<p><strong>IN BRIEF</strong></p>

<ul>
	<li>
	<p>Just three double-storey Sky Homes sit at the top of The Waterline, each with its own private marina berth and rooftop terrace.</p>
	</li>
	<li>
	<p>Construction on The Waterline is complete, with the first residents expected to move in from mid-October.</p>
	</li>
	<li>
	<p>Sky Homes range from 282 sqm to 367 sqm and are priced from $3.65 million.</p>
	</li>
</ul>

<hr />
<p>Lewis Land has opened the first completed sky home for inspection at Harbour Shores, giving buyers their first opportunity to step inside one of just three double-storey residences crowning The Waterline.</p>

<p>Each sky home comes with its own private marina berth, rooftop terrace and Broadwater views, combining the scale of a larger home with direct access to the boating lifestyle that underpins the wider <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/harbour-shores-biggera-waters-564-oxley-drive-biggera-waters-qld-4216">Harbour Shores</a> masterplan.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=113271 project_image_fid=366708]</p>

<p>Lewis Land Head of Development Michael Long said the inclusion of a berth with every Sky Home had become increasingly valuable as marina access across the Gold Coast tightened.</p>

<p>“Marina berths are becoming increasingly difficult to secure across the Gold Coast, so including one with every Sky Home makes this a genuinely rare offering,” Long said.</p>

<p>“The private 70-berth marina will accommodate boats up to 12 metres in length and is positioned just 2.5 kilometres from the Broadwater, placing the open ocean only 15 minutes away.</p>

<p>“Being able to step out of your home onto your boat is a rare luxury, and it’s something residents here can look forward to when it opens later this year.”</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=113271 project_image_fid=366709]</p>

<p>The display opening comes as construction completes on The Waterline, with the first residents expected to move in from mid-October.</p>

<p>The three Sky Homes range from 282 sqm to 367 sqm and each feature three bedrooms, three bathrooms, multiple living zones, expansive kitchens with butler's pantries and large balconies taking in the Broadwater outlook.</p>

<p>Each residence also has three secure basement car spaces and additional storage.</p>

<p>“This is the first opportunity the Gold Coast has had to step into Harbour Shores and see, touch and feel what we’re bringing to life here,” Long said.</p>

<p>“There are only three Sky Homes within The Waterline, ranging in size from 282sqm to 367sqm, with each residence featuring three large bedrooms, three bathrooms, multiple living zones, expansive custom-built kitchens with butler’s pantry, and large balconies capturing Broadwater views.”</p>

<p><img alt="Harbour Shores" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bab65e10-4fab-45e1-92d8-fc56e2ab98ff" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-25%20at%202.00.16%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=XT8q76LsPkw3cYTsvN3JfFDaPLud90PN" /></p>

<p>Residents of The Waterline will have access to a private pool, along with Harbour Shores' wider collection of amenity including a lagoon pool, social clubhouse, tennis court, gym, yoga facilities and sauna.</p>

<p>Lewis Land partnered with Studio Collective to furnish the completed display, with the interiors designed to demonstrate how the residences could function as permanent homes rather than simply as show apartments.</p>

<p>Studio Collective Director Melissa Park said the surrounding waterways informed the interiors, but in a more restrained way than a traditional coastal scheme.</p>

<p>“We drew inspiration from the canals and coastal surrounds, but our approach was to interpret that subtly through layered materials and a grounded palette of earthy tones, rather than literal coastal references,” Park said.</p>

<p>“We introduced hero moments of green and teal to reference the surrounding waterways, while mirrored elements help reflect natural light.</p>

<p>“The result is a residence that feels elevated yet comfortable, somewhere buyers can genuinely imagine themselves living, entertaining and unwinding.”</p>

<p>Sky Homes are priced from $3.65 million.</p>

<p>Lewis Land is also offering private marina berths with The Residences, its limited collection of three and four-bedroom villas positioned directly along the Harbour Shores waterfront boardwalk.</p>

<p>Three-bedroom villas are priced from $2.99 million, while four-bedroom residences start from $3.19 million.</p>

<p>Harbour Shores is being marketed by Colliers International.</p>

<p data-end="555" data-start="341">[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=113271]</p>


Joel Robinson

Lewis Land opens sky home display as The Waterline completes at Harbour Shores

<p data-end="387" data-start="97">St Vincent de Paul Society Housing Australia has filed plans for a major mixed-use housing precinct on the southern edge of the North Sydney CBD, adding another significant proposal to a pocket around North Sydn​ey Station that is quickly becoming one of the LGA's busiest development zones.</p>

<p data-end="697" data-start="389">The State Significant Development Application covers a 5,990 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/1-19-mackenzie-street-lavender-bay-nsw-2060">1-19 MacKenzie Street and 211 Blues Point Road in Lavender Bay</a>, immediately south of Nor​th Sydney Station and between the commercial core and the lower-rise Lavender Bay Heritage Conservation Area.</p>

<p data-end="925" data-start="699">Designed by Wardle, the proposal would deliver a new residential tower comprising 88 build-to-sell apartments and 19 affordable apartments, alongside a separate co-living building with 57 rooms and a building manager's studio.</p>

<p data-end="1217" data-start="927">It would also see the significant restoration and upgrade of St Francis Xavier Catholic Church, the adaptive reuse of the former school building, new parish facilities, retail, a new public square and around 1,000 sqm of publicly accessible open space.</p>

<p data-end="1217" data-start="927"><img alt="Vinnies North Sydney" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d5dd7f87-a617-463e-b577-17541e01f0e9" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%209.10.13%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=4R8TsFN3P_LrrXO2HswTOIrx2blil8lh" /></p>

<p data-end="1538" data-start="1219">The project is seeking a concurrent rezoning of the site to R4 High Density Residential and an increase in the maximum building height to allow a tower reaching RL120, or up to 20 storeys. The proposal was progressed through the NSW Government's Housing Delivery Authority pathway.</p>

<p data-end="1723" data-start="1540">The build-to-sell component will be weighted toward larger apartments, with just six one-bedroom apartments compared with 31 two-beds, 43 three-beds and eight four-bedroom residences.</p>

<p data-end="2063" data-start="1725">The 19 affordable apartments will comprise two studios, 15 one-bedroom apartments and two two-bedroom apartments, taking the total apartment component to 107 residences before the 58 co-living rooms are included.</p>

<p data-end="2063" data-start="1725"><img alt="Vnnies" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7d568ca5-cb90-4e18-96c6-d9795dba0c56" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%209.10.05%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=GY2R5M9VtQh0EKy1vajaea19PSLOPuRD" /></p>

<p data-end="2205" data-start="2065">Wardle's design for the Vinnies site has sought to negotiate that emerging high-rise context while retaining the lower-scale character of MacKenzie Street and the adjoining heritage conservation area.</p>

<p data-end="4244" data-start="4087">The main building adopts a three-storey podium and tower arrangement, with the podium aligned to the ridgeline and front setback of St Francis Xavier Church.&nbsp;Wardle has designed the podium with colonnades, seating, recessed entries and active ground-floor frontages, with sandstone-toned precast concrete and face brick referencing the materiality of the existing church.</p>

<p data-end="4598" data-start="4246">The tower then steps back eight metres to the south and six metres to the north before rising in a sculpted form comprising four interlocking quadrants. Wardle has also introduced rounded forms and chamfered corners to reduce the tower's perceived bulk and improve view sharing with neighbouring development sites.</p>

<p data-end="4798" data-start="4600">Resident facilities and outdoor areas are planned at the separation between the podium and tower at Level 3, oriented toward Sydney Harbour and the CBD skyline.</p>

<p data-end="4798" data-start="4600">The tower itself will feature a glass reinforced concrete facade, with recessed balconies and deep reveals used both to provide shading and privacy and frame views toward the harbour and city. The lower levels take a different architectural approach, using brick and sandstone-toned finishes intended to establish a stronger relationship with St Francis Xavier Church. The Church itself will be conserved and upgraded for its continued use, while the former school building will be adaptively reused as part of the co-living component.</p>

<p data-end="5032" data-start="4800"><img alt="Lavendar Bay" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2d4418ad-90aa-4d49-af93-c80b140aea80" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%209.09.47%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=Kv4gzbsACaGvZSRuaqcfGC54jEJRXIDJ" /></p>

<p data-end="5486" data-start="5211">&nbsp;</p>

<p data-end="2205" data-start="2065">The proposal adds to an increasingly concentrated pipeline of residential development around Blue Street, MacKenzie Street and Lavender Bay.</p>

<p data-end="2375" data-start="2207">Just west of the site, Central Element lodged plans earlier this year for one of the most significant residential developments proposed in Lavender Bay in recent years.</p>

<p data-end="2712" data-start="2377">Central Element's SJB-designed scheme at 64-66 Lavender Street and 3-7 Middlemiss Street would deliver 163 apartments across two towers rising 23 and 32 storeys, replacing five existing apartment buildings containing 32 homes. The project also forms part of the Housing Delivery Authority pathway.</p>

<p data-end="2751" data-start="2714"><em><a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-central-element-reveals-lavender-bay-apartment-plans?utm_source=chatgpt.com" rel="noopener" target="_blank">First look: Central Element reveals Lavender Bay apartment plans</a></em></p>

<p data-end="2865" data-start="2753">Immediately around North Sy​dney Station, another two significant proposals have emerged at 5 and 15 Blue Street.</p>

<p data-end="3067" data-start="2867">Zurich Australian Insurance Properties is seeking to adaptively reuse its longstanding commercial building at 5 Blue Street, directly above North Sydney Station, rather than demolishing the structure.</p>

<p data-end="3379" data-start="3069">Its SSDA proposes converting the building into a 14-storey mixed-use development with 62 apartments and 86 co-living rooms, together with ground-floor retail and a major refurbishment of Blue Street Plaza. The application is currently at the Response to Submissions stage.</p>

<p data-end="3379" data-start="3069"><a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-zurich-targets-north-sydney-office-conversion-with-148-unit-proposal-above-metro-station"><em>First look: Zurich targets North Sydney office conversion with 148-unit proposal above Metro station</em></a></p>

<p data-end="3883" data-start="3659">&nbsp;</p>


First look: Vinnies files for 20-storey Lavender Bay apartment tower as North Sydney housing pocket heats up

<p data-end="540" data-start="324">When the opportunity arose for South Australian developer Palumbo to return to Kent Town, where it had previously delivered East Park Apartments and the East<br />
Rundle Apartments, it wasn't one the longstanding developer-builder was going to pass up.</p>

<p data-end="680" data-start="542">The decision was quickly vindicated, with more than 30 apartments sold within the first month of launching <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/royal-apartments-kent-town-2-8-north-terrace-kent-town-sa-5067">Royal Apartments</a> to the market.</p>

<p data-end="909" data-start="682">The 206-apartment development, which will bring significant new supply to Adelaide's tightly held eastern city fringe, also gives <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/palumbo">Palumbo</a> the opportunity to bring new life to one of Kent Town's most recognisable watering holes.</p>

<p data-end="909" data-start="682">[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376073]</p>

<p data-end="1076" data-start="911">Royal Apartments incorporates the historic Royal Hotel, a venue Palumbo Managing Director Daniel Palumbo said has a longstanding connection with the local community.</p>

<p data-end="1166" data-start="1078">"Everyone in the area has history with the Royal Hotel," Palumbo told Apartments.com.au.</p>

<p data-end="1257" data-start="1168">"It was quite an active pub and social gathering place for locals. We want to bring it back to its former glory."</p>

<p data-end="1257" data-start="1168">[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376072]</p>

<p data-end="1406" data-start="1259">The wider development will comprise two residential towers alongside the restored hotel, sitting on North Terrace opposite the Adelaide Park Lands.</p>

<p data-end="1475" data-start="1408">For Palumbo, the project also marks a return to familiar territory.</p>

<p data-end="1671" data-start="1477">The developer completed East Park Apartments next door more than a decade ago and jumped at the opportunity to develop in Kent Town again when the Royal Hotel site became available.</p>

<p data-end="1726" data-start="1673">"The opportunity emerged, and we moved to secure the site," Palumbo said.</p>

<p data-end="1874" data-start="1728">"We were approached by the previous landowner, who said they had extensive commitments in Sydney and weren't in a position to deliver the project.</p>

<p data-end="2025" data-start="1876">"We took over the site and within six months recut the design scheme to be more in keeping with the type of development we want to bring to Adelaide.</p>

<p data-end="2111" data-start="2027">"Now we're on the market and those changes have really resonated with local buyers."</p>

<p data-end="2225" data-start="2113">That has translated into a strong start to sales, with 33 apartments transacting in the project's first 35 days.</p>

<p data-end="2383" data-start="2227">Palumbo said the early purchaser profile had been consistent with the group's traditional focus on owner-occupiers rather than investor-led apartment stock.</p>

<p data-end="2446" data-start="2385">"Local owner-occupiers have always been our market," he said.</p>

<p data-end="2602" data-start="2448">"There are always some investors, but we've never developed what would be called traditional development stock. Owner-occupiers are very much our market."</p>

<p data-end="2602" data-start="2448">[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376068]</p>

<p data-end="2742" data-start="2604">The buyer mix has been diverse so far, with downsizers and younger professionals both accounting for a significant portion of early sales.</p>

<p data-end="3013" data-start="2744">South Australia's current stamp duty settings, which allow&nbsp;eligible homeowners in South Australia aged 60 savings of up to $103,830 on stamp duty when they downsize to a new property valued at up to $2 million,&nbsp;have helped encourage downsizer activity, while younger buyers in their late 20s and early 30s have been attracted to the opportunity to live immediately outside the CBD while still being able to walk into the city.</p>

<p data-end="3013" data-start="2744"></p>

<p data-end="3065" data-start="3015">Location has been a major part of the proposition for both buyer cohorts.</p>

<p data-end="3065" data-start="3015">[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376075]</p>

<p data-end="3250" data-start="3067">Royal Apartments sits on North Terrace directly opposite the Adelaide Park Lands, with residents able to walk through the parklands toward the East End, Rundle Street and Rundle Mall.</p>

<p data-end="3376" data-start="3252">Apartments have been positioned to capture views across the parklands, Adelaide skyline, Botanic Gardens and Adelaide Hills.</p>

<p data-end="3516" data-start="3378">Palumbo believes the scarcity of developable land along this section of the Park Lands makes the site particularly difficult to replicate.</p>

<p data-end="3592" data-start="3518">"There's very few allotments on that side that can be developed," he said.</p>

<p data-end="3714" data-start="3594">"If this location was in New York and you were sitting on Central Park, you'd be talking about a $60 million apartments."</p>

<p data-end="3861" data-start="3716">Royal Apartments will offer a broad mix of residences, ranging from one-bedroom apartments through to four-bedroom sub-penthouses and penthouses.</p>

<p data-end="4004" data-start="3863">Current listings include one-bedroom apartments from $680,000, while larger three and four-bedroom residences are priced around $2.5 million.</p>

<p data-end="4145" data-start="4006">Residents will have access to a swimming pool, gym, barbecue and recreation areas, residents' lounge and dining space, and a communal deck.</p>

<p data-end="4145" data-start="4006">[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376067]</p>

<p data-end="4273" data-start="4147">The apartments will feature generous balconies, while secure parking, bicycle storage and storage cages will also be provided.</p>

<p data-end="4480" data-start="4275">A porte-cochère-style arrival and drop-off area has also resonated with buyers, particularly those attracted to being able to walk into the CBD during the day while retaining secure vehicle access at home.</p>

<p data-end="4650" data-start="4482">Palumbo is acting as developer, architect and builder on Royal Apartments, continuing the vertically integrated model it has used across its South Australian portfolio.</p>

<p data-end="4785" data-start="4652">The group was also behind the $150 million Sofitel Adelaide, the 251-room five-star hotel and residential tower which opened in 2021.</p>

<p data-end="4889" data-start="4787">Palumbo said Royal's launch had come at an interesting time for the broader Adelaide apartment market.</p>

<p data-end="5144" data-start="4891">Buyer confidence had initially been impacted by uncertainty surrounding the Federal Budget and broader economic conditions, but Palumbo believes sentiment is beginning to improve against a backdrop of significant investment flowing into South Australia.</p>

<p data-end="5305" data-start="5146">He pointed to increased activity across defence and resources, including Olympic Dam, as potential long-term drivers of the state's economy and housing market.</p>

<p data-end="5378" data-start="5307">"Money is starting to flow into Adeliade, significant amounts as Adelaide bucks the trend of the rest of the country.," Palumbo said.</p>

<p data-end="5495" data-start="5380">"There's a lot of activity in the economy over the next decade. I think more investment will come into this market."</p>

<p data-end="5650" data-start="5497">Early works on Royal Apartments are expected to commence this year, with major construction activity and cranes anticipated on site from early next year.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=6109]</p>

Palumbo's return to Kent Town strikes early chord with buyers

<p>Go-to builder-developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/graya">GRAYA</a> is continuing to bulk out its already impressive and diverse apartment portfolio across South East Queensland. Their latest milestone is securing development approval for Silk, its boutique riverfront apartment development in St Lucia.</p>

<p>The approval clears&nbsp;the way for the team to begin construction planning for the 22-residence project.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/silk-st-lucia-16-18-sandford-street-st-lucia-qld-4067">Silk</a> will rise 15 levels from an 810 sqm site at 16-18 Sandford Street, occupying a prominent bend of the Brisbane River with a prized northern aspect across Orleigh Park toward the Brisbane CBD.</p>

<p>The approved scheme will comprise 16 split-floor and six full-floor residences, continuing GRAYA's move into larger-format apartment developments targeting Brisbane's prestige owner-occupier market.</p>

<p>The project has been designed around the site's broad river frontage and dual-direction views, with GRAYA prioritising larger residences, privacy and outlook over apartment yield.</p>

<p><img alt="Silk St Lucia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="aa5c2349-f96c-4914-a812-1f2cd6827af8" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%208.25.44%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=WY0vEU_7vYjeRJKQHiCwFdMxu8PvFh52" /></p>

<p>GRAYA Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Rob Gray said the project had been shaped around local homeowners wanting to remain in St Lucia without maintaining a traditional family home.</p>

<p>"St Lucia is one of those suburbs people do not want to leave," Gray said.</p>

<p>"They know the river, the trees, UQ, the golf course, Toowong and Indooroopilly, and that familiarity is hard to replace.</p>

<p>"True riverfront opportunities here are exceptionally scarce. What we have designed at Silk is a way to stay in the suburb people love, with the scale and privacy of a private home and far less to maintain.</p>

<p>"This is not typical apartment product. It is a proper home on the river, and that is exactly what this market has been missing."</p>

<p>The approval comes as new apartment development continues to increase across the St Lucia and neighbouring Toowong corridor, although direct riverfront sites remain considerably more tightly held.</p>

<p>GRAYA Co-founder and Managing Director Andrew Gray said securing the approval had removed a significant element of development risk from Silk.</p>

<p>"Genuine riverfront sites of this quality in St Lucia are not something that comes up regularly," Gray said.</p>

<p>"The approval removes a substantial layer of execution risk, and the location underwrites demand in a way very few inner-city sites can.</p>

<p>"The fundamentals here are as strong as anything we have assessed in Brisbane."</p>

<p><img alt="Silk St Lucia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d0f3d734-65e1-48e8-8ed3-2e0715ffcdd9" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%208.25.56%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=sOLSs_jdHkXLWbBKzRyayf5BfTb2vPsD" /></p>

<p>Silk will see GRAYA return to a stretch of the Brisbane River where it already has recent construction experience. The vertically integrated group recently completed ARC in neighbouring Toowong as builder for developer Spyre, delivering the riverfront project on a constrained site.</p>

<p>GRAYA will take a different role at Silk, controlling the project from design and development through construction and aftercare under its vertically integrated model.</p>

<p>The development will include a gym and resident leisure areas at ground level, integrated with the river's edge.</p>

<p>Silk joins a growing pipeline for GRAYA across Brisbane and the Gold Coast, which includes Enclave, The Gallery, Coral and Ripple.</p>

<p>The developer-builder has also recently lodged plans for its largest project to date, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-silo-19-chester-street-newstead-qld-4006">The Silo</a>, a proposed <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/graya-buys-frasers-newstead-site-plans-the-silo-between-james-street-and-gasworks-precincts">$700 million mixed-use development</a> in Brisbane's James Street precinct.</p>

<p>Silk is expected to predominantly target local owner-occupiers and prestige buyers seeking a permanent riverfront home in Brisbane's inner west.</p>

<p>Registrations of interest are now open, with further details on the project and construction program to be released as it progresses.</p>

<hr />
<h2>SILK PROJECT FACTS</h2>

<p>Developer-builder: GRAYA</p>

<p>Project: Silk</p>

<p>Location: 16-18 Sandford Street, St Lucia</p>

<p>Apartments: 22</p>

<p>Built form: 15 levels</p>

<p>Site: 810 sqm riverfront holding</p>

<p>Mix: 16 split-floor and six full-floor residences</p>

<p>Status: Development approved</p>

<p>Next step: Construction planning underway</p>

<p>[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152168]</p>


GRAYA greenlit for riverfront St Lucia apartment development, Silk

<p data-end="568" data-start="388">Abadeen has released the whole-floor penthouse crowning its recently completed <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/park-residences-cremorne-2-sutherland-street-cremorne-nsw-2090">Park Residences</a> development in Cremorne, bringing the near-300 sqm residence to market for the first time.</p>

<p data-end="803" data-start="570">Occupying the entire top floor of the boutique Lower North Shore development, the penthouse includes 221 sqm of internal living and a 74 sqm wraparound terrace, with a prized north-facing aspect taking in views across Middle Harbour.</p>

<p data-end="1041" data-start="805">The residence has been completed and fully furnished following a collaboration between Abadeen Executive Chairman Justin Brown and internationally recognised interior designer Jack Freeman, Founder and Managing Director of FREEMAN &amp; CO.</p>

<p data-end="1239" data-start="1043"><a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/abadeen">Abadeen</a> and Freeman approached the penthouse as a finished home, sourcing furniture, artwork, lighting and objects from Australia and overseas.</p>

<p data-end="1239" data-start="1043">[smartcode_project:default project_id=114246 project_image_fid=378718]</p>

<p data-end="1459" data-start="1241">Pieces from Parisian design house Pierre Augustin Rose sit alongside contemporary artworks and bespoke lighting, with Freeman drawing on recent visits to PAD Paris and Salone del Mobile Milano for the final collection.</p>

<p data-end="1582" data-start="1461">Brown said the aim was to create a penthouse that felt more like a large-scale private home than a traditional apartment.</p>

<p data-end="1777" data-start="1584">"The experience begins the moment the lift doors open. You're welcomed into an elegant dining room before the home opens into an extraordinary living space framed by sun-drenched harbour views.</p>

<p data-end="2018" data-start="1779">"Every time someone walks through the front door they pause. It's not just the view, it's the incredible sense of space, the warmth created by the northern sunlight that fills the interiors, and the way every room connects so effortlessly.</p>

<p data-end="2245" data-start="2020">"It has all the proportions of a luxury home, while delivering the effortless lifestyle and personalised experience of living in a world-class six-star hotel, combined with the simplicity and convenience of apartment living."</p>

<p data-end="2245" data-start="2020">[smartcode_project:default project_id=114246 project_image_fid=378713]</p>

<p data-end="2438" data-start="2247">A secure lift provides exclusive access to the penthouse level, opening to a dedicated arrival foyer and dining area before the residence expands into its main living and entertaining spaces.</p>

<p data-end="2577" data-start="2440">Floor-to-ceiling glazing runs across the northern side of the home, connecting the interiors with the terrace and Middle Harbour outlook.</p>

<p data-end="2772" data-start="2579">The penthouse also features a fireplace and substantial chef's kitchen, while the wraparound terrace has been designed to accommodate both everyday outdoor living and larger-scale entertaining.</p>

<p data-end="2245" data-start="2020">[smartcode_project:default project_id=114246 project_image_fid=378720]</p>

<p data-end="2245" data-start="2020">Freeman said the interiors had been deliberately kept restrained to complement the scale, natural light and outlook already established by the architecture.</p>

<p data-end="2996" data-start="2932">"The penthouse is a serene study in quiet luxury," Freeman said.</p>

<p data-end="3264" data-start="2998">"The interior pairs soft, sculptural forms with warm timber, pale stone and a restrained neutral palette. Curated artwork and metallic accents add depth, while abundant natural light creates a calm, effortlessly refined atmosphere. In my world, less is always more."</p>

<p data-end="3384" data-start="3266">Freeman said the approach was centred around collecting individual pieces rather than simply decorating the apartment.</p>

<p data-end="3531" data-start="3386">"Every material, every object and every piece of furniture has been curated with intention. I am a true believer in collecting versus decorating.</p>

<p data-end="3823" data-start="3533">"The architecture already provided extraordinary natural light, remarkable volume and an uninterrupted connection to Middle Harbour. Our role was to complement those qualities with unique one-of-a-kind pieces of fine art and collectible design sourced from recent travels around the world."</p>

<p data-end="3823" data-start="3533">[smartcode_project:default project_id=114246 project_image_fid=378694]</p>

<p data-end="3986" data-start="3825">Among the collection are solid bronze sculptures by Lorenzo Quinn, alongside a curated crystalware collection and pieces sourced from international design fairs.</p>

<p data-end="4199" data-start="3988">Park Residences sits opposite Cammeray Golf Club, Cammeray Croquet Club and Grand Slam Tennis Cammeray, around 300 metres from Neutral Bay Village and its established collection of restaurants, cafés and retail.</p>

<p data-end="4370" data-start="4201">Brown said the combination of a whole-floor floorplan, northern aspect and proximity to Neutral Bay was becoming increasingly difficult to find on the Lower North Shore.</p>

<p data-end="4516" data-start="4372">"Completed whole-floor penthouses with a sun-drenched north-facing aspect and sweeping Middle Harbour views are exceptionally rare," Brown said.</p>

<p data-end="4717" data-start="4518">"Add a quiet position opposite golf, croquet and tennis facilities, a level walk to Neutral Bay Village and only minutes to the CBD, and you have a lifestyle that's incredibly difficult to replicate.</p>

<p data-end="4883" data-start="4719">"This is a home that offers the privacy and generosity of a luxury residence together with the convenience of one of Sydney's best-connected harbourside locations."</p>

<p data-end="4947" data-start="4885">The penthouse will be exclusively marketed by SRM Residential.</p>

<p data-end="4947" data-start="4885">[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=114246]</p>


Abadeen unveils penthouse at Park Residences in Cremorne

Property market

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<p>SPONSORED POST</p>
<p>As an investor, you’ll want to minimise the amount of tax you pay on your rental property and ensure the process of completing tax returns run as smoothly as possible. Here are some tips to help.</p>
<p>1. Keep paperwork in order from the start. Record all up-front expenditure when buying your investment as initial expenses form part of the property’s cost base and can help cut capital gains tax when you sell. Carefully file all investment-related receipts throughout each year to minimise headaches at tax time.</p>
<p>2. Pre-pay interest and other expenses if it makes sense for you.</p>
<p>3. When considering whether to repair or replace an appliance or fixture, remember repairs can be claimed in the tax year in which they were incurred while replacements often need to be depreciated over the item’s lifespan. This could make a difference to your investment’s costs and your annual tax bill.</p>
<p>4. Consider obtaining a depreciation schedule. These do cost but they may allow you to claim deductions for capital works and assets such as appliances that save thousands in tax over the time you own the investment. </p>
<p>5. Handle tax in the same way as the names on the property title: if the property is held equally in joint names, for example, you both need to declare half the income and claim half expenses in your tax returns.</p>
<p>6. Beware of redrawing on your investment property mortgage for personal use. This changes the amount of interest you can claim as a tax deduction and may affect whether your property is positively or negatively geared.</p>
<p>7. Try to time the sale of your investment property so it settles in a year when your taxable income will be lower. This might mean waiting until you retire, take a break from work or start a business, for example.</p>
<p>8. If you plan to dispose of a loss-making investment, try to sell in the same year as a profit-making investment property so you can use the loss to reduce your net capital gain, and therefore your tax bill. Remember to offset capital losses from previous years against current-year gains.</p>
<p>9. Seek advice before buying property through a self-managed superannuation fund. There can be tax advantages but there are fewer benefits to negative gearing through super. There are also restrictions on what you can do with your rental property that don’t apply to investments you directly own – such as renovating and renting to relatives or friends.</p>
<p>10. Seek professional tax advice to ensure you’re claiming all you’re entitled to. </p>
<p><span>To download a free ebook on new financial year taxation tips for property investors,</span><a href="http://propertyobserver.com.au/forward-planning/tools/ebooks-and-webinars/55208-new-financial-year-tax-planning-tips-for-property-investors" target="_blank"> click here</a><span>.</span></p>
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Minimise the amount of tax paid on rental property investment

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<p class="ItalicBodyCopy">Evidence that the Perth market has bottomed, after four tough years, is growing.</p>
<p class="ItalicBodyCopy">A market recovery is under way and one of the locations leading the revival is the City of Wanneroo in the north of the metro area.</p>
<p class="ItalicBodyCopy">Strong population growth is propelling the Wanneroo LGA away from its past as a remote, bushy area towards becoming a busy seaside city destined to house 363,000 residents. Over the past decade, 177,000 new residents have moved there, making it the fastest-growing LGA in Western Australia.</p>
<p class="ItalicBodyCopy">Its popularity with young families is evident too. Sales numbers have been rising and this earned Wanneroo a special mention in Hotspotting’s 2017 Winter Edition of the Price Predictor Index. At a time when few Perth suburbs have rising sales activity, several locations in the City of Wanneroo are showing signs of returning to growth.</p>
<p class="ItalicBodyCopy">Growing industrial areas are providing employment opportunities and with houses in most suburbs priced in the $300,000s and $400,000s, the City of Wanneroo is worthy of attention by investors.</p>
<p class="ItalicBodyCopy">Wanneroo is a rapidly-expanding LGA on the northern fringe of the Perth metropolitan area, located about 12km from the Perth CBD at its nearest point and 62km at its furthest point.</p>
<p class="ItalicBodyCopy">Perth’s next major Strategic Metropolitan Centre at Yanchep is currently being developed. Until the early 2000s, much of this area was unpopulated bushland.</p>
<p class="ItalicBodyCopy">The LGA’s main commercial and residential town centres are located at Wanneroo and Clarkson.</p>
<p class="ItalicBodyCopy">Other urban centres are planned at Alkimos, Yanchep and Two Rocks, with the largest retail centre being Wanneroo Cenral.</p>
<p class="ItalicBodyCopy">The Wanneroo region has natural attractions, mainly the beaches, but it is also home to the Yanchep and Neerabup National Park, Yellagonga Regional Park. and Lake Joondalup.</p>
<p class="ItalicBodyCopy">Barbagallo Raceway is a motorsport circuit located in Pinjar. It is renowned for the annual Supercar Championships which attract around 50,000 visitors over three days.</p>
<p class="ItalicBodyCopy">The City of Wanneroo has come to Hotspotting’s attention because of rising sales activity in several suburbs at a time when Perth’s market generally has been weak.</p>
<p class="ItalicBodyCopy">Wanneroo is one of four Perth precincts that are beginning to demonstrate a turnaround in the Perth housing market. Of the four, Wanneroo is the standout location, providing growth markets such as Alkimos, Carramar, Clarkson and Yanchep.</p>
<p class="ItalicBodyCopy">Alkimos is a newly-emerging suburb, having had a population of only 700 at the 2011 Census. The population is now 6,000. As with Yanchep, Butler and Two Rocks, new land estates are becoming available at Alkimos.</p>
<p class="ItalicBodyCopy">Based on 105 sales in the past year, the median house price at Alkimos is $400,000, with a median yield of 4.7%. Clarkson is the busiest suburb in the Wanneroo LGA with 227 annual sales. It has a median house price of $406,000 and a median rental yield of 4.5%.</p>
<p class="ItalicBodyCopy">Generally, young families dominate the region, searching for affordability amid the new development. Houses priced under $400,000 can be found in Banksia Grove, Girrawheen, Merriwa and Yanchep.</p>
<p class="ItalicBodyCopy">The State Government’s LandCorp and the Satterley Property Group are creating a new beach suburb between Yanchep and Alkimos. The 240ha community, to be known as Allara, has the potential to accommodate 3,400 home sites and a population of 7,500 people in the next 10 years.</p>
<p class="ItalicBodyCopy">Building projections obtained from the City of Wanneroo show that between 2011 and 2036, the suburb of Butler will have 2,800 dwellings added; Clarkson 2,400; Alkimos 11,000, Jindalee 3,200 and Yanchep 8,800.</p>
<p class="ItalicBodyCopy">Investors need to be mindful that vacancy rates are an issue, as is the case right across Perth. I expect this to improve as the WA economy and the Perth property market continue their fightback.</p>
<p class="ItalicBodyCopy"><span>Terry Ryder is the founder of </span><a href="https://www.hotspotting.com.au/">hotspotting.com.au</a><span>. You can </span><a href="mailto:%20%3Cscript%20type='text/javascript'%3E%20%3C!--%20var%20prefix%20=%20'ma'%20+%20'il'%20+%20'to';%20var%20path%20=%20'hr'%20+%20'ef'%20+%20'=';%20var%20addy38821%20=%20'ryder'%20+%20'@';%20addy38821%20=%20addy38821%20+%20'hotspotting'%20+%20'.'%20+%20'com'%20+%20'.'%20+%20'au';%20document.write('%3Ca%20'%20+%20path%20+%20'/''%20+%20prefix%20+%20':'%20+%20addy38821%20+%20'/'%3E');%20document.write(addy38821);%20document.write('%3C//a%3E');%20//--%3E/n%20%3C/script%3E%3Cscript%20type='text/javascript'">email him</a><span> or follow him on </span><a href="https://twitter.com/hotspotting">Twitter.</a></p>
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City of Wanneroo, Perth, leading state's market recovery 

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<p>CoreLogic's head of research Tim Lawless gives a national property market update.</p>
<p> </p>
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National market update for November: CoreLogic

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<p class="p1"><span class="s1">This year we will learn, yet again, the simple truth that Australia is not a single property market.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">You could be forgiven for thinking that the nation has just one united market, because most of the commentary in mainstream media discusses “the Australian property market” and what will happen to “Australian property prices”.</span></p>
<p class="p1">But success in 2018 will be achieved by those who understand that we do not have a single property market, but myriad different ones all doing their own thing, dictated by local conditions rather than national ones.</p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Have a look at the latest figures from the ABS on annual growth in dwelling prices in the eight state and territory capital cities in the past 12 months.</span></p>
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li1"><span class="s1">Hobart rising and now the national leader with annual growth of 14 percent.</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span class="s1">Canberra rising but still moderate, with growth at 7 percent.</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span class="s1">Melbourne still strong, with annual growth at 13 percent.</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span class="s1">Sydney fading, with the annual growth rate now in single digits.</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span class="s1">Brisbane and Adelaide going nowhere fast, with growth around 3-4 percent.</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span class="s1">Perth (down 2 percent) and Darwin (down 6 percent) still going backwards.</span></li>
</ul>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Across regional Australia there were multiple market scenarios, with some growing strongly (like Newcastle, Geelong and the Sunshine Coast), others showing moderate growth, many stagnating with little in the way of price growth, some falling moderately and some (notably resources-related markets) down a lot.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">You could argue we have a five-speed property market in Australia.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">But you’re still going to see twits standing up on ABC Television making statements like “property price growth will be zero this year” and “the national property boom is over”.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">You will also read various members of the chattering economist class discussing Australia as a single market and making meaningless forecasts about the future of Australian house prices.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">These sad bastards just don’t know any better. They’re not real estate specialists and they only occasionally turn their attention to residential property, by calling up a couple of graphs on their computer screens to examine what’s happening in what they see as a single homogenous one-size-fits-all real estate industry.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Forecasting that “Australian property prices” will rise 3 percent in 2018 is a pointless exercise, quite useless for the average consumer. The Reserve Bank governor said as much in a speech late last year.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The coming year will have similar variations to the last, with Canberra behaving very differently to Sydney, and Melbourne moving in an opposite direction to Perth.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Even within a single city, there will be different scenarios paying out in various parts of the metropolitan area.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">In Brisbane, there will be good growth in some of the more affordable areas, not much action in the middle market and price decline in the inner-city apartment markets.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Perth generally is moving into a solid recovery phase, but it won’t be evenly spread across the metropolitan area. Vacancies remain very high in the inner-city apartment suburbs and out in suburbia some precincts are moving forward more strongly than others.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">There are a couple of middle-market areas doing well, the Melville and Stirling local governments areas, while more affordable precincts in the north are leading the fight-back, notably the Joondalup and Wanneroo LGAs.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Such is the reality of our myriad real estate markets. Feel free to ignore anyone who generalises.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s3">T<em>erry Ryder is the founder of hotspotting.com.au</em></span></p>
<p class="p2"><span class="s4"><a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au"><em>ryder@hotspotting.com.au</em></a></span></p>
<p class="p3"><span class="s3"><em>twitter.com/hotspotting</em></span></p>
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My 2018 message - Australia is not a single property market

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<p class="post-title entry-title">EXPERT OBSERVER</p>
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<div>There was a significant rebound in business confidence and conditions in May, albeit they still, of course, remain at historically weak levels:</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Business confidence jumped 20 points higher, but is still in negative territory, while business conditions improved by 10 points over the month. </div>
<div> </div>
<div><em>Via the NAB Survey, <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A8DtJIwNCOM/Xt8jOdG5hVI/AAAAAAAA2OM/Ho9bYL4tHukFvsEFIsFTPJZ-uwa0HChfgCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/Nab1.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>:</em></div>
<br><div class="separator"><img src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A8DtJIwNCOM/Xt8jOdG5hVI/AAAAAAAA2OM/Ho9bYL4tHukFvsEFIsFTPJZ-uwa0HChfgCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/Nab1.jpg" width="640" height="216" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="1600"></div>
<br><div><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Source: NAB Survey</em></span></div>
<br><div>Well, it's a decent start, as restrictions are eased.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>There have been some spectacular results for Australia in respect of COVID-19 today, with only two new confirmed cases, with two cases remaining in ICU:</div>
<br><div class="separator"><img src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e6ppm6ZYJwg/Xt8k9UNyS3I/AAAAAAAA2Oc/LoA_SuoFzrcH8CUFePxERXc0g-K9GuVBACNcBGAsYHQ/s640/CV1.jpg" width="640" height="360" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="1426"></div>
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<div>Both of the new confirmed cases were returned overseas travellers, held in New South Wales quarantine:</div>
<br><div class="separator"><img src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1CquvNlMRtE/Xt8lM9RQcpI/AAAAAAAA2Og/392PQbZziKAnh-d5STbyM0vBC3als33LgCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/cv2.jpg" width="640" height="360" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="1412"></div>
<br>New Zealand is also now officially COVID-19 free.</div>
<div>
<br><strong>PETE WARGENT</strong><em> is the co-founder of AllenWargent property buyers (London, Sydney) and a best-selling author and <a href="https://petewargent.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blogger</a>.</em>
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Business conditions begin to claw back: Pete Wargent

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<p>Following from my earlier post I want to look further at the important role of creative place making as a vigorous part of the project development and marketing mix. To do so let’s examine three core areas that are commonly used to help define ‘place making’ and see how they combine to help structure the sort of places (communities and neighbourhoods) where people want to live.</p>
<p>After all, that’s the fundamental aim of every project we take to the market and help to develop.</p>
<p><strong>Social Offering</strong></p>
<p>The social offering of a development, either a medium or high density project or a new housing estate is tied to the identity of the area and a good social offering, as part of place making, does doubtless establish a valuable and tangible competitive advantage.</p>
<p>When looking for a positive social offering we will rely upon two main areas, infrastructure (nothing surprising there) and how people then relate to and use an area. It’s that vibe you feel in an area, the feeling of a genuine community that’s come about because of a grassroots organic process.</p>
<p>Infrastructure is so important because this impacts the things people are able to do in an area, and how they live and use the area as part of their daily activity and lives. Visitors will have a different affinity, but still infrastructure will determine the quality of everyone’s engagement with an area, and in-turn the individual developments.</p>
<p>However when referring to infrastructure we need to look beyond the hard areas like key services (schools, shops and transport for example) and consider the wide social offering of an area including the arts.</p>
<p>Social infrastructure will vary between an inner-city brownfield location and a new greenfield location, but both will offer opportunity for community engagement and the arts can be used to seed that for new projects and residents. Mixed-use developments do have an advantage in that they will often be of a scale that includes new social, at times culturally and arts focused projects.</p>
<p><strong>Openness</strong></p>
<p>This is a significant area, it’s a big subject, that results in an area making people feel welcome and comfortable, a simple idea I agree, but as the density of our cities increases, this is a key to creating well-rounded communities.</p>
<p>Openness as part of place making is very much tied up in the demographics of an area, and as demographics shift there can be challenges involved. It’s not so much an area that a developer can directly create or deliver, but comes about more as a result of planning, although the product mix of a building does play a role.</p>
<p>When we think about demographics, a mixed profile is most often seen as the best outcome, a mix of ages and family types is good so that the neighbourhood is not narrowly fixed on one demographic. We want the area to say ‘please come and live here or visit, you’re welcome.’</p>
<p>Putting this another way, we want people to feel comfortable and welcome in an area, in a new project and this is a point that can be kept in mind in the planning and design of projects. Also as the demographics of a suburb change we already see openness linked to the areas such as ageing in place and affordability, both have a part to play, and they’re big topics in themselves.</p>
<p><strong>Appearances</strong></p>
<p>The appearance of a project is the most positive and visible and important expression of ‘place making’ because it’s here we address the aesthetics of the built environment, the public and accessible parts of a project. It’s also an area where developers can take the lead.</p>
<p>With a small project this could be limited to the main residents foyer, connecting the building to the street, while for larger projects there’s often the ability to create a big impact via open plaza areas, parks, shops, cafes and community facilities, the bigger the project the bigger the potential impact.</p>
<p>This same area would also include the common areas of any development, and while these areas are not usually open to full public access, common areas do set the tone and character of a project and are an essential part of a building’s appeal. Common areas are even more important to buyers, as apartments are tending to get smaller.</p>
<p>These areas are often the glamour stars of marketing material and I think with any size project, buyers always pay a lot of attention to the quality and presentation of common areas, creating a sense of arrival and status.</p>
<p>Looking for a suitable way to sum up the importance of appearance, as a key to creative place making is not easy. It’s an important area, essential really and usually involves a major investment, not only by a project developer, but also frequently by the local councils and government. For the City of Sydney this is a big focus.</p>
<p>Aesthetics, design and appearance can create a valuable reputation for a building and an entire area, and no matter the scale I think if the residents and visitors feel proud of an area then that’s a tick for all involved.</p>
<p>Creative place making then involves a wide range of interesting topics from the arts to demographics, and in the constant rush of high demand and rising prices this topic still deserves our attention. The feeling of place after all will survive varied market conditions and mark the quality and appeal of where we spend our daily lives.</p>
<p><em>Read the first part of Peter's post here.</em></p>
<p><em><em>Peter Chittenden is managing director for residential of Colliers International. He can be contacted <a href="https://www.projectagenda.com.au/" target="_blank">here</a>.</em></em></p>
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Creative place making Part Two: Peter Chittenden

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<div>The UK Land Registry released its latest House Price Index for the month of August 2015, which showed prices rising in the East (+8.4% year-on-year), South East (+7.6%), and yet again, in London (+6.6%).</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The largest gain for the month was seen in the capital city of London (+1.7%), while Cambridgeshire recorded yet another robust +7.8% year-on-year gain.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>On the other hand prices declined in the month in a number of the regions located away from The Smoke, including in t'North West, Yorkshire &amp; t'Humber, and in the East Midlands. </div>
<div>
<br>Prices have also remained relatively flat over the past year in Wales and the North East like.<br><br><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Not shorting shortages</span></strong>
</div>
<div> </div>
<div>There have been some alarming statistics reported over recent years projecting dramatic housing shortages around London and the South East, and rarely is progess made on how the supply shortages will be tackled.</div>
<div>If there is one thing there <em>has</em> been a glut of over the past 20 years years it has been hapless experts trying in vain to pick turning points in the London housing market.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Meanwhile average house London prices have increased from<span> <span>£</span>91,000 to nearly <span>£</span>500,000 (A$1,090,000), comfortably greater than a fivefold increase (today's average price is 5.4 times higher than in 1995, to be precise).</span>
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<div><a href="/images/2015/09/30/HPI.jpg" target="_blank"><span>Click to enlarge</span></a></div>
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<div>
<div>Different strokes for different folks, of course, but the single best investment decision I've made over the years has simply been to never sell a property, regardless of what the 'experts' in the media say.<br><br>Buy prime location capital city properties, never sell them. Sure you'll get cyclical downturns - see 2008, for example, which was quite a significant pull-back - but the long term trend is clear enough, provided you do buy in the right locations.<br><br>
</div>
<div><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Down under</span></strong></div>
<div> </div>
<div>It is worth noting that cash rate futures markets in Australia are pricing in at least one more interest rate cut in this cycle, while implied yields already suggest that two further cuts by 2017 is a distinct possibility.</div>
<div> </div>
<div><a href="/images/2015/09/30/ASX.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a></div>
<div><img src="/images/2015/09/30/ASX.jpg" alt=""></div>
<div> </div>
<div>
<div>Even in the more bullish case scenarios, it appears likely that there are couple of years worth of slack in the labour market to be mopped up.<br><br>You can clearly see in the first chart of this blog post above the impact of the UK's macroprudential measures in 2014.<br><br>The City regulator the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) "ran interference" with a series of measures known as the Mortgage Market Review last year, which temporarily disrupted growth in the London housing market.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Macroprudential measures can undoubtedly slow the market for a while - HSBC will be the next bank to put the cold freeze on new investor loans in Australia - but ultimately nothing gets to work on cooling a housing market quite like higher interest rates.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Unfortunately in Britain the emerging threat of an interest rate hike in 2016 (after a long hiatus since March 2009) now seems to be resulting in a surge of activity as buyers dive in before the Bank of England taps on the brakes.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The Bank of England's mortgage approvals figures released this morning revealed the highest number of approvals in 19 months and the largest monthly jump in borrowing since 2008, with a net increase of <span>£</span>3.4 billion smashing analyst expectations - so the market appears set to accelerate once again, fuelled by record low mortgage rates.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>All of these are factors worth taking into account as the line of market observers trying to pick the next turning point in Sydney's housing market lengthens by the day. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>
<p><span><em>PETE WARGENT is the co-founder of <a href="https://allenwargent.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">AllenWargent</a> property buyers (London, Sydney) and a best-selling author and <a href="https://petewargent.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">blogger</a>.</em><br></span></p>
<p><em>His latest book is <a href="https://www.bigskypublishing.com.au/Books/General-Interest/Four-Green-Houses--and-a-Red-Hotel/1015/productview.aspx" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Four Green Houses and a Red Hotel</a>.</em></p>
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Macroprudential fail as London prices rise again: Pete Wargent

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<p><span>The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) published building approvals data for August 2015 earlier this week.  The data showed a month-on-month fall in approvals driven by a sharp drop in the number of unit approvals.  Keep in mind that unit approvals tend to be much more volatile than house approvals on a monthly basis.</span></p>
<p><a href="/images/2015/10/06/Chart-1.jpg" target="_blank"><span>Click to enlarge</span></a></p>
<p><span><img src="/images/2015/10/06/Chart-1.jpg" alt=""></span></p>
<p><span>Over the month there were 18,071 dwelling approvals which was a decline of -6.9% over the month.  Dwelling approvals hit a record high of 20,215 approvals in March 2015 and they are now -7.5% lower.  It does appear that approvals have peaked notwithstanding the fact that they remain at historically high levels.</span></p>
<p><a href="/images/2015/10/06/Chart-2.jpg" target="_blank"><span>Click to enlarge</span></a></p>
<p><span><img src="/images/2015/10/06/Chart-2.jpg" alt=""></span></p>
<p>There were 9,882 houses and 8,819 units approved for construction in August 2015.  House approvals actually increased by 4.4% over the month while unit approvals fell by -16.9%.  Year-on-year house approvals have increased by 2.2% compared to an 8.4% lift in unit approvals.  To further highlight the volatility of unit approvals the 8.4% year-on-year increase in August is well down on the 44.2% year-on-year rise in July.  Although it looks as if approvals have peaked it would not surprise to see a sharp rebound in unit approvals next month.</p>
<p>Across the country there was a record high 226,415 dwellings approved for construction over the 12 months to August 2015.  To put the magnitude of approvals in perspective, two years ago over the year to August 2013 there had been 166,658 dwelling approvals nationally.  There has also been a surge in unit approvals over recent years with a record high 48.8% of all dwelling approvals nationally being for units over the past year.  Again, 2 years ago units accounted for 42.5% of all approvals over the year.</p>
<p><a href="/images/2015/10/06/Chart-3.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a></p>
<p><img src="/images/2015/10/06/Chart-3.jpg" alt=""></p>
<p>It isn’t just the fact that more units are being built, the type of units being constructed is changing dramatically.  Over the 12 months to August 2015, 25.7% of all unit approvals were for townhouses, 10.1% were low rise (less than 4 storeys) and 64.3% were high-rise (4 storeys or more).  The above chart shows that historically townhouses have received the highest proportion of approvals.  Trends have changed quite swiftly, 2 years ago just 49.2% of all unit approvals were high-rise.  The rise in high-rise approvals is reflective of higher densities within our inner city markets.  High rise unit projects also take longer to build than a house or townhouse and as a result the economic benefit is stretched over a longer period.  Of course the fact that we are approving high-rise units at an unprecedented pace also creates some challenges.  Most notably who are buying these properties and over the longer term who is going to live in these units.</p>
<p>The data indicates that dwelling approvals have probably peaked for the current phase however, the number of approvals remains elevated.  This has created a significant pipeline of new construction much of which is high-rise and will take some time to complete.  Because unit development is so dependent upon presales it will be interesting to see just how many of these units are ultimately built.</p>
<p><em>Cameron Kusher is research analyst for CoreLogic RP Data. You can contact him <a href="https://blog.corelogic.com.au/author/cameron-kusher/" target="_blank">here</a>.</em></p>
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Dwelling approvals remain elevated but fall in August: Cameron Kusher 

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<p><span>Mike Tyson is quoted as saying, "everyone has a game-plan until you get punched in the face”.</span></p>
<p><span>So, how do we take this true to life and memorable analogy and personalize it to our business? I spilled my coffee due to convulsive laughter, when I first heard this.</span></p>
<p><span>Like many sides of our personal makeup we, as human beings, personalize or internalize and emotionally invest in what we create and believe in.</span></p>
<p><span>In this particular post, I will look at how we can recession proof “protect” our brand as we move into 2016 - a year with many unknowns when it comes to the survival of real estate agents and their offices, independent or mainstream.</span></p>
<p><span>I'm talking about building a defensive wall that won’t allow adversaries an inch of space but don’t forget, your inner voice can also work against you.</span></p>
<p><span> Yes, you too can punch yourself in the nose and sabotage your business.</span></p>
<p><span>I’m no expert, to say the least; so I called on the experience and expertise of my good friend and brand mentor, Anthony Carroll, from Yellowsneakers to help explore the idea of recession proofing my brand.</span></p>
<p><span>Anthony best explains the relevance and relationship between recession proofing our business and branding with a simple question:</span></p>
<ul>
<li><span>How relevant is your brand when it comes to your purpose and your customers needs? All the elements of your brand should radiate out from your “purpose”.</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span>Unravelling purpose is not just about having an idea, it is about solving a problem and engaging an audience.</span></p>
<p><span>A purpose is a solution to a problem that your target audience can't solve on their own. Your solution should therefore fit the problem but also be delivered in a way that is unique and different to what your competitors offer.</span></p>
<p><span>Staying true to your purpose is KEY to surviving and recession proofing your business.</span></p>
<p><span>The basic principles, on how we build a strong defensive wall, is sometimes forgotten. Most brands with no essence or belief, in other words purpose, will fail. Fail to be noticed and fail to engage the audience it needs to survive.</span></p>
<p><span> A strong brand on the other hand, can weather many storms:</span></p>
<ul>
<li><span>Product failure</span></li>
<li><span>PR fallouts</span></li>
<li><span>Corporate scandal</span></li>
<li><span>Dips in market share</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span>Therefore, the strength of your brand can be gaged by your commitment to its purpose. The purpose that underlines your daily and constant decision making and reason to stay motivated and focused.</span></p>
<p><span>A good example of a brand weathering a PR fallout is the LiveStrong brand started by Lance Armstrong.</span></p>
<p><span>Because of its strong underlying purpose: Lifestyle choices, healthier eating and so on, the brand continues flourish despite the Tour-de-France doping scandal that Lance Armstrong was at the centre of.</span></p>
<p><span>Lance had to step down from the organization he founded and distance himself completely. However, as a result the brand remains relevant in the eyes of its audience.</span></p>
<p><span>People will forgive human frailty and it’s been shown that the more human or personable the brand is, the more supportive people become of the brand.</span></p>
<p><span>More recently, we can look at the VW emissions scandal. Sales for VW and Audi have actually increased. While it might be too early for sales to be affect, yet it will be interesting to see how VW survives this scandal.</span></p>
<p><span>So what happens when we have a kick-ass brand? More people engage with the brand as soon as they understand its core purpose.</span></p>
<p><span>Reflecting on the industry I’m presently engaged in and as I re-read this post, I find myself asking the following questions:</span></p>
<ol>
<li><span>Will the main real estate brands remain true to the nature, the purpose of their founders? or Will they continue to lose the respect of both employees and clients?</span></li>
<li><span>Will the New Year 2016, usher in new real estate brands created by disillusioned employees of some of the more established brands?</span></li>
</ol>
<p><span>No matter what industry you are in and particularly if you are about to launch with a new brand; I do hope these thoughts have been of help.</span></p>
<p><span>I leave you with this thought: never underestimate small beginnings, remain true to your purpose and your brand will make the impact you aimed for.</span></p>
<p><span> </span></p>
<p><em><span>EDWIN ALMEIDA</span> is licensee in charge of <a href="https://www.just-think.com.au/" target="_blank">Just Think Real Estate</a>.<a href="https://www.just-thin.com.au/"><br></a></em></p>
<p><em>He is also the creator of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/JustThinkProperty" target="_blank">Oz Real Estate.TV</a> and a presenter for <a href="https://propertyinvestingvault.com/" target="_blank">propertyinvestingvault.com</a>.</em></p>
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Recession proof your real estate business: Edwin Almeida

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<div>As promised, a quick look around the traps at where APRA's cooling measures have slowed investor lending the hardest, and where some or all of the hot air is coming out of the investor market.</div>
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<div>New South Wales saw $5.6 billion of investor loans in September 2015, taking activity back down to the breached for the first time in December 2014 - though as I analysed here previously, owner-occupier lending has (apparently) soared to unprecedented heights in recent months, more than compensating for the decline.<br><br><span><span>Macroprudential measures undertaken to cool housing markets will inevitably have some unintended consequences, one of which may be that lenders demanding high returns on target potential borrowers with existing equity, which in a curiously reflexive manner might temporarily skew lending towards markets which have already outperformed through the cycle (i.e. Sydney).</span></span><br><span><span><br></span></span><span><span>That's one to watch for next year, but for now total lending for NSW housing of more than $14 billion in September was the biggest month on record, even if the numbers were somewhat fishy.</span></span>
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<div>It's a near-identical story in Victoria, with a notable decline in investor lending, but a corresponding leap in owner-occupier lending.</div>
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<div><a href="/images/2015/11/17/A2.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a></div>
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<span>In Queensland the decline in investor lending has been relatively marked from $2.0 billion in March, although there was a slight rebound in September to $1.67 billion. A spirited increase in owner-occupier lending means that total lending has increased moderately over the past year.</span><br><br><span>Queensland's property markets are something of a multi-speed affair, with certain areas of SEQ - such as some sub sub-regions within Brisbane and the Gold Coast - faring relatively well, but many regional markets decidedly in the doldrums. </span>
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<div><span>Not much in the way of good news to report for Western Australia, with investor lending tailing off sharply in recent months from $1.26 billion in December 2014 to just $0.82 billion in September 2015.</span></div>
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<div>
<div>It hasn't been a great time for the South Australian economy in recent years, with the trend unemployment rate of 7.7% way above the national average of 6.1%, while employment growth has been non-existent for years now.<br><br>Fortunes for the state waned further this week when it was finally confirmed that Arrium will cut 250 jobs from its Whyalla steelworks, with further cuts expected from Alinta.</div>
<div>
<br>Despite the ongoing labour market shock, South Australia is home to a number of relatively affordable property markets after so many years of lacklustre growth.<br><br>As such South Australia is also the one state where investor lending is actually in an uptrend on a 12mMA basis, with the $469 million in investor lending in September representing a solid increase on the prior year equivalent figure of $390 million.</div>
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<div><a href="/images/2015/11/17/A5.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a></div>
<div><img src="/images/2015/11/17/A5.jpg" alt=""></div>
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<div><span>The outlook has been looking up for the economy and labour market of Tasmania lately, but a lack of existing equity in the market following no real dwelling price growth for close to a decade appears to have knocked the investor market for six, with volumes declining from a record high $86 million in June to only $60 million in September.</span></div>
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<div><span>The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) continues to meander along, with investor lending pulling back since June here too, declining from a record spike of $224 million to $142 billion.</span></div>
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<div>
<span>Finally, there are no positives at all to draw from this data series for the Northern Territory, where investor lending has all but collapsed over the past year from $122 million to $75 million.</span><br><br><span>With elevated vacancy rates and nose-diving rents, Darwin and other parts of the Top End are heading for a potentially sharp and long overdue property market correction.</span>
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<div> </div>
<div>
<span>Overall, it has become clear that APRA's cooling measures have worked quickly and effectively, knocking out a good deal of riskier investor lending right across the board.</span><br><br><span>The property markets story for 2016 will largely be of to what extent lenders can push up the market share of owner-occupier loans in order to compensate for the evident decline in investor volumes.</span>
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<div>
<p><span><em>PETE WARGENT is the co-founder of <a href="https://allenwargent.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">AllenWargent</a> property buyers (London, Sydney) and a best-selling author and <a href="https://petewargent.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">blogger</a>.</em><br></span></p>
<p><em>His latest book is <a href="https://www.bigskypublishing.com.au/Books/General-Interest/Four-Green-Houses--and-a-Red-Hotel/1015/productview.aspx" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Four Green Houses and a Red Hotel</a>.</em></p>
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