Queensland builder-developer MAYD has revealed the first look at its major North Kirra beachfront development, lodging amended plans that reduce the number of apartments and increase the proportion of larger residences.

The project is planned across a substantial 4,742 sqm amalgamated site spanning seven lots at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/2-6-pacific-parade-bilinga-qld-4225">2-6 Pacific Parade</a> and 27-33 Golden Four Drive in Bilin​ga, directly opposite Nor​th Kirra Beach.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/mayd-group">MAYD</a> secured the site for $32.5 million in 2025, in what was one of the Gold Coast's largest property transactions of the year.

The development will be delivered across two stages, with the first stage carrying an estimated gross realisation value of around $360 million.

The latest amendments seek to reduce the overall apartment count and shift the project further toward the owner-occupier market, with larger residences designed for buyers wanting considerably more space than traditionally offered in a beachfront apartment.

The residential mix will include townhomes, oversized two-bedroom apartments, substantial three-bedroom residences and four-bedroom homes.

MAYD has appointed Cera Stribley to lead the architecture and interiors, with the Melbourne-based design practice drawing on the beachfront setting through a series of ocean-facing terraces and heavily landscaped balconies.

Strong horizontal forms and curved balconies will define the exterior, with subtropical landscaping integrated throughout the building to soften the built form and increase the connection between the residences and the beachfront.

The project will also include an extensive collection of resident wellness and lifestyle facilities, continuing the broader shift across the Gold Coast's luxury apartment market toward larger homes supported by resort-style amenity.

<img alt="MAYD" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d1bcbb05-e659-4b47-8bd4-1e595315e2ad" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%202.05.03%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=jj0XEud1X1DuLt7_KyElhjMdZGOXmLHP" />

MAYD Founder Todd Mould said North Kirra was increasingly appealing to buyers attracted to the more established, lower-density character of the southern Gold Coast.

"North Kirra presents one of the most compelling luxury residential opportunities currently emerging in Australia, combining absolute beachfront with the character and authenticity that buyers are increasingly seeking, and the same sense of tight-knit community that defined Burleigh and Currumbin perhaps 10 or 15 years ago," Mould said.

"With Gold Coast Airport on its doorstep, it also offers a level of accessibility that broadens its appeal across almost every market demographic."

The project comes as the southern Gold Coast continues to attract an increasing share of high-end apartment development and buyer activity.

Kirra in particular has emerged as one of the region's more tightly held beachfront markets, with its relatively low-density character, established surf and hospitality scene and proximity to Gold Coast Airport differentiating it from the higher-density markets further north.

Mould said those characteristics had informed the approach MAYD and Cera Stribley had taken to the project.

"We've worked closely with Cera Stribley to create a vision that is deeply connected to its surroundings," he said.

"Inspired by the coastline itself, the architecture has been shaped around space, privacy and resort-style living, creating a collection of homes that reflects the next generation of luxury on the southern Gold Coast."

MOTIV Managing Director Carly Cottam, who has been appointed to market the project, said buyer attention had continued to move south along the Gold Coast.

"Purchasers who may once have defaulted to Broadbeach, Main Beach or Surfers Paradise are increasingly recognising the value of a genuine beachfront location that offers lower density, strong amenity and a more established sense of community," Cottam said.

"Kirra has a powerful combination of growing demand and genuine scarcity. Beachfront supply is inherently constrained, the area remains relatively low density, and buyers are increasingly placing a premium on locations that feel established, uncrowded and authentic rather than heavily developed."

Cottam said the proximity to Gold Coast Airport was also proving increasingly important for interstate and second-home buyers.

"Being minutes from Gold Coast Airport makes it particularly compelling for interstate buyers, frequent travellers and second-home purchasers who can access an authentic coastal lifestyle almost immediately after stepping off a flight."

The acquisition takes MAYD's active development portfolio to more than $500 million, with the North Kirra project representing one of its largest undertakings to date.

MAYD is targeting an early 2027 launch.

Joel Robinson

First look at MAYD's North Kirra mixed-use precinct

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Castle Hill, the longtime hub of the Hills District, has been one of the major beneficiaries of Sydney's Metro expansion, with improved connectivity helping drive continued population growth, development and buyer demand across the Hills District.

But despite that growth, the suburb has seen relatively few major new apartment projects brought to market over the past 18 months.

Hills District developer Reve Group is looking to fill that gap with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nova-r-ve-castle-hill-2-garthowen-crescent-castle-hill-nsw-2154">Nova Rêve</a>, a major new mixed-use precinct on the corner of Garthowen Crescent and Old Castle Hill Road, a short walk from Castle Hill Metro Station and Castle Towers.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377679]

The project will comprise three residential towers alongside a hotel, restaurants, cafes and a skybar, more than 1,600 sqm of ground-floor retail and almost an acre of landscaped gardens.

It represents the largest project undertaken by Reve Group, the development arm of the Kassis family, which has been building across the Hills District for more than 30 years through Kassis Homes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377675]

Nova Rêve also represents a significant step up from the family's first apartment development, Grand Rêve, which was delivered nearby on Garthowen Crescent.

Grand Rêve introduced larger, house-like apartment layouts and premium inclusions including Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances to the Castle Hill market.

Nova Rêve takes that approach to a precinct scale, combining the residential component with hospitality, retail and substantial public and resident landscaping.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377685]

Reve Group Managing Director Sam Kassis said the project reflected the family's three decades of building in the Hills, which has evolved from trophy homes on quarter-acre blocks to larger-scale apartment development.

"Grand Rêve was our first apartment project here and it showed us what this pocket of Castle Hill could be. Nova Rêve is the refinement of that idea: not just apartments, but a place the whole suburb can use," Kassis said.

A key part of that approach is the hotel, which has been designed to operate as an amenity for the wider Castle Hill community rather than solely hotel guests.

It will include restaurants, cafes, skybars and all-day dining, alongside conference and event facilities catering to business functions, community groups and private events.

At ground level, more than 1,600 sqm of shops and cafes will open onto the surrounding streets and landscaped areas.

Almost an acre of gardens designed by Land and Form Studios will run through the precinct, incorporating pathways, seating, barbecue areas and children's play spaces.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377680]

Reve Group's Romio Georges said creating an active ground plane had been central to the planning of Nova Rêve.

"There are gardens with pathways, barbecues, seating and play areas, shops and cafes opening onto the street, and a hotel with restaurants and a skybar that anyone in Castle Hill can walk into," Georges said.

The project's elevated position on one of Sydney's highest ridgelines will also provide apartments with outlooks toward the Sydney skyline, surrounding parkland and the Blue Mountains.

More than 80 per cent of the apartments will occupy corner positions, with Turner responsible for both the architecture and interiors.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152737]

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Nova Rêve arrives as Reve Group bets on Castle Hill's next growth phase

A collection of just 25 large-format apartments and penthouses overlooking Goodwin Park is entering the Coolangatta market, with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/marea-residences-coolangatta-27-27a-dixon-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Maréa Residences</a> combining a low-density, residential-only approach with uninterrupted park and Pacific Ocean outlooks.

Located at 27 Dixon Street, Maréa comprises three and four-bedroom residences alongside a limited number of dual-level penthouses, with the project positioned between Goodwin Park and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/coolangatta-qld-4225">Coolangatta</a>’s coastal precinct.

Construction has commenced, with completion currently estimated for late 2027. Three-bedroom residences are priced from $1.8 million.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374005]

The project has been designed around its northern outlook across the park, with the building’s architecture, landscaping and material palette intended to establish a connection with the neighbouring green space. The residences have been configured to maximise natural light and views across Goodwin Park towards the ocean.

Inside, the material palette incorporates timber, stone and brushed brass, complemented by curved detailing and ambient lighting. Kitchens and bathrooms carry the same natural material approach, while residences also include basement parking, storage and lift access.

Maréa’s penthouses are arranged over two levels and include private pools, adding another layer to the project’s focus on larger-format apartment living. Across the development, residences are configured with three or four bedrooms rather than the broader mix of smaller apartment types commonly found in larger projects.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374010]

Resident amenity is concentrated at rooftop level, where landscaped entertaining terraces and pools take advantage of elevated views across Coolangatta and the Pacific Ocean.

The project has so far been particularly well received by local owner-occupiers and downsizers, according to Urban Activation Property Sales and Marketing Director Matt George, with the residential-only format, construction quality and northern park outlook among the features resonating with purchasers.

“The uninterrupted northern aspect overlooking Goodwin Park has been a key point of difference, with buyers attracted to the sense of serenity and open space the park provides, while still enjoying easy access to the ocean and being within walking distance of the lifestyle and amenities Coolangatta has to offer,” George said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374002]

“The combination of high-quality construction, a residential-only building, park outlook and proximity to the beach has resonated strongly with the local downsizer market.”

The Dixon Street address is within walking distance of Coolangatta Beach and the broader southern Gold Coast coastline, including the surf breaks at Snapper Rocks and Kirra. Coolangatta’s cafés, restaurants and retail are nearby, while Gold Coast Airport is also within close proximity.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150999]

Maréa Residences brings parkside apartments to Coolangatta

Melbourne developer PDG has secured Victorian Government approval for its $1.5 billion Southbank development <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-one-1-queens-bridge-street-southbank-vic-3006">The One</a>, clearing the way for the long-dormant riverfront site opposite Crown to finally be developed.

The Minister for Planning has approved the project at 1-29 Queens Bridge Street, with the Department of Transport and Planning issuing the planning permit following its assessment.

The approval will allow PDG to develop the prominent 5,059 sqm site with a major mixed-use tower comprising premium apartments, including branded residences, a luxury hotel and boutique office space.

PDG acquired the site in late 2024, with its position directly opposite Crown's main entrance and near Melbourne's Arts Precinct making it one of Southbank's most significant remaining development opportunities.

<img alt="PDG" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3933013e-6332-4386-b9be-089df05caf17" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%209.29.22%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=sITIgBqDL0N3VNSMwWEmF5UA.uvcsRyu" />

Designed by COX in collaboration with ODO and PDG, the tower's architecture draws on the movement of the Yarra River, with six vertical pleats running the height of the sculpted facade.

The project will also see the heritage-listed Queens Bridge Hotel restored and incorporated into the development&nbsp;with new hospitality and public uses, including a rooftop venue.

A significant component of The One will be its residential amenity.

More than 5,000 sqm of resident facilities will be delivered across a single level, making it one of the largest consolidated residential amenity offerings proposed in an Australian apartment development.

The planning approval also incorporates a major upgrade of Queensbridge Square, which PDG will deliver in partnership with the City of Melbourne.

<img alt="PDG" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="73167fcd-1031-4b6f-a408-a064cfe45ed1" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%209.29.17%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=Pf1AEWxw6SNmBqR0zQW5lyEze.MtxgFp" />

The existing square will be revitalised as a new civic and pedestrian space along the Yarra River, strengthening the connection between the project, Southbank and the riverfront.

PDG Founder and Managing Director Vince Giuliano said the approval represented a major milestone for a site which has remained largely underutilised for more than 15 years.

“This is the most significant Planning Permit approval Melbourne has seen in recent years,” Giuliano said.

“For more than 15 years, this site has remained underutilised. This approval enables us to deliver a project that will contribute meaningfully to the revitalisation of Southbank, restore and reactivate an important heritage building, and create a new civic and hospitality destination for Melbourne.”

The latest approval follows an earlier planning permit issued by the City of Melbourne covering demolition works across part of the site at 9-29 Queens Bridge Street. Those demolition and early works are already underway.

PDG has also started generating early interest in the residential component from owner-occupiers ahead of a planned public launch in early 2027.

PDG secures approval for $1.5bn Southbank apartment development, The One

Local developer Harridan is seeking to turn its Woolloongabba apartment project into the first stage of a broader transformation of Burke Street, using a new 16-storey mixed-use building to establish a greener pedestrian connection toward the rapidly evolving Boggo Road transport and knowledge precinct.

The South East Queensland developer has filed plans for 154 apartments on the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/4-burke-street-woolloongabba-qld-4102">southern side of Burke Street</a>, where its proposal has been designed alongside a wider vision by LatStudios for the street.

That vision positions the southern side of Burke Street for buildings of 15 storeys and above, while envisaging lower-rise development of up to five storeys on the northern side to transition into Woolloongabba's existing character housing. It also proposes wider pedestrian verges, deep planting, new street trees and upgrades to the pedestrian approach to Boggo Road Station.

The Harridan development itself has been designed by Brisbane-based Arqus Design and will comprise 154 apartments across 16 storeys. The mix is weighted heavily toward two-bedroom apartments, with 121 proposed alongside 10 one-bedroom and 23 three-bedroom residences. There will typically be around 14 units per floor.

A lower-ground car park and three podium levels will accommodate 156 resident parking spaces, along with visitor and commercial parking. There will also be 154 resident bicycle spaces and 40 visitor bicycle parks.

&nbsp;

Harridan is a family-owned developer and part of the Holmwood Highgate Group, with more than three decades of development activity across South East Queensland. Its portfolio spans residential, commercial and industrial property, with current residential projects including Riverbank on Byron in Bulimba, Esperance Residences in Carina and The Precinct at Kinross Road in Thornlands.

Wooloongabba has been popular for apartment developers, particularly since the announcement of the 2032 Summer Olympics games in Brisbane.

While there have been a lot of development applications, it has failed to materialize into real supply.&nbsp;

Sarazin has been the major player in the area. They are under construction at Murcia Residences, on the fringe of East Brisbane and Woolloongabba. They have just launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-stanley-residences-woolloongabba-8-trafalgar-street-woolloongabba-qld-4102">The Stanley Residences</a>, in Woolloongabba on Trafalagar Street. They also have Nuage coming soon on the nearby <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nuage-woolloongabba-14-wellington-road-woolloongabba-qld-4102">Wellington Road</a>.

First look: Harridan plans Burke Street transformation beside Boggo Road transport hub

Property market

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Queensland is tipped to replace New South Wales as the most optimistic state regarding the residential property market and lead the country for price and rental growth over the next two years, according to the NAB Residential Property Survey.
The NAB Residential Property Survey found market sentiment improved notably in Queensland and was less negative in SA/NT, softened in Victoria and NSW and fell to a new low in WA.
<a href="/images/2015/10/29/Screen%20Shot%202015-10-29%20at%2010.58.02%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2015/10/29/Screen%20Shot%202015-10-29%20at%2010.58.02%20AM.png" alt="">
NAB Group chief economist Alan Oster said the NAB Residential Property Index fell -7 to +10 points in the September quarter - its second consecutive fall - with the index now below its long-term average (+14 points), however it’s not all negative as the overall picture masks some big differences across individual state markets.
“The survey also suggests that yield compression will continue as capital growth outpaces rental growth in all states,” he said.
“Foreign buyers were notably more active in Victoria, where they accounted for just over 1 in 4 of all new property sales and around 1 in 7 sales of established homes.
"In established property markets, foreign buyers accounted for around 11.3% of all apartment sales and 9.5% of house sales. These ratios were significantly higher in Victoria, where foreign buyers accounted for around 1 in 5 of all established apartment sales and just over 1 in 6 houses.
The report noted expectations for national house price growth over the next 1-2 years were scaled back to 1.5% and 1.8%. 
"However, this also masked a notable improvement in Queensland, which is now predicted to be the leading state for capital growth in the next few years (2.6% &amp; 3.4%). In contrast, expectations were cut back in NSW (2.2% &amp; 1.8%) and Victoria (1.9% &amp; 1.9%), and remain weak in SA/NT (-0.2% &amp; 0.5%) and WA (-0.7% &amp; 0.4%)," it read.
"In 2016, the slowdown in average national house price growth to 2.3% is largely driven by a moderation in both Sydney and Melbourne prices growth. NAB Economics expects house price growth to decelerate in Sydney to 1.2%, while price growth in Melbourne will ease to 3%. Brisbane is tipped to see the fastest house price growth (4.5%), and the Adelaide market is expected to improve (2.4%). Perth will remain weak, although price declines are forecast to ease."
<a href="/images/2015/10/29/Screen%20Shot%202015-10-29%20at%2010.57.50%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
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mick.cee-iDmgDDAmu8

QLD to replace NSW as most optimistic: NAB

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Queensland's property market continued to operate at two speeds in September, with vacancy rates tight in the southeast corner while holding steady, albeit weaker, in the regions, REIQ data suggests.
The rental markets from Gympie south to the Gold Coast and west to Toowoomba are near historically tight levels, with vacancy at less than 1% in some parts of the Sunshine Coast.
REIQ CEO Antonia Mercorella said demand was rising and limited inventory meant the market was very tight, particularly in Caloundra and Noosa, with both areas registering a vacancy rate of 0.9% – the lowest in the state.
“We’re seeing strong demand for rental properties in these areas and while a small level of this demand is seasonal, it does mean good news for investors who have certainty around finding tenants for their properties,” she said.
Brisbane continued its long-term trend with a vacancy rate of 2.8%, still in the healthy range.
“We continue to see strong demand for dwellings in the Brisbane market and despite some commentators who suggest that we are facing a glut the data tells a different story,” Mercorella said.
“New apartments in Brisbane are reportedly being snapped up by investors and owner-occupiers, although the vacancy rate softened slightly to 3.3% from 3%.
“Local agents are telling us that in order to secure a tenant, rental incentives are being offered,” she said.
“Asking rental prices are also said to be softening in response to the level of supply, however, it is evident that tenant demand is still there.”
<a href="/images/2015/10/28/Screen%20Shot%202015-10-29%20at%208.14.35%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2015/10/28/Screen%20Shot%202015-10-29%20at%208.14.35%20AM.png" alt="">
 
The Gold Coast dropped to 1.7% from 2.3%, while the greater Sunshine Coast area edged lower to 1.3% from 1.6%.
Fraser Coast recorded a small dip to 3.7% from 3.8%, reflecting a trend towards a healthier investor market.
In Toowoomba, the rate dropped to 2.7% from 3.1%.
This reflects the strength of the region and the diversity of its local economy. Improving employment prospects are adding to local confidence with the second range crossing scheduled to begin construction in 2016.
Regular international freight flights out of the Brisbane West airport are also expected in the not so distant future.
Further north, the market is softer, with Gladstone's vacancy rate weakening to 7.1% from 5.2%.
Mercorella said the market in Gladstone was facing challenges, but with promised infrastructure projects emerging on the horizon a recovery was likely.
“With potential projects slated to go ahead, such as the Eden Bann Weir scheduled for next year and the Gladstone to Fitzroy River pipeline, employment should improve and with that, the property market.”
Further north, Rockhampton revealed a steadily improving picture as the vacancy rate improved to to 4.5% from 6%.
Mackay held steady at 9.1% for a second consecutive quarter.
According to local agents, despite the somewhat high vacancy levels, optimism was returning as employment prospects firmed.
“We are hearing that tenants are taking longer leases in response to better employment certainty and while it would be premature to suggest a turnaround was imminent we are confident in our position that the bottom has been reached,” Mercorella said.
In the state’s north, Townsville rose marginally to 5.6% from 5.3 percent.
Cairns was one of the best performing regional centres, with a drop to 2.6 percent from 2.7 percent, reflecting continued employment and improvements in the tourism market.
Mercorella said that overall, Queensland’s market was relatively solid compared with other states.
“The southeast corner is driving growth and this will eventually cascade throughout the rest of the state,” she said.
“We’re hearing that business confidence is improving in some regional centres as those economies diversify and manage the resources downturn impact.
“In Brisbane, consistently strong capital growth for the past two years gives us reason to be optimistic that equilibrium will be restored in the rest of the state,” she said.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Queensland's rental property market operating at two speeds

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The Australian Property Institute's proposal to modernise the organisation has received strong support from members.
At the API's extraordinary general meeting (EGM) in Adelaide, the motions passed with 90% of votes in favour.
At least 66% approval was needed to pass the resolutions, which include:
- the API to become a company limited by guarantee,
- and to adopt the proposed new constitution.
The new structure and governance is expected to come into effect from January 1, 2016.
"This is a real transition, a culture change from 2016 onwards, the API would serve the members, provide advocacy, develop and uphold professional standards," API chief executive Mike Zissler said.
API national president Tyrone Hodge would become chair of the new organisation until the AGM in May next year.
New members would also be nominated for election to the board at the meeting, with some current members staying to ensure continuity.
“There is still a lot of work to be done finalising charters, policies and guidelines, however, the outcome of the EGM is a tremendously positive step forward for the API," said Zissler.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

API members pass much needed modernisation reforms

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Melbourne's Newmarket Hotel will go under the hammer on November 12.
Redeveloped by the Melbourne Pub Group about three years ago, the <a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-hotel+leisure-vic-st+kilda-501723705" target="_blank">Newmarket Hotel </a>is a modern gastro pub with a basement lounge bar in bustling St Kilda.
It is on lease to the Dixon Hospitality Group for circa 25 years, including options.
The hotel earns a net rental income of nearly $365,000 per annum and is one of the best performing bayside food and beverage pubs.
“Prominently situated on Inkerman Street, the Newmarket Hotel is an iconic St Kilda watering hole, popular for its high-end pub fare and extensive selection of boutique beers on tap,” said CBRE Hotels’ Scott Callow, who along with Joseph Du Rieu, is the listing agent.
The hotel is set on more than 1,000 square metres of land.
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Premium St Kilda watering hole to go under the hammer

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Australia has set itself up for a classic property crash - and potentially take the economy with it - if our luck doesn't hold, the expatriate Professor Steve Keen has forecast.
Chinese buyers had given Australia's debt-booze-addled gamblers a possible out.
"Australians are now gambling on whether the fallout from China's crash will prick their own bubble, or inflate it once more," he suggested.
"In everywhere but Australia, I'm famous for predicting the 2008 crash," the UK based former Sydney professor told his recent Irish audience ahead of a conference next month.
"In Australia, I'm famous for being wrong about house prices - they rose after the crash, when I expected them to fall."
He says he partly got the cause right, but the direction of the cause wrong with his 2008 forecast.
"As the Irish know only too well, what really causes house prices to rise rapidly is too much mortgage debt, rising too quickly.
"House prices exploded here in the "Celtic Tiger" days, only to collapse when the mortgage bubble burst - bringing the economy down with it," <a href="https://www.independent.ie/world-news/asia-pacific/listen-is-that-the-sound-of-a-bubble-bursting-down-under-34137299" target="_blank">he wrote in the Irish Independent</a>.
Keen wrote that Australians avoided the nasty hangover "by the classic Antipodean method: they went for the 'Hair of the Dog' cure.
"Whereas the rest of the world unwound its mortgage debt, Australians piled into it - first in 2008 when the government turbocharged the market by doubling the grant it gave to first-home buyers, and then since 2012 when falling interest rates encouraged Baby Boomers to throw their so-called retirement savings into the housing market casino.
he said the Australian hangover cure worked, but at the expense of mortgaging Australia to the hilt.
When the crisis hit in 2008, Australian mortgage debt was already higher than in the USA: mortgage debt peaked at 72pc of GDP in America then, but Australia's level was 10pc higher again.
"Today, mortgage debt in the USA has fallen to 53pc of GDP-what wimps!
"The hard-drinking Australians now have a mortgage debt level of 91pc of GDP and rising."
"As any fan of the 'Hair of the Dog' cure knows, it only works if you keep drinking.
"So can Australians maintain their record for insobriety and keep imbibing from the Bar of the Banks?
Left to their own devices, I have little doubt that my ex-countrymen could keep knocking back the 4X of mortgage debt forever.
But as 'Hair of the Dog' devotees also know, one danger of this cure is that the bartender will eventually refuse to serve you.
"And that seems to be happening in Australia now ....with the policeman (the "Australian Prudential Regulation Authority") finally awoken from his slumber, and is now insisting on less alcohol in the brew-otherwise known as a lower loan to valuation ratio.
Kenn says these moves seem to be have blown the froth off the Australian market.
In the boom days, more than 80pc of properties were sold at auction, and frequently for well over their reserves.
Steve Keen noted the auction clearance rate appears to be heading further south.
"Prices are still rising, but the rate of price increase has slowed. 
As fans of rugby will appreciate, Australians can win on luck as well as talent.
"But it's only luck now that is keeping Australia from tasting the bitter brew that Ireland was forced to sip when the myth of the Celtic Tiger was exposed as a debt-drunkard's delusion.
"Australia has set itself up for a classic "Marsupial Tiger" crash.
"As the growth rate of mortgage debt slows, the market will come down and potentially take the economy with it.
"But Australians are relying on their other secret weapon: luck.
"Chinese buying of Australian real estate-partly as insurance against things going bad in China, partly to buy blue skies, which can't be bought in China for love nor money - has given Australia's debt-booze-addled gamblers a possible way to walk away from it all and appear sober rather than sozzled.
"However, China itself is going through its own property market crash, and there's no external force that will rescue its speculators from that fate.
"So Australians are now gambling on whether the fallout from China's crash will prick their own bubble, or inflate it once more."
Professor Steve Keen is just one of the many big names from the world of economics appearing at <a href="https://www.kilkenomics.com/" target="_blank">Kilkenomics</a>, called Davos with jokes, in two weeks' time.
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Australia faces property crash - taking the economy with it - if luck doesn't hold, Professor Steve Keen

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A seven-fold increase in infrastructure spend around Hobart is creating affordable real estate hotspots for investors and owner-occupiers, according to PRDnationwide Research. 
Especially houses and apartments in areas such as Howrah, Rokeby and Glenorchy, PRD's latest Hotspots report shows.
"With great affordability and major support in the form of large upcoming infrastructure spend, Hobart will become a hotspot for first time home buyers and investors alike," PRDnationwide national research manager Asti Mardiasmo anticipates.
Hobart is often considered the perennial under-performer of the Australian property market.
"In Hobart and its surrounding metro area, positive median price growth is evident for both house (5.2%) and units (2.7%)," Asti Mardiasmo said.
The median price of Hobart CBD and its immediate areas range between $500,000 - $800,000, with most expensive suburbs to be found south of the CBD and on the eastern shore.
<a href="/images/2015/10/28/Screen%20Shot%202015-10-28%20at%2010.56.59%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
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Earlier this month SQM Research director Louis Christopher said Hobart would be one of Australia's best-performing property markets in 2016.  
Price growth of houses in Howrah, a suburb across Derwent River and 12km from the CBD, was achieving annualised 2.8% growth in the year to September, up from just 0.5% six months earlier, the PRD report shows. 
Neighbouring Rokeby has had a 5.6% annualised boost to prices. Just six months ago, they were falling 5.3% a year.
"Historically an overlooked suburb, Rokeby is looking to gain future benefit from $13.6M of developments completed over the past financial year, and an additional $6.8M of projects in the next 12 months. Investors will do well in Rokeby with an average rental yield of 6.5%," the report said.
Claremont growth has pushed ahead to $253,750 median, up 6.4%. "Home of the Cadbury chocolate factory and located north of the Hobart CBD, Claremont affords a more quiet lifestyle alternative to inner city living at an affordable entry price. With a 10.1% growth in median price over the past 12 months and 6.3% rental yield, it is a highly desirable area," the report says.
In Glenorchy in the city's north unit prices, which were falling at an annual pace of 7.1% six months ago, have turned around and are now gaining at an annualised 5.1%. The median unit price in Glenorchy is $205,000. 
Bridgewater on Greater Hobart's northern edge, where units that six months earlier were growing at a pace of 0.5%, are rising at 9.9% rate with the median unit price at $155,000, the PRD report shows as one of the strongest market segments. 
<a href="/images/2015/10/28/Screen%20Shot%202015-10-28%20at%2010.59.44%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2015/10/28/Screen%20Shot%202015-10-28%20at%2010.59.44%20AM.png" alt="">
"Bridgewater offers an affordable alternative to the inner city markets, yet also recording high growth of 15.7% over the past 12 months.
"There is a wide range of dwelling types within the area suiting both investors and first home buyers.
"Investors do well in Bridgewater with an average yield of 7.5%."
<a href="/images/2015/10/28/Screen%20Shot%202015-10-28%20at%2010.49.55%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
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Is Hobart the next hotspot? PRD think so

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The three bedroom Redfern terrace of the film and television producer Sandra Levy has been sold for $1.89 million through Nick Gill at Bresic Whitney.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-redfern-119246643" target="_blank">The terrace</a> was bought by the Business Council of Australia president, Catherine Livingstone and chartered accountant husband Michael Satterthwaite who've quickly secured a $1300 weekly rental for their second investment terrace in the suburb. 
Levy who paid $1.42 million in 2010 is off to the Jasper, St Margarets complex in Surry Hills. 
Great Buckingham Street was described in the marketing as the suburb's best street. 
Livingstone has held influential positions in some of the country’s major companies including Macquarie Bank and Telstra.
This article was first published in the Saturday Daily Telegraph.
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Sandra Levy sells to director Catherine Livingstone

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A new Deloitte report says that while negative gearing gets the blame, it is the 50% capital gains tax discount that has been mostly under-appreciated for frenetic property speculation.
Doubling the length of time an asset has to be held before it is eligible for a capital gains tax break - from 12 months to 24 months - was an option that needed consideration, the report suggested. 
Another options suggested for reform included reducing the size of the discount to 33.3 %. 
"The current . . . discount is too generous, to the extent that it undermines the very principles of this nation's progressive income tax system," the Deloitte report says.
It suggests 33.3% as this is what super funds are eligible to receive. 
Currently capital gains on an asset sold within 12 months are not eligible for any CGT discount.
It is the second "myth-busting" report released by Deloitte as part of its contribution to the tax reform debate.
While overused, negative gearing was not the "evil" force many believe it to be, the report advised. Shares and other assets can also be negatively geared.
Another "skeleton in the closet" for the Australian taxation system are the carried-forward capital losses, the report suggested.
The ATO calculates carried forward losses as at 2012-13 at $8 billion for individuals, $35 billion for companies and $33 billion for super funds.
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Capital gains tax discount more to blame for property bubble than negative gearing

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The overwhelming weight of expert commentary has rubbished Macquarie Bank’s forecast of major price decline in the next 12 months. 
Some media has presented Macquarie’s simplistic analysis, based on Australian as a single property market with a very specific price prediction, as the gospel according to irrefutable economists. But most coverage has been a counter-attack from credible commentators presenting more considered and realistic views of next year’s markets.
Aussie Home Loans chief John Symond said "there's buckley's chance of a price correction." As Property Observer reported on 22 October, Symond told a Sydney investment conference that Sydney's market was nearing its peak, <a href="/news/sydneys-booming-residential-property-market-was-nearing-peak-john-symond">with “steam coming out of the market and sanity coming in”</a>, and predicted a more flat market – but no across-the-board decreases.
And he observed, quite correctly, that there would be differences from one area to the next. "Hot areas will still see a 7-9% gain, in other areas you might see 3-4% and in some other areas a 5% drop," he said. "You have to do your homework." 
Yes, indeed. That is a far more reasoned assessment of the near future than Macquarie’s prediction of a blanket 7.5% decline, apparently everywhere.
Louis Christopher of SQM Research has predicted house price growth in 2016 but at a slower pace than recent years. As an experienced analyst, he knows better than to make a generalised forecast that covers the whole nation as a single market. He has different forecasts for each city and includes three different forecast scenarios in each case, dependent on key events including economic growth, interest rates and the value of the Australian dollar.
In the latest edition of Housing Boom and Bust Report from SQM Research, he predicted Sydney prices will rise between 4% and 9% next year. Melbourne is forecast to overtake Sydney and be the best-performing capital city in 2016 with a rise of between 8% and 13%. 
Christopher said the market overall is unlikely to see price decline for a number of reasons, including the Australian dollar, which is tipped to stay at current low levels or fall further, providing a buffer to the economy and the housing market. 
Raine &amp; Horne executive chairman Angus Raine believes the Macquarie prediction is difficult to substantiate given the current performance of major property markets. He said the level of demand for property and the depth to the market do not indicate a major correction.
Veronica Morgan, the principal of Good Deeds Property Buyers based in Sydney’s inner west, quite rightly criticised the bank for broadcasting the prediction without considering markets on a micro scale.
“It really annoys me when bank PR people get hold of some economic data and suddenly an impending drop in the property market is front-page news,” she said. “Why can I say that this latest prediction will not come true? Because there is really no such thing as an Australian property market. Look at any national property data and you will see that no two capital cities perform in the same way. 
“And then there are regional markets that all have their own cycles to consider. So how can anybody make a claim that the entire country is over-priced or ready for a fall? Even within Sydney there are dozens, probably hundreds, of micro markets."
Business commentator Peter Switzer said the bank forecast "bordered on being stupid", while Andrew Wilson, the senior economist at Domain's Australian Property Monitors, said it was “unbelievably unlikely”.
Wilson noted that, in the past decade, there had not been any national annual drops of more than 5%. “Even in periods where we had prices falling, such as during 2008 when it was the global financial crisis, the national house price fell by just under 4%,” Wilson said. 
Stockland chief Mark Steinert expects house prices to continue to rise next year. His forecast is 3% to 5%.
"There has been quite a lot of talk going on for quite a long time now about the imminent downturn in housing, but no one has mentioned that it hasn't actually eventuated," Steinert told a Property Council lunch in Melbourne. 
"The reality is the economy in Australia is growing at a moderate level of around 2.5%. We have a low Australian dollar, continued population growth (albeit at a slower rate) and metro housing markets that are generally under-supplied. These are not the pre-conditions for some sort of general correction in housing."
There have numerous other commentators on the issue and the general theme is that there will be price growth in 2016 - but, in the case of Sydney especially, the rate of growth will be less.
An alternative view has come from accident-prone Shane Oliver, AMP Capital’s chief economist, who is predicting price decline but not until 2017.
Oliver has probably the worst track record of any economist in predicting real estate events. I could fill several pages with examples, but basically he believes housing is “over-valued” and has been predicting a significant correction for most of the past 10 years.
He clearly is one of those, not unlike another failed forecaster Steve Keen, who believes that if you keep making the same prediction year after year, you’ll eventually get it right.
So Shameless Shane was out there in the media again recently expounding his bubble theories, with claims of over-valuation of housing and predictions that property prices would fall “between 5% and 10%” - which might happen “around 2017”.
 
Terry Ryder is the founder of <a href="https://www.hotspotting.com.au/" target="_blank">hotspotting.com.au</a>. You can <a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au" target="_blank">email him</a> or follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/hotspotting" target="_blank">Twitter.</a>
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terryryder-YECXbqmri2

Experts rubbish Macquarie Bank's price decline forecast: Terry Ryder

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The Hodges estate agency has been named winner of the best website award by the Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV).
Hodges attributed the win to their recent rebranding after a complete rebuild in 2015.
The site’s audience is predominantly mobile, so the design factored in tablets and smartphones. 
The go-digital approach resulted in a significant rise in hits to the website in the past 12 months, with 303,828 views so far in 2015.
“I am incredibly proud to be a part of Hodges leading the industry," Hodges CEO Carmel Baker said. 
In its 21st year, the REIV Awards considered more than 250 submissions, with Hodges in the top three finalists for the Communications Award, Best Website Award, and Residential Property Manager of the Year (Principals).
Under their new CEO Baker, Hodges expects to increase its franchise presence around the bay from Point Nepean to Queenscliff by 50 percent in the next 12 months.
Established in 1856, Hodges is one of Melbourne’s oldest real estate agencies.
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