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

Joel Robinson

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

IN BRIEF

<ul>
	<li>
	Just three double-storey Sky Homes sit at the top of The Waterline, each with its own private marina berth and rooftop terrace.
	</li>
	<li>
	Construction on The Waterline is complete, with the first residents expected to move in from mid-October.
	</li>
	<li>
	Sky Homes range from 282 sqm to 367 sqm and are priced from $3.65 million.
	</li>
</ul>

<hr />
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.

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.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=113271 project_image_fid=366708]

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.

“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.

“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.

“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.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=113271 project_image_fid=366709]

The display opening comes as construction completes on The Waterline, with the first residents expected to move in from mid-October.

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.

Each residence also has three secure basement car spaces and additional storage.

“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.

“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.”

<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" />

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.

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.

Studio Collective Director Melissa Park said the surrounding waterways informed the interiors, but in a more restrained way than a traditional coastal scheme.

“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.

“We introduced hero moments of green and teal to reference the surrounding waterways, while mirrored elements help reflect natural light.

“The result is a residence that feels elevated yet comfortable, somewhere buyers can genuinely imagine themselves living, entertaining and unwinding.”

Sky Homes are priced from $3.65 million.

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.

Three-bedroom villas are priced from $2.99 million, while four-bedroom residences start from $3.19 million.

Harbour Shores is being marketed by Colliers International.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=113271]

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

<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" />

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.

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.

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.

<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" />

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

<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" />

&nbsp;

The proposal adds to an increasingly concentrated pipeline of residential development around Blue Street, MacKenzie Street and Lavender Bay.

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.

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.

<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>

Immediately around North Sy​dney Station, another two significant proposals have emerged at 5 and 15 Blue Street.

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.

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.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-zurich-targets-north-sydney-office-conversion-with-148-unit-proposal-above-metro-station">First look: Zurich targets North Sydney office conversion with 148-unit proposal above Metro station</a>

&nbsp;

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

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 
Rundle Apartments, it wasn't one the longstanding developer-builder was going to pass up.

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.

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.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376073]

Royal Apartments incorporates the historic Royal Hotel, a venue Palumbo Managing Director Daniel Palumbo said has a longstanding connection with the local community.

"Everyone in the area has history with the Royal Hotel," Palumbo told Apartments.com.au.

"It was quite an active pub and social gathering place for locals. We want to bring it back to its former glory."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376072]

The wider development will comprise two residential towers alongside the restored hotel, sitting on North Terrace opposite the Adelaide Park Lands.

For Palumbo, the project also marks a return to familiar territory.

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.

"The opportunity emerged, and we moved to secure the site," Palumbo said.

"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.

"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.

"Now we're on the market and those changes have really resonated with local buyers."

That has translated into a strong start to sales, with 33 apartments transacting in the project's first 35 days.

Palumbo said the early purchaser profile had been consistent with the group's traditional focus on owner-occupiers rather than investor-led apartment stock.

"Local owner-occupiers have always been our market," he said.

"There are always some investors, but we've never developed what would be called traditional development stock. Owner-occupiers are very much our market."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376068]

The buyer mix has been diverse so far, with downsizers and younger professionals both accounting for a significant portion of early sales.

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.



Location has been a major part of the proposition for both buyer cohorts.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376075]

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.

Apartments have been positioned to capture views across the parklands, Adelaide skyline, Botanic Gardens and Adelaide Hills.

Palumbo believes the scarcity of developable land along this section of the Park Lands makes the site particularly difficult to replicate.

"There's very few allotments on that side that can be developed," he said.

"If this location was in New York and you were sitting on Central Park, you'd be talking about a $60 million apartments."

Royal Apartments will offer a broad mix of residences, ranging from one-bedroom apartments through to four-bedroom sub-penthouses and penthouses.

Current listings include one-bedroom apartments from $680,000, while larger three and four-bedroom residences are priced around $2.5 million.

Residents will have access to a swimming pool, gym, barbecue and recreation areas, residents' lounge and dining space, and a communal deck.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376067]

The apartments will feature generous balconies, while secure parking, bicycle storage and storage cages will also be provided.

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.

Palumbo is acting as developer, architect and builder on Royal Apartments, continuing the vertically integrated model it has used across its South Australian portfolio.

The group was also behind the $150 million Sofitel Adelaide, the 251-room five-star hotel and residential tower which opened in 2021.

Palumbo said Royal's launch had come at an interesting time for the broader Adelaide apartment market.

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.

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.

"Money is starting to flow into Adeliade, significant amounts as Adelaide bucks the trend of the rest of the country.," Palumbo said.

"There's a lot of activity in the economy over the next decade. I think more investment will come into this market."

Early works on Royal Apartments are expected to commence this year, with major construction activity and cranes anticipated on site from early next year.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=6109]

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

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.

The approval clears&nbsp;the way for the team to begin construction planning for the 22-residence project.

<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.

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.

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.

<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" />

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.

"St Lucia is one of those suburbs people do not want to leave," Gray said.

"They know the river, the trees, UQ, the golf course, Toowong and Indooroopilly, and that familiarity is hard to replace.

"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.

"This is not typical apartment product. It is a proper home on the river, and that is exactly what this market has been missing."

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.

GRAYA Co-founder and Managing Director Andrew Gray said securing the approval had removed a significant element of development risk from Silk.

"Genuine riverfront sites of this quality in St Lucia are not something that comes up regularly," Gray said.

"The approval removes a substantial layer of execution risk, and the location underwrites demand in a way very few inner-city sites can.

"The fundamentals here are as strong as anything we have assessed in Brisbane."

<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" />

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.

GRAYA will take a different role at Silk, controlling the project from design and development through construction and aftercare under its vertically integrated model.

The development will include a gym and resident leisure areas at ground level, integrated with the river's edge.

Silk joins a growing pipeline for GRAYA across Brisbane and the Gold Coast, which includes Enclave, The Gallery, Coral and Ripple.

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.

Silk is expected to predominantly target local owner-occupiers and prestige buyers seeking a permanent riverfront home in Brisbane's inner west.

Registrations of interest are now open, with further details on the project and construction program to be released as it progresses.

<hr />
<h2>SILK PROJECT FACTS</h2>

Developer-builder: GRAYA

Project: Silk

Location: 16-18 Sandford Street, St Lucia

Apartments: 22

Built form: 15 levels

Site: 810 sqm riverfront holding

Mix: 16 split-floor and six full-floor residences

Status: Development approved

Next step: Construction planning underway

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152168]

GRAYA greenlit for riverfront St Lucia apartment development, Silk

Auctions

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Melbourne's strengthening auction market is now consistently nudging 80%, the strongest rally for five years.
The REIV advised a 79% success rate on the April 18 weekend, matching the 79% pre-Easter weekend clearance rate.
It compared to 75 per cent last weekend, Enzo Raimondo, the REIV chief advised, having had an initial 78% advisory.
The year-to-date Victoria wide clearance rate sits at around 77%.
Melbourne's auctions finished 2014 and started 2015 in the 60s, so has enjoyed the biggest fillip of the capital city markets since the February RBA are cut.
<a href="/expert-insights/buying/melbourne-auction-spike-on-back-of-february-rate-cut-westpacs-matthew-hassan">It was noted recently</a> by the Westpac senior economist Matthew Hassan.
There were 1060 auctions reported to the REIV with the highest sale (below) in Surrey Hills.
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<div id="link-photo"><img src="https://images.realestateview.com.au/pics/610/44-Suffolk-Road-Surrey-Hills-VIC-3127-Real-Estate-photo-1-large-8539610.jpg" alt="44 Suffolk Road Surrey Hills VIC 3127 Real Estate Photo 1" title="44 Suffolk Road Surrey Hills VIC 3127 House - Photo 1"></div>
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The four bedroom Edwardian era home on 1089 square metres was sold by <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/44-suffolk-road-surrey-hills/Property-Details-buy-residential-8539610" target="_blank">Tim Heavyside at Fletchers</a>.
There were pricier offerings that failed to sell including the contemporary 4 First Point, Port Melbourne (below) townhouse which was passed in at $5.25 million.
<img src="https://i1.au.reastatic.net/456x342/f97aba401b197f5a9d09596902ee7b8ba6ba53836c70f7575f3db108236ff79a/main.jpg" alt="4 First Point, Port Melbourne" title="4 First Point, Port Melbourne" data-index="0">
Also the bungalow at 8 Normandy Road, Elwood was passed in at $3.55 million and a contemporary house in Leigh Bailey gardens at 50 Wentworth Avenue, Canterbury was passed in at $3.5 million.
There was an $813,000 median house price and a $590,000 median apartment price at weekend auction.
<div class="wysiwyg">
TOP 5 HOUSES 
1. 44 Suffolk Road, Surrey Hills $3,370,000 2. 15 Kildare Street, Hawthorn East $2,800,000 3. 37 Medina Road, Glen Waverley $2,486,000 4. 63 Rushall Crescent, Fitzroy North $2,250,000 5. 3 Westfield Drive, Doncaster $2,225,000 
TOP 5 BARGAIN HOUSES 
1. 8/29 Eldridge Street, Footscray $263,000 2. 5/14 Kelvinside Road, Noble Park $268,000 3. 76 Macedon Street, Sunbury $270,000 4. 15 Kynoch Street, Deer Park $300,000 5. 21 Highbury Circuit, Craigieburn $307,000
TOP 5 APARTMENTS 
1. 400 Beach Road, Beaumaris $2,830,000 2. 4/32 Walmer Street, Kew $1,890,000 3. 157 Were Street, Brighton $1,525,000 4. 9 Fourth Street, Black Rock $1,513,000 5. 1/3 Rangeview Grove, Balwyn North $1,510,000 
TOP 5 BARGAIN APARTMENTS 
1. 25/31 Smith Street, St Kilda $143,000 2. 7/10 Heather Avenue, Brooklyn $245,000 3. 14/441 Brunswick Road, Brunswick West $258,000 4. 11/158 Napier Street, Essendon $280,000 5. 23/470 Punt Road, South Yarra $280,000
 
Source <a href="https://www.reiv.com.au/Property-Research" target="_blank">REIV</a> 
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Strongest Melbourne Saturday auction rally since 2010 - consistently nudging 80%

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Sydney's auction market scaled new heights on Saturday to a record clearance rate of 88.2 per cent.
The current boom was responsible for the previous record when a month ago an initial 87.5 per cent clearance was notched from a record number of listings.
There were 737 auctions scheduled this weekend, with the initial results by Australian Property Monitors including 626 results.
Briggs Auction Services secured 10 from 10 sales with the highlight 18 Highgate Street, Strathfield selling for $4,420,000 with 25 registrations.
It was the weekend's highest sale, having last sold in 1992 at $1,046,000. 
The price six-bedroom estate which sold through Strathfield Partners included a tennis court, pool and granny flat on its 1483 square metre offering.
CoreLogic RP Data records show it languished on the market unsold from mid-2011 to mid-2014.
Cooley Auctions achieved a "very strong clearance of 94%, when the team sold 49 of 52," auctioneer Damien Cooley advised Property Observer with highlights including 33 Parer Street, Maroubra at $1.460 million. Some 13 registered bidders took it well beyond the $1 million paid in March 2013.
Sydney vendors pocketed a $1.18 median house price and a $760,000 median apartment price.
There were sales from A to Z across Sydney.
This Annandale house (below) fetched $1.81 million through Julie Hatch at Cobden &amp; Hayson. Cooley Auctions took 35 bidder registrations.
It is a three bedroom renovated terrace at 213 Johnston Street. It sold at at $602,000 in 2004.
<img src="https://i1.au.reastatic.net/456x342/c9504eade76b58e9ffa4391c1042d4c39d7181d9dbe1d1d98e61da2da926c863/image4.jpg" alt="213 Johnston Street, Annandale" title="213 Johnston Street, Annandale" data-index="3">
At Zetland $828,000 was paid through EE Real Estate agent Ken Lin for 69/22 Gadigal Avenue.
<img src="https://i4.au.reastatic.net/456x342/07a47139d9f980142946c74b3430525d2d4a18a1d9e4dc015565553d508e3887/image7.jpg" alt="69/22 Gadigal Avenue, Zetland" title="69/22 Gadigal Avenue, Zetland" data-index="6">
It was a 12th floor, two bedroom apartment (above) in the Elite complex. It had 88 square metre internal space, plus 12 square eyre balcony, plus car space and storage.
Huge crowds are flocking to weekend auctions with Auction Services opting around 150 attended their auction of 14 Cobham Avenue, Melrose Park that sold for $1,410,000, some $210,000 over reserve after the opening bid of $1 million through Michael Green at Green Real Estate Agency.  Auctioneer Rob Trovato said there were four bidders, slightly below their regular number.
"It has increased week to week and year to year, totalling nine per property on the weekend (up 1 week to week and up 2 to 3 from April 2014)," he said.
Last weekend's initial 86.8% success rate was revised down to 83.6% after late results were supplied to APM.
Other than the subdued Easter weekend, the Sydney auction clearance rate has remained above 80% - both initial and revised results - since the 2015 auction season began in early February 2015.
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Stellar 88% weekend Sydney auction success rate ensures sales from A to Z

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Brother and sister fashion label Alpha60 designer Alex and Georgie Cleary have listed their Northcote abode, the three-bedroom Westgarth Hall.
<a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/98-union-street-northcote/Property-Details-buy-residential-8658560" target="_blank">Nelson Alexander</a> agent Arch Staver is expecting more than $2 million at its 16 May auction.
The former community hall at 98 Union Street is an open-plan home created after being bought for $945,000 in 2009.
Alpha60, which has boutiques in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, known for bending the rules of classic wardrobe pieces, playing with androgyny. 
The Westgarth village home is entered via imposing double doors, a huge Chuck Close portrait visible on entrance.
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Alpha60 brother and sister duo list in Westgarth village

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By the end of last year, 59 Melbourne suburbs had median house prices of more than $1 million, in particular, suburbs in inner and middle Melbourne, notes Enzo Raimondo, the chief executive of the Real Estate Institute of Victoria.
"Three suburbs – Northcote, Richmond and Strathmore - had million-dollar medians for the first time in the December quarter," said Raimondo.
"Flinders, benefiting from the opening of the Peninsula Link, also joined the list."
The sales have gained momentum into 2015, with <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/10-dally-street-northcote/Property-Details-sold-residential-8520088" target="_blank">Northcote's most recent sale reported on realestateview.com.au last weekend at $1.01 million</a> (pictured above).
But how many buyers are actually paying more than $1 million for our homes?
In the three months to the end of December last year there were 15,127 house sales across Victoria, with 2769 of those at or above $1 million, he said.
That represents 18% of sales.
In dollar terms their total value was $4.4 billion - around 40% - of the $10.7 billion worth of property sold.
"It’s no great surprise that most of these were in Melbourne’s sought-after inner suburbs, close to infrastructure such as public transport and to the CBD, where the most million-dollar suburbs are located," said Raimondo.
"There were 4,572 sales during those three months in the inner suburbs and more than a quarter of them – 1,433 – were for $1 million or more.
<a href="https://www.reiv.com.au/Property-Research/Median-Prices/Million-dollar-suburbs" target="_blank">The 59 suburbs</a>.
"It is also not surprising that most of these million-dollar sales were auctions sales – after all, Melbourne’s inner and middle suburbs have given rise to its reputation as Australia’s auction capital, while auctions in outer suburbs and regional Victoria have gained popularity more recently.
"While just over a quarter of all sales in inner Melbourne were private sales, only 274 of the one million-dollar-plus sales were private sales."
He said in the middle ring suburbs – that is, those between 10 km and 20 km from the centre of the city – there were 5199 transactions with more than one fifth of them, 1081, for $1 million or more.
Melbourne’s outer suburbs - often thought of as comprising mostly affordable homes - had 226 sales worth more than $1 million in the December quarter with 29 such sales in regional Victoria.
"So far this year Victorians have spent $5,799 million buying homes – with about $2,430 million, or a bit less than half of that total – on million-dollar-plus homes," he concluded.
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Melbourne $1 million plus buyers' club secure 18% of sales

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GUEST OBSERVATION
This week, CoreLogic RP Data is currently tracking 2,936 auctions across Australia, with 2,296 scheduled in the capital cities. 
The coming week of auction activity will bring auction volumes back into line with where they were sitting prior to the seasonal Easter slow-down. At the same time last year, only 642 capital city auctions were held, given the seasonal effect from Easter.
The final auction clearance rate for last week confirms that Sydney’s auction market is not showing any signs of slowing down; with last week signifying the 9th week in a row in which the Sydney auction clearance rate remained above the 80% mark. 
The consistently high rate of clearance highlights that there is increasingly more incentive for Sydney vendors to consider selling their home by auction. The last time an auction market was recording results this strong was towards the end of 2009 and the start of 2010, when Melbourne’s clearance rate was trending above the 80% mark.
At this time, however, the number of auctions being held across the city was lower than what is currently being experienced across Sydney.
Melbourne is set to host 1,145 auctions this week, an increase from 716 last week. Melbourne’s final auction clearance rate was recorded at 77.6% last week, strengthening when compared to the 76.2% clearance rate recorded over the first quarter of 2015.
Last week, 671 Sydney auctions were held with a final auction clearance rate of 83.4%. This week, 845 Sydney auctions are expected. The number of auctions have not returned to the volumes seen in the lead up to Easter, however, the clearance rate is maintaining strength with no signs of slowing down.
Brisbane is expecting 119 auctions this week, almost unchanged when compared to the 117 auctions held last week. Brisbane’s final auction clearance rate was recorded at 54.4% last week, a strong result for the city. Over the March 2015 quarter, Brisbane’s auction clearance rate was recorded at 46.5%, having improved from 44.3% over the final three months of last year.
This week, Adelaide has 85 auctions scheduled, up only slightly from 83 last week. While Adelaide recorded a strong preliminary auction clearance rate this week, as additional results were reported the clearance rate revised down to 68.6%, which is trending in line with what was observed over the few weeks leading up to the Easter slow down.
Canberra has 56 auctions scheduled this week, compared to 53 last week, when a final clearance rate of 72.7% was recorded.
There are 32 Perth auctions scheduled for this week, up from 24 last week. Over the same week last year, Easter brought the volume of Perth auctions down to virtually nothing, with just 3 homes taken to auction over the seven day period.
Nationally, the two suburbs with the most auctions scheduled this week are both located in Melbourne. The neighboring suburbs of Glen Waverley and Mount Waverley each have 17 auctions scheduled to take place on Saturday.
Shana Miller is a research analyst at <a href="https://www.myrp.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">RP Data</a>.
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smiller-vwPjRHTkST

Auction volumes to rise in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth: Shana Miller

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A house in Connells Point designed by architect Erik Rudolfosson has sold for $3.1 million.
The five bedroom, two bathroom contemporary home at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-connells+point-119302039" target="_blank">5 Loch Maree Crescent in Connells Point</a> sits on a 973 square metre plot. It includes two master bedrooms, both with en suites, and a three car garage.
Sitedesign Studios designed the gardens. The home overlooks the waterfront reserve at Donnelly Park, which has a boatramp, jetty and slipway.
Sasha Tasic and Greg Tsaprazis of Lang+Simmons St George secured the sale. The vendors paid $430,000 for the site in February 1996.
{qtube vid:=MqSTQ1xg2NQ}
The $3.1 million sale put the property in equal second place on CoreLogic RP Data's top 10 sales of the week.
The 10 most expensive sales of the week ending 12 April, according to CoreLogic RP Data:
<ol>
<li>
31 Ocean View Road, Freshwater, NSW 3 bed, 2 bath, 2 car house $3,150,000 Clarke &amp; Humel Property, Manly 
</li>
<li>
3 Edwin Road, Templestowe, Vic 5 bed, 3 bath, 3 car house $3,100,000 Jellis Craig Real Estate &amp; Vendor Advocacy Australia 
</li>
<li>
5 Loch Maree Crescent, Connells Point, NSW 5 bed, 3 bath, 3 car house $3,100,000 Laing + Simmons St George 
</li>
<li>
5a Fortescue Street, Chiswick, NSW 4 bed, 3 bath, 2 car house $3,050,000 Mac Lee Realty 
</li>
<li>
76 Pellisier Road, Putney, NSW 2 bed, 1 bath, 1 car house $2,825,000 Ray White Gladesville/Ryde 
</li>
<li>
2505/26 Southgate Avenue, Southbank, VIc 3 bed, 2 bath, 2 car unit $2,800,000 Lucas Real Estate Docklands 
</li>
<li>
32 Spencer Road, Mosman, NSW 4 bed, 2 bath, 2 car house $2,600,000 Prestige Home Sales Crows Nest 
</li>
<li>
16 Dangar Street, Randwick, NSW 4 bed, 2 bath, 2 car house $2,600,000 Phillps Pantzer Donnelley Real Estate 
</li>
<li>
1/39 Mona Road, Darling Point, NSW 3 bed, 2 bath, 2 car unit $2,500,000 Di Jones Real Estate Woollahra 
</li>
<li>
3/45 Wharf Road, Birchgrove, NSW 3 bed, 2 bath, 1 car unit $2,310,000 Cobden &amp; Hayson Balmain</li>
</ol>
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jrichardson-uRX5hFdKfN

Erik Rudolfosson-designed Connells Point home sells for $3.1 million

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The RBA’s February interest rate cut had given the most apparent boost to the Melbourne auction market, according to Westpac senior economist Matthew Hassan.
"Perhaps the most notable development since the start of the year though is the rise in Melbourne clearance rates," he said today.
"These were notably more subdued in 2014, both compared to Sydney and to previous peaks in 2009-10 and 2007. 
"However, they have surged 7-9ppts since Feb to be within striking distance of those previous peaks.
<img src="/images/2015/04/14/westpac-april-14-one.jpg" alt="">
"This suggests the RBA’s Feb rate cut has given a material boost to activity that should be most apparent in the Melbourne market where price growth had been travelling at a more subdued 5% annual pace compared to double digit growth in Sydney."
Matthew Hassan noted his belief that weekly auction market indicators are easily the most timely housing market data available, preceding most other measures by a good four to five weeks.
<img src="/images/2015/04/14/westpac-april-14-two.jpg" alt="">
 
He added caution must be applied in their interpretation especially as coverage issues mean auctions are only valid gauges for the Sydney and Melbourne markets and even then are skewed to particular parts. 
He suggested clearance rates also exhibit clear seasonality that must be adjusted for to provide a cleaner read of conditions.
<img src="/images/2015/04/14/westpac-april-14-three.jpg" alt="">
He highlight whereas seasonality was flattering clearance rates with 1½-3½ppt boosts in Feb and Mar, this effect has dropped back to about ½ppt in April;
"Seasonally adjusted clearance rates are unambiguously strong with April on track for a record high in Sydney."
<img src="/images/2015/04/14/westpac-april-14-four.jpg" alt="">
He added that conditions appear to be weakening more rapidly in markets not well covered by auction statistics.
<img src="/images/2015/04/14/westpac-april-14-five.jpg" alt="">
 
"Annual price growth has stalled flat in Perth and slipped to just 2.5% in Brisbane. 
"Auctions account for less than 3% of transactions in these cities. 
"As such conditions on a national ‘average’ basis have likely improved by much less than the rise in Sydney and Melbourne clearance rates indicates."
<img src="/images/2015/04/14/westpac-april-14-six.jpg" alt="">
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Melbourne auction spike on back of February rate cut: Westpac's Matthew Hassan

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The record-breaking Sydney weekend auction streak resumed after the Easter holidays with an initial 86.8% clearance rate reported this weekend. Melbourne auctions remained strong, recording a clearance rate in the high 70s.
Sometimes the Easter break triggers a change in energy, sometime upwards, sometimes downwards (as it did in 2014), but not this year in the major auction cities which have been both having schools holidays.
There were 525 Sydney auctions listed this weekend with another rise in numbers scheduled next weekend, before a pause in activity <a href="/expert-insights/buying/agents-ensure-anzac-day-auction-slim-pickings">for the centenary of the Anzac </a>landings at Gallipoli.
Abbotsford secured the top sale at $5,215,000, while there were nine auctions at Neutral Bay  followed by St Ives, Ryde and Wahroonga each with seven offerings, according to Australian Property Monitors.
These had been a record initial 87.5% election day auction success rate on the pre-Easter 28 March weekend as Sydney’s supercharged housing market hit eight weeks above 80%. The revised figure was 83.7%. The Easter weekend had just the 34 offerings.
There was a strong $1.28 million McGrath auction sale (below) of a Toongabbie development offering.
<img src="https://i3.au.reastatic.net/800x600/95b0ba13455400e6d1c3ec87240c68586b9973e93f35186015651ac9415b2624/main.jpg" alt="43 Cornelia Road, Toongabbie" title="43 Cornelia Road, Toongabbie" data-index="0">
The 1,552 square metre approved two lot Toongbabbie subdivision with existing three bedroom cottage had been marketed at $990,000 plus expectations.
The Abbotsford top seller had been held by the same family for six decades on the shores of the Hen and Chicken Bay. 
Selling agent Fayez Yammine of Devine Real Estate said the past record was set in February with a sale on St Albans Street at $4.9 million, well up on the suburb's CoreLogic RP Data $1.46 million median house price.
Melbourne had a 78% weekend success rate among the initial 540 REIV results.
The REIV was expecting about 670 auctions in 252 suburbs on the 11 April weekend across Melbourne.
The top Melbourne auction locations were Reservoir (11 auctions) and Mount Waverley (10 auctions), followed by Carnegie and South Yarra with seven auctions in each.
There were just the 44 auctions, mostly coastal, on the Easter weekend in Victoria.
On the busy 28 March pre-Easter weekend there was a Melbourne clearance rate of 79% on the initial 1,291 auctions reported to the REIV.
Auctions included a three-level warehouse residential conversion at 118 Victoria Street, Brunswick East, (top above) that been listed with adjusted expectations above $875,000. It fetched $917,500.
The open-air home comes with two bedrooms, industrial concrete floors, trussed ceilings, and infinity edge pool.
<a href="https://www.jelliscraig.com.au/property-details-118-Victoria-Street-Brunswick-East/218699#.VRMrFDpMIzU" target="_blank">Jellis Craig agent Craig Shearn</a> had the scheduled auction.
It last sold at $614,000 in 2006 when Craig Shearn was quoting $500,000 to $550,000.
It had been the Youngs Motor Product premises.
The REIV reported the top sale was in Middle Park. <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/162-page-street-middle-park/Property-Details-buy-residential-8528338" target="_blank">Realestateview</a> indicates it was a 1915 single fronted terrace sold through Marshall White agents Oliver Bruce and Michael Paproth.
Top 5 Houses
162 Page St MIDDLE PARK $3,375,000 3 Edwin Rd TEMPLESTOWE $3,100,000 1 Nerolie Ct WANTIRNA SOUTH $2,210,000 259 Bridport ALBERT PARK $2,022,000 1/96 Campbell Rd HAWTHORN EAST $1,915,000
<div class="pd-content-line">Top 5 Bargain Houses</div>
3 Fuchsia Ct NEWCOMB $235,000 70 Cox Rd CORIO $237,000 19 Mortlake Av DALLAS $283,500 43 Filipi Dr ST ALBANS PARK $314,000 25 Wynnette Ct EPPING $325,000
Top 5 Flats/Apartments
23/156 Rose St FITZROY $1,400,000 80A Marriage Rd BRIGHTON EAST $1,175,000 1/8 Loddon St BOX HILL NORTH $1,170,000 33 Lilly St CLIFTON HILL $1,115,000 2/65 Park La MOUNT WAVERLEY $1,000,000
Top 5 Bargain Flats/Apartments
1/38 Balliang St SOUTH GEELONG $195,000 18/54 Balston St BALACLAVA $270,000 3/54 Cunningham St NORTHCOTE $290,000 21/81 Edinburgh St RICHMOND $300,500 6/5 Redan St ST KILDA $326,000
<a href="/news">Source: REIV </a>
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Only the slightest dip as Sydney and Melbourne auctions resume with energy after Easter

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When Anzac Day falls on a Saturday – as it does this centennial year – the law restricts auctions as only permitted in the afternoon.
For many the respect dictates auctions are avoided all together.
But Property Observer has spotted quite a few listings, and indeed APM research analyst Neil Tan confirmed to Property Observer there were 51 scheduled for Sydney and 81 in Melbourne on the Anzac Day weekend.
At Killara, <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/20-garnet-crescent-killara/Property-Details-buy-residential-8526754" target="_blank">20 Garnet Crescent </a>(pictured above) has been listed for 3pm auction through Chadwick's agent Sophie Su.
The typical industry wide practice is to avoid having Anzac Day auctions.
There are therefore some 700 plus auctions scheduled for 18 April in Sydney and 1,000 plus in Melbourne, according to Australian Property Monitors.
With not many auctions booked for the Anzac Day weekend, "the weekend before and after are heavily booked", said Rocky Bartolotto from Auction Services.
Cooley Auctions also noted the trend.
The Cooley Index for March 2015 saw the clearance rate remain in the 80s for the first three months of the year.
Cooley Auctions conducted 615 auctions across the company and the traditional pre-Easter rush delivered an influx with 300 auctions conducted in the last week of the month.
There was a $1.13 million average sale price, auctioneer Damien Cooley said.
{mijopolls 104}
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Agents ensure Anzac Day auction slim pickings 

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There was 20% annual growth achieved on a recent Sylvania Waters flip.
<a href="https://www.mcgrath.com.au/buy/house-sylvania-waters-nsw-2224/250586/?searchID=48403317" target="_blank">The house</a> sold at auction for $1,441,000 after an update. 
<img src="/images/2015/04/07/sylvania%20waters%20april%207%20two.jpg" alt="">
This was the house in <a href="https://www.mcgrath.com.au/buy/house-sylvania-waters-nsw-2224/221941/?searchID=48403317" target="_blank">April last year</a> sold at $1.2 million.
The place had been spruced up during the unintended quick flip.
Bidding on 9 Roper Crescent opened at $1.1 million.
<img src="/images/2015/04/07/sylvania%20waters%20april%207%20three.jpg" alt="">
It was signalled as on the market at $1,436 million.
There were four bidders, but just two for the last $200,000 or so.
<img src="/images/2015/04/07/sylvania%20waters%20april%207%20four.jpg" alt="">
David Greig at McGrath Sylvania Waters told Property Observer that there were six registered parties on the four bedroom, two bathroom house.
There was $1.2 million plus price guidance on the part two storey house with rear oasis-like swimming pool with Travertine and palm surrounds.
Sylvania Waters is the suburb where the governor of the Reserve Bank Glenn Stevens resides.
The governor, too, owns a non-waterfront property; it's a two-storey house on 657 square metres which was bought in 1993 for $312,500.
Given price growth and renovations over the past 16 years, he could also recoup over $1 million.
"My house is not a fibro house, but it is a piece of spec rubbish built in the 1970s, and in many respects it shows that," Stevens told a 2007 House of Representatives hearing.
Back in the 1950s, Gwawley Bay oyster farmers sold out to the developer Jim Goyen, who constructed the suburb on land reclaimed from the Georges River.
After installing an eight-kilometre concrete retaining wall, more than 2 million cubic metres of shell-strewn sand was dredged during the 1 million pound infrastructure scheme.
The local council approved the development, with privately owned waterways, after sending the shire engineer to Florida Keys in the US to see how it could be done.
Property Observer noted there are diminishing numbers of original buyers remaining in the 50 year old houses, but some turned up to the recent auction.
The suburb's record was set at $4.6 million in 2004. The six bedroom, six bathroom house in the governor's street is on an unusually large 1,290 square-metre block on the open waters. 
There was one residence aiming for a waterfront record with $4.8 million expectations. The two-storey James Cook Island residence featured as Lois Lane's home in the 2006 movie Superman Returns. But it sold at $3.55 million in 2013, after four years on the market, unable to withstand the kriptonite effect of the global financial crisis.
It is among the last seven sales above $3 million that have all gone to buyers of Chinese descent since 2010.
Loss-taking was the norm on the waterfront after the global financial crisis. Four 2009 sales reflected losses between 6% and 25% on their purchase price. 
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