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

Joel Robinson

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

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

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

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

Bottega House secures landmark riverfront site in St Lucia 

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

SIERA kicks off construction at Northcliffe tower Exhale

Local Little Bay residents, along with buyers from premium postcodes across Sydney’s affluent Eastern Suburbs, have dominated purchases in developer-builder Urban Property Group’s first Eastern Suburbs apartment development, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/este-little-bay-jennifer-street-little-bay-nsw-2036">ESTE Little Bay</a>.

The $250 million coastal project, one of the first new developments in the area in several years, has proven particularly popular with downsizers, especially those from Coogee and Bondi. One Double Bay downsizer paid $4.7 million for a four-bedroom penthouse, setting a new local apartment price record in the process.

Buyers have been attracted to the combination of coastal tranquillity, premium design and amenity-rich neighbourhood living. The walkable village setting, along with proximity to three of Sydney’s leading golf courses, New South Wales Golf Club, St Michael’s Golf Club and The Coast Golf Club, has also been a key drawcard.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112343 project_image_fid=352689]

Built across two low-rise buildings designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/hill-thalis-architecture-urban-projects-pty-ltd">Hill Thalis</a> and set along a lush, landscaped green spine, designed by leading landscape architect <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/arcadia-landscape-architecture">Arcadia</a>, ESTE Little Bay offers a collection of one, two, three and four-bedroom residences with interiors by Richards Stanisich.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/urban-property-group">Urban Property Group</a> Sales Director, Tom McIvor said the response to ESTE has been "nothing short of extraordinary."

“Buyers have been quick to recognise ESTE as a rare opportunity to invest in a coastal sanctuary that offers both seclusion and connectivity to the heart of Sydney,” McIvor said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112343 project_image_fid=352687]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/srm-residential">SRM Residential</a> Senior Director, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/srm-residential">Clayton Ross</a> said the local market has responded incredibly well, driven by ESTE’s exceptional location and the rarity it offers.

“We’ve seen strong interest from a variety of buyer groups, all of whom are drawn to the exclusivity and quality of the build and construction by the 4.5-star iCIRT-rated builder / developer, Urban Property Group. There’s truly nothing else like it along Sydney’s coastline.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112343 project_image_fid=352690]

The project also includes robust buyer protections, including Resilience Insurance’s Latent Defects Insurance, providing 10 years of structural cover, and an independent iCIRT-rating of the developer.

“The iCIRT-rating adds another layer of confidence,” Ross added. “Buyers see it as a safeguard for their investment and their lifestyle.” A highlight of ESTE’s offering is its exclusive wellness amenities, including a heated rooftop infinity pool and outdoor heated spa, a state-of-the-art Technogym fitness centre, and a sauna.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/este-little-bay-jennifer-street-little-bay-nsw-2036">ESTE Little Bay</a> is topped out and is on track to complete towards the end of 2026, with residents moving in before Christmas.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=112343]

Eastern Suburbs buyers snap up ESTE Little Bay apartments

Home Loans

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Borrowers can secure lower interest rates despite the Reserve Bank of Australia keeping its official rate on hold because of the cutthroat competition among lenders, says mortgage broker network 1300HomeLoan.
The RBA maintained its cash rate at a record low of 1.5 per cent earlier this week, but 1300 HomeLoan managing director John Kolenda said due to the intense competition between lenders, borrowers don't need to wait for the RBA to make a move.
“While the RBA's cash rate remains unchanged, variable and fixed interest rates offered by the banks are continuing to tumble,” he said.
“There is a great opportunity in the current lending climate to get a further rate cut independently of an RBA decision and save money.”
Kolenda suggested that variable home loan interest rates should start at three percent and anybody paying more than four per cent, including fixed rates, was paying too much.
He attributed the higher payments due to the repricing over the last six months.
“I suspect many banks are considering future repricing opportunities as they face further pressure from funding costs, additional compliance costs and pressures of return on equity for their shareholders,” he said.
“The good news though for consumers is that any future rate rises will be minimal and they can count on the low interest rate climate to continue for many years.”
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jonathanchancellor-7SQnKwU6yx

Lower mortgage rates possible despite RBA hold: 1300HomeLoan

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The first meeting under the leadership of Philip Lowe has seen the Reserve Bank leave the cash rate on hold at 1.5 percent. 
<a href="https://mozo.com.au/" target="_blank">Mozo.com.au</a> director Kirsty Lamont has shared the five must know figures after October’s rate decision:
<img src="/images/2016/10/05/17%20bps.png" alt="">
 
The cash rate was left unchanged but prospective homebuyers can still bag a better deal this spring property season with 22 lenders dropping their variable rates last month by an average of 17 bps. 
<img src="/images/2016/10/05/3.59.png" alt="">
 
Fixed rates have also continued to come down with the top rate for one, two and three year terms now at 3.59 percent.
<img src="/images/2016/10/05/13737.png" alt="">
 
Borrowers are advised to make the most out of the low interest rate environment after Mozo calculated that the average borrower could save $13,737 over the life of the loan if they kept their repayments the same since the May rate cut.  
<img src="/images/2016/10/05/28.png" alt="">
This is how many providers slashed term deposit rates last month with some of the biggest cuts made by CommBank who scaled back their 1 and 2 year offers to almost exactly where they started in July.
 
<img src="/images/2016/10/05/27.png" alt="">
The value of at-call savings accounts has continued to erode with 27 providers cutting rates last month alone, compared to just one provider that increased rates.    
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Cash rate left on hold for October: Mozo’s five need to know numbers

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Westpac is reducing the maximum allowable interest-only term for investment property loans to 10 years.
The interest-only term could previously be extended to 15 years, according to brokers. 
In addition, the 12-year fixed rate investment property loan and its low documentation equivalent will no longer be available.
In August last year Westpac tightened its credit policies for interest-only mortgages, given it was an emerging area where financial regulators have raised concerns about bank underwriting standards.
The country's biggest lender to landlords told brokers of changes in August last year requiring new interest-only borrowers to be tested against their ability to make principal, and interest and fees payments over the "residual" period of the loan after the interest-only period had ended.
In May last year the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority chairman Wayne Byres singled out interest-only as a concerning issue.
He said that if a borrower sought a 30-year loan with a five-year interest-free period, only a minority of banks assessed the borrower's ability to make principal and interest payments over the remaining 25 years.
This was the approach Westpac was adopting.
Instead, Mr Byres said that "despite the contractual terms", most lenders assumed the borrower would make principal and interest payments over the full term of the loan.
This assumption allowed banks to "inflate the hypothetical borrower's apparent surplus income by, in our particular example, around 5 per cent", Mr Byres said.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Westpac tightens interest-only investor loan rules

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Non-majors have increased their share of the Australian home loan refinancing market in the three months to August, with ING leading the charge while CBA lost share, according to the latest AFG Competition Index.
Reserve Bank of Australia’s decision in August to drop the official cash rate saw a flurry of activity by lenders, with most choosing to pass on a cut to their own rates, but the level of discount was varied. 
Non-majors have been the biggest beneficiaries, increased their share of the refinancing market to 36% from 31% in the previous quarter. 
Lenders also typically passed on a greater interest rate cut to owner-occupiers than to investors and many delayed passing on their rate cuts for several weeks after they were initially announced. 
AFG general manager of Sales and Operations, Mark Hewitt, explained the shift. “ING are the big winner, lifting their share from 3.1% to 7.8%. CBA has taken a back seat dropping their share of the refinancing market from 20.2% to 14.6%,” he said. 
“In terms of overall mortgage sales, ING are at a 12 month high on 5.2% of the non- major market. This is at the expense of Suncorp, who are now sitting at 1.8% after a peak of 7.6% of the non-major market back in March of this year. 
Competition between the majors for the investor market saw a number of changes to market share across the quarter. CBA pulled back to close the quarter at 19%, but still tops the list with ANZ jumping to second place with 15.7% and Westpac showing a steady lift of their share of the investor market across the quarter to now be sitting at 15.2%.
“Westpac also cemented their position as the lender of choice for First Home Buyers. They now fund nearly 24% of all First Home Buyer loans.” 
The traditional jostling for position that occurs across the market as a whole was again evident in the results for the majors. 
“Across all mortgage types ANZ and Westpac both regained market share to close out the quarter at 16.9% and 13.8% respectively. At the same time CBA pulled back from pricing discounts to drop their share to 17.5%,” said Hewitt.
Record low interest rates have also seen fixed rate products in hot demand this year. 
“ANZ has doubled their share of the fixed rate pie since April, with their total share of this market now sitting at 24%,” said Hewitt. “In the same period CBA has seen their share of the fixed rate market shrink by 67%.”
“For the non-majors chasing those looking to fix their interest rate, ING was again a winner doubling their share of that segment of the market.”
<img src="/images/2016/09/14/Screen%20Shot%202016-09-14%20at%2012.18.06%20PM.png" alt=""> 
<img src="/images/2016/09/14/Screen%20Shot%202016-09-14%20at%2012.17.48%20PM.png" alt="">
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Non-majors grow market share of home refinancing: AFG index

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Westpac Banking Corp has invested $16.5 million in the fintech firm uno, which allows mortgage customers to broker their own home loan.
Around 400 mortgage products are offered through uno. 
uno will compete against two ASX-listed companies, AFG and Mortgage Choice, and Aussie Home Loans and also compete against the banks. 
In the three months since the startup launch, uno has attracted more than a thousand active users and the dollar value of mortgages sold through the platform is more than $400 million.
It allows users to see and compare all of the information about a loan that a traditional broker would access.
The founder Vincent Turner told the Australian Financial Review the company was founded after he spent the past five years in Silicon Valley
The commission paid by banks using uno is roughly equivalent to what is paid to traditional mortgage brokers.
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Startup uno secures $400 million in mortgage deals in first three months

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Research from online lender loans.com.au has found many borrowers are paying vastly more than they need to.
Loans.com.au founder Kim Cannon said data from comparison site Canstar showed that a homebuyer who borrowed $450,000 could pay more than $114,000 in extra interest over the life of the loan if they made the wrong choice.
He said homebuyers who assumed that all lenders offered broadly similar value were making a big mistake.
“If buying a home is the biggest financial decision you will ever make, choosing a home loan is the second biggest,” he said
“The wrong decision on an average-sized loan can cost more than $100,000 dollars over the term of the home loan. These are life-changing sums.
"When shopping for a home loan, buyers should avoid distractions and keep their eye firmly on the comparison rate, which combines all costs into a single percentage rate.
“Just as buying property is all about location, location, location, when you take out a loan it is all about comparison rate, comparison rate, comparison rate.”
Loans.com.au recently cut the variable rate for home purchases on its Essentials product to a record-low 3.39 per cent (comparison rate 3.41 per cent).
<a href="/images/2016/09/12/Screen%20Shot%202016-09-12%20at%2011.18.04%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/09/12/Screen%20Shot%202016-09-12%20at%2011.18.04%20AM.png" alt="">
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Aussie borrowers paying more than needed: Loans.com.au

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The CUA has launched an ‘investor only’ home loan - and also announced that it has eased lending restrictions.
Andy Rigg, CUA chief operating officer for member services, said the moves were part of the credit union’s plans to attract more investors.
They currently make up just under one-quarter of CUA’s home loan portfolio.
“While investor activity appears to have slowed down across the market, there are still plenty of investors shopping around for better value and an opportunity to get into the market,” Rigg told the Australian Broker website.
The Kick Start Variable Home Loan for Investors is a two-year introductory loan.
It will carry an interest rate of 3.99 percent p.a. (comparison rate 4.37 percent p.a.).
It will be available to new investors taking a loan with a minimum value of $350,000.
A maximum loan to valuation ratio (LVR) of 90 percent (inclusive of lenders mortgage insurance) will apply to the loan.
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CUA seeks property investors with newly eased lending restrictions

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A poor understanding of finance maybe costing homebuyers as they fail to spot hidden fees and charges on their home loans accoding to a survey commissioned by financial services provider CUA.
More than 1,000 Australians aged from 25-49 were surveyed in the CUA National Mortgage Survey during July, with half of the survey respondents currently holding a mortgage. 
<a href="/images/2016/09/02/Screen%20Shot%202016-09-02%20at%2010.32.17%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/09/02/Screen%20Shot%202016-09-02%20at%2010.32.17%20AM.png" alt="">
The survey revealed that 43 per cent of people misunderstood what was meant by a comparison rate and a further 28 percent admitted they didn’t know what was meant by a comparison rate.
It also found 33 percent of non-mortgage holders did not think they could ever afford to buy a property and 39 percent of respondents feared they would be priced out of the market unless property prices stay the same or decrease.
Andy Rigg, CUA chief operating officer, member services, said property buyers need to be careful that what looks like a very low rate doesn’t actually have lots of nasty hidden fees and charges.
“Comparison rates are useful in helping property owners choose the most suitable rate for existing and new home owners by looking behind the headline interest rate to also factor in fees and charges,” he said.
"It is a concern that fewer than one in three Australians (29 percent) understood what was meant by a home loan “comparison rate”. Lenders are required to disclose the comparison rate so home owners can compare lenders on an even playing field by seeing what the actual cost of their loan will be, including fees, rather than just the annual percentage rate.
"It’s also clear that many home owners are still watching and waiting to see if rates fall to even lower levels, before deciding whether to switch from a variable to fixed-rate loan.”
 
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Poor understanding of finance maybe costing homebuyers: CUA 

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The latest AFG figures have shown just how the home loan market had reacted after APRA tightened the lending restrictions for banks.
New research from CoreData reveals while the market has softened that much of the demand has started to move to non-bank lenders.
The chart on application volume data from AFG, (below) shows demand has surfaced in the the non-bank sector, which has grown at 300 percent in the past year.
<a href="/images/2016/08/30/Screen%20Shot%202016-08-30%20at%209.47.43%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/08/30/Screen%20Shot%202016-08-30%20at%209.47.43%20AM.png" alt="">
"One of the best proxies for what is happening in the housing market are the figures from mortgage broking giant AFG," Simon Elwig at Core Data Group said.
"The figures show just how the market reacted after APRA tightened the lending restrictions for banks at the end of 2014 by limiting the investment book size growth for all banks to 10 percent annually.
"The banks responded in 2015.
"To do this – the banks focussed on getting only quality loans - tightening lending criteria for investors; increasing the amount of deposit required and reducing the maximum a customer can borrow as function of income.
"That’s great for the banks – but also raises a question about the yield on their lending book – riskier loans attract a premium and there’s always appetite for some of these.
"APRA hoped that this would cool the market, and it has to some extent, but of course ecomonomics doesn’t work like that, faced with a choppy sharemarket and an investment future pockmarked by risk, the demand for borrowing has simply found a new route.
"The demand has simply surfaced in the the non-bank sector, and shows no signs of burning less brightly."
"The research reveals the unintended consequence of APRA’s push to control the home investment market place," Simon Elwig noted. 
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APRA unintentionally drives massive growth in the non bank home loan sector

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Westpac, in a memo sent to mortgage brokers, has announced it was introducing a new Flexi First Option Home Loan and Flexi First Investment Property Loan offer for a limited time, to replace the existing Flexi First offers in market.
New principal-and-interest owner-occupied loan applications will receive an 89 basis point introductory discount for the first three years of the loan.
This would revert to a 45 basis point discount for the remaining loan term.
New principal-and-interest investment loan applications will receive a 96 basis point introductory discount for the first three years of the loan.
This would revert to a 52 basis point discount for the remaining loan term.
Westpac’s new Flexi First Option discounts came into effect Tuesday 23 August, the Australian Broker website advised.
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