The residential transformation of St Kilda Road is set to continue into with more new apartment plans for the sought-after boulevard.

Wing Tai Asia has lodged plans for a major residential tower at 464-466 St Kilda Road, replacing the former VACC House with an 18-storey mixed-use development designed around a retained heritage podium and a sculpted contemporary tower.

The proposal, prepared under Victoria’s Significant Residential Development with Affordable Housing pathway, would deliver 325 apartments and ground-floor retail across the prominent 4,653 sqm boulevard site in Melbourne’s St Kilda Road North Precinct.

The project centres on the adaptive reuse of the site’s heritage-listed VACC Building, an eight-storey office designed by Bernard Evans that has occupied the address for decades. Planning documents state the development would involve “carefully dismantling and conserving off-site the original metal fabric of the podium visible from St Kilda Road,” before reinstating it as the defining frontage of the new scheme.

Above the restored podium, Wing Tai is proposing a curvilinear residential tower. The scheme includes 172 one-bedroom apartments, 63 two-bedroom apartments, 66 three-bedroom apartments, and 24 four-bedroom apartments, alongside two ground-floor food and beverage tenancies fronting St Kilda Road.

The tower has been designed with substantial articulation and variable setbacks to minimise perceived bulk and maintain view corridors along the boulevard. Urbis, which prepared the planning report, said the design “has been significantly articulated through a curvilinear design” with “an interplay with materials, façade expression and depth” to create visual separation and visual interest.

The proposal also includes 254 basement car spaces, landscaped pedestrian links connecting St Kilda Road and Queens Lane, and a biophilic landscape strategy featuring canopy trees, raised planters, cascading greenery and a glass oculus pool overlooking the eastern frontage.

Planning documents confirm the $270.1 million development will contribute 3 per cent of project costs to the Social Housing Growth Fund as part of the application process.

Wing Tai acquired the St Kilda Road property in 2018 alongside Abacus Property Group for $95.38 million, before later consolidating ownership of the site. The property previously served as the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce headquarters for around 60 years.

The transformation of the St Kilda Rd boulevard is already beginning to materialise, with a number of high-profile projects recently completed, launched, or approaching launch as developers continue to back the long-term appeal of the precinct.

Among the most notable recent completions is Louise by Samuel Property Group, just off the strip on Queens Lane, the same pocket Hirsch &amp; Faigen recently launched The Queensbury. Mirvac is too on the same street with The Albertine, which is approaching completion.

Dexus recently secured approval for its slice of St Kilda Road, while Gurner also has approved plans for the precinct.

Joel Robinson

Wing Tai unveils 325-apartment St Kilda Road tower on former VACC House site

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>

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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<section data-scroll-anchor="false" data-testid="conversation-turn-2" data-turn="assistant" data-turn-id="request-WEB:5a5ab36c-8dd3-454c-b456-c501f22f0eb4-0" data-turn-id-container="request-WEB:5a5ab36c-8dd3-454c-b456-c501f22f0eb4-0" dir="auto">
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.
</section>
</section>

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=112661]

SIERA kicks off construction at Northcliffe tower Exhale

Home Loans

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Lenders including NAB, Commonwealth Bank and St George Bank have all begun offering cash incentives to borrowers as the spring property market kicks into gear.
NAB is offering borrowers who apply for a new home loan with a principal and interest value of $300,000 of greater by 31 October a $1,000 eftpos card.
The lender has previously landed in hot water with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) after it released <a href="/expert-insights/finance/misleading-ads-cost-nab-40-800">potentially misleading advertisements</a> regarding a different eftpos offer.
ASIC fined NAB $40,800 over the UBank home loan ads, which promsed a $2,014 eftpos card but failed to disclose all the relevant eligibility details.
St George Bank is offering a $1,250 rebate for borrowers who apply for an Advantage Package home loan before 30 October and settle before 28 February 2015.
Other Westpac-owned banks are offering similar rebates. Borrowers who switch to the Bank of Melbourne or BankSA and take out an Advantage Package loan before 30 November will receive $1,250 to help cover their transfer costs.
The Commonwealth Bank also offers a rebate, though only to first home buyers. Those taking out their first home loan with the Commonwealth Bank before 29 November, with a minimum loan size of $100,000 and a minimum 10% deposit are eligible for a $1,000 cash rebate from the lender.
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jrichardson-uRX5hFdKfN

Lenders offering cash to entice customers

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A review of low documentation, or 'low doc', home loans by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has discovered that lenders have tightened their policies around these mortgage products since 2010.
Before new responsible lending laws were introduced in 2010, borrowers did not always have their financial circumstances verified for a low doc loans, with lenders relying on statements from borrowers that they could meet the repayments.
ASIC notes that in some cases this led to borrowers being unable to repay the loans, or forced to sell their homes.
The review of 12 lenders found that since the introduction of the new laws, lenders had introduced more stringent requirements for low doc loans. New practices included obtaining additional information to verify income and introducing additional processes to ensure the reliability of information provided by brokers.
The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority has recorded a decline in the proportion of low doc loans of all new residential loan since the introduction of the regulations in 2010. Low doc loans now make up 0.7% of all new residential loans, down from 6.4% in 2010.
ASIC identified three compliance risks with low doc loans:
<ul>
<li>Poor-record keeping, including not recording the outcome of inquiries into borrowers’ requirements and objectives, and the relative priority of these objectives 
</li>
<li>Lenders relying solely on benchmark living expense figures rather than taking separate steps to inquire into borrowers’ actual living expenses 
</li>
<li>Lenders performing limited verification of borrowers’ ongoing fixed expenses for other loans they may have 
</li>
</ul>
Source: ASIC
Lenders reviewed have made changes to their practices in light of the compliance risks identified during ASIC’s review.
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jduke-EHk3XBmHkn

Lenders tightening low doc loan requirements: ASIC

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It seems the National Australia Bank is not having 'The BEST $2014 EVER'. 
NAB has been fined $40,800 for potentially misleading consumers in advertisements for a UBank home loan product where it offered a $2,014 EFTPOS gift cards.
Using slogans like "The BEST $2014 EVER" and "Own $2014", NAB advertised the gift cards as free for borrowers who took out UBank home loans. The advertising campaign covered newspapers, radio and online media between December 2013 and March 2014.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) had concerns that NAB were not disclosing all the relevant details in some of the advertisements, including minimum loan size and a requirement for documents to be provided within five days. 
Some advertisements also failed to mention that to be eligible for the offer borrowers had to use FASTRefi, an electronic settlement process, for refinanced loans. There was also a limited number of cards on offer, which went undisclosed.
The bank received four infringement notices from ASIC, each with a penalty of $10,200.
According to ASIC deputy chairman Peter Kell, ASIC has taken action against 10 organisations so far this year.
"ASIC will continue to take action where we believe firms have not provided clear, consistent information in their advertising", he said.
Following ASIC's actions, UBank gave a $2,014 gift card to all borrowers who applied for a UBank loan within the relevant period and settled their loan.
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Misleading ads cost NAB $40,800

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GUEST OBSERVATION
We have had a client that has had their loan declined in recent times due to the minutest details and strange circumstances.
Let me paint a picture – They are existing clients with one of the majors and they have an investment loan, credit card and savings account all with the same bank. So they are loyal bank clients.
Being very diligent with their money, they put everything they earnt onto their home loan and left a small amount in their savings account to live off. Then when their loan repayment was due, they would redraw money from their home loan account and put it back into their savings account. The bank then direct debited their loan repayment from their savings account.
A small oversight saw their savings account overdrawn by $100 with a direct debit they forgot about.
So now, when they applied for a new loan, we obviously went with that same bank and the $100 overdrawn account sent a red flag to the lender.
Upon further digging, they then assumed that these clients were redrawing funds to simply make their loan repayment. Now this was true, but only because they were putting everything onto their home loan to save on their interest, but the lender did not see it this way.
Even though they had over $80,000 in their redraw.
It does beg the question as to why the bank allowed them to over draw a savings account in the first place? If there is no money in the account, then they shouldn’t be able to access credit. Were they ever approved for this credit? Was there an application? I think not.
There was also no practicality taken into account for this decision; it was a pure black and white policy that they adhered to. As a consequence, they lost that client and will now lose all their business in the near future.
And it’s this kind of stupidity that clients remember for life.
So what can you do to ensure you have everything up to scratch when you apply for a loan? 
<ol>
<li>Make your everyday account an offset account, that way there is no shuffling of money. 
</li>
<li>Always have a buffer in your working accounts – lenders frown upon overdrawn accounts now with the new credit reporting. 
</li>
<li>Regular ATM withdrawals from clubs and pubs (if you love a beer or a punt, then get your cash out from the banks ATM’s prior), lenders see everything now. Think twice before you withdraw funds at these type of establishments. Not to mention, it will also save you the $2.50 plus ATM fee. 
</li>
<li>Credit cards, do not go over your limit, another big no no. Regardless of whether you pay the whole credit card off at the end of the month, as soon as you start going over your limit, it’s a red flag and even the best of applications get declined for this reason alone. 
</li>
<li>Any bills that are late, even your phone bills, by more than five days etc, these are all recorded on the new credit reporting system. So if you think you are winning by paying late, be prepared for a surprise the next time you apply for a loan. Regardless of what you earn. 
</li>
<li>If you do move money around a lot to save interest, then set automatic transfers in case you forget.</li>
</ol>
So, I guess the moral of the story is pay your bills on time, every time.
TODD HUNTER is buyer’s agent, director and location researcher for Sydney-based <a href="https://www.wheregroup.com.au/" target="_blank">wHeregroup</a>.
He reached a personal investment portfolio of 50 properties in 2006 and has also started building an SMSF portfolio.
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thunter-umjjMzoT8b

Six tips to make sure everything is up to scratch when you apply for a loan

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ME Bank has <a href="/expert-insights/finance/me-bank-takes-three-year-fixed-rate-lower">dropped its three year fixed standard interest rate</a> to the lowest offered since they became a bank in 2001.
The  0.10% cut brings the new three year fixed rate to 4.59%. The comparison rate sits at 5.18% per annum. They note that many of the majors’ fixed rates for this period of time start at 4.94%. 
Earlier this month the <a href="/expert-insights/finance/cba-cuts-three-year-fixed-rates-to-4-94">Commonwealth Bank cut their three year fixed rate to 4.94%</a>.
They had also cut their five-year fixed rate to <a href="/expert-insights/finance/nab-and-westpac-meet-cbas-rate-cut">a record low for CBA, at 4.99%, which was soon after matched by Westpac and NAB</a>.
The five year cut for CBA was a 70 basis point adjustment since July 23.
In July, ME Bank's five-year fixed standard home loan was cut to 4.94%, with previous cuts to the three-year product were made in March and April.
ME Bank CEO Jamie McPhee said that we’re either close to or at the bottom of the interest rate cycle.
“The next Reserve Bank rate change is likely to be an increase of 25 basis points in the first half of 2015,” he said.
“Customers will be able to save on their home loan in the long-term by locking in a lower rate.”
Earlier in August, Property Observer recorded that <a href="/expert-insights/finance/attention-shifts-from-rba-to-lenders-71-five-year-fixed-loans-cut-in-a-fortnight">71 lenders had cut their five-year fixed loans</a>, even while the<a href="/expert-insights/finance/a-year-of-record-low-rates-as-rba-leaves-cash-rate-at-2-5"> RBA's official cash rate has remained stable for 12 months</a>.
The question remains now, with the RBA's next movement expected to be an increase: Just how low will the lenders go?
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Record low fixed rates - Who is offering them?

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ME Bank today dropped its three year fixed standard home loan interest rate by 0.10% to 4.59% per annum.
The comparison rate sits at 5.18% per annum.
"It’s the lowest three-year fixed standard home loan rate the bank has offered since it became a bank in 2001," the ME Bank CEO, Jamie McPhee said.
“We’re either at or very close to the bottom of the current interest rate cycle," he said adding his forecast that the next Reserve Bank rate change is likely to be an increase of 25 basis points in the first half of 2015.
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ME Bank takes three year fixed rate lower

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Mortgage broker Mortgage Choice has notched up a full-year net profit rise of 6% to $19.85 million.
The cash profit jumped 19% to $18.7 million.
The business wrote $12.2 billion in loan approvals, which is almost 20% higher on the prior year.
Its loan book rose to $47.4 billion.
Its network of mortgage brokers expanded, hitting 405 franchises and 549 loan writers.
Chief executive Michael Russell says it was the best result so far for the company.
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Mortgage Choice takes loan book to $47 billion

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The loans.com.au’s Dream Home Loan, which has a variable rate of 4.54%, has been extended to a loan to value ratio (LVR) of 90%.
The Dream Home Loan ranks high on the online comparison site <a href="https://mozo.com.au/home-loans?mz_source=sem&amp;gclid=CO7CqOvwncACFUsGvAodp5IAhw" target="_blank">Mozo</a>.
Extending the offering to 90% LVR gives borrowers a 0.15% discount, a saving of $36 per month in interest, or $12,960 over the life of a $400,000 loan.
Kim Cannon, managing director of Firstmac, said the move was a reaction to the "extremely competitive" mortgage market at the moment
Cannon stressed the true measure of good value was having a comparison rate very close to the interest rate.
The loans.com.au Dream Home Loan Blackboard Special has a comparison rate of 4.56%. 
Loans.com.au is an independently-owned, on-line lender, with finance products backed by Firstmac, which has $6 billion in mortgages under management.
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Loans.com.au 4.54% rate close to 4.56% comparison rate

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The Commonwealth Bank has cut mortgage rates on its most popular home loan term, three-year fixed mortgage rates.
The country's biggest home loan lender cut its three-year rate by 15 basis points to 4.94%, equalling NAB and ANZ.
The CBA has also cut its less four-year rate by 50 basis points to 5.09% after <a href="/expert-insights/finance/nab-and-westpac-meet-cbas-rate-cut">cutting its five-year fixed rates to a record low</a> last month.
Since the bank rate cuts last month, the share of new mortgage customers taking out a fixed rate loan had increased from 13% to around 20%. 
The CBA has record numbers locking in the five-year fixed rate loan at 4.99%.
All big four - and smaller lenders - reduced their five-year fixed mortgage rates last month to record lows below 5%, with a high impact on the market as borrowers seek to lock in low rates.
Westpac's head of home ownership, Melanie Evans noted new loans with a fixed element had moved up to 30%, from 15%-20% prior.
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CBA cuts three-year fixed rates to 4.94%

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The Commonwealth Bank, the nation’s largest home loan lender grew its home loan book by 6.7% over the past year, while delivering a cash profit of $8.68 billion.
Its home loan book grew faster than its major competitors.
 Home loan balances increased $27 billion to $400 billion, up 7.5% over the year. 
It business and corporate loans were up 7%, or $12 billion to $184 billion.
Customer deposits rose $34 billion to $439 billion.
The chief executive Ian Narev said the bank was “cautiously positive” about the outlook for financial 2015.
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