Mark and Roy Makari are expanding their presence in Sydney’s South West with a second major proposal for Leppington, this time envisioning a 900-dwelling mixed-use development just 850 metres from their previously lodged tower trio on Fifth Avenue.

The latest application seeks approval for a multi-building project at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/230-rickard-road-leppington-nsw-2179">230 Rickard Road, Leppington</a>. The proposal seeks to establish a new focal point for the precinct through a high-density, transit-oriented development supported by diverse land uses.

According to the Scoping Report prepared for the Department of Planning, the scheme includes around 900 apartments across multiple towers, including 135 dwellings designated for affordable housing. A mix of market and subsidised apartments will be supported by ground-level activation through retail and office space, a childcare centre, and a hotel, forming a comprehensive urban precinct.

<img alt="Mixed Use Development 230 Rickard Rd Leppington" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="34797362-f3dc-4d84-8235-2657fc5f3bde" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Plan.png?VersionId=Uzckrz9tUpDQl5lX1_WMhjnv16bsr8wG" />

The Design Report by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/studiosc-0">Studio SC</a> notes that the project “intends to deliver a high-quality, high-density built form that supports the vision for the Leppington Town Centre, integrating mixed-use outcomes and public domain upgrades.” The development is expected to be delivered in stages, although a precise timeline is yet to be confirmed.

The project will be assessed through a future State Significant Development Application, with the Scoping Report indicating the team will seek design excellence via a competitive process or through an expert design review panel. Early massing diagrams suggest a series of mid- to high-rise buildings framing a central landscaped spine, with emphasis on pedestrian permeability and public space.

The planning documentation flags a strong sustainability agenda, stating that the development will “respond to the urban heat island effect, incorporate water sensitive urban design, and prioritise active transport”.

<img alt="Mixed Use Development 230 Rickard Rd Leppington" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="369d7b54-1279-4cde-88ec-dcb215594414" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Podium_1.png?VersionId=QArL7B2kkLt63vl5xvL0FNV_ardAlez4" />

The proposal follows in the footsteps of the Makaris’ nearby Fifth Avenue site, where they’ve submitted plans for three towers comprising nearly 500 apartments, with 10 per cent dedicated to affordable housing. That project features commercial podiums, a childcare centre, and a new public park that would occupy more than a third of the site.

Both developments are situated within walking distance of Leppington Train Station and fall under strategic precinct plans promoting higher density housing. The town centre is undergoing substantial transformation, driven by state government planning reforms aimed at fast-tracking housing delivery.

Together, the two projects represent a combined ambition of nearly 1,400 new homes across just under two kilometres of central Leppington.

Staff Writer

First look: 900-home mixed-use precinct planned for Leppington

Leading Australian integrated property development group, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/aqualand-australia">Aqualand</a>, has released the signature penthouses crowning its landmark AURA by Aqualand precinct at 168 Walker Street in North Sydney, unveiling Il Magnate and La Divina as the largest and most luxurious penthouses in the suburb.

With prices anticipated to commence from $15 million, and each accompanied by a new Porsche Carrera 911 valued at over $500K, the residences mark the culmination of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/aura-by-aqualand-north-sydney-168-walker-street-north-sydney-nsw-2060">AURA by Aqualand</a>’s decade-long journey and the beginning of its final sales chapter. 
&nbsp; 
Their release follows more than $850 million in record-breaking residential sales and the building’s completion and occupation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=358868]

The Richards Stanisich-designed 284 sqm Il Magnate and 224 sqm La Divina penthouses, collectively known as The Icons of AURA, are conceived as grand luxury homes rather than apartments, with expansive proportions, elevated materiality and curated identities that reflect their status as one-off residences.&nbsp;

Il Magnate features a grande master suite, complete with substantial walk-in dressing area and ensuite, three other bedrooms, second ensuite and another bathroom, powder room, open plan kitchen, scullery, substantial dining area and generous living room divided by a feature fireplace, and a multifunction wintergarden, which is ideal for a study and adjoining office breakout space. &nbsp;

Meanwhile, the La Divina residence offers the same amenities, sans the powder room, on a slightly smaller alternate floor plan configuration.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=358863]

Each occupies half of AURA by Aqualand’s topmost 28th level, comes with four secure car spaces and pairs sweeping Sydney Harbour panoramas with large-scale living spaces, refined detailing and a level of craftsmanship and amenity rarely offered in the North Shore market.&nbsp;

Penthouse residents will also receive Etymon’s ‘Black Key’ private concierge and lifestyle management service, an invitation only offering providing the ultimate in bespoke personalisation, including a range of everyday discrete services, from dinner party management, grocery deliveries, pet feeding or plants watered, dinners, snacks and coffee deliveries, event ticket sourcing, right up to organising travel visas and international airfares. Rarely seen in Australian properties, the service provides residents the benefits of living in a world-class luxury hotel-style home, akin to The Ritz, or the Waldorf Astoria.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=358862]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/richards-stanisich">Richards Stanisich</a>’s Director, Kirsten Stanisich, said the studio set out to craft residences that feel profoundly considered, contemporary and deeply connected to their setting.

“From the outset, we approached these penthouses with the sensibility of a grand Parisian residence - generous in scale, elegant in proportion and designed to feel more like a handcrafted home than an apartment," Stanisich said.

“Their elevated position and sweeping harbour outlook informed every decision, creating a rare connection between urban sophistication and natural calm. We shaped each space with expressive materiality, sculptural forms and bespoke detailing that invite touch and interaction.&nbsp;

“The result is a pair of residences defined by volume, light and an inherent softness - refined, flexible and deeply personal. These penthouses are unlike anything else in North Sydney, offering a sanctuary of true luxury framed by some of the city’s most remarkable views.”

For Aqualand’s Head of Sales &amp; Marketing, Alex Adams, the collaboration with Porsche underscores the shared ethos behind the residences.

“Aqualand’s collaboration with Porsche underpins both brand’s sharing an obsession with craftsmanship, design excellence, and enduring value," Adams said.

“Our penthouses are created for those who appreciate the finer details and expect the extraordinary at every touchpoint. Including a Porsche simply extends that experience beyond the residence - it’s a continuation of the lifestyle our buyers already live.”&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=292862]

Aqualand’s Managing Director, Jin Lin, said the penthouses represent both the pinnacle of AURA by Aqualand and an important design benchmark for the company’s future pipeline.&nbsp;

“These stunning penthouses reflect the purest expression of Aqualand’s design ambition," Lin said.

“The unparalleled design intent makes them not only the glistening crown of AURA by Aqualand, but the crown of North Sydney itself. They’re essentially a thank you gift to a burgeoning community that deserves this level of quality and architectural consideration.&nbsp;

“We’re leveraging the unrivalled standard set here as the foundation for what comes next, including our upcoming Anderson Street, Chatswood; 15 Blue Street, North Sydney and Central Barangaroo projects. Purchasers of these penthouses will essentially be living inside the blueprint of Aqualand’s future.

“These landmark residences demonstrate how far North Sydney has evolved and the strength of demand for highly curated, bespoke luxury homes. They’re more than penthouses, they’re legacy residences.&nbsp;

“With AURA by Aqualand now a thriving new precinct with residents well and truly settled, and our in-house world-class lifestyle amenity activated, Il Magnate and La Divina represent a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to secure an extraordinary piece of North Sydney’s future.”

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=30959]

Joel Robinson

Aqualand launches North Sydney penthouses with free Porsche Carrera 911

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/bokarina-qld-4575">Bokarina</a> Beach has quietly evolved into one of the Sunshine Coast’s most complete coastal lifestyle precincts, defined not just by proximity to the ocean, but by how residential living, local retail and everyday amenity are stitched together.&nbsp;

Gardner Vaughan Group’s <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/bask-bokarina-38-bokarina-boulevard-bokarina-qld-4575">Bask Bokarina</a> now represents the final residential chapter in that transformation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=141609 project_image_fid=333360]

Over recent years, the Bokarina Beach precinct has taken shape as a walkable, community-oriented neighbourhood, anchored by beachfront access, Lake Kawana to the west, and a growing mix of cafés, specialty retail and public open space.&nbsp;

With Zinc Bokarina already delivered next door by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/gardner-vaughan-group">Gardner Vaughan Group</a> (GVG), Bask is the last opportunity to buy a brand new apartment within the precinct, effectively rounding out a fully formed coastal village.

GVG has positioned Bask to strengthen that lifestyle framework. Nine ground-floor retail spaces are planned beneath the residences, extending Bokarina Boulevard’s existing activity and reinforcing the area’s everyday convenience, from casual dining and coffee to local services, within a short walk of the beach.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=141609 project_image_fid=333359]

The residential component comprises 135 apartments across two buildings, Mydas and Caretta, with a clear shift toward larger three- and four-bedroom layouts and penthouses. That mix reflects a maturing buyer profile in Bokarina, where demand is increasingly led by owner-occupiers and active downsizers seeking space, permanence, and connection to place rather than short-term coastal accommodation.

Design and amenity have followed the same logic. Residents will have access to a heated plunge pool, gym, landscaped communal gardens with barbecues and a firepit, and a shared herb and vegetable garden, facilities intended to support daily use rather than resort-style turnover. Pet-friendly features, including a dog wash bay, acknowledge both buyer expectations and the area’s dog-friendly beach, located around 250 metres from the site.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=141609 project_image_fid=333366]

“Bokarina has become one of the Sunshine Coast’s most desirable beachside communities, and Bask represents the very last chance to buy new in this location,” GVG Director Sam Gardner said.&nbsp;

“Our focus has been to create spacious, functional apartments that meet the needs of locals who want to downsize without compromise, as well as those seeking a full-time coastal retreat.”

Positioned between the Pacific Ocean and Lake Kawana, Bask apartments have been oriented to capture outlooks toward the water or the Glass House Mountains, reinforcing the project’s connection to its natural surroundings. With parks, beachfront paths, hospitals, retail and public transport already in place, Bask arrives at a point where the broader precinct is no longer emerging, but established.

Construction is expected to complete in Spring this year, with apartments ready to move into in Q3 2026.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=141609]

Bask to complete Bokarina’s Sunshine Coast lifestyle precinct as final apartments are released

Property development giant <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/avid-property-group">AVID Property Group</a> is approaching completion, and sell-out, of its Surry Hills apartment development, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-rathbone-23-47-flinders-street-surry-hills-nsw-2010">The Rathbone</a>.

The Flinders St project has sold well over half of its 32 apartments, which will sit above two retail spaces.

Now hitting the market are the final 14 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, which start from $1.15 million. AVID is targeting a mid-2026 completion.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5947 project_image_fid=51208]

AVID General Manager New South Wales Danny Boubli said as more apartments are introduced to increase housing options in inner-city areas, homebuyers are searching for a &nbsp;sense of belonging in addition to location, convenience and value.&nbsp;

“There are very few opportunities for new developments in Surry Hills, and since acquiring the site, we’ve even seen one early purchaser merge two apartments plans together, reflecting the demand for a spacious, premium offering in a prime location,” Boubli said.&nbsp;

“Demand has been strong since we launched to market – we don’t see these final apartments staying on the market for long.”&nbsp;

Architectural firm Studio SC has designed the building which pays homage to the former 1900s Rathbone Terraces that once sat on the 990 sqm island site.

Boubil said the team has made every effort to create "truly liveable apartments", through&nbsp;functional floor plans, security, storage, and the inclusion of quality fittings.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5947 project_image_fid=51207]

&nbsp;

Sustainable design has also been implemented throughout the development, with natural light flooding each apartment, ventilation throughout, extensive landscaping and where possible, materials with a high level of recycled content and low volatile organic compound paints have been used. &nbsp;

Apartments range in size from 57 sqm for the one-bedrooms to the large-scale 165 sqm three-beds which are priced at $2,575,000.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=5947]

AVID launches final apartments at The Rathbone, Surry Hills

A wave of investment, renewal and precinct growth continues to shape the northern edge of Macquarie Park, where daily life is supported by a rare combination of university activity, corporate employment, major retail, and expansive green corridors. It’s this convergence of amenity and connectivity underpins the setting for <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/urban-property-group">Urban Property Group</a>’s <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/la-vera-94-talavera-road-macquarie-park-nsw-2113">La Vera</a>, which has now topped out and is tracking toward completion in mid-2026.

Within this pocket of the precinct, residents move easily between the area’s key anchors. Macquarie Centre, home to more than 360 retailers, fresh food offerings, dining and entertainment, sits at the heart of local convenience and functions as a major transport interchange. The Metro, T1 rail line and extensive bus network place much of Sydney within quick reach, while surrounding arterial links support direct access to neighbouring districts.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134951 project_image_fid=5829]

Green space remains a defining feature of the immediate environment. Lane Cove National Park stretches along the northern boundary of the precinct, offering bushland trails, cycling routes and quiet riverfront pockets. Shrimptons Creek and the campus grounds of Macquarie University extend these recreational networks, softening the urban setting and creating a daily connection to nature that informs the project’s architectural response.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cox-architecture">Cox Architecture</a> have shaped La Vera around these contrasts. The building’s northern elevation adopts an organic, curvilinear form that mirrors the natural topography of the national park. Three sculpted forms soften the tower’s profile and encourage a stronger transition between indoor living areas, balconies and the broader landscape.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134951 project_image_fid=223737]

Cox Director Felipe Miranda says the building’s outlook played a central role in the design process.

“The vision for the project was to conceive a building that adopted an organic and curvilinear form to the northern portion that faces the Lane Cove National Park… The residents that reside in the northern portion of the building benefit by having beautifully crafted curved balconies that speak to the natural context and heighten the relationship of their internal living spaces to the external balconies,” Felipe Miranda of Cox Architecture said.

Toward the city-facing side, the design shifts to a more urban expression. A gridded facade and extensive glazing capture CBD views, creating a dual strategy that blends ecological outlooks with metropolitan orientation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134951 project_image_fid=5827]

La Vera delivers 169 residences across one- to four-bedroom layouts, reflecting the needs of young families, downsizers, first-home buyers and investors seeking long-term certainty within a high-amenity location. From the project, residents can walk to Macquarie University, Macquarie Hospital and nearby corporate offices, reach national park trails within minutes, and enjoy retail and dining without relying on a car.

The project is delivered by Urban Property Group, a 4.5-star iCIRT-rated developer-builder with more than three decades of experience. The company has become a leader in adopting 10-Year Latent Defects Insurance (LDI), first introduced on its Parq Bexley development and now embedded into its pipeline.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134951 project_image_fid=223727]

La Vera is the first development in Macquarie Park approved to offer this 10-year LDI policy, adding another layer of protection for purchasers and reinforcing the transparency of the construction process.

Urban Property Group CEO Patrick Elias says this assurance has become increasingly important for buyers navigating the off-the-plan market.

“Consumers are a lot more weary and a lot more concerned in buying off the plan than they ever have been… Having LDI is a tool to portray the confidence that we have in our product, and a confidence we want buyers to share,” Urban Property Group CEO Patrick Elias said.

Urban Property Group's in-house construction team is forecasting a mid-2026 completion, with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/home789">HOME789</a> appointed as the project marketer.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=134951]

La Vera delivers a nature-connected address within Macquarie Park’s core

Buyer Demand

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Housing demand is projected to fall over this year and next due to the dramatic impact of COVID-19 on net overseas migration.

This is projected to result in new housing supply temporarily exceeding new demand, according to the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation’s first major report on Australia’s housing market.

The report does add that any cumulative excess supply could be negligible if effective vaccines are available earlier and international borders re-open sooner than expected.

New housing supply could also be lower than projected if developers face greater difficulties in obtaining the level of pre-sales necessary to obtain project finance for new medium- to-high density developments.

The report follows much longer protracted periods of under-supply in the housing market.

"Notwithstanding a high degree of uncertainty around the path to economic recovery, we have also seen a great degree of resilience in the property sector," said Nathan Dal Bon, the chief executive officer of the government run, National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation.

"Due to historically low interest rates and government stimulus, construction activity and housing prices have held up better than many anticipated," he added.

"This highlights the challenges in the current forecasting environment and this should be considered when interpreting the projections in this report. 

"The current shock is unprecedented in modern times and with this comes a highly unpredictable outlook.

The report noted the impact will also be uneven across different segments of the housing market, particularly for apartments, and for different locations across Australia.
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Housing demand is projected to fall over this year and next due to the dramatic impact of COVID-19 on net overseas migration.

jchancellor

Housing demand projected to fall over 2021

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EXPERT OBSERVER
Australia abounds with locations where buyer activity is rising and there is strong potential for prices to rise, notwithstanding the general impression created by national media.
The latest edition of the Price Predictor Index by Hotspotting has identified good quantities of growth markets within our smaller capital cities and, in particular, within the many solid regional markets that exist, especially on the eastern side of the nation.
The very solid Adelaide market has large numbers of locations with rising demand, as does the recovering Perth market and the always-steady Canberra market.
Regional New South Wales, as I noted in an earlier column, has strong growth markets right across the state. In some, prices have already risen strongly in the past 6-12 months, while others have the potential for growth based on the current demand trends.
Regional Victoria has delivered the strongest price growth anywhere in Australia in the past year, in terms of locations where median prices have increased more than 20 percent. Other markets are now emerging, based on the sales trends, with the potential to deliver big growth.
Regional Tasmania has numerous growth markets, led by Launceston, and collectively has provided some of the nation’s strongest price growth recently, based on CoreLogic figures.
Regional Queensland is also sparking to life, led by double-digit growth in many of the suburbs of the Sunshine Coast and by recovering Central Queensland markets such as Mackay.
I regard The Price Predictor Index as an important report because it scrutinizes one of the key parts of the property price equation – demand - by charting the number of sales occurring in every suburb and town in Australia. 
The surveys are conducted every three months to identify patterns of demand – whether demand is rising in key markets, or whether demand is falling – or, as is the case in many locations, whether there’s a pattern of consistent and steady demand, quarter by quarter, over time.
The basic premise of this methodology is that prices respond to demand patterns – if demand is rising over time, prices will rise (all other things being equal). 
If demand is falling, price growth will slow down, and may eventually stop, and – in some instances – prices will fall.
The key factor here is that there’s a time lag. Prices don’t react instantaneously to changes in demand. It takes time for the changing demand patterns, whether up or down, to work through into property markets and create reactions in prices.
Demand in the Sydney was steadily falling away in 2016 but it wasn’t until 2017 that we saw the first clear signs of a slow-down in price growth, looking across all the data from multiple research sources.
And then in 2018, as the slow-down in demand continued, we saw prices falling in some parts of the Sydney market, although in most cases the decreases have been quite moderate.
Right now, prices are rising strongly in other Australian markets, including in Hobart; in the million-dollar suburbs of Canberra, Adelaide and Perth; and in numerous locations in regional Australia. In each case, these price rises were preceded by increases in sales volumes – in other words, increases in demand.
Terry Ryder is the founder of hotspotting.com.au
<a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au">ryder@hotspotting.com.au</a>
twitter.com/hotspotting
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terryryder-YECXbqmri2

Demand in smaller capitals and solid regional markets will lead to property price growth: Hotspotting's Terry Ryder

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There's set to be a rise in buyer competition in Perth as listings become more and more scarce.
That's the view of Emma Everett, buyer's agent at WA-based property investment consultancy Momentum Wealth, who says the absorption of existing supply and higher sales transactions are triggering a return to a balanced market in some sectors.    
“Over the past 12 months, we have seen significant absorption of the oversupply left over from the mining and construction boom which, when combined with a rise in sales transactions, is causing stock on market to tighten, with the market now approaching equilibrium at just over 14,000 properties listed for sale,” Everett said.
Stock for sale in Perth nears 14,000 in December as sales activity has been trending higher in the second half of 2019. Back in March there were 17,251 properties for sale in Perth.
Sales in May were averaging around 479 a week compared to 650 a week in November.
Everett said some of the rise in activity is likely due to renewed certainty following the conclusion of the Federal Election.
“Activity was visibly subdued in the first half of 2019, with buyers likely taking a more cautious approach due to uncertainty surrounding potential changes to negative gearing and their impact on the property market.”
“The fact sales activity has trended higher in the latter half of 2019 suggests this certainty has now been somewhat restored”, she said.
Perth had the lowest new sales listings in November, according to CoreLogic. It was the lowest figure since CoreLogic began recording the statistic in 2007.
Everett attributes this to a more positive outlook amongst existing property owners in Perth.
“We are seeing an uplift in sentiment amongst many of the owners we are speaking to on the ground, with those who have previously considered selling due to softer market conditions now reluctant to do so having recognised the market is turning a corner.”
“These owners are prepared to hold onto their properties to achieve a better result, and with record low interest rates and improving rental conditions, they aren’t facing the same cash flow pressures they may have been a year ago,” she said. 
Everett stated that with the supply fundamentals in place, it’s now a case of demand.
“Average days on market in Perth is still relatively high at 84 days for the September quarter suggesting we aren’t yet seeing that sense of urgency we would expect to accompany an increase in demand from buyers.” 
“However, with much of the oversupply in a number of areas now absorbed and low levels of supply coming on stream from new construction, stock levels are poised to tighten even further into 2020 which will drive higher levels of buyer competition, in turn placing upwards pressure on prices in some locations,” she said.
CoreLogic figures released earlier this month showed that <a href="/expert-insights/buying/perth-records-first-monthly-dwelling-value-increases-in-two-years-corelogic">Perth dwelling values recorded an annual increase of 0.4% in November</a>, marking the first month-on-month increase since early 2018. 
Everett said that suburbs with strong demand fundamentals in place are already seeing higher levels of competition from buyers.
“While market improvements are now starting to translate into headline growth figures, we have seen higher competition in certain segments of the market for some time, particularly in the upper price segment of the market where owner-occupiers have been taking advantage of softer conditions to trade-up into their suburb of choice, and we expect this to spread further into the market in 2020” she said.
 
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jrobinson-rf4aSBido9

Tightening of stock driving listings down and priming Perth for rise in buyer competition

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GUEST OBSERVER
Fixed rate home loan demand fell significantly last month. 
According to the latest national home loan approval data from Mortgage Choice, fixed rate home loans accounted for just 14.41% of all loans written throughout the month of September – down from 17.41% the month prior. 
Demand for fixed rate home loans hasn’t been this low for more than four years. 
The last time fixed rate demand was this low was back in August 2011, when this type of home loan accounted for 13.78% of all home loans written. 
It seems borrowers are increasingly opting for variable rate home loans as they believe rates are unlikely to rise for some time yet. And, if the minutes of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s September Board meeting are anything to go by, the official cash rate could be left on hold for the foreseeable future.
In the September Board meeting, the Reserve Bank said inflation was forecast to remain consistent with the target over the next one to two years. 
If this proves to be the case, we could see rates left on hold for some time yet. 
Across the country, demand for fixed rate home loans was weakest in Victoria, where this type of product accounted for just 8.61% of all loans written. 
Western Australia was not far behind, with fixed rate home loans accounting for 12.35% of all loans written. At the other end of the spectrum, fixed rate demand was strongest in New South Wales, with this type of product accounting for 16.65% of all loans written.
Of the variable rate loans on offer, ongoing discount products once again proved the most popular with borrowers, with this type of product making up 50.51% of all loans written in September. 
While the property market is showing signs of volatility at the moment, one thing is constant – low rates. 
While rates are low and there is little talk of future rate hikes, borrowers will continue to opt for variable rate products.
<a href="/images/2015/10/02/Screen%20Shot%202015-10-02%20at%208.08.27%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2015/10/02/Screen%20Shot%202015-10-02%20at%208.08.27%20AM.png" alt="">
 
John Flavell is chief executive officer <a href="https://www.mortgagechoice.com.au/" target="_blank">Mortgage Choice</a>.
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mick.cee-iDmgDDAmu8

Fixed rate demand hits four year low: Mortgage Choice's John Flavell

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Spring is expected to bring an increase in listing numbers but whether buyer demand keeps pace with the additional level of homes for sale is another question, according to CoreLogic RP Data's head of research Tim Lawless.
The CoreLogic RP Data Hedonic Home Value Index for August found new listing numbers are 5.5% higher across capital cities when compared with the same time last year. There was a 16% lift in fresh listings for Sydney and a 10% lift in Melbourne.
Mr Lawless said this is indicative that the spring listing trend is already accelerating as vendors look to take advantage of the strong selling conditions. 
"The Spring season will provide a timely litmus test for the housing market given it’s a time when listing numbers normally increase materially," he said.
"It will be important to monitor whether buyer demand keeps pace with the additional number of homes being advertised for sale."
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Spring listings increase needs buyer demand: CoreLogic RP Data's Tim Lawless

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Melbourne buyers advocate Richard Wakelin has noted winter buyer demand has been remarkably strong, with auction clearance rates at a generational high.
"There’s every reason a vendor can expect to achieve a strong price and do so in a relatively short time frame," he said.
But he warns vendors can still get it wrong in these circumstances.
"Through their own sins they will collect fewer dollars for their property and more heartache and grey hairs than is necessary," he wrote.
He had greed atop his seven seller’s sins list. 
"This is the vendor who wants too much for their property, regardless of market conditions.
"They can’t recognise when they have secured a great deal and are always wanting another 5 to 10% more than they are going to get.  
"Invariably, negotiations break down and they eventually agree to a similar (or worse) offer several weeks or even months later."
Sloth or procrastination when key, time-sensitive decisions needed to be made.
"It’s also being too lazy to present the property as well as possible when it is open for inspection."
An overly-proud vendor is one who treasures their privacy more than obtaining an optimal sales outcome, was a factor too in under achieving.
"They want to dictate unreasonable terms such as only allowing a property to be open for inspection when it suits them, trying to exclude sticky-beak neighbours from attending opens, and selecting a sub-optimal method of sale because it doesn’t suit their lifestyle."
As well as the classic sins, he listed more modern ones too including wilful ignorance. 
"Whilst one should trust one’s advisers, it is incumbent on a vendor to have a reasonable grasp of the specific property market they are planning to engage with. 
"Without this knowledge one can’t establish a healthy partnership with the advising estate agent."
Richard Wakelin is presenting a <a href="https://wakelin.com.au/webinar/?src=wit" target="_blank">webinar August 12</a> on how to optimise your sale campaign towards the aim of maximising the sale price and minimising the stress and worry.
Around 30 minutes will be devoted to the presentation then answer questions.
 
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Buyer Demand

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