transformations could prove beneficial for struggling regional tourism operators by providing alternative income streams. 
“We understand there are some Sydney hotels trying to deals with some major hospitals to take on post-natal mums with infants for the first days following childbirth,” says Smith, Colliers national director of transaction services for health care and retirement living. 
While he says such transactions are not common, he suspects more could follow, “particularly in relation to older properties that are no longer ‘fit for purpose’ or up to expectation standards. 
“There are some fundamental changes coming to the aged-care industry in Australia, and public hospitals are really stretched from post-op and medical patients. This may present an opportunity. 
“I worked in the UK for a long period, and saw some small hotels and B&amp;Bs open up their properties for emergency housing and interim care, key worker accommodation or even asylum seeker temporary accommodation.” 
Smith brokered the deal between Australian Property Trust, owner of the Rydges Wollongong and new tenant Evolution Health Care. 
Since the APT made the initial hotel investment in 2005, Smith says many new competitors have come in, effectively making Wollongong “over-bedded” in terms of hotel beds. 
At the same time he says the healthcare market has long recognised that the Illawarra region is poorly served in terms of private mental health facilities, but the costs associated with new build hospitals are generally prohibitive. 
“There is no private mental health facility in the Illawarra, and given the location near the city centre and public hospital or health precinct, it was logical that the property was better suited as a health facility, “he says. 
“Conversion of existing accommodation facilities are generally more cost-effective,” he says. 
“With APT, we explored this concept of a number of operators, and got a long way down the track with negotiations with another major operator, but final terms could not be agreed. Evolution Care then came in and both parties showed enough flexibility to ensure a sensible agreement could be reached,” he says. 
Smith says it took only around two months from beginning to end to complete the agreement. 
The trust weighed up the current value of the hotel against the cost of conversion to a sub-acute private hospital with a secure lease in place. 
It also undertook discussions with mental health specialists in the region to gauge the demand in the community for such a facility. 
“From there, it was a question of whether the lease payments were affordable,” Smith says. 
APT will undertake a $4 million refit of the hotel, and Evolution Care has committed to a long-term lease arrangement.
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lschlesinger-FZcF9M3vE6

More hotels could become hospitals in wake of ailing leisure sector

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A string of good or at least better-than-expected data this week has dimmed expectations for a rate cut next month, but a worsening of the European debt crisis would likely force the central bank's hand, economists say.

CommSec economist Savanth Sebastian says yesterday's official job figures showing the unemployment rate had dropped one percentage point to 5.2% had "muddied the waters to some degree", but a rate-cut decision would be driven by events in Europe.
"If the RBA is going to cut rates, it's going to be on global concerns rather than domestic conditions," Sebastian says.
"And if the Reserve Bank policymakers do cut rates, it'll be to shore up confidence rather than provide stimulus," using the example of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand's decision to slice rates after the Christchurch earthquake.
Sebastian notes that jobs growth detailed in yesterday's ABS figures – with 20,400 new jobs created, including 10,800 full-time jobs – mainly came from the mining states.
There were 7,300 new jobs in Western Australia, and 4,900 new jobs in Queensland, plus growth in Victoria (3,400) and South Australia (900). New South Wales lost 1,300 jobs, and Tasmania lost 400.
The number of part-time jobs, up 9,600 to 3.41 million, was a record. The participation rate was steady at 65.6%.
The ABS figures follow a better-than-expected National Australia Bank business survey released on Monday.
CommSec's Savanth Sebastian says although the RBA has watered down its rhetoric on monetary policy in recent weeks because of the turmoil overseas, it would likely be interested in sitting on the sidelines because of Australia's robust terms of trade.
"We'd be advocating view rates on hold, but if we see external shocks then a cut is likely on the cards," Sebastian says.
The Reserve Bank last week drew attention to the "softer" labour market and consumers "more concerned about the possibility of unemployment rising", as it chose to leaves rates on hold at 4.75%.
But Westpac Banking Group says the numbers "reflect the statistical noise you would expect in a soft labour market that does not have a strong trend."
"We forecasted positive jobs numbers for September, mindful that it took the post GST volatility (back in 2000) to generate three consecutive monthly negative prints on jobs. Even the GFC could not do it," Westpac says.
The bank describes the Australian labour market as "soft rather than robust or collapsing."
"The Australian economy has shed close to 5,000 jobs over the last six months so it is clear the labour market has going through quite a soft patch," it says.
"We are forecasting the unemployment rate to peak at 5.75 by mid-2012. While WA is set to improve, and QLD should lift from here, the drag from the southeast (VIC and NSW) will be enough to see a rise in overall unemployment."
ANZ says the result "certainly doesn't change the story that trend employment growth has weakened considerably in the last six months."
"It would be a brave forecaster that suggested that this signals a turning point, given leading indicators of employment (such as the ANZ job ads series) remain soft," its senior economist Craig Michaels says.
Michael says the rebound serves as a "welcome stabilisation" for the RBA, and might give the central bank confidence that the boom states and match the sort parts for the time being.
"Whether the RBA will give greater credence to the leading indicators of employment, which currently point to a further modest rise in the unemployment rate, will be a key determinant of the outcome of the Melbourne Cup policy deliberations," he says.
"Despite today's bounce, we think weak leading indicators for employment, flat trend employment growth and the now weaker outlook for inflation means there is scope for the RBA to deliver an 'insurance' rate cut next month, given still heightened global uncertainty."
This article originally appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.smartcompany.com.au/economy/20111014-string-of-good-data-might-stop-rba-from-cutting-rates-economists">SmartCompany</a>.
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String of good data might stop RBA from cutting rates: Economists

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Blacktown estate agents – who have been in the spotlight this week following the auction finale of Channel Ten series The Renovators –are seeing first-time home buyers aiming to take advantage of the state government’s reduced stamp duty offering on established cottages before the waiver runs out December 31.
Terry Li, the estate agent who sold the fibro cottage to Channel 10 for The Renovators series, says the market has marked changing characteristics.
“In a short-term period we will be experiencing a strong local market demand from first-home buyers, as there are already a large number who want to take the advantage of the stamp duty waiver,” Li says.
“But early next year we will be experiencing  a slower market as first- home buyers holds back and monitor the market movement.
“Investors have been on hold due to the lack of confidence in the share market. The past losses in the share market has yet to recover,” Li says.
He notes Blacktown is experiencing  4.6% annual growth, with a $365,000 median house price.
“The average discounting rate on houses at 7.1% makes it very affordable for the western suburbs, with a newly built shopping centre and train station upgrade and most recently car parking facility for the train commuters.
“The lowest for the suburb was back in 2007 with a $305,000 median price and a negative 4.7%.
“The market is gradually recovering,” he suggests.
James Lee at Comfirst Real Estate says the current market is still good.
“Buyers are mainly first-home buyers.
“I anticipate the market will slow down after the abolishment of stamp duty for first-home buyer exception from January 2012,” Lee says.
He suggests investors demand has slowed down in anticipation of a reduction in price after January 2011.
The properties in demand were priced between $350,000 and $400,000 for fibro houses and between $400,000 and $450,000 for brick veneer houses.
Lee doesn’t expect the Harold Street sale on The Renovators will affect the market.
Century 21 Joel Hollings, who assisted in the marketing of the $440,000 sale on The Renovators, says the market is relatively steady with a good mix of buyer and sellers.
He says the gap is widening between unrenovated houses and renovated  ones, which he says is a good sign for a true marketplace.
“In good times some of the unrenovated homes sell for more than what we expect as buyers get caught up in the hype and do not research properly,” he suggests.
He says the auction result has shown the Blacktown has lost its old stigma and “will be a choice of many more families to come”.
“We see the market staying stable in the coming months, although some commentators have said the market will drop after the first home buyers stamp duty exemption drops off.
“However as Blacktown is the lowest-value area in our basin we believe people will adjust their budgets from the more expensive areas as seen during 2008-2009 GFC and travel back into our market, thus counteracting any downturn caused by first-home buyers dropping off.”
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