<p data-end="309" data-start="290"><strong data-end="309" data-start="290">Article summary</strong></p>

<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" />
<p data-end="896" data-section-id="ojaazg" data-start="792">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.</p>

<p data-end="1358" data-start="1137">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.</p>

<p data-end="1358" data-start="1137">[smartcode_project:default project_id=90059 project_image_fid=374075]</p>

<p data-end="1577" data-start="1360">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.</p>

<p data-end="1781" data-start="1579">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.</p>

<p data-end="1977" data-start="1783">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.</p>

<p data-end="1977" data-start="1783">[smartcode_project:default project_id=90059 project_image_fid=374059]</p>

<p data-end="2314" data-start="1979">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.</p>

<p data-end="2423" data-start="2316">Pikos said the penthouse collection represented the culmination of the company's long-term vision for Skye.</p>

<p data-end="2519" data-start="2425">"True legacy isn't measured by what we build today, but by what endures tomorrow," Pikos said.</p>

<p data-end="2688" data-start="2521">"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."</p>

<p data-end="2688" data-start="2521">[smartcode_project:default project_id=90059 project_image_fid=374060]</p>

<p data-end="2840" data-start="2690">Williamson said the interiors were inspired by the natural character of Kangaroo Point and the Brisbane River rather than international design trends.</p>

<p data-end="2900" data-start="2842">"Materiality tells the story of a place," Williamson said.</p>

<p data-end="3105" data-start="2902">"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."</p>

<p data-end="3300" data-start="3107">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.</p>

<p data-end="3300" data-start="3107">[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=90059]</p>


Joel Robinson

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

<p data-end="288" data-start="269"><strong data-end="288" data-start="269">Article summary</strong></p>

<ul data-end="888" data-start="289">
	<li data-end="442" data-section-id="8tsh6o" data-start="289"><strong data-end="374" data-start="291">DVB Projects is preparing to launch its second Gold Coast apartment development</strong>, with demolition now underway at 137 Old Burleigh Road, Broadbeach.</li>
	<li data-end="573" data-section-id="1nyxl3e" data-start="443"><strong data-end="513" data-start="445">The 34-level tower will comprise just 49 ultra-luxury residences</strong>, including half-floor, full-floor and penthouse apartments.</li>
	<li data-end="717" data-section-id="oiyimj" data-start="574"><strong data-end="646" data-start="576">The launch follows strong demand at DVB's nearby Sea Glass project</strong>, which is more than 50 per cent sold and currently under construction.</li>
	<li data-end="888" data-section-id="epk9o9" data-start="718"><strong data-end="787" data-start="720">The development adds to the transformation of Old Burleigh Road</strong>, with premium beachfront apartment projects continuing to reshape the tightly held Broadbeach strip.</li>
</ul>

<p data-end="1011" data-start="790"><a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/dvb-projects">DVB Projects</a> is preparing to launch its second Gold Coast apartment development, with demolition now underway on the Broadbeach site as the Sydney developer moves closer to bringing the ultra-luxury project to market.</p>

<p data-end="1296" data-start="1013">The 34-level tower at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/137-old-burleigh-road-broadbeach-qld-4218">137 Old Burleigh Road</a> will comprise just 49 residences, ranging from half-floor apartments through to full-floor homes and a penthouse. The launch follows the strong sales performance of DVB's nearby Sea Glass development. More than half of the apartments at Sea Glass, on the other side of Broadbeach, have been snapped up, well ahead of its late 2027 completion</p>

<p data-end="1296" data-start="1013"><img alt="DVB Projects to commence demolition on $320m Broadbeach luxury tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2944b4be-c84e-4b54-8dc1-c712e76704c0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/E02_Exterior_Street%20Level%20Entrance.jpg?VersionId=YoNig7pRdrE3HCue7sUj78LzJteeQf3H" /></p>

<p>The start of demolition at 137 Old Burleigh Road signals DVB Projects’ underlying confidence in the Gold Coast’s luxury beachside apartment sector.</p>

<p>“We see the Gold Coast as one of the most compelling lifestyle markets in Australia, particularly at the premium end where demand continues to deepen,” said Dean Brown, Managing Director of DVB.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“This project has been carefully designed to respond to that demand - delivering large-format residences with a level of quality, privacy and amenity that is still relatively rare in the apartment market on the beachside."</p>

<p>Brown says the site itself is "exceptional."</p>

<p>"Old Burleigh Road is one of the most tightly held beachfront strips, and opportunities to deliver a project of this scale and calibre in this location are extremely limited.”</p>

<p><img alt="DVB Projects to commence demolition on $320m Broadbeach luxury tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="398f377a-c037-455e-9250-0c5e0d84c35b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/I12_FF%20Balcony.jpg?VersionId=NwOiRWGMubR1c8wthuEfggklcja7al9." /></p>

<p>The project will comprise 40 half-floor residences of approximately 260 sqm, alongside eight full-floor residences spanning around 524 sqm.</p>

<p>A single penthouse will crown the building, featuring a private pool, barbecue area, indoor gym and dedicated entertaining spaces.</p>

<p>Residents will have access to a resort-style suite of amenities, including a 20-metre pool with daybeds, a gymnasium, hot and cold plunge pools, a sauna, and private residents’ lounge and dining facilities.</p>

<p><img alt="DVB Projects to commence demolition on $320m Broadbeach luxury tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d1642bb0-9a66-4427-a022-dfc0988c6287" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/A02_Pool%20to%20View.jpg?VersionId=c0IXPyn_Gp_Kn3XCwzMrqIVkAdCEwVXP" /></p>

<p>Sales agent Todd Matheson, of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/pezet-matheson">Pezet Matheson</a>, which is marketing both 137 Old Burleigh Road and Sea Glass, said 137 Old Burleigh Road would address a clear gap in the market for genuine luxury products.</p>

<p>“There are very few opportunities on the Gold Coast where buyers can secure a residence of this size and quality in a new building,” Matheson said.</p>

<p>“What we’re seeing is a growing cohort of downsizers and interstate buyers who still want space - they’re not willing to compromise on living area, entertaining or finishes.</p>

<p>“This project has been designed with that buyer in mind. It offers the scale of a home, combined with the convenience and security of apartment living, in one of the coast’s most desirable positions.”</p>

<p><img alt="DVB Projects to commence demolition on $320m Broadbeach luxury tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="59aae0ca-5639-4320-8aca-d0bf60f48e43" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/E01_Exterior%20Hero.jpg?VersionId=DS8Zfy2WtgUEtdfe0TEUuf1W1GfcZq8S" /></p>

<p>Located on a 1,156 sqm site one block from the beachfront, the development will replace an ageing walk-up building and is expected to contribute to the ongoing transformation of the Old Burleigh Road strip into one of the Gold Coast’s most prestigious residential corridors.</p>

<p>With the development moving into the delivery phase, 137 Old Burleigh Road is slated to hit the market later this year.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=145141]</p>


DVB Projects to launch second Broadbeach apartment tower as demolition commences

<p>A proposal to redevelop one of North Sydney's ageing commercial buildings has taken another step forward, with plans for a 38-storey mixed-use tower adding momentum to the long-awaited transformation of the Alfred Street precinct.</p>

<p>Now on public exhibition through the NSW Government's Housing Delivery Authority-led State Significant Development pathway, the proposal for 271-273 Alfred Street would replace an underutilised commercial building with 95 apartments, ground-floor retail, commercial space and affordable housing. The proposal was submitted by&nbsp;Tara Shore Pty Ltd, acting for the John Taylor Family Trust.</p>

<p>While the project will deliver much-needed housing on the southern edge of the North Sydney CBD, it also represents another piece of a broader precinct that has spent years in planning limbo.</p>

<p><img alt="First look: New public domain vision underpins 95-apartment North Sydney tower on Alfred Street" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7e1ce1b4-38df-48ab-992f-386814d86308" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Alfred%20St%20da%20podium.png?VersionId=sC_h6w.A9VEoB98qsqowPlIoz__sBZBt" /></p>

<p>Despite its proximity to both North Sydney Station and the Victoria Cross Metro, redevelopment of Alfred Street has progressed slowly over the past decade as broader planning controls, zoning and building heights remained unresolved. The introduction of the Housing Delivery Authority pathway has provided a new avenue for projects to progress, allowing rezoning and development assessment to occur concurrently and unlocking sites that have long been earmarked for renewal.</p>

<p>Designed by Office of Cortese &amp; Gilder, the proposal seeks to do more than replace an ageing office building. The architects have positioned the project as the first stage of a wider public domain vision that would improve pedestrian connectivity and create a more cohesive mixed-use precinct as neighbouring sites are redeveloped over time.</p>

<p>The proposal includes a widened Alfred Street setback, new street trees, landscaping and outdoor seating, along with a landscaped through-site pedestrian link connecting Alfred Street with Little Alfred Street. The connection is intended to become the first section of a future east-west pedestrian network extending across the precinct.</p>

<p><img alt="First look: New public domain vision underpins 95-apartment North Sydney tower on Alfred Street" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8ea39ac3-46ad-4562-b4a0-b862e91c2dda" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Alfred%20St%20da%20site.png?VersionId=K7umCd21KpetEFuVfsPlnJKhUOsmTTdV" /></p>

<p>The mixed-use tower would comprise retail space at ground level, commercial uses on level two and apartments from level three upwards.</p>

<p>In total, the development would deliver 95 apartments, including nine one-bedroom, 28 two-bedroom, 56 three-bedroom and two four-bedroom residences. Twenty-one apartments, representing 15 per cent of the residential gross floor area, would be secured as affordable housing and managed by a registered community housing provider for at least 15 years.</p>

<p>Nine basement levels would provide 133 resident car spaces, seven motorcycle spaces and 111 bicycle spaces.</p>

<p>According to the Architecture and Urban Design Report, the public domain strategy is designed to transform what is currently an inward-facing commercial edge into a more active and connected pedestrian environment, creating a stronger relationship between the commercial core and surrounding residential neighbourhoods.</p>

<p>Office of Cortese &amp; Gilder has also prepared a broader public domain framework spanning neighbouring properties between 263 and 283 Alfred Street, arguing that a coordinated approach to redevelopment will deliver better public spaces, improved tower separation and a more connected streetscape as the precinct evolves.</p>

<p>The proposal comes at a time where North Sydney is slated for future residential growth. Commercial developer FiveX has residential plans for the neighbouring site at 275 Alfred Street. They've proposed a 39-storey mixed-use tower with 184 apartments, while Freecity was recently approved for nearly 300 apartments across a 51-storey building on Walker Street.</p>

<p><em>Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-freecity-gets-green-light-for-mixed-use-apartment-and-hotel-tower-in-north-sydney">First look: Freecity gets green light for mixed-use apartment and hotel tower in North Sydney</a></em></p>

<p><em>Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-fivex-plans-39-storey-residential-tower-in-booming-north-sydney">First look: Fivex plans 39-storey residential tower in booming North Sydney</a></em></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Alfred Street the latest North Sydney pocket to be transformed by residential development

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>"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."</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=7354 project_image_fid=374893]</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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;</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=7354 project_image_fid=269527]</p>

<p>Rothelowman's Gary Tsui said the architecture was conceived to respond carefully to its Upper North Shore setting.</p>

<p>"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."</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>"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."</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=7354 project_image_fid=374892]</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>Construction is underway with completion expected in mid-2027.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=7354]</p>


Boutique Gordon townhomes now come with a BMW iX3 50

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p><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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=145590 project_image_fid=359521]</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=145590 project_image_fid=359527]</p>

<p><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.</p>

<p>"There isn't another beachfront holding in Byron Bay of this size and position that could be developed again," Vitale said.</p>

<p>"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.</p>

<p>"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.</p>

<p>"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."</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=145590 project_image_fid=359523]</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>EADE Byron Bay is being exclusively marketed by Projx Australia in conjunction with WHITEFOX Projects.</p>

<p>WHITEFOX National Projects Director Phillip Rand said demand had been driven predominantly by owner-occupiers.</p>

<p>"We are seeing buyers at EADE place significant value on quality, space, design, resort-style amenities and the rarity of this location," Rand says.</p>

<p>"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."</p>

<p>Residences at EADE Byron Bay are currently priced between $4.75 million and $15.95 million.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=145590]</p>


Vitale breaks Byron Bay records with EADE sales flurry 

<p>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.</p>

<p>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;</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>Even in the low seasons of May and June, occupancy levels reach around 40 per cent.</p>

<p><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" /></p>

<p>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</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p><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" /></p>

<p>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.<span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><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" /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span>​</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p>The apartments will feature modern amenities and contemporary designs with expansive windows capturing sweeping views of The Remarkables mountain range.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Interiors are equipped with modern finishes, premium appliances, and secure electronic key-locked doors, ensuring a comfortable living experience for residents and guests alike.</p>

<p>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;</p>

<p>Queenstown’s sustained demand for visitor accommodation and rental properties is underpinned by a shortage of housing options, attracting both local and international buyers.</p>


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

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<p>EXPERT OBSERVER</p>
<p>Is Perth about to boom?</p>
<p>The NAB survey today certainly suggests so.</p>
<div id="post-body-5780827678701089214" class="post-body entry-content">
<div>In Q3 Business Conditions for Western Australia practically exploded higher from a reading of 2 to 25, while business confidence went from a negative reading of -1 all the way up to 10 across a single quarter of trading. </div>
<div> </div>
<div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sopqcq0XBLA/X3sNbSaoZDI/AAAAAAAA4qM/50kqimyXn8cO78694yN01OsiE3dt-7VngCNcBGAsYHQ/s740/NAB.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge:</a></div>
<div> </div>
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<br><div><em>Source: NAB</em></div>
<div> </div>
<div>Having barely been touched by COVID-10 since April, the local jobs market is clearly enjoying the stimulus, and jobs vacancies for Western Australia are suddenly at the highest level since the resources boom years. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Is Perth property about to boom, then?</div>
</div>
<p><strong>PETE WARGENT</strong><em><strong> </strong>is the co-founder of AllenWargent property buyers and a best-selling author and blogger </em></p>
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Perth property looks set to boom: Pete Wargent

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<div>Interesting figures from SQM Research showed rental vacancies in Melbourne rising to 27,070 in October 2020, due to the lockdown.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>That's a vacancy rate of 4.4 per cent, and well up from only 11,882 rental vacancies a year earlier.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>SQM Research reported that the vacancy rate was most acute in Melbourne's CBD, at 10.6 per cent.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The 6mMA figures showed that rental vacancies in Sydney have begun to level off.</div>
<div> </div>
<div class="x__Entity x__EType_OWALinkPreview x__EId_OWALinkPreview x__EReadonly_0"><img src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HkllQbH-vBk/X7OJT4rBTZI/AAAAAAAA5XY/m7gdK7ltSz4w5rlcQfWM7Izx4QwyDhUfQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1464/SQM1.jpg" data-imagetype="External"></div>
<p> </p>
<div> </div>
<div>Rental vacancies in Brisbane continued to ease lower, down to 6,912 from 7,950 a year earlier.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>More than 400,000 Australians have returned home this year, which might go some of the way to explaining low rental vacancy rates in Perth, Canberra, Hobart, Adelaide, and Darwin, all of which now have tight vacancy rates of under 1 per cent.</div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
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<p> </p>
<div> </div>
<div>Consumer confidence lifted again to a 9-month high.</div>
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Melbourne rental vacancies rise to 27,000 as lockdown lifts: Pete Wargent

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<div>EXPERT OBSERVER</div>
<div> </div>
<div>As Australia gets back to business I've been following the UK government's inept handling of the Coronavirus with increasingly wide-eyed incredulity.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The cost to date has now been estimated at a mind-boggling £284 billion according to the government's own spending review this week. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>If you were wondering what exactly has been achieved by this interplanetary level of spending (so far), then you wouldn't be Robinson Crusoe there.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>With the Brits expected to announce approval of the rollout of a Biontech/Pfizer jab as early as this coming week then the UK's effective lockdown will likely continue through until the new year, accounting for thousands more blameless small businesses.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>To add insult to injury the botched and inoperable test-and-trace system has alone cost an absurd £22 billion, single-handedly erasing years of pointless austerity measures.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Britain's public sector net debt will soon be well above 100 per cent of GDP and back to the highest level since the post-war years. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Higher taxes will doubtless be back on the agenda soon enough to pay for it all, but this time around capital will likely up and leave. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Just the Brexit debacle to finish off now before the incumbent PM gets ushered out of politics...</div>
<div> </div>
<div><strong>Money printer go #Brrr...</strong></div>
<div> </div>
<div>It's remarkable how quickly views have changed in respect of quantitative easing and related stimulus. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Fears of inflationary spirals in the financial crisis aftermath have been replaced the money printers being embraced with joyful abandon. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Grant Williams of RealVision and TTMYGH rustled up this belter of an infographic this week to compare the scale of the Covid-19 stimulus to that of the 2008 financial crisis. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>
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</div>
<div>With interest rates mired at zero for the foreseeable future capital has been flowing into real estate, stocks, and cryptocurrencies. </div>
<div> </div>
<div><strong>Lucky country</strong></div>
<div> </div>
<div>Numerous medical journal studies are now showing how Vitamin D can play an important role in reducing Covid-19 infection.</div>
<div> </div>
<div class="separator"><img src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ox9pY_ZatEc/X8QAlWZKLaI/AAAAAAAA5iI/LA-014I42p4wevQTXCa4xXcCX7j1XF3HgCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h266/RP.jpg" width="640" height="266" data-original-height="302" data-original-width="728"></div>
<div> </div>
<div>This might go some of the way to explaining Australia's near elimination of the virus, with zero deaths or cases in ICUs or on ventilators for a long time now. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Whatever the reasons, it's looking increasingly likely that Australia has dodged another sizeable bullet and will become a remarkably sought-after destination once its international borders are reopened.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Data due to be released this week will show that the Aussie economy began to expand again with output growing by about 3-4 per cent in the third quarter of 2020, with another pumping current account surplus, and housing prices rising by +0.6 per cent in the month of November. </div>
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The UK; a case study on botched COVID-19 stimulus: Pete Wargent

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<p>EXPERT OBSERVER</p>
<p>Australian is on the cusp of a national real estate boom. And I do emphasise “national”.</p>
<p>We haven’t had a genuine national real estate boom in Australia since the one from 2001 to 2004, when all the major markets experienced strong price rises.</p>
<p>The one that drove Sydney and Melbourne prices higher from 2013 to 2017 was not a nationwide phenomena, as few other locations around the nation shared that price uplift.</p>
<p>But right now forces are building which will generate growth in most major cities and towns across the nation. They will be boosted by new events which will energise economies, including infrastructure spending and increased activity in the resources sector.</p>
<p>We currently have a remarkably strong situation with markets across Australia – everywhere, in fact, except the two biggest cities, which are so often the exception rather than the rule.</p>
<p>The new price data from CoreLogic suggests that all capital cities except Sydney and Melbourne had price growth in September, while most regional market jurisdictions also recorded growth. The September figures continued the stubborn performance of markets since February when the pandemic first started to impact Australia.</p>
<p>Many of our capital cities have recorded some level of house price growth in most months since February. Canberra has had growth in each of the past seven months and Adelaide has had uplift in six of the seven months.</p>
<p>Regional markets around Australia are pumping strongly, with vacancies ultra low, rents rising and buyers outnumbering sellers. People at the coal-face of these markets, including buyers agents, valuers and selling agents, have been reporting very competitive markets for several months – and the data supports those views.</p>
<p>So I would argue that significant sections of the nation already have notable up-cycles under way, particularly those where the virus has been got under control early, local economies are strong, consumer confidence is good, vacancies are low, first-home buyers are active and the Exodus to Affordable Lifestyle is having an impact.</p>
<p>Some locations have most or all of those factors in play. Those places include Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, Canberra and regional centres like Ballarat, Bendigo, Albury-Wodonga, Orange, Newcastle, the Sunshine Coast, Mackay, Rockhampton and Townsville.</p>
<p>Of the 15 major market jurisdictions in Australia – eight capital cities and seven state/territory regional markets – 11 have house prices higher than at the start of 2020, led by Regional Tasmania (up 7.1%) and Darwin (up 6.6%), as well as Hobart, Canberra, Regional NSW and Regional South Australia (all up 4-5% since the start of the year).</p>
<p>Twelve of the 15 jurisdictions have house prices higher than a year ago. For apartments, 11 of the 15 locations have prices higher than a year ago.</p>
<p>This means there is a groundswell of positive factors, a rising tide of markets – particularly outside the two biggest cities, which is where two-thirds of Australians live.</p>
<p>Against that background, there are positive forces building which will turbocharge the situation and create a national property boom.</p>
<p>We have seen that local economies and property markets have charged out of lockdown phases with considerable exuberance. We can also get a message from New Zealand, where the economy has continued to emit positive signals and property prices have been rising strongly right across that country.</p>
<p>The more our local economies return to normal, with Melbourne recovering and state border restrictions easing, the more we will see improved confidence and rising market activity.</p>
<p>But the big looming factor is the upcoming infrastructure spend – and, partly as a by-product, considerable uplift in the resources sector.</p>
<p>It is clear that federal and state governments intend to generate an infrastructure-led economic recovery and are willing to go deep into budget deficit to achieve it.</p>
<p>Few things supercharge economies and real estate markets like big infrastructure projects, be they motorways, rail links, hospitals or energy facilities.</p>
<p>Infrastructure developments create economic activity and jobs – and the energises property markets. These projects also improve the amenity of the locations that are directly impacted by the new projects.</p>
<p>A by-product of the infrastructure-inspired recovery will be a new resources boom, with that sector already busy servicing overseas demand.</p>
<p>Another big factor which will drive prices higher is the extraordinary shortage of real estate in most locations in Australia. Vacancy rates of 1% and lower are the norm now and it’s putting upward pressure on rents. Developers have been building less in the past 2-3 years and investors have been largely on the sidelines for the past 18 months in particular. The rental stock the market needs has not been created at the required levels.</p>
<p>At the same time, vendors have been reticent – which means that buyers outnumber sellers in many locations.</p>
<p>Recently we have seen economists from the major banks and other institutions recanting their March-April forecasts of real estate prices dropping 10%, 20% or 30% - and are now suggesting much more moderate outcomes. Westpac is now predicting boom-level price growth starting in mid-2021.</p>
<p>While they and others are becoming increasingly bullish for their predictions, they’re still getting it wrong. Prices may be nudging downwards, generally speaking, in Melbourne and Sydney but they are rising in most other places. And the big uplift will come much sooner than the economists expect.</p>
<p>We’re starting to see media reacting to the change in sentiment, although well behind the game as usual. Here are some of the headlines from the past week:</p>
<ul>
<li>Top End of housing market will lead recovery – The Australian</li>
<li>Housing bears face extinction as forecasts turn bullish – Financial Review</li>
<li>Regional house price rises on the way – Financial Review</li>
<li>House prices bounce in September – ABC News</li>
<li>Houses emerge stronger over September as Sydney and Melbourne declines soften: Property Observer</li>
<li>Are we nearing another property boom? – Smart Property Investor</li>
<li>Victoria set for big summer of sales post-lockdown – Australian Property Investor</li>
<li>Huge sign the property market is heading up again – Yahoo Finance</li>
</ul>
<p>This is significant because mainstream media is reluctant to present positive scenarios about the housing market.</p>
<p>I note also that Simon Pressley of Propertyology – who I think is the best real estate research analyst in Australia - is also predicting a property boom.</p>
<p>He writes in a report published last week: “Make no mistake, property markets in large parts of Australia will be booming by summer! Several locations in different parts of the country have already produced double-digit capital growth over the first 9-months of this calendar year and there are umpteen others with fast growing momentum.</p>
<p>“Anecdotal evidence from research conducted by Propertyology suggests that property markets are already booming in locations such as Noosa, Canberra, Orange, Dubbo, Burnie, Bendigo, Mildura, Mount Gambier, Coffs Harbour and Karratha. That’s ten towns in seven states and territories.</p>
<p>The cast of thousands who, during the March-April national lockdown, were forecasting a real estate Armageddon score an epic ‘Fail’.”</p>
<p><strong>Terry Ryder</strong> <em>is the founder of hotspotting.com.au </em><br><em>ryder@hotspotting.com.au</em><br><em>twitter.com/hotspotting</em></p>
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Australia on the cusp of a national real estate boom: Hotspotting's Terry Ryder

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<p>EXPERT OBSERVER</p>
<p><span>Federal and state political leaders intend to generate an infrastructure-led economic recovery in Australia. And this will turbocharge a residential property boom which is already building across the nation.</span> </p>
<div>Infrastructure spending is always a key driver of growth in residential property markets and government plans to fast-track shovel-ready projects will enhance the established trend of rising markets in many parts of Australia.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>That’s why we created a new report titled “Australia’s Infrastructure-led Property Boom: National Top 10 Hotspots”.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The research conducted daily by the Hotspotting team places considerable emphasis on infrastructure.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The best places to invest have impact from infrastructure in two key ways: excellent existing infrastructure (public transport, schools, medical services, retail outlets, etc) and spending on new infrastructure.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>New infrastructure is particularly influential on generating growth in residential property markets. Our belief is that no other factor impacts property markets as strongly as major new infrastructure spending.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Infrastructure such as new motorways, rail links, hospitals and universities improve the amenity and desirability of the locations directly impacted.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>These projects generate major economic activity and employment – and from that flows demand for real estate.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>From 2013 to 2017 both Sydney and Melbourne had significant real estate booms, but this was not replicated in other parts of Australia. During that period, the markets in Perth and Darwin were in reverse, and those in Brisbane, Adelaide and Canberra were largely stagnating.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The fundamental difference was the infrastructure spend. Both Sydney and Melbourne were spending tens of billions of dollars on new infrastructure. As a consequence, the economies of the two biggest cities were strong, as a time when the other cities were weak or in decline.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>We have seen major infrastructure spending transform local economies and their property markets in many significant regional cities across Australia. Projects totalling more than $20 billion have transformed the Sunshine Coast from a tourist town to an international city and it currently has one of the strongest property markets anywhere in Australia.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Newcastle, Geelong and Wollongong are all regional cities which have transitioned by older-style economies based on manufacturing to prosperous modern economies through spending on new infrastructure and the generation of new employment sectors. Growth property markets have emerged from the transition in these places.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The recent Federal Budget provided evidence that the Australian Government intends the past-pandemic economic recovery to be largely inspired by spending on major projects across the nation. It’s also clear that State Governments are ramping up their spending on roads, rail links and other projects to generate jobs.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>In the new National Top 10 report we highlight ten locations which are poised for growth as a result of big spending on new infrastructure. They include some locations which might now normally blip on the radar screens of property investors, like Toowoomba in Queensland.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>More potential hotspots will emerge as governments firm up their plans and announce start dates for major developments.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>
<strong>Terry Ryder</strong><em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>is the founder of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://hotspotting.com.au/">hotspotting.com.au</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br><a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au">ryder@hotspotting.com.au</a></em>
</div>
<p><em><a href="http://twitter.com/hotspotting">twitter.com/hotspotting</a></em></p>
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Infrastructure boom setting up a property boom: HotSpotting's Terry Ryder

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<p>EXPERT OBSERVER</p>
<p>Regional Victoria continues to be a national leader of price performance. No other market jurisdiction in Australia has such a high percentage of locations delivering price growth.</p>
<p>In the past 12 months, 92% of towns and suburbs across Regional Victoria have had growth in their median house prices. Most have increased by more than 5% and many have had double-digit growth.</p>
<p>It’s all part of the Exodus to Affordable Lifestyle, a trend which (contrary to many media reports) did not arise out of the pandemic – it was well under way before 2020 and has been turbo-charged by the lockdown periods.</p>
<p>It’s a trend that first became evident with the rise of markets close to Melbourne three or so years ago, and continues to be a major force in Regional Victoria.</p>
<p>The standouts are Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong, but there are growth markets spread right across the state – from Portland, Warrnambool and Mildura in the west and north-west, to Wodonga in the north and the towns of East Gippsland and the Latrobe Valley in the east.</p>
<p>Most of the suburbs of Ballarat (pictured top), have had double-digit annual growth in their median house prices, including Redan (15%), Alfredton (11%), Ballarat Central (13%), Brown Hill (10%), Canadian (12%), Sebastopol (15%) and Mt Clear (10%).</p>
<p>Bendigo is a little further back in the cycle than Ballarat, but is now delivering growth at comparable levels, led by Strathdale (17%), California Gully (15%) and Eaglehawk (13%).</p>
<p>White Hills, Strathfieldsaye and East Bendigo have all grown 10-11%, while numerous other suburbs have had 8-9% increases over 12 months, including Flora Hill, Kangaroo Flat, North Bendigo, Long Gully and Epsom.</p>
<p>The City of Greater Geelong was the first the regional cities to get on the growth path and has now had 3-4 years of rising prices. But many suburbs are still delivering good uplift in their median prices, led by Drysdale (10%), East Geelong (13%) and Newtown (10%).</p>
<p>Elsewhere, the Strathbogie LGA is a standout, with both Euroa (up 17%) and Nagambie (up 20%) showing exceptional growth.</p>
<p>In the far west of the state, Portland continues to rise, with its median house price up 15%. Warrnambool is another western centre with good growth, up 10% over 12 months.</p>
<p>In other parts of the state, Myrtleford (13%), West Wodonga (10%), Swan Hill (10%), Maddingley (11%), and Beechworth (10%) have all done well.</p>
<p>Overall, Regional Victoria is one of many market jurisdictions which rubbish the general line in mainstream media that house prices in Australia are now recovering after a Covid downturn. In most locations across Australia, notably including Regional Victoria, there never was a downturn.</p>
<p>What we’ve seen, and continue to see, is something approaching a boom.</p>
<p><span>TERRY RYDER</span> <em>is the founder of hotspotting.com.au</em><br><em><a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au">ryder@hotspotting.com.au</a></em><br><em>twitter.com/hotspotting</em></p>
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Regional Victoria leads Australia in property price performance: Hotspotting's Terry Ryder

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<p>EXPERT OBSERVER</p>
<p>The Brisbane market has shrugged off the impacts of the pandemic and is in its strongest position in five years to generate price growth. Increasingly, this is translating into evidence of uplift in property values.</p>
<p>Our analysis of sales activity across the Brisbane metropolitan area has identified 56 suburbs with rising momentum, the highest number since late in 2015 and double the number identified in our quarterly survey six months ago.</p>
<p>The numbers show an all-round improvement in the Brisbane market, with a sharp reduction in the number of declining suburbs and a reduction also in the number of danger markets.</p>
<p>Brisbane’s affordability relative to the biggest cities is helping to boost its market, with more people relocating to South-East Queensland from Sydney and other parts of Australia. Brisbane is a natural beneficiary of the Exodus to Affordable Lifestyle trend and is also benefiting from strong consumer confidence as a result of the success in controlling Covid-19.</p>
<p>It’s notable that Brisbane is prominent in the forecasts for prices in 2021 from the major banks. The NAB Residential Property Survey is tipping Brisbane to be the joint leader on dwelling price growth next year, alongside Adelaide and Hobart – with a 7.4% annual rise and similar growth in 2022.</p>
<p>I think this is a tad conservative – and so does ANZ, which is forecasting Brisbane to rise almost 10% next year, with only Perth tipped to do better. Westpac and Commonwealth Bank have also tipped good growth in 2021.</p>
<p>In the six years we have been conducting our quarterly surveys of sales activity and prices, it has been common for northern Brisbane to dominate the positive results – and that is certainly the case in this Summer 2020 survey. Of the 56 suburbs with rising sales activity, 12 are in the Brisbane-north precinct of the Brisbane City Council area and 13 are in the neighbouring Moreton Bay Region.</p>
<p>Both precincts also have a high number of suburbs with consistent sales activity across multiple successive quarters, a notable achievement given the negative pressures in this year of the pandemic.</p>
<p>The rising suburbs in the north of Greater Brisbane include Murrumba Downs (where quarterly sales activity has been 39 44 73), Ashgrove (quarterly sales 54 57 60 72 76 50 78) and Bellara (quarterly sales 23 30 26 40)</p>
<p>While the most prolific markets are in the north, there also has been a notable revival in Logan City in the south. The municipality is the urban bridge between Brisbane City and the Gold Coast and traditionally attracts buyers seeking cheap real estate and good infrastructure.</p>
<p>Logan City markets have been in the doldrums in recent years: six months ago we identified 12 suburbs with a pattern of declining sales, but only five in this latest survey – and there are now nine suburbs with rising sales momentum. At a time when first-home buyers are very active and others are seeking an affordable lifestyle, it’s perhaps not surprising that Logan City would show signs of uplift.</p>
<p>Nearby Ipswich City – another centre of affordable buying in the south-west of the metro area – has only two growth suburbs, so Logan City is the standout of southern Brisbane.</p>
<p>There are growth markets in other parts of the Greater Brisbane area as well – Brisbane-inner (4), Brisbane-east (5), Brisbane-south (3) Brisbane-west (3) and Redland City (5) all have some suburbs with rising sales activity.</p>
<p>There are still six suburbs we classify as danger markets, but that is half as many as two years ago. These are all inner-city suburbs where the market is dominated by high-rise apartments and where vacancy rates continue to be high, in contrast to the rest of the Greater Brisbane Area, and sales rates remain low.</p>
<p>Our analysis of price trends across the Brisbane metropolitan area shows that most suburbs have recorded house price growth in the last 12 months, but an even higher percentage have had growth in the most recent quarter.</p>
<p>This again shows that the city has done well through the pandemic period.</p>
<p>Our analysis shows that 62% of suburbs have recorded annual growth in their median house prices, but 73% have had uplift in the latest quarter.</p>
<p>It’s clear that the top end of the Brisbane market is doing best in this climate, driven partly by the reality that highly-ranked, well-located suburbs in this city often have median house prices in the $800,000s and $900,000s. For people leaving Sydney and Melbourne to relocate to South-East Queensland as part of the Exodus to Affordable Lifestyle, this looks attractive.</p>
<p>Suburbs to record annual median house price growth above 20% include Highgate Hill (28%), Fig Tree Pocket (25%), Nundah (20%) and Windsor (21%).</p>
<p>The inner-city house markets (in contrast to the apartment markets) are doing well, with good annual price growth in Bardon (10%) and Coorparoo (15%), as well as Highgate Hill.</p>
<p>Inner northern suburbs are also performing, including Grange (17%), Windsor and Nundah.</p>
<p>The upper end western suburbs are a standout. In addition to Fig Tree Pocket, there has been strong annual growth in median house prices in Sherwood (12%), St Lucia (14%) and Toowong (13%).</p>
<p>In the south, Yeronga (15%) and Greenslopes (10%) have done well, while in the affordable far north, there has been notable uplift in Woody Point (15%) and Beachmere (10%).</p>
<p><strong>Terry Ryder</strong><em> is the founder of hotspotting.com.au </em><br><em>ryder@hotspotting.com.au</em><br><em>twitter.com/hotspotting</em></p>
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Brisbane set to be Australia's property market leader: Hotspotting's Terry Ryder

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<p>EXPERT OBSERVER</p>
<div>Consumer confidence rose +1.2 per cent last week to 93.5, according to ANZ-Roy Morgan, a 13-week high.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>However, confidence levels remain well below the monthly average since 1990 of 112.6, and even still a reading of 93.5 is equivalent to what Australia experienced through the financial crisis. </div>
<div> </div>
<div class="separator"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GiiMRsb3VJI/X2mvvSDoXPI/AAAAAAAA4Yo/M31dOQEtBFQURp1mqYO6ZN2Uj1wL749LwCNcBGAsYHQ/s497/ANZ.jpg"><img src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GiiMRsb3VJI/X2mvvSDoXPI/AAAAAAAA4Yo/M31dOQEtBFQURp1mqYO6ZN2Uj1wL749LwCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h124/ANZ.jpg" width="640" height="124" data-original-height="96" data-original-width="497"></a></div>
<div> </div>
<div><em>Source: ANZ-Roy Morgan</em></div>
<div> </div>
<div>On March 29 the COVID shock saw consumer confidence reading hit the lowest level in half a century at 65.3, but it has since rebounded by 43 per cent. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Curiously confidence levels in Melbourne have picked up this week to a level 'a touch below neutral' -  possibly on optimism of restrictions being eased - and confidence levels in Melbourne are now higher than in Sydney. </div>
<div> </div>
<div><strong>RBA update</strong></div>
<div> </div>
<div>The RBA put out some state level payroll jobs figures this week which showed that jobs have been steadily picking up elsewhere, but not in Victoria. </div>
<div> </div>
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<p>However, the payrolls recovery has stalled this week, and indeed it cannot really take hold until the Victorian economy sees restrictions broadly eased. </p>
<div>Separate analysis from UBS highlighted how small businesses have disproportionately felt the pain this year, and this is reflected in hiring figures relative to large businesses. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>This has raised the prospect of a potential further reduction of interest rates, as discussed today by the RBA’s Guy Debelle.</div>
<div> </div>
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<div>The RBA has now expanded its balance sheet significantly, almost doubling from from $170 billion in February to $300 billion, through its various policy measures. with a further 'decently large' expansion to come. </div>
<div> </div>
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<div>In the money markets swap rates are now at record lows. </div>
<div> </div>
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<div>Banks are now allowing their offshore funding to roll off, which has reduced the share of offshore bonds funding, and this has been replaced by take-up of the cheaper Term Funding Facility (TFF). </div>
<div> </div>
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<div>It's interesting to note that the Chinese economy has come surging back from its 10 per cent decline in the March 2020 quarter, to the extent that its output is now greater than it was at the end of 2019, as targeted stimulus measures have successfully bolstered production.</div>
<div> </div>
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<div>Australia has gone down a different route, focusing instead on income support, to the extent that household income actually <em>increased</em> over the previous quarter, which is a very unusual outcome for a recession.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>This was driven by a range of factors including lower interest rates, super withdrawals, mortgage and rent deferrals, and all of the various government stimulus measures (including JobKeeper payments, and JobSeeker). </div>
<div> </div>
<div>No wonder them Harvey Norman shares have come roaring back! </div>
<p><strong>PETE WARGENT</strong><em><span> </span>is the co-founder of AllenWargent property buyers and a best-selling author and blogger </em></p>
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Consumer confidence hits three month high: Pete Wargent

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<p>EXPERT OBSERVER</p>
<p>Australian household debt levels have increased substantially over the past thirty years, with the ratio of household debt to annual disposable income rising from 68% in June 1990 to a recent peak of 188.5% in June 2019. Since June last year, the ratio has reduced slightly to 185.0%. Most of the debt held by households is housing debt, which comprises around 76% of overall household debt. Thirty years ago housing debt comprised a much smaller 46% of overall household debt.</p>
<p>The skew towards housing debt can also be seen in the latest Household Income and Wealth survey from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, which showed the median value of debt held against owner occupied dwellings was $102,600, compared with a median debt level of $5,000 for student loans, $3,000 on credit cards and $3,700 on car loans. Most of Australia’s household debt accrual occurred between 1990 and 2010.</p>
<p>The ratio of household debt to income increased by 45.7 percentage points between 1990 and 2000, and by another 49.3 percentage points between 2000 and 2010. The past decade has seen growth in the ratio more than half to 21.5 percentage points, with most of that growth aligned with the property boom between late 2012 and 2017.</p>
<p>Importantly, the value of assets held against the debt has recorded a more significant increase, pushing household net worth to new record highs at the end of 2019. Residential dwellings comprise by far the largest component of household assets, totaling $6.8 trillion, or 53% of household wealth. Household debt levels are important for two reasons.</p>
<p>Heavily indebted households are generally more vulnerable to a ‘shock’ such as job loss, illness or a sharp rise in the cost of debt, which in turn has implications for financial stability. The other key area of concern relates to household spending; heavily indebted households may be more likely to save rather than spend during periods of uncertainty or economic hardship. With around 60% of Australia’s economy dependent on household consumption, a sustained drop in spending activity would have a negative impact on economic growth.</p>
<p>These risks were recently covered in detail by the RBA in a discussion paper released in May this year. The outcomes of the paper noted the risk to financial stability was likely to be relatively low due moderate loan-to-valuation ratios on residential mortgages. In separate analysis from the latest Financial Stability Review, the RBA notes that only 3% of Australian mortgages are thought to be in negative equity. The risks associated with high household debt levels weighing on consumption are more substantial, especially under a scenario where housing prices fell.</p>
<p>While household debt is high, and potentially a concern for consumption, servicing debt is at its most affordable since 1999 due to record low interest rates. The ratio of housing interest payments to household disposable income has more than halved since 2008, from a high of 13.3% to 6.4% in June 2020. With interest rates moving lower since June, it is likely the ratio has fallen even further. Another factor helping to minimise risk is the fact that asset values are substantially higher than the debt held against them.</p>
<p>The ratio of household debt to household assets was 19.4% and the ratio of housing debt to housing assets was 28.2% in June 2020, implying a remarkably large amount of equity is held within the household sector. Other factors helping to alleviate risk associated with high household debt, and potentially support a reduction in debt levels are credit policy and less consumer appetite for credit. Lending standards have improved over the past five to ten years, with a trend towards fewer loans originating with a high loan to valuation ratio and substantially fewer interest only loans.</p>
<p>9.2% of home loans were originated with a deposit of 10% or less in June this year, down from a recent peak of 22% in 2009. Similarly, interest only loans comprised almost 46% of new home loans in mid2015, but have averaged only 17% of new lending since mid-2017. Additionally, loans with a high loan to income ratio have remained low, with June data showing only 5.8% of new home loans were originated with a loan to income ratio of 6% or higher.</p>
<p>It is clear that households became more risk averse through the worst of the COVID period. National accounts data showed the household saving ratio skyrocketed to almost 20% through the June quarter, up from 2.5% in the June quarter of 2019. Given that the virus curve has flattened and consumer sentiment surged in recent months, it is likely the saving ratio will drop. Additionally, the trend in personal credit, which has been in negative monthly growth territory since late 2019, has plummeted since March.</p>
<p>Although the risks around high household debt are manageable at the moment, interest rates will eventually rise down the track.</p>
<p>As debt servicing costs move higher, a heavily indebted household sector would need to devote more of their income towards servicing debt and less to spending, which implies a medium-to-long term risk to household spending. This implies high debt levels may also stagger and slow an economic recovery. If increases in housing debt servicing costs result from higher interest rates, the exacerbated drag on spending could slow economic growth.</p>
<p>Additionally, with household debt remaining high, the sector is more exposed to unforeseen events such as job loss and illness, as well as black swan events like a pandemic or financial crisis. It is likely policy makers and regulators will be keeping watch for any signs of rising household debt or slippage in lending standards that could lead to higher household debt.</p>
<p>Higher LVR lending or higher loan to income ratios could be the trigger for a new round of macro-prudential style intervention. Recent macro-prudential interventions targeted interest only lending and growth in lending for investment housing through 2014 and 2019. Future interventions may be aimed at keeping a lid on household debt levels, and minimizing longer term risk, via firm limits on loan to valuation ratios, loan to income ratios or debt to income ratios.</p>
<p><strong>TIM LAWLESS </strong><em>is the research director Asia Pacific at CoreLogic</em></p>
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tlawless-5VLUrbAk9s

Growing household debt could cause a credit squeeze: Tim Lawless

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<p>EXPERT OBSERVER</p>
<div>
<div>Economists had expected employment to fall by 30,000 in October as Victoria's lockdown persisted.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Instead we got a rollicking increase of 178,800 or 1.4 per cent, most of which were full-time jobs.</div>
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<div>There was a big leap in participation to 65.8 per cent (a huge beat - economist forecasts were for a flat result here), which is now returning close to record highs and only 0.1 pts lower than a year earlier.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Despite the leap in participation, the unemployment rate has nestled in at 7 per cent, which is far, far better than previously feared. </div>
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<div>How did economists land <em><strong>so</strong></em> far away from the target?</div>
<div> </div>
<div>It's hard to say for sure, but the huge rebound in Victorian employment in the month - despite the lockdown persisting through October - was an interesting and totally unexpected result. </div>
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<div>Queensland has added back a stunning 206,000 jobs in only 5 months, to see total employment actually higher than a year ago.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>But despite ostensibly adding 82,000 jobs in October, total employment in Victoria is still 124,000 lower than a year earlier.</div>
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<div><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The wrap</span></strong></div>
<div> </div>
<div>To date 648,000 of the 875,000 jobs lost have been recovered across only five months, so we are already 74 per cent of the way back to employment topping new highs at above 13 million.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Overall, this was a great result, which introduces the exciting possibility of a strong snap-back in the Aussie economy in 2021. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Lest anyone becomes too excited at this early stage in the recovery, measures of underemployment remain understandably high, and monthly hours worked were still 3.4 per cent lower than a year earlier (largely due to a huge year-on-year decline in Victoria). </div>
<div> </div>
<div>In October the underemployment rate by 1.0 pts to 10.4 per cent, but that's still 1.9 pts higher than a year ago.</div>
</div>
<p><strong>PETE WARGENT</strong><em><strong> </strong>is the co-founder of AllenWargent property buyers and a best-selling author and blogger </em></p>
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