Property developer One Living, backed by former Macquarie banker turned investment manager Chris Green’s investment firm, has unveiled plans to bring more institutional capital into housing to help address the national supply crisis.

The New York-based investor has focused his firm, GreenPoint Partners, on addressing the supply shortage hitting middle market housing in Australia.

It is backing the new One Living business to develop more than 1000 units along the eastern seaboard. The new firm is starting with a development on Mona Vale Road, on the border of Mona Vale and Pymble, in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, with around 140 apartments planned. They are eyeing off more sites across the city.

With cost pressures rising in the industry, One Living’s model is to be a vertically integrated developer-builder, so it can respond directly to the housing gap by removing the cost inefficiencies embedded in traditional residential delivery.

“We are building a platform designed to operate at scale and starting in a market where there’s a clear need for quality, attainable housing,” One Living joint managing director Joseph Scuderi said.

“It’s that missing middle – it’s that attainable end of housing… that’s what most Australians invest into and what Australians can actually afford.”

<img alt="Mona Vale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="798dfa93-4941-4db6-a696-31e9dc18e81c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%202.31.50%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=mKBqi5C_DmeiXS.AtJkcR8LQIxqCqmFi" />

GreenPoint Partners brings years of experience assembling and scaling real estate operating businesses across major markets. And Green sees a big opportunity in Australia.

“For its size, sophistication and importance to the community, Australia’s living sector has remained largely under-institutionalised, which represents significant opportunity,” Green said. “GreenPoint identified that gap, assembled the right team, and is backing One Living to build a platform that is aligned to market needs.”

Green said being a builder-developer would give the company the capacity and flexibility it required to deliver reasonably-priced homes.

“We want it to be at that attainable level; not super high end luxury but at that attainable level,” he said.

<img alt="Mona Vale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="74a5344a-4b26-4d4a-ada3-056b1220be77" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%202.32.15%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=vY8hXHO4reBMdO8ZXMWCNtGZJofUPQ3j" />

&nbsp;

One Living will undertake a component of affordable housing in its schemes, which it will own and operate, and it could also run build-to-rent on some sites.

Green praised local policy settings.

“The NSW government is being very supportive, strategic and pragmatic in terms of how do we generate more supply of housing,” he said. “We think it’s actually positive for development and the bit that’s been lacking at that attainable level is that it’s lots of relatively small private developers, whereas we want to create an institutional platform.”

One Living is also&nbsp;looking at high-density projects and could take on more institutional funding in the future.

“The way we will be able to achieve economies of scale is through size,” Green added.

Joel Robinson

One Living enters Sydney's new apartment market with Northern Beaches site acquisition

It's been several years since there's been an opportunity to buy a brand new townhome in Melbourne's coastal suburb of Mordialloc. Even apartment developments in recent times have been few and far between in the area.

Local developer LDS Property identified the gap in new housing, securing a site on White Street, directly opposite&nbsp;Woodlands Golf Club Mordialloc. They've recently launched&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-townhouses/wm-residences-mordialloc-102-white-street-mordialloc-vic-3195">WM Residences</a>, just 13 townhouses which they have already started building.

Projects by Buxton Director Heath Thompson, who is selling WM Residences, says the townhouses x that perfect middle ground be

"Mordialloc residents have had limited options to downsize within the suburb, often forcing them to look elsewhere despite long-standing ties to the area," Thompson says.

"With very little comparable new supply coming to market, projects like WM Residences are well placed, particularly as buyers look to capitalise on current conditions amid constrained supply."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6109]

The development, designed by regarded architecture firm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/ewert-leaf">Ewert Leaf</a>,&nbsp;adopts a deliberately restrained architectural approach, focusing on simplicity, durability and liveability rather than overt design gestures.

The boutique scale is central to the offering. With only 13 three-bedroom residences, each home is configured to prioritise functional layouts and everyday use, supported by private terraces and secure two-car garages.

Ewert Leaf’s design response leans into a calm, neutral material palette. Interiors are defined by oak flooring, white walls and soft finishes, creating a consistent and understated backdrop. The approach avoids trend-driven detailing in favour of longevity, with an emphasis on natural light and spatial clarity.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6110]

Beyond aesthetics, the homes are designed to meet contemporary performance expectations. Each residence targets a minimum 6-star energy rating, incorporating double glazing, comprehensive insulation and all-electric Bosch appliances.

The project’s location supports a walkable coastal lifestyle, sitting within close proximity to Mordialloc’s foreshore, Main Street retail strip and the train station. Local cafés and dining venues, including Suburbia Deli and Hendriks Café, are within a short walk, reinforcing the area’s established neighbourhood character.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6116]

While <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/mordialloc-vic-3195">Mordialloc</a> is often defined by its beach and pier, the project taps into other areas of day to day living, offering easy access to local food, casual dining and transport, rather than positioning itself purely as a lifestyle retreat.

WM Residences reflects a continued trend across Melbourne’s coastal suburbs towards smaller-scale, design-led townhouse developments, particularly on infill sites where proximity to amenity is already established.

With construction commenced prior to its market entry, the project aligns with a growing preference among buyers for developments with visible progress and defined delivery timeframes.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=134646]

WM Residences fills gap in Mordialloc townhouse market

&nbsp;

Developer GURNER™ Group has revealed $1.65 billion in residential sales nationally across the 12 months to December 2025, driven largely by the continued momentum of its Docklands wellness-focused precinct, Elysium Fields.

The sales result was generated across seven projects in Victoria and New South Wales, headlined by Elysium Fields, GURNER™’s $2.75 billion mixed-use precinct planned for Harbour Esplanade in Docklands.

The project has recorded more than $500 million in sales across the first three towers, equating to around 580 apartments sold.

The first tower, Helios, has now sold out of its 240 private residences, with GURNER™ preparing to release a premium penthouse collection comprising 15 three-bedroom penthouses in coming weeks.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370975]

Elysium Fields is being developed on the long-held 20,000 sqm Docklands site at 208-226 Harbour Esplanade, which had remained undeveloped for more than two decades prior to GURNER™ taking over the project around four years ago.

Construction has now commenced across four towers ranging between 18 and 30 storeys, with Hamilton Marino and Maxcon appointed as builders.

Once complete, the precinct is expected to comprise around 1,100 residences, alongside retail, hospitality and public realm uses integrated throughout the site.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370981]

Designed by Fraser &amp; Partners in collaboration with GURNER™ Design House, the project has been positioned around the developer’s broader focus on wellness-led residential living.

“We don’t sell apartments. We create a true luxury lifestyle that simply doesn’t exist elsewhere in the market today,” Founder and Executive Chairman Tim Gurner said.

“To deliver that requires an extraordinary level of detail, coordination and discipline across multiple verticals, from design and hospitality through to wellness and service.”

“We’ve always believed that living extends far beyond the physical residence. It’s about how you feel the moment you arrive, how you live day-to-day, and the ecosystem that supports that.” 
[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370977]

The project’s design places a heavy focus on landscaping, wellness amenities and biophilic design principles.

Plans include around 3,700 sqm of landscaped gardens and open space throughout the precinct, alongside a retail and dining offering spanning approximately 5,000 sqm.

The broader public realm strategy centres around what GURNER™ describes as the “Path of Life”, an urban forest and landscaped pedestrian environment intended to connect the various buildings and wellness spaces across the precinct.

The apartments themselves will incorporate a range of wellness-focused inclusions, including purified air and water systems, circadian lighting, antimicrobial surfaces, and optional in-home wellness upgrades.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370980]

Gurner said the company’s experience through its Saint Haven wellness clubs had directly informed the residential offering now being incorporated into Elysium Fields.

“We’re seeing a clear global shift toward longevity, performance and proactive health,” Gurner said.

“Our role is to deliver that in a way that feels seamless, highly private and beautifully resolved within the environments we create.”

A large component of the wellness offering is planned through the resident amenity and health facilities proposed within the precinct.

That includes plans for bathing and recovery facilities spread throughout the towers, incorporating mineral pools, saunas, steam rooms, flotation therapy, red light therapy and wellness lounges.

The developer is also seeking approvals for what it describes as a “reverse ageing medical clinic” within the precinct.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370978]

According to project information released by the group, the proposed facility would include cryotherapy, IV infusion therapy, infrared and dry saunas, PEMF beds, MRIs, DEXA scans, brain scans and blood analysis services.

Within the first tower, Helios, residents will also have access to a dedicated amenity offering known as the Sky Private Club.

The upper 15 levels of the building will include private lounges, dining spaces, rooftop amenities and optional private wellness studios integrated within residences.

The Helios tower itself comprises 260 apartments ranging between 60 sqm and 300 sqm, including a collection of penthouses.

That includes a planned two-storey penthouse spanning around 600 sqm with uninterrupted bay views.

The Elysium Fields precinct is being delivered in partnership with Digital Harbour Holdings, a consortium that includes the Liberman family, which controls the development rights across the Docklands site.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370979]

The sales result comes as GURNER™ continues expanding its national development pipeline beyond Victoria.

“We have a strong pipeline across Australia and are now focused on scaling into key markets including New South Wales and Queensland, while continuing to build on our Melbourne base,” Gurner said.

“We currently have more than $3 billion in the market, growing to over $5 billion by October, and expect to materially outperform last year in the 2026 calendar year.”

The result also reflects the continued strength of the upper-end apartment market in Melbourne, particularly for owner-occupier-focused product with large-scale amenity and lifestyle offerings.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=144441]

Record result anchored by the Group’s “utopian” Elysium Fields precinct – defying market headwinds in Docklands.

Elysium Fields drive Gurner to $1.65 billion in apartment sales over 2025

National Australia Bank (NAB) will fund <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/palmera-residences-gold-coast-18-garfield-terrace-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Palmera</a>, a $1 billion, 52-level luxury residential tower being developed by Central Equity in one of the Gold Coast’s most tightly held coastal locations at Northcliffe.

The project, launched recently by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/central-equity">Central Equity</a>, one of Victoria’s largest private residential developers, comes at a time when construction funding for large residential developments has become increasingly competitive as lenders tighten exposure to the sector.

Multiplex has been appointed the builder, and construction is now underway.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365784]

Since its first project, Central Equity has delivered more than 85 residential developments with a combined end value exceeding $8 billion.

Palmera reflects Central Equity’s growing focus on the Gold Coast luxury apartment market and continues a relationship between Central Equity and NAB that dates back to the late 1980s, when the bank funded one of Melbourne’s earliest inner-city residential towers at a time when high-rise apartment living in the CBD was largely unproven.

“NAB’s funding of Central Equity’s $36 million CBD development in the late 1980’s to the financing of the billion-dollar tower today highlights the long-term relationship between the two organisations in delivering major residential projects” said Central Equity Founder and Chairman Eddie Kutner.

He said NAB’s early support was instrumental in helping establish the company’s development model.

“When we commenced our first residential tower in the late 1980s the concept of funding off-the-plan apartments was still largely untested in Australia,” Kutner said.

“NAB recognised the opportunity early and supported the project when others were uncertain. That relationship has now continued for more than 37 years across many developments.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365771]

Central Equity was established in 1987 when Melbourne’s CBD and Southbank precinct were still dominated by warehouses and commercial buildings. Fewer than 100 residents lived in Southbank at the time, and large-scale residential development in the inner city was not widely considered.

Recognising changing demographics and lifestyle preferences, the company began developing high-rise residential projects designed to bring permanent residents into the city centre.

Central Equity has provided accommodation for approximately 40,000 residents across Melbourne’s CBD and Southbank, while also incorporating supporting infrastructure including essential lifestyle facilities like retail spaces, childcare facilities and neighbourhood activity centres.

Central Equity has spent many years assembling the Palmera development site on the corner of Garfield Terrace and Frederick Street in Northcliffe, creating a supersite of around 3,300 sqm.

The developer said the Palmera apartment tower reflects its long-term view of the Gold Coast as a growing and increasingly diversified economy.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365768]

Supported by infrastructure including the light rail network, major road upgrades expanded education, hospital and medical facilities and continued expansion at the Gold Coast Airport with more international and domestic flights.

Positioned in the tightly held Northcliffe precinct, the 52-level tower will deliver 347 apartments, targeting buyers seeking a high-end coastal lifestyle, from downsizers to interstate investors.

Designed by Marchese Partners with interiors by DBI, Palmera has been conceived as a next-generation residential offering, featuring a collection of oversized apartments, with premium three-bedroom residences offering sweeping northern views stretching from Surfers Paradise through to Burleigh Heads.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=108274]

NAB funds $1 billion Surfers Paradise apartment development, Palmera

Two years after completing one of the newest developments in North Sydney, developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/aqualand-australia">Aqualand</a> is turning its attention to the rapidly evolving St Leonards apartment market.

The developer, which completed AURA by Aqualand on North Sydney's Walker Street, has lodged plans for a 5,918 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/33-37-herbert-street-st-leonards-nsw-2065">33-37 Herbert Street, St Leonards,</a> seeking approval for a pair of residential towers rising above a shared podium opposite Royal North Shore Hospital.

The proposal forms part of the broader transformation underway across the St Leonards-Crows Nest precinct, where former industrial and commercial sites are increasingly being redeveloped into high-density mixed-use projects tied to major transport infrastructure.

<img alt="Aqualand" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2cc428cf-fe70-4cac-9cd5-264ad53af62c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.51.56%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=otKSnHtbjAvAddOnovyXQMgcAwE6DMe1" />

According to the planning documents, the site sits “within the St Leonards–Crows Nest Strategic Centre, identified by the NSW Government as a key area for accommodating future jobs and housing across Sydney.”

The proposal has been designed by fjcstudio, formerly FJMT Studio, and is being progressed through the State Significant Development pathway due to its scale and affordable housing provision.

The scheme would comprise 413 apartments, including 46 affordable housing units, alongside retail and commercial uses fronting Herbert Street. The project would also include communal open space, landscaping, a swimming pool, gymnasium, children’s play areas and podium-level resident amenities.

Planning documents show the development would consist of a part-13, part-39 storey tower form positioned above a four-storey podium.

“The development comprises a unified podium that activates the street interface, and two setback towers to accommodate new housing supply while maintaining an appropriate human scale at ground level,” fjcstudio noted in its Design Report.

The northern and southern towers have been shaped to respond to the surrounding skyline while also limiting overshadowing impacts to nearby public open space, particularly Talus Reserve.

The design report said the differing tower heights were intended to “contribute to a varied skyline while responding to the surrounding built form context and solar access considerations.”

<img alt="Aqualand" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="36da62dc-ff9e-41f2-a7e3-7be38373751c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.51.45%E2%80%AFAM_0.png?VersionId=Mo6Rp2r.XRLTzIfg_PEEpw8NepDH8UBs" />

The site sits directly opposite Royal North Shore Hospital and within walking distance of both St Leonards Station and the new Crows Nest Metro station.

While the site itself sits just outside the formal Crows Nest Transport Oriented Development boundary, the planning documents repeatedly reference its alignment with the broader TOD objectives reshaping the Lower North Shore.

“The site is located adjacent to St Leonards Station and in close proximity to Crows Nest Metro which is within the Crows Nest Transit Orientated Development Accelerated Precinct which has been identified by the NSW Government to support housing delivery,” the Design Verification Statement noted.

According to fjcstudio, the project has been designed to respond to the broader transition occurring across St Leonards, where increasing residential density is being concentrated around transport infrastructure and employment hubs.

“The broader precinct is undergoing significant change, with a mix of existing mid-rise buildings and newer high-density developments,” the report stated.

“Recent and approved projects indicate a consistent shift toward taller built form, typically organised as tower-and-podium typologies with more active ground levels.”

The proposal includes close to 6,000 sqm of retail and commercial space across the ground floor and podium levels, designed to create a more activated street edge along Herbert Street.

Aqualand’s plans would also introduce a landscaped podium shared between the two towers, with communal open space in the form of a podium rooftop designed to support resident interaction and improve urban greening outcomes. The scheme would also introduce pocket parks at the northern and southern ends of the site, including a landscaped area at the corner of Herbert and Ella streets designed to improve pedestrian amenity and soften the streetscape.

&nbsp;

The proposal is being progressed through the NSW Government’s Housing Delivery Authority pathway, which was introduced to accelerate housing supply across the state. The application was declared State Significant Development in April 2025 following an expression of interest process.

<img alt="Aqualand" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="faf6d97d-2671-454f-b85a-fe1c6a7be608" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.51.49%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=diVd28OBVr5.YV.7prrOz.uAanwwwm7a" />

St Leonards has been particularly active with new developments in recent weeks. Developer SP Setia’s <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-sp-setia-targets-st-leonards-skyline-with-40-storey-tod-tower">plans for a new 42-storey tower</a> recently went on exhibition through the same pathway, while <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-stockland-plans-52-storey-538-apartment-st-leonards-tower">Stockland’s 52-storey tower proposal</a> was also recently unveiled.

Aside from the St Leonards project, which is expected to take around nine months to move through the approvals process ahead of a potential 2027 launch, Aqualand is also preparing to launch Boronia, a new apartment project in Roseville comprising around 111 apartments on Larkin Street.

The developer also has approvals in place for the next stage of the Barangaroo precinct, which will feature new residential, retail, hospitality and community uses, alongside a new metro entry across the five-hectare site.

More than 50 new retail destinations are planned for Central Barangaroo, alongside a 270-metre-long boulevard connecting Hickson Park to Nawi Cove. Together with Harbour Park, more than 50 per cent of the precinct will comprise public open space and parkland.

First look: Aqualand joins St Leonards apartment party

The Block

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The Block television personality Shelley Craft and her estate agent husband, Christian Sergiacomi, didn't find a buyer when their Byron Bay hinterland home, The Rise went to school holiday auction.
<a href="https://www.byronbaypropertysales.com.au/listing-71213-The-Rise" target="_blank">The tropical five bedroom, three bathroom hideaway </a>sits on 6,100 square metres at Ewingsdale in the hinterland.
The five-bedroon Ewingsdale offering has around 290 square metres floor space.
Jeremy Bennett, of Byron Bay Property Sales has it listed at $1.5 million plus.
It has been home to The Block co-presenter and husband, known as Serge, who has been a cameraman on The Block, since they bought it in 2010 for $1.61 million.
The couple recently spent $2.05 million on an 8,050 square metre property at neighbouring McLeods Shoot, a substantial discount as it had been initially listed for sale at $3.5 million-plus in 2010.
The couple are busy building on the property which was long owned by the McGettigan pioneering family who who first settled in Byron Bay in 1882.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Shelley Craft yet to sell Byron Bay home

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The eight level, 34-room octagonal-shaped Hotel Saville in South Yarra sold recently with the whispered buyer being Channel 9’s The Block.
As there's no confirmation from the Colliers International selling agents Ben Baines and Ted Dwyer, Title Tattle was yet to be convinced either way.
But the exclusive speculative report by the Melbourne Herald Sun was worth mentioning, especially as The Block never confirm anything until they want it out there.
<img src="/images/2014/06/27/block-june-27-three.png" alt="">
Source: Sydney Daily Telegraph 
<a href="/expert-insights/investing/the-block-south-yarra-octagonal-hotel-saville-mystery">Property Observer's initial article</a> also noted, almost as an afterthought, that in 2002 the hotel was in the news after it was alleged Reservoir man Shane Chartres-Abbott violently raped a client in a hotel suite, with part of her tongue missing.
The gigolo Chartres-Abbott was arrested shortly after the attack with the victim's blood on his pants and her phone in his bag. With the forensic evidence, medical reports, the victim's testimony and witness statements, Chartres-Abbott presented a bizarre, headline-grabbing defence that he was a 200-year-old vampire.
Chartres-Abbott was <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-14/man-admits-to-killing-melbourne-vampire-gigolo/5452674" target="_blank">subsequently executed outside his Reservoir home in 2003</a> as he left for the County Court during the rape trial.
But such a connection proved waywardly, irresistible for the Sydney Daily Telegraph who even made it their newsagency poster headline.
<img src="/images/2014/06/27/block-june-27-one.jpg" alt="">
The journalists got it right, but the subsequent spruiking of the story including its front page banner didn't. All very wrong, as no murder took place at the South Yarra hotel. And the rape victim was not murdered.
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Not on this Block: Sydney News Corp tabloid gets The Block’s octagonal South Yarra hotel history wrong

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The Block television personality Shelley Craft and her estate agent husband, Christian Sergiacomi, are now auctioning their Byron Bay hinterland home, The Rise.
<a href="https://www.byronbaypropertysales.com.au/listing-71213-The-Rise" target="_blank">The tropical five bedroom, three bathroom hideaway </a>sits on 6,100 square metres at Ewingsdale in the hinterland.
It has been home to The Block co-presenter and husband, known as Serge, who has been a cameraman on The Block, since they bought it in 2010 for $1.61 million.
The couple have been reported by Fairfax Media's Domain as seeking equestrian acreage, but Property Observer gleans they recently spent $2.05 million on an 8,050 square metre property at neighbouring McLeods Shoot, a substantial discount as it had been initially listed for sale at $3.5 million-plus in 2010.
The couple are busy building on the property which was long owned by the McGettigan pioneering family who who first settled in Byron Bay in 1882.
The forthcoming five-bedroom 5 July auction Ewingsdale offering, which has views over Byron Bay, was renovated only recently. 
Craft describes its as raw and eclectic, with a plantation/tribal style. She brought in the team at EcoChic, the Gold Coast-based interiors company that specialises in furniture and homewares sourced from environmentally sustainable, fair trade practising suppliers, to help style and furnish her home. 
It has around 290 square metres floor space.
Jeremy Bennett, of Byron Bay Property Sales, is reportedly expecting more than $1.5 million at its 5 July auction, so property pundits will be interested to see if the professional duo can turn a profit.
Title Tattle gleans The Rise property has actually been for sale since January 2013 when it came with $1.85 million price expectations.
The prior owners took 10 months to sell having tried initially for $1.99 million.
Craft and Sergiacomi were married in 2009 at their prior house in the Byron Bay district.
In 2008, Craft signed with Nine taking over at Australia's Funniest Home Videos.
She began as co-host on the lifestyle series, Domestic Blitz alongside Scott Cam in mid 2008. Her time on The Block began in 2011.
In August 2010 Craft gave birth to her first child a baby girl, Milla Grace, with their second daughter, Eadie Rose born in June 2012.
They also have a puppy, Aldo since late last year.
The entrepreneurial couple also operate a tech business following the launch of The Builder App, an online trade directory.
It helps find trades people for home renovators, derived from their observation of struggling contestants on the Channel 9 renovation series. The couple collaborated on the app with Wategos builder, Max Iacopetta.
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Inside The Block's Shelley Craft Byron Bay hinterland auction offering, The Rise

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<div class="story-intro">
The eight level, 34-room octagonal-shaped Hotel Saville in South Yarra has been sold. And the whisper is to Channel 9’s The Block for $7.35 million.
But there's no confirmation from Ben Baines and Ted Dwyer, the Colliers International selling agents, simply saying the property had sold to a local developer.
<a href="/expert-insights/investing/on-the-market-hotel-saville-a-piece-of-the-south-yarra-skyline">The property was sold with a permit for 51 apartments by the vendor</a>, Simpo Solutions Pty Ltd directed on purchase by Ray Huang.
The 3.5 star hotel has been trading since the early 1970s, when it was built with 360 degree views including the city across Fawkner Park. 
Located at<a href="https://rca.colliers.com.au/property-land+development-vic-south+yarra-501125927" target="_blank" style="line-height: 1.3em;"> 1-5 Commercial Road</a>, and currently trading as Hotel Saville of South Yarra, the property was marketed as a "premium opportunity well suited to residential developers, hotel/motel developers, home owners and investors".
The Herald Sun reported it sold on Friday to Channel 9’s The Block for approximately $7.35 million - and will be the biggest site the series has taken on.
“We’ve had no contact with Channel Nine or The Block,” the agent reportedly told the Australian Financil Review, though that's not the final word as the Watercress Production company typically utilises the services of their architects, Brenchley Architects. 
So Property Observer isn't yet convinced either way, as previous reports of The Block's next intended location have been awry.
Channel 9 doesn't offer confirmatory comment on The Block's acquisitions until the filming is underway, as part of its 'keep'em guessing' marketing strategy.
Despite some doubting by Property Observer, The Age has pinpointed the likely next location elsewhere in South Yarra after the forthcoming Prahran series.
Property Observer notes Brenchley Architects has recently lodged a $2.4 million 10 apartment, development application at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-unitblock-vic-south+yarra-116269171" target="_blank">27 Darling Street, South Yarra</a> which has a caveat on it pursuant to a purchase by Watercress Productions, suggesting the 10th and possibly subsequent series could be undertaken at the popular Melbourne suburb.
Following an influx of interest from potential purchasers, Colliers International sold 1-5 Commercial Road, South Yarra in one line with a nearby 450 square metre car parking block at 270 Punt Road.
The Hotel Saville, which was sold with vacant possession, obtained in excess of 200 enquiries with 10 formal offers.
"Interest came from local and offshore residential developers as well as hotel/motel operators," Ben Baines advised.
“It was a very rare opportunity to acquire a landmark property offering such substantial upside potential.
"Local developers fought off offshore interest to secure the property.
“Local developers are still dominant in Melbourne’s suburban markets given their knowledge of owner-occupiers who will ultimately be purchasing the end product,” Mr Baines said.
 “This is in contrast to many of the CBD developments which are targeting investors, particularly those based overseas.
“That being said, offshore groups are increasing their activity and enquiries on suburban sites and as such we are likely to see high profile sites in the suburbs start to be snapped up by offshore groups, in particular larger sites with potential for in excess of 60 apartments.
“Market confidence within the suburbs is as strong as we have seen since before the GFC, with residential development sites now consistently transacting for in excess of around $130,000 per potential apartment. 
"Looking back 24 months, it was rare for apartment sites to achieve more than $100,000 per potential apartment.” 
The South Yarra address also made the site more attractive, with the suburb’s median two-bedroom apartment price currently sitting at $620,000.
“The properties have great access to popular attractions and amenities such as the Prahran Market, Chapel Street, Fawkner Park, the Botanical Gardens and Albert Park Lake. St Kilda Road, the Monash Freeway and public transport are all nearby, while The Alfred Hospital is just down the road." 
In fact the in the 1990s some of its rooms were briefly rented to the Alfred Hospital.
In 2002 the hotel was in the news after it was alleged Reservoir man Shane Chartres-Abbott violently raped a client in a hotel suite, with part of her tongue missing.
The gigolo Chartres-Abbott was arrested shortly after the attack with the victim's blood on his pants and her phone in his bag. With the forensic evidence, medical reports, the victim's testimony and witness statements, Chartres-Abbott presented a bizarre, headline-grabbing defence that he was a 200-year-old vampire.
Chartres-Abbott was subsequently executed outside his Reservoir home in 2003 as he left for the County Court during the rape trial.
The hearing for Mr Chartres-Abbott's murder is under way at the moment.
</div>
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The Block South Yarra? Octagonal Hotel Saville mystery

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Channel 9 has released its initial video revealing the contestant couples for its next renovation suction series of The Block Glasshouse.
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6gZP26PqR4&amp;feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">There is no date yet set for </a>the series start, but it is expected to air after the current season of The Voice wraps.
The contestants include retired AFL ruckman <a href="/expert-insights/buying/former-afl-ruckman-darren-jolly-sells-surrey-hills-and-joins-the-block-prahran">Darren Jolly</a> and his wife Deanne.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2014/06/23/block%20glasshouse%20contestants%20june%2023.jpg" alt="">
Photo courtesy of Channel 9/Facebook.
The video suggests <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheBlock" target="_blank">The Block</a> has responded slightly to past criticism over its lack of diversity.
It was something that the executive producer Julian Cress had been keen to reverse, thwarted as past Block series applications had resulted in fewer than 4% of applicants being other than Caucasian.
The Block, now into its 9th series, has previously had contestants with Italian, Greek and Lebanese heritage. There will be a contestant of Asian heritage in the series.
The Block was one of the first TV shows in the world to cast a gay couple in its initial 2003 series.
In 2014 Tasmania gets its first contestants, sibling guys, Shannon and Simon in the Glasshouse. 
The other contestants are Michael and Carlene from the Gold Coast; Karstan and Maxine from Newcastle; and Jenna and Chris from Sydney.
The next Channel 9 series of The Block Glasshouse is set for the<a href="/news/the-block-shifting-to-high-street-prahran-after-objectors-fail-to-lodge-vcat-appeal"> busy cosmopolitan High Street, Prahran</a> where some <a href="/developments/prahran-vic-3181">36% of the population are singles</a>.
There are five contestant couples, although the development proposal will see six split-level atrium apartments above two restaurants in a converted Prahran office block.
The production company, Watercress spent $8.25 million on the 1980s office building near trendy Chapel Street and opposite Swinburne University's Prahran campus last August.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2014/06/23/life-in-a-glass-house-june-23-breakout.jpg" alt="">
The $2.5 million Brenchley Architects infill works schedule for <a href="https://www.commercialrealestate.com.au/property/2010600795/for-sale/vic/prahran/offices" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">the three-storey 3,540-square-metre building</a> (pictured above) will be mostly internally, but sought car parking dispensation and a waiver of loading and unloading requirements in association with the food and drink premises.
Feature photo courtesy of Channel 9/Facebook.
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Diversity as Prahran's The Block Glasshouse contestants revealed

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Another of the six apartments in The Block Sky High block in South Melbourne has become are available for rent through Hocking Stuart agent Jacob Davis.
The fifth floor penthouse (pictured above)<a href="https://www.hockingstuart.com.au/UNIT_501_142_PARK_STREET_SOUTH_MELBOURNE_VIC_3205_RENTAL" target="_blank"> is available at $1,495 a week</a> which reflects a reduction in its asking rents. 
<a href="/news/south-melbourne-block-sky-high-penthouse-available-for-1-600-weekly-rental">Last July, Property Observer wrote</a> that the penthouse apartment - Trixie and Johnno's renovation -  had been listed for rent. It <a href="https://www.hockingstuart.com.au/UNIT_501_142_PARK_STREET_SOUTH_MELBOURNE_VIC_3205_RENTAL" target="_blank" style="line-height: 1.3em;">was available at $1,600 a week</a>, reflecting a 5.1% gross rental yield.
The fully furnished apartment sold at $1.605 million at its televised late July 2013 auction.
Three of the six apartments in The Block Sky High block in South Melbourne were recently available for rent. The furnished apartments were pitched at the corporate relocation market.
The offering included the second floor apartment renovated by indie-pop duo Matt and Kim and the third floor apartment renovated by the Melbourne couple, Bec and George.
Designed by architecture firm Brenchley Architects, the building at 142 Park Street in South Melbourne is a conversion from a 1960s motel building. It comes with with shared rooftop entertainment facilities.
The second floor, full floor 220 square metre had a $1600 weekly asking price through Lina D’Ambrasio at City Residential Real Estate Docklands. It is now longer available.
It has three double bedrooms all with ensuites.
The 201/142 Park Street, South Melbourne apartment has electronic blinds throughout and a television in every room.
The apartment at 301/142 Park Street (pictured below) - undertaken by Bec and George in the 2013 series of The Block Sky High - was also available at $1,600 a week rental, but is now no longer available
<img src="/images/2014/05/15/south%20melbourne%20may%2015%20two.jpg" alt="">
It was listed through Arlette Humphry at Interface Property Group Armadale.
The third apartment recently for rent was the garden apartment which was renovated during the final week challenge, and then retained by the Watercress production company.
It had a $1,450 weekly asking price <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-vic-south+melbourne-413086599" target="_blank">through Dingle Partners leasing agent Daniella Ferraro</a>, but is no longer available.
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Block Sky High, South Melbourne penthouse up for rent for less

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If you’re renovation-friendly and not camera-shy then you could have the chance to join in with Channel 9’s The Block next year.
They’re asking whether you: “Think you've got what it takes to turn rooms with no walls into stunning spaces people would pay millions for?”
If, like many of us, you “sit at home on your couch and think, ‘I could do better than that’,” then here’s your chance to take part – applications are now open.
They’re looking for teams of two – long-term couples, family teams and enduring friendships – and note that you must be aged between 18 and 65, be energetic and have a sense of humour. While we're not sure anyone can maintain a sense of humour while camping on a renovation site, it obviously helps to have one to begin with.
You will be unable to work during the shoot period, and you need to be available for 10 to 12 weeks of filming in late-2014 (exact dates, and location, are still to be confirmed). But, as you'd know if you've been watching, don't expect it to be less stressful than your current job.
The first week of filming will see the couples, as usual, whittled down to the final participants.
You don’t need to have previous home renovation experience, but it is an asset, they note. Property Observer recommends questionnaire experience with filling out hefty online dating profiles.
Australia-wide submissions are accepted, and you will be paid a nominal weekly fee during filming to cover your basic living costs and expenses.
You have to apply online, at which time McGregor Casting reviews your applications for inclusion. They then contact shortlisted applicants in September 2014.
So what does the application involve? Get a bowl of popcorn, because it's pretty extensive - and will be amusing to fill out for interested teams (some deep soul searching happening here).
Question and answers
The online application involves putting in your personal details (name, address and the usual mumbo jumbo), your next of kin, your height in centimetres, whether or not you have a criminal record, whether you are able to work in Australia and whether you have children (their ages, and if they live with you full time, plus the arrangements you will make for them if you get on the show). They will also undertake a federal police check.
You are asked about your living arrangements.
You are then asked to describe your team member in one word. Then, explain how they would describe you, again, in one word.
The next discussion, amusingly, is what causes an argument and who the first is to make up. You must then describe the best and worst times in your relationship, what your “theme song” would be and why, and your strengths and weaknesses.
Feeling a little akin to a first date, the application form then continues asking “What is your dream job?” and “What makes you happy/angry?”
Your team mate then fills out the same thing.
If this is feeling a little intrusive, you might not suit the show. The next part asks about you as a “team”. The nature of your relationship, how long you have known each other and how you met.
It wants to know what you do for fun and your plans for the future.
Then we start hearing about design – what is your style, and your influences, renovation experience and the “worst thing for you” when renovating. They want to know the roles you play in a crisis and how you respond when things don’t go well. Television experience is also asked about.
Photographs
You need to upload three photographs of your home that “should indicate your design style and taste” and two “everyday” pictures of your team, not including wedding photographs, and specifically no sunglasses.
Video upload
You are then required to submit one video, which they call your “first challenge” for the show. If you’ve managed to hack through the questionnaire, then you might think otherwise.
They ask you to “Be inventive, show initiative, catch our attention!” and do so in no more than five minutes.
It must include both of you, and suggests that you use the application questions as a guide to discuss. They want one of you in front of the camera at all times.
You are asked to talk about each other, and explain why you’d be ideal Blockheads.
“Please show us your renovations/home, but make sure we can see it clearly. Give an idea of your style and renovation experience,” the guidelines state.
Everything in your application (photos, questions and video), according to the Ts and Cs, must be your own work and you give the rights to Nine Network Australia and McGregor casting.
“In return for my assignment of rights in the Materials, Nine consents to me retaining a copy of the Materials for my personal use on the condition that I do not directly or indirectly offer to sell, hire, distribute, reproduce or otherwise use or authorise the use of the Materials for any commercial purpose or provide a copy of those Materials (or any part of them) to any other media organisation, outlet or platform without Nine’s prior written consent,” it explains.
You’re also agreeing to a release that they can use any of the information throughout the world “in any way in any media” without further consent or payment, regardless of whether you are successful.
“I agree that to the maximum extent permitted by law Nine will not be liable to me for any loss or damage or injury to me, my property or my reputation caused or suffered in connection with the making and use of the Recordings or my participation in the selection process for the Program,” it notes in the ‘release’ section.
After this, McGregor Casting may invite selected participants along to further stages of the process and to answer detailed questionnaires and to sign confidentiality undertakings and releases.
It notes they will not contact unsuccessful parties.
You have until July 6th to apply.
If you're keen, then <a href="https://www.jump-in.com.au/show/theblock/fans-v-faves/latest/week-11/are-you-australias-next-ultimate-blockheads/" target="_blank">click here to apply</a>.
If you want to study up about The Block first - check out our tips, tricks and summaries here.
Here are some past video applications:
{qtube vid:=zCn5yxw_glo}
{qtube vid:=EMtGxnSGuQA}
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jduke-EHk3XBmHkn

Want to join The Block 2015? Here's how to apply

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The Block Vaucluse 2010 contestants Erin and Jake Michael have sold their Coogee apartment pre-auction for $668,500.
They are moving on following the birth of their son, Jagger last September. The couple married in September 2010.
Their two-bedroom Nathan Street apartment cost $406,000 in 2008.
They then spent around $100,000 on renovations for the 59 square metre apartment.
LJ Hooker Double Bay agent Sean Poche had been telling inspectors of <a href="https://doublebay.ljhooker.com.au/MB1F93" target="_blank">8/3 Nathan Street</a> more than $600,000. 
Erin is a <a href="https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:x8FKPN_ZZwIJ:https://www.facebook.com/erinmichaelstyling+&amp;cd=1&amp;hl=en&amp;ct=clnk&amp;gl=au" target="_blank">freelance interior and food stylist</a>, working briefly for Real Living Magazine, and remains an accredited sports dietitian.
Contestants are now being sought for <a href="https://theblock2015.castasugar.com" target="_blank">another series of The Block </a>to be aired in 2015 after the Prahran office block conversion series, which will go to air later this year.
The location is yet to be confirmed.
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Post-Prahran 2015 Block contestants sought as Erin and Jake from the Block 2010 sell Coogee apartment

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Tom and Joy Williams, who bought Kyal and Kara's apartment on The Block Albert Park television series, are selling their nearby Albert Park home.
It's the former 1896 bakery at 1a College Place.
With separate living and dining spaces, the five bedroom property is tipped to fetch more than $2.9 million at its 31 May auction.
There is an upstairs retreat at the 300 square metre holding.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-albert+park-116896327" target="_blank">Warwick Gardiner, of Greg Hocking Holdsworth, has the listing</a> which traded at $860,000 in 1998.
Kyal and Kara’s apartment at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-vic-albert+park-116390163" target="_blank">2/47 O’Grady Street, Albert Park </a>sold 8 April through Cooley Auctions, one of four apartments installed into a red brick former silent cinema turned office warehouse that was offloaded <a href="/news"></a>by a company associated with <a href="/expert-insights/investing/the-block-albert-park-warehouse-price-appreciation-in-history">Lloyd Williams</a>, the Melbourne property developer to The Block production company.
<a href="/news/substance-over-style-as-chantelle-and-steve-win-the-block-2014-fans-v-faves">The Block Albert Park results</a> were as follows:
<ol>
<li>Steve and Chantelle, 1/47 O’Grady: $2.47 million ($636,000 above the adjusted reserve)</li>
<li>Alisa and Lysandra, 3/47 O’Grady: $2.375 million ($616,000 above the adjusted reserve)</li>
<li>Kyal and Kara, 2/47 O’Grady: $2.44 million ($567,250 above the adjusted reserve)</li>
<li>Brad and Dale, 4/47 O’Grady: $2.31 million ($507,250 above the adjusted reserve)</li>
</ol>
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Albert Park former 1896 bakery listed in The Block aftermath

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Three of the six apartments in The Block Sky High block in South Melbourne are currently available for rent.
The offering includes the second floor apartment renovated by indie-pop duo Matt and Kim and the third floor apartment renovated by the Melbourne couple, Bec and George.
Designed by architecture firm Brenchley Architects, the building at 142 Park Street in South Melbourne is a conversion from a 1960s motel building. It comes with with shared rooftop entertainment facilities.
The furnished apartments are pitched at the corporate relocation market.
The second floor (pictured in the gallery above), full floor 220 square metre has a $1600 weekly asking price through <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-vic-south+melbourne-413099191" target="_blank">Lina D’Ambrasio at City Residential Real Estate Docklands</a>.
It has three double bedrooms all with ensuites.
Its large German styled kitchen with Caesar Stone tops, German integrated appliances, double oven and butler’s pantry.
The 201/142 Park Street, South Melbourne apartment has electronic blinds throughout and a television in every room.
The apartment at 301/142 Park Street (pictured below) - undertaken by Bec and George in the 2013 series of The Block Sky High - has also become available <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-vic-south+melbourne-413029435" target="_blank">at $1,600 a week </a><a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-vic-south+melbourne-413029435" target="_blank">rental.</a>
<img src="/images/2014/05/15/south%20melbourne%20may%2015%20two.jpg" alt="" style="line-height: 1.3em;">
It is listed through Arlette Humphry at Interface Property Group Armadale.
<a href="/news/south-melbourne-block-sky-high-penthouse-available-for-1-600-weekly-rental">Last July Property Observer wrote</a> that the penthouse apartment - Trixie and Johnno's renovation -  had been listed for rent.
The fully furnished apartment sold at $1.605 million at its televised late July 2013 auction <a href="https://www.hockingstuart.com.au/UNIT_501_142_PARK_STREET_SOUTH_MELBOURNE_VIC_3205_RENTAL" target="_blank" style="line-height: 1.3em;">was offered at $1,600 a week</a>, reflecting a 5.1% gross rental yield.
<img src="/images/2014/05/15/south%20melbourne%20may%2015%20three.jpg" alt="">
 
At the time South Melbourne had a 5% indicative gross rental yield, according to RP Data.
It was rented through Hocking Stuart Albert Park agent Adam Pali, whose agency had secured the auction sale above its initial $1.41 million reserve.
The third apartment currently for rent was the garden apartment which was renovated during the final week challenge, and then retained by the Watercress production company.
It has a $1,450 weekly asking price <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-apartment-vic-south+melbourne-413086599" target="_blank">through Dingle Partners leasing agent Daniella Ferraro</a>.
The other five apartments sold on The Block: Sky High grossed $7.603 million on auction day collectively, with Adelaide sisters Alisa and Lysandra selling the winning apartment.
<a href="/news/just-4000-hammer-price-difference-with-entertainment-the-winner-of-the-block-sky-high-auction-results">It was the narrowest of victories </a>for the Adelaide sister contestants Alisa and Lysandra who now are thinking of becoming professional interior designers after winning the most profit in the 2013 Block Sky High apartment auctions.
<div>
Their win came after a $4000 difference between the top sale under the hammer and the second highest sale - apartment 5's Trixie and Johnno securing a $1.605 million sale and apartment 4's Madi and Jarrod who secured $1.601 million.
And then there was another $4000 difference between the winners, Alisa and Lysandra being $295,000 over their amended reserve and the runner-up couple, Madi and Jarrod, $291,000 over their reserve.
The Block Sky High auction sale prices:
<ul>
<li>Apartment 5 Trixie &amp; Johnno – $1.605 million</li>
<li>Apartment 4 Madi &amp; Jarrod – $1.601 million</li>
<li>Apartment 3 Bec &amp; George – $1.507 million</li>
<li>Apartment 2 Matt &amp; Kym – $1.455 million</li>
<li>Apartment 1 Alisa &amp; Lysandra – $1.435 million</li>
</ul>
The profit amount over amended reserves:
<ul>
<li>Trixie &amp; Johnno – $205,000</li>
<li>Madi &amp; Jarrod – $291,000</li>
<li>Bec &amp; George – $242,000</li>
<li>Matt &amp; Kym – $250,000</li>
<li>Alisa &amp; Lysandra – $295,000 plus $100,000 overall prize</li>
</ul>
</div>
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