Roseville is poised for a wave of new apartment development following the NSW Government's rezoning of land around Roseville Station under its Transport Oriented Development program.

The new planning controls have unlocked significant development potential within walking distance of the station, with a number of sites expected to be amalgamated and redeveloped in the coming years as developers seek to take advantage of the increased density allowances.

One of the more restrained developments in the precinct, and set among the first to be delivered having commenced well before the recent changes, is Hyecorp's Juliet. The boutique apartment project is already well under construction and remains on track to welcome residents by the end of the year, offering a markedly different proposition to many of the larger-scale developments now likely to emerge across the suburb.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7395 project_image_fid=278194]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/juliet-roseville-64-pacific-highway-roseville-nsw-2069">Juliet</a> will comprise just&nbsp;34 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments opposite Roseville Station. For Hyecorp, which has delivered projects across Sydney's Lower North Shore for more than three decades, Roseville presented a rare opportunity to address a growing gap in the market.

"<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/roseville-nsw-2069">Roseville</a> has long been one of the North Shore's most tightly held and desirable suburbs, offering a unique combination of village charm, established greenery, excellent transport connections, and proximity to some of Sydney's best schools and lifestyle amenities," Hyecorp said.

"We recognised a growing demand from local homeowners seeking to downsize without leaving the community they have built their lives around. The location presented a rare opportunity to create homes that cater specifically to that buyer profile."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7395 project_image_fid=278196]

The six-level development has been designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/pbd-architects">PBD Architects</a> as a collection of residences that feel more like homes than apartments. The brief centred generous floorplans, abundant natural light, quality finishes, and strong connections to outdoor space.

PBD Architects drew inspiration from Roseville's established garden suburb character, creating a building that sits comfortably within its surroundings rather than dominating them. The architecture incorporates natural materials, soft forms, layered landscaping, expansive balconies, and generous setbacks to strengthen the connection between residents and the suburb's leafy environment.

"The focus was on designing spacious, house-like residences for discerning owner-occupiers and downsizers who wanted to remain on the North Shore without compromising on comfort, privacy, or design," PBD said.&nbsp;

"Every apartment was to feel considered, timeless, and highly functional."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7395 project_image_fid=278195]

Inside, residences feature engineered timber flooring, stone kitchen benchtops and splashbacks, integrated Fisher &amp; Paykel appliances, ducted air conditioning, and large outdoor entertaining areas designed to take advantage of district and treetop views.

Residents will also have access to a rooftop barbecue and lounge area, alongside practical amenities including parcel lockers, EV charging capability, bicycle storage, a dog wash bay, and a basement car wash facility.

The majority of purchasers so far have been local owner-occupiers from Roseville, Lindfield, Chatswood, Killara, and the broader Upper North Shore, many of whom are transitioning from larger family homes.

"Buyers are looking for spacious, house-like apartments that allow them to downsize without feeling like they are sacrificing comfort or functionality," Hyecorp noted.

"They value large kitchens, generous living areas, ample storage, quality finishes, secure parking, lift access, and low-maintenance living."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7395 project_image_fid=278204]

Juliet sits directly opposite Roseville Train Station and within walking distance of Roseville Village, while Chatswood's retail and dining precinct is only minutes away. The development is also surrounded by some of Sydney's most established schools, including Roseville College, Ravenswood, Pymble Ladies' College, and Knox Grammar, as well as nearby parklands and golf courses.

Juliet is currently more than 75 per cent sold ahead of its anticipated completion in late 2026.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=7395]

Joel Robinson

Juliet to sit quietly amid Roseville apartment boom

Sherpa Property Group has unveiled the third instalment of its Flourish series, securing full approval for the two-tower, $500 million Flourish Soleira development in Palm Beach.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/flourish-soleira-1150-1154-gold-coast-highway-palm-beach-qld-4221">Flourish Soleira</a> will rise from a prominent site in the commercial heart of Palm Beach, the long-time home of Cash Converters and a range of local retailers.

The project will introduce a new retail and dining precinct at ground level, beneath 286 apartments.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=370959]

“We’re very committed to not only providing affordable residential offerings that are much needed in Palm Beach, but also delivering a vibrant new commercial heart that complements the extraordinary growth of the southern Gold Coast,” Sherpa Property Group founder Christie Leet said.

The development will sit under Sherpa's Flourish brand, which is aimed at providing a pathway into the beachside suburb for locals, first-home buyers and downsizers. In a move designed to assist first-home buyers entering the market, Sherpa has reserved all one and two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartments exclusively for eligible first-home buyers.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=370964]

“Our vision through Flourish is to create a vibrant retail and lifestyle focal point within the Palm Beach centre zone, delivering thriving communities underpinned by lifestyle-rich locations,” Leet said.

“So far, Flourish has been an incredible success, and we hope to carry this momentum as we progress the next two Flourish projects in Palm Beach.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=371430]

Located across 1150-1164 Gold Coast Highway and 3 Sixth Avenue, the development will comprise two towers. The northern tower will deliver 154 apartments, while the southern tower will add a further 132 residences, helping address ongoing demand for new apartments in the tightly held coastal suburb.

Flourish Soleira will also feature the most extensive rooftop amenity offering ever delivered in Palm Beach.

The two towers will be connected by a skybridge, with residents gaining access to a rooftop recreation deck featuring a full-width swimming pool, hot and cold plunge pools, wellness spaces, a gymnasium, private dining facilities, massage treatment rooms, barbecue areas, a basketball court, golf simulator, indoor and outdoor dining spaces, sun lounges and extensive landscaping.

LPS Group is expected to start construction later this year.

Sherpa is already well advanced on construction of its debut Flourish project, Flourish Amargo, located just around the corner from Soleira. Meanwhile, Flourish Oasis, positioned opposite Amargo, recently commenced construction and has nearly sold out its collection of 47 apartments.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150017]

Sherpa unveils $500m mixed-use Palm Beach precinct, Flourish Soleira

Are mortgage holders set to get a reprieve from the RBA in 2026?

Big Four bank NAB believes so. They are now expecting the next move from the RBA to be a cut, rather than a hike, which they had pencilled in for August. They are unsure of the timing of the cut however, they note in their latest&nbsp;NAB Economics RBA Watch.

NAB Chief Economist, Dr Sally Auld, said recent data suggests the economy has lost momentum and the outlook for rates has shifted, noting that the broader economic backdrop has changed since earlier in the year.

“The next move in the cash rate is likely to be down, but the timing is uncertain," Dr Auld said.

"In February, growth was above trend, the economy was operating above capacity and there was uncertainty over the restrictiveness of rates. None of these conditions exist today,” she outlined.

Dr Auld said recent data pointed to softer momentum across the economy while acknowledging that at the same time, uncertainty remains a key feature of the outlook.

“Both Q1 GDP data and the NAB business survey suggest momentum in the economy has slowed, meaning that growth has likely peaked for the cycle. That said, we are cognisant there is still considerable uncertainty around the outlook, both with respect to activity and inflation.”

Dr Auld said inflation risks and labour market outcomes would be important to watch.

“On the prices side, we are still forecasting above target core inflation through to mid-2027. Margins will compress and weaker labour market outcomes are a risk.”

She said tighter financial conditions are expected to weigh on housing and activity.

“Tighter financial conditions will be reflected in a slowing in house price growth and housing credit growth. In summary, we have greater conviction that the next move in rates is down, but less conviction on the timing.”

Mortgage relief? NAB forecasts RBA rate cut, not hike, after softer economic conditions

A local downsizer has splashed $6.5 million on a penthouse in Perifa's Alex &amp; Willow development in Crows Nest. 
&nbsp; 
The purchaser sold their long-held family home in the area before embarking on a six-month search for the right apartment. After inspecting a range of options across the Lower North Shore, the buyer returned to <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/alex-willow-crows-nest-82-90-alexander-street-crows-nest-nsw-2065">Alex &amp; Willow</a>. 
&nbsp; 
The buyer profile reflects the project’s broader purchaser mix. <a>Alex &amp; Willow</a> has attracted predominantly local downsizers looking to transition from larger homes without compromising on space or quality, alongside a smaller cohort of upsizers and investors drawn to the project’s location and design credentials. 
&nbsp; 
The milestone sale comes as the project, developed by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/perifa">Perifa</a>&nbsp;and delivered by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/builders/versatile-made-construction">Versatile Construction</a>, both part of Versatile Group, reaches 60 per cent sold.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6680 project_image_fid=371325] 
&nbsp; 
Eddie Mansour, Managing Partner of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/ray-white-projects">Ray White Projects</a>, said the result demonstrates not only a headline price but also depth of demand. 
&nbsp; 
“This is an exceptional outcome and a clear reflection of sustained buyer demand for premium, well-located downsizer product,” Mansour said.

“We’re seeing a consistent pattern of local homeowners selling family residences and reinvesting into high-quality apartments that allow them to remain within their community. Alex &amp; Willow has resonated strongly with this group because it offers genuine scale, thoughtful design and immediate proximity to the village.” 
&nbsp; 
The sale reflects a broader and consistent trend of local downsizers actively seeking high-quality, low-maintenance residences close to established village centres. Agents report that demand for this product type has remained resilient, particularly where developments offer a rare combination of scale, design quality and walkable amenity. 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Fabrizio Perilli, Managing Director of Perifa and Versatile Group, said the sale marks a defining moment for the project. 
&nbsp; 
“The penthouse sale is a strong endorsement of the quality we have delivered, alongside our partners, and the clear demand from local downsizers for premium, boutique residences in this location,” Perilli said.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
“Most importantly, we’re proud to see the Alex &amp; Willow community beginning to take shape. As we move closer to completion, we’re looking forward to welcoming residents and seeing the project come to life.”&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6680 project_image_fid=338516] 
&nbsp; 
Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/nettletontribe">Nettleton Tribe</a> with interiors by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/richards-stanisich">Richards Stanisich</a>, Alex &amp; Willow is a boutique collection of generously sized two- and three-bedroom residences in the heart of Crows Nest village.&nbsp;

Completion is slated for early 2027.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=6680]

Alex & Willow, Crows Nest penthouse sells off the plan for $6.5 million

Fresh from launching the first stage of its Wollongong precinct, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/keira-place-wollongong-120-122-smith-street-wollongong-nsw-2500">Keira Place</a>, builder-developer Urban Property Group has unveiled plans for the next phase of the masterplanned community.

Now on public exhibition through the NSW Government's Housing Delivery Authority pathway is a State Significant Development Application for a further 657 homes on the prominent gateway site opposite Beaton Park.

The proposal comprises three buildings, including two build-to-sell towers rising 25 and 30 storeys, delivering 391 apartments, alongside a 12-storey co-living building with 266 residences, making it one of the largest co-living proposals currently planned in regional New South Wales.

Of the apartments proposed in the build-to-sell towers, the majority, 310, are two-bedroom dwellings. The balance comprises 44 one-bedroom apartments and 37 three-bedroom residences. Apartment sizes range from around 50 sqm for one-bedroom homes to approximately 90 sqm for three-bedroom apartments.

<img alt="Smith St" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="19347059-1612-41a0-9c74-b86a657237f8" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-06-10%20at%2010.02.18%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=sWXnaCcA.cIC6N8YT1dg5pJ2e1V3Z6z7" />

The submission says the proposal has evolved significantly from its original Housing Delivery Authority application following extensive consultation with the State Design Review Panel and Wollongong City Council.

The final scheme has been designed to align with the emerging vision for the Flinders Street Precinct, an area identified by Council as a future high-density mixed-use neighbourhood capable of accommodating substantial housing growth close to transport, employment and community infrastructure.

According to the design report prepared by COX Architecture, the development aims to "deliver a built outcome consistent with the future character of the Wollongong CBD while responding to the site's unique constraints and opportunities."

"Our vision for the next phase of the site evolution in Wollongong is grounded in three design pillars that guide the design response: place, natural environment and celebration," COX said.

"Inspired by its surroundings and grounded in the stories of place on Wodi Wodi Country, the design proposal acknowledges the established character of its setting while creating a unique and timeless identity that sits harmoniously within it.

"The design proposal responds to its specific site conditions, acknowledging the vegetation, climate, wind conditions and solar access of the site."

The architecture responds directly to the site's position between Wollongong's urban core and its natural landscape setting.

COX identified views towards Mount Keira and the Illawarra Escarpment as defining features of the site, while the upper levels of the towers will also capture expansive views across the city and out to the Pacific Ocean.

The design team has positioned the tallest buildings closer to the rail corridor, where overshadowing impacts can be better managed while establishing a landmark built form on the northern approach into the city.

<img alt="Smith St" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="79580d5b-500c-4ebf-9629-797146a4a694" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-06-10%20at%209.51.59%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=WbTB1EKSG.KDfsfz0F3wp1QVa2oCMGR5" />

Urban Property Group secured the 11,000 sqm Smith Street site in 2022 and has since progressed plans for the broader Keira Place precinct.

Construction recently commenced on the first stage of Keira Place, which will deliver 150 apartments across two residential buildings, including 27 affordable housing apartments and 18 specialist disability accommodation dwellings, alongside activated ground-floor retail and commercial space.

Urban Co-CEO Patrick Elias said the commencement of construction marked a significant milestone for Wollongong and reflected the developer's long-term commitment to regional cities.

"Today's groundbreaking is about turning approvals into homes and moving quickly to deliver much-needed housing in Wollongong's city centre," Elias said.

"Keira Place will provide a diverse mix of homes close to jobs, transport and services, while setting a high benchmark for quality, durability and consumer protection."

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/groundbreaking-marks-start-of-construction-at-keira-place-in-wollongong-cbd">Groundbreaking marks start of construction at Keira Place in Wollongong CBD</a>

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Urban Property Group unveils trio of towers for next stage of new Wollongong precinct, Keira Place

Property market

<html><body><div class="page" title="Page 4">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
Housing price growth is expected to be contained in the Adelaide market throughout 2017 according to HSBC.
HSBC senior economist Paul Bloxham said the local housing market is dominated by detached dwellings. 
"The South Australian economy is expected to continue to have only modest growth in 2017, keeping housing price growth contained," he said in his 2017 forecast.
Housing price growth of between 4 and 6 percent is expected for 2017 for both detached houses and apartments nationally supported by strong population growth.
Apartment price falls are possible in Brisbane and Melbourne in 2017 due to oversupply.
Low single-digit rates of housing price growth is predicted in 2017 for Sydney.
The end of the mining boom has driven house prices in Perth down throughout 2016, with the trend expected to continue in 2017.
</div>
</div>
</div></body></html>

jonathanchancellor-7SQnKwU6yx

Adelaide house price growth stable: Paul Bloxham's 2017 forecast

<html><body>
There is still strong support for Australian office markets with Sydney and Melbourne experiencing strong leasing and investment demands, says Australian Unity Office Fund fund manager Grant Nichols.
Nichols said Sydney and Melbourne's metropolitan markets are performing particularly well which has positive implications for AOF, as 56 per cent of their portfolio is weighted to those markets.
"More broadly, investment demand in Australia remains very strong and it appears that current pricing levels will be sustained for at least the short to medium term,” Nichols said.
"Canberra and Brisbane's vacancy rates look to have stabilised while tenant demand remains tepid in Adelaide."
Adelaide's market however remains comparatively attractive from a price point prospecting for both investment and accommodation. 
AOF has completed around 4,400 sqm of leasing since listing in June, with around 4,300 sqm subject to signed heads of agreement.
Combined, this equates to nearly nine per cent of the portfolio over the last five months.
“AOF is well positioned to deliver on its specified objectives, given the leasing completed to date, prevailing market conditions and its strong lease expiry profile.” Nichols said.
Peter Day, independent chairman of Australian Unity Investment Real Estate Limited, said their strategy is to maintain a portfolio diversified by geography, tenants and lease expiry profile through investment into existing property.
“The team has been actively seeking opportunities to help deliver sustainable and growing income returns for investors, by investing in quality Australian office assets in metropolitan and CBD markets."
Talking on the listing, Peter said they raised $152 million through an initial public offering of units and reduced gearing to approximately 30 percent.
The 2016 financial year delivered several highlights for AOF, including:
- Leasing approximately 30 percent of the portfolio
- Providing an average distribution yield of 8.6 percent for the year to 30 June 2016 based on AOF’s net asset value
- Achieving a $14.4 million valuation uplift compared to 30 June 2015
- Successfully refinancing the $140 million debt facility via three and five year tranches.
 
</body></html>

j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Commercial property demand to remain strong in 2017

<html><body><div class="page" title="Page 1">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
GUEST OBSERVER
In the upside-down world logic that applies to much of investing, there are a bunch of mistakes investors often make which makes it harder for them to reach their financial goals. 
This looks at the nine most common mistakes investors make. 
Mistake #1 Crowd support indicates safety 
“Bull markets are born on pessimism, grow on scepticism, mature on optimism, and die of euphoria” – John Templeton. 
Individuals often feel safest when investing in an asset when their neighbours and friends are doing the same and media commentary is reinforcing the message that it’s the right thing to do. Call it “safety in numbers”. But it’s invariably doomed to failure. It stands to reason that when everyone is bullish and has bought into an asset with general euphoria about it, there is no one left to buy in the face of more positive supporting news but lots of people who can sell if the news turns sour. 
Of course the opposite applies when everyone is pessimistic and bearish and has sold – it only takes a bit of good news to turn the value of the asset back up. So it turns out that the point of maximum opportunity is when the crowd is pessimistic and the point of maximum risk is when the crowd is euphoric, but unfortunately most don’t realise this because it involves going against the crowd and that’s uncomfortable.
<a href="/images/2016/11/25/Screen%20Shot%202016-11-25%20at%2010.14.38%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/11/25/Screen%20Shot%202016-11-25%20at%2010.14.38%20AM.png" alt="">
 
Mistake #2 Current returns are a guide to the future 
“Markets are in a constant state of uncertainty and flux and money is to be made by discounting the obvious and betting on the unexpected” – George Soros. 
Because of difficulties in processing information investors adopt simplifying assumptions, or heuristics. One of these is that recent returns or the current state of the economy and investment markets are a guide to the future: so tough economic conditions and recent poor returns are expected to continue and vice versa for good returns and good economic conditions. The problem with this is that when its combined with the "safety in numbers" mistake it results in investors getting in at the wrong time (eg, after an asset has already had strong gains) or getting out at the wrong time (eg, when it is bottoming). In other words, buying when asset values are high and selling when they are low.
</div>
<div class="column">
Mistake #3 Strong growth is good for stocks &amp; vice versa 
“It’s so good it’s bad, it’s so bad it’s good” – Anon. 
This is generally true over the long term and at various points in the economic cycle, but at cyclical extremes it is invariably wrong. The problem is that share markets are forward looking, so when economic data is really strong – measured by strong economic growth, low unemployment, etc – the market has already factored it in. In fact the share market may then fret about rising costs, rising inflation and rising short term interest rates, and hence things are so good they start to become bad! For example, when global share markets peaked in 2007 prior to the GFC economic growth and profit indicators looked good. 
Of course the opposite occurs at market lows. For example, at the bottom of the global financial crisis bear market in March 2009 after 50% plus fall in shares, economic indicators were very poor – unemployment was up, profits were falling and all the talk was about the worst global recession since the Great Depression. And yet share markets started to rebound. History indicates that the best gains in stocks are usually made when the economic news is still poor, as stocks rebound from being undervalued and unloved. In other words, things are so bad they are actually good for investors. 
Mistake #4 Experts can tell you where the market is going 
“There are two kinds of forecasters: those who don’t know, and those who don’t know they don’t know” – J.K. Galbraith 
I must admit this one is kind of sensitive! But I have to be real. No one has a perfect crystal ball. It’s well-known that when the consensus of experts' forecasts are compared to actual outcomes they are often out by a wide margin. Forecasts of investment and economic indicators are useful but they need to be treated with care. Usually the grander the forecast - calls for "new eras of permanent prosperity" or for "great crashes ahead" - the greater the need for scepticism as such calls are invariably wrong, either they get the timing wrong or its dead wrong. 
Market prognosticators suffer from the same psychological biases as everyone else. Precise point forecast for say where the share market will be at the end of the year are conditional upon information available when the forecast is made. But they need to be adjusted as new facts come to light. If forecasting investment markets was so easy then the forecasters would be rich and so would have stopped doing it.
The key value of investment experts - or at least the good ones - is to give an understanding of the issues surrounding an investment market and to put things in context. The latter can provide valuable information in terms understanding the potential for the market going forward. This is far more useful than a simple point forecast as to where the ASX 200 will be in a year's time.
<div class="page" title="Page 2">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
Mistake #5 Letting a strongly held view get in the way 
“The aim is to make money, not to be right” – Ned Davis. 
Many let their blind faith in a strongly held view – “there is too much debt”, “aging populations will destroy share returns”, “global oil production will soon peak”, “the Eurozone will break up”, “an Australian house price crash is imminent”, etc – drive their investment decisions. They could turn out to be right but end up losing a lot of money in the interim. In fact there is a big difference between being right and making money. 
Mistake #6 Looking at your investments too much 
This sounds perverse – surely checking up on how your investments are doing is a good thing? But the danger is that the more investors are exposed to news around their investments the more they may see them going up and down – on a day to day basis it’s close to 50/50 as to whether the share market will be up or down. This “noise” can cause investors to freeze up or worse still it feeds on our natural aversion to any reduction in the value of our investments and thus encourages a greater exposure to lower returning safer investments. 
As a 1997 study by US behavioural economist Richard Thaler found, investors “with the most data [about how their investment is performing] did the worst in terms of money earned”. The trick is to have patience (evidence shows that patient people make better investors because they can look beyond short term noise or are less inclined to jump from investment to investment after they have already run) and turn down the noise. 
Mistake #7 Making investing too complex 
“There seems to be a perverse human characteristic that makes easy things difficult” – Warren Buffett. 
Given the increasing ease of access to investment options, various ways to assemble them and information and processes to assess and evaluate them investment complexity can become the norm. The trouble is that when you overcomplicate your investments it can mean that you can’t see the wood for the trees. 
That you spend so much time focussing on this stock versus that stock or this fund manager versus that fund manager that you ignore the key driver of your portfolio’s risk and return which is how much you have in shares, bonds, real assets, cash, onshore versus offshore, etc. Or that you end up in investments you don’t even understand. So avoid clutter around your investments, don’t fret the small stuff, keep it simple and don’t invest in products you don’t understand. 
Mistake #8 Too conservative early in life 
“How many millionaires do you know who have become wealthy by investing in saving accounts?” – Robert G. Allen. 
Cash and bank deposits are low risk and fine for near term spending requirements and emergency funds but they won’t build wealth over long periods of time. The chart below is one of my favourites and shows the value of $1 invested in various Australian assets since 1900 allowing for the reinvestment of interest and dividends along the way. 
That $1 would have grown to $442,373 if invested in shares but only to $228 if invested in cash. Despite periodic setbacks (WW1, the Great Depression, WW2, stagflation in the 1970s, 1987 share crash, GFC, etc), shares and other growth assets provide much higher returns over the long term than cash and bonds. 
<div class="page" title="Page 2">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
Not having enough in growth assets can be a particular problem for investors early in their working career as it can make it much harder to adequately fund retirement later in life. Studies in the US have found that millennials (those born between 1980 and 2000) tend to hold more in cash and less in shares than older generations at a time when they should be starting to grow their wealth. Perhaps the tech wreck and the GFC have made them more wary. Fortunately compulsory superannuation in Australia and My Super funds that allocate a higher allocation to growth assets for younger members help manage this. 
Mistake #9 Trying to time the market 
Without a tried and tested asset allocation process, trying to time the market, ie selling before falls and buying ahead of gains is very difficult. Many of the mistakes already referred to above kick in and it can turn out to be a sure way to destroy wealth. Perhaps the best example of this is the comparison of returns if the investor is fully invested in shares versus missing out on the best days. 
Of course if you can avoid the worst days during a given period you will boost returns but this is very hard to do and many investors only get out after the bad returns have occurred, just in time to miss out on some of the best days and so hurt returns. 
The next chart shows that if you were fully invested in Australian shares from January 1995 you would have returned 10.4 percent per annum (including dividends but not allowing for franking credits). But if by trying to time the market you miss the 10 best days the return falls to 7.9 percent pa. If you miss the 40 best days it drops to just 3.4 percent pa. Hence the old cliché that its time in that matters not timing. 
<a href="/images/2016/11/25/Screen%20Shot%202016-11-25%20at%2010.16.04%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/11/25/Screen%20Shot%202016-11-25%20at%2010.16.04%20AM.png" alt=""> 
</div>
</div>
</div>
 SHANE OLIVER is head of investment strategy and chief economist at <a href="https://www.ampcapital.com/" target="_blank">AMP Capital</a>.
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div></body></html>

soliver-smf6LQXgW9

The nine most common mistakes investors make: Shane Oliver

<html><body>
The longstanding appeal of Australian markets as a destination for core investors globally continues, according to new real estate forecast.
Australia’s popularity is a result of a mature market and relatively high yields, but an acute shortage of investable assets has led to reduced transaction volume in 2016, according to Emerging Trends in Real Estate Asia Pacific 2017, published by the Urban Land Institute and PWC.
Large amounts of foreign capital continue to arrive in Australia looking for deals, although 2015 was the first in many years where domestic purchases were the largest component of investment-grade acquisitions.
This reflects the huge weight of capital that needs to be invested in Australia from domestic pension funds.
“The numbers of investors that are looking for opportunities vastly outweighs the prospects available because the amount of institutional-quality real estate is small,” said John Carfi, ULI Australia chairman and head of residential at Mirvac.
“We have noticed that although foreign investors are generally reluctant to migrate away from the CBD, a lack of available stock means they often have little choice if they want to place capital."
This year’s investment prospects survey shows a strong shift away from last year’s favorites, which featured Sydney and Melbourne, in favor of emerging-market destinations, with two Indian cities topping a list which also includes Vietnam, the Philippines and Shenzhen in 5th position.
Other major survey findings include steep declines in the popularity of gateway cities, with the exception of Shanghai which has seen a resurgence in foreign investment over the last couple of years, despite high prices.
This overarching shift reflects the difficulty in sourcing core assets in an environment where owners have few other places to invest their capital if they sell, together with the growing urgency of investors’ quest for yield as returns are squeezed ever lower.
The top five markets for investment and development in 2017:
• Bangalore (first in investment and development) –The big story for investors has long been the city’s role as India’s main hub for the business process outsourcing (BPO) and IT industries. There is huge demand for space as both domestic and international companies flock to open both call-in and research-and-development centers.
• Mumbai (second in investment, third in development) – Mumbai’s geography has prevented easy expansion of the city’s metropolitan area, which has made it both the most expensive city in India and the slowest growing. However, a major road and rail infrastructure program will allow easier access to the center from outlying areas, with most construction scheduled for completion before 2019.
• Manila (third in investment, fourth in development) –The Philippines continues to attract positive comments, with its vibrant economy led by a booming BPO market and strong remittances from overseas workers. Today, the fundamentals appear as strong as ever. Demand is resilient and vacancies remain low, and office capital values and rents continue to show good growth.
• Ho Chi Minh City (fourth in investment, second in development) –Vietnam is one of the fastest-growing economies in South-east Asia and is probably the most popular real estate investment destination, with capital arriving from numerous sources but in particular from Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
• Shenzhen (fifth in investment, fifth in development) – The major recent talking point for Shenzhen has been its residential sector, where prices have soared more than 40% year on year in the first three quarters of 2016—the fastest in the world. On the commercial side, office rents have been on a steady upward trajectory for years and are now double their level of 2009.
Other findings from the report include the following:
• Core assets continue to be the favored asset class, although product is becoming increasingly hard to source. One way around this is for investors to assume development risk by pursuing “build-to-core” projects. Although these are not traditionally considered a core strategy, many core investors are now willing to adopt this approach, especially when it involves buyers such as insurance companies that are likely to be long-term holders of the end product.
• Investors with a mandate for higher return strategies continue to migrate up the risk curve, both in terms of sectors — pursuing niche strategies such as sub-logistics facilities or data centers — and geographically, with emerging markets such as India drawing increasing attention.
• Investments in metropolitan areas have become a popular theme given ongoing trends of urbanization, land shortages in city centers, and low returns from central business district projects. Cities across the Asia Pacific including Sydney, Shanghai, Mumbai, and Jakarta are engaged in major transportation construction projects that link suburbs or satellite towns to city centers.
• In line with markets in the West, Asia is embracing the shared economy. The last 12 months have seen huge growth in the adoption of shared workspaces, either as standalone businesses that rent open-plan office facilities to individual or corporate users, or on a corporate basis, as large companies scrap conventional office layouts and embrace hot-desking and collaborative working environments. On the residential side, shared spaces are also becoming more prominent as rising prices continue to shrink apartment footprints.
The report, which is being released at a series of events across Asia over the next several weeks, provides an outlook on Asia Pacific real estate investment and development trends, real estate finance and capital markets, and trends by property sector and metropolitan area.
It is based on the opinions of 604 internationally renowned real estate professionals, including investors, developers, property company representatives, lenders, brokers and consultants.
The full report is available here.
</body></html>

Australian property markets continue to attract global investors

<html><body>
After adjusting to Brexit, the global real estate sector is now managing a bond rout triggered by the election of Donald Trump to the US presidency  according to Alistair Elliott, chairman, Knight Frank.
In a recent visit to Australia he said  global direct property investment had already dropped from the record levels of 2015 due to a hesitancy about the right time to buy rather than any change in sentiment towards real estate.
"Post the financial crisis, property has had a strong role and I see no sign of that ebbing... in a world where it is difficult to find returns, property is a relatively secure bet," he said.
"We do not expect this [the slowdown in direct real estate investment] to worsen. Indeed as an increasing quantity of investment capital gathers to seek out yield then there is a case to suggest investment volumes may well begin to increase as we get clarity around the new administration's future plans for the USA and with the UK developing an agenda with key trading partners in Europe."
"Melbourne and Sydney [offices] have real growth and that would give confidence to the buyers compared to other cities where rental growth is reaching its peak."
</body></html>

Global real estate sector managing a Trump bond rout

<html><body>
There have been increases in all in the capital city home values, even Perth, according to CoreLogic’s latest weekly report.
The property advisory firm says that over the 12 months the capital cities’ home value have increased by 8.5%.
<a href="/images/2016/11/14/Capital%20city%20home%20value%20changes.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/11/14/Capital%20city%20home%20value%20changes.jpg" alt="">
The biggest increase was in Sydney where over a 12 month period it had increased by 12% with Perth’s home value declining by 4%.
<a href="/images/2016/11/14/Capital%20city%20properties%20listed.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/11/14/Capital%20city%20properties%20listed.jpg" alt="">
The number of listings in Sydney is declining with the number of new listings in Sydney down by 12% with a further reduction of 10% over 12 months for total listings.
In contrast the number of properties in total listed over 12 months in Perth increased 18%.
The total number of new listings in Brisbane has increased by 9%.
<a href="/images/2016/11/14/Capital%20city%20private%20treaty.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/11/14/Capital%20city%20private%20treaty.jpg" alt="">
Once again houses dominate the sales compared with units with the most expensive properties being Sydney.
The average price that can be expected in Sydney out of 3,166 sales for houses is $931,850.
On the other hand out of the 1,783 units sold in Sydney the median price was $715,000.
</body></html>

Home values up across capital cities: CoreLogic

<html><body>
Darwin properties are taking the longest time to sell, according to CoreLogic’s latest weekly report.
<a href="/images/2016/11/14/Capital%20city%20median%20time.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/11/14/Capital%20city%20median%20time.jpg" alt="">
The property advisory firm says that the average time to sell a house in Darwin is 127 days while for units it takes 113 days.
In contrast, in Sydney it takes 26 days to sell a house while for units it takes 27 days to sell.
<a href="/images/2016/11/14/Mortgage%20market%20activity.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/11/14/Mortgage%20market%20activity.jpg" alt="">
NSW’s month on month change for mortgage market activity has increased by 13% resulting in an index value of 191.
However for a month on month trend it has declined by 0.4%.
In Tasmania, both month on month and trend has increased with a 10% increase for month on month and 3% in trends resulting in an index value of 92.
<a href="/images/2016/11/14/Listing%20market%20activity.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/11/14/Listing%20market%20activity.jpg" alt="">
South Australia has the biggest increase in listing market activity with an increase of 22% along with a seasonal increase of 4%.
The listing market activity in Victoria has declined by 3% despite a seasonal increase of 0.4%.
</body></html>

Darwin takes the longest time to sell property: CoreLogic

<html><body>
Many home buyers and investors believe the length of time in the market is more important than the timing of the purchase when it comes to making a bigger profit on selling.
There is always a debate about which is more significant.
It was brought home to me in the dearest and cheapest sales last weekend across Sydney. 
An expatriate infrastructure guru sold his Mosman home - a six-bedroom Bradleys Head Road trophy home on 2244 sqm - for around $16 million.
It had set a non-waterfront record for the suburb when it last sold at $7.15 million in 2001, but not this time.
Having generated five percent annual price appreciation, I'd suggest while the quick bullish sale was noteworthy, its price had presumably plateaud for much of the 15 years.
Sydney's cheapest sale was at Harris Park where a two bedroom unit fetched $490,000. It had last sold in 2011 so the $200,000 sale price jump reflected 10 percent annual price growth.
Certainly an impressive gain with the time almost coinciding with the boom that began in 2012 and has continued to run, with a few brief, mild dips along the way.
Yet many stick to the theory of time in the market rather than timing the market.
Anyone can wait and hope as real estate will typically rise over time.
But more money can be made with less duress by investors understanding markets as to where to buy next and when.
Australia comes with very different state-based property market cycles that all have distinct patterns ranging from bottom of the market to the top. 
Sydney is currently a bit like the champion thoroughbred, Lord Fury who won the 1961 Melbourne Cup leading from start to finish.
But beware sometimes Sydney flounders.
Indeed Sydney withstood a challenge as the priciest capital city in which to buy property from Perth during the 2007 mining boom, then from our southern neighbour, Melbourne around 2012.
Today Perth resembles a property basketcase. If you followed the investor boom herd into Perth, then the past few years have shown how the property market can falter, and CoreLogic's head of research Tim Lawless says there no signs the marketplace was yet starting to level out.
Westpac, the nation’s second-biggest mortgage lender revealed this week that 90-day mortgage arrears in Western Australia had rocketed to more than double a year ago.
Overall Australian mortgage arrears of 90 days or more are up 21 basis points compared to 2015, but Perth is up 130 basis points.
Not that it is anything like the last recession as in a total loan book of 1.6 million mortgages, Westpac has only 262 houses in possession – equating to 0.02% of its portfolio.
Westpac chief executive Brian Hartzer said the flow-on impact from the collapse in the mining investment boom had forced the bank to step back from the state.
“We began winding back our exposure in WA a while ago ­because of concerns about what was happening in the mining sector, so although those percentages look relatively high they’re pretty small in the scheme of things in our book,” he said.
“This is being offset by continued low stable delinquencies in NSW where economic activity has been robust."
Many suburban markets across the capital cities typically perform without omnipresent boom-or-bust patterns. 
Of course if you’re canny you can make money no matter what the market is doing, but investors will always make more by running counter to the cycle. 
This article first appeared in the Saturday Daily Telegraph.
</body></html>

jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Trick to timing and making a bigger profit when selling property

<html><body>
October has been one of the strongest months the inner Melbourne property market has seen all year, according to Secret Agent’s latest bulletin report.
It may be an indicator for a strong finish to the end of 2016.
"However, it may also just be a short term fluctuation. Only time will tell," the report stated.
Although, house prices this quarter compared to last are down about 2%, this shows a trend reversal and again highlights the importance of not misinterpreting short-term changes as indicators (noise versus signal), the report argues.
Listings are also up for all property types this month, which (coinciding with higher sale prices) again highlights that demand for Melbourne property is still strong.
Townhouses in inner Melbourne continue to hover around a median of $900,000 and remain well above house prices per square metre: $8,118 compared to $6,852 for houses.
However, in terms of value for money, townhouses almost always have a higher house-to-land ratio, making each square metre more valuable.
“A backyard is probably one of the most valuable assets to possess in inner Melbourne at the moment,” the report advised.
Comparing real (inflation adjusted) house and townhouse prices this month to 12 months ago, prices in all inner regions are well above their previous levels.
Last rolling quarter, median apartment prices decreased by 1.7%.
Again, October has pushed the trend in the other direction; this rolling quarter, apartment prices in the inner suburbs have stabilised (unchanged over the past three months).
Listings are up by over 5%, which is a substantial increase in the otherwise rather stable supply of apartments.
Only Collingwood apartments have managed three consecutive rolling quarters of price increases, while South Melbourne, Brunswick East, Parkville and Prahran have all experienced two or more consecutive rolling quarters of price declines.
CBD apartments in October reached their highest sale prices in real terms so far this year, the report noted.
</body></html>

October a strong month for inner Melbourne: Secret Agent

<html><body>
Spring time sees more property settlements and transactions across Australia than any other season, according to leading conveyancing technology experts, GlobalX.
GlobalX CEO Peter Maloney said from September to November the grass is greener, gardens are in full bloom and the weather is comfortably warm, making for optimal house selling conditions.
<a href="/images/2016/11/08/image006.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/11/08/image006.png" alt="">
Maloney said spring sales were often driven by the desire for a new beginning, with individuals, couples and families preferring to move before the end of the year.
“Buyers who have children prefer to get settled ahead of the new school year, and a spring sale means relocation can take place near or over the holiday period, allowing ample time for unpacking,” he said.
“Similarly, investment properties can be renovated in time for the January-February period, which sees many people searching for rental properties before universities and training institutions begin the academic year.”
This year’s spring sales are off to a strong start, with auction clearance rates over the past nine weeks above 75%, according to CoreLogic’s November market report.
“That puts them at their strongest level in more than a year and only marginally under a five-year high,” Maloney said.
Over the past 12 months, combined capital city home values have increased by 7.5% which is trending up from a recent low of 6.1% at the end of July.
Nationally, capital city home values rose by 9.1% over the first 10 months of 2016, with only two cities, Perth and Darwin, recording falling values over the past quarter.
Annually, home value increases have been strongest in Sydney (10.6%), Melbourne (9.1%) and Canberra (7.9%), Hobart (5%), Adelaide (2.5%) and Brisbane (4.1%), while falls were recorded in Perth (down 3.7%) and Darwin (down 3.8%).
“It’s also worth noting that the average level of discount (to a property’s listed or reserve price) on homes has eased from 6.1% a year ago to 5.8%, so home sellers are coming away with more cash from their sales,” Maloney said.
“It is the same for unit owners, with the average discount reducing slightly from 6.1% a year ago to now 5.5%.”
In a market where Australian residential real estate is worth around $6.7 trillion, six out of every 10 new home listings are currently located in capital cities. However, while the nation’s total mortgage debt of $1.59 trillion represents around 23% of the value of residential real estate; just over half the average Australian’s household’s wealth is invested in housing (51.5%).
“To put the nation’s accumulated mortgage debt into context, the total value of Australia’s residential real estate market is more than three times the funds held in the nation’s superannuation accounts, and just under four times the amount held in Australian listed stocks,” Maloney said.
In the past year, more than 451,000 properties changed hands, with the average house price sitting at $600,000 nationally and the average unit price at $510,000.
</body></html>

Property market

Editor's Picks

Have something to contribute?

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News

Property market

Editor's Picks

Receive the latest news stories to your inbox

Have something to contribute?

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News