Holiday home buyers who have long gravitated to Queenstown’s alpine setting are increasingly looking for low-maintenance apartments that allow them to lock up and leave, while still generating income when they’re away.

For Wendy, who had spent years visiting the Queenstown and Arrowtown region, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/safari-group">Safari Group</a>’s Mountain Oak Apartments provided the opportunity to formalise what had previously been a recurring holiday pattern.

“We always had Queenstown in the back of our minds to buy something there as a holiday home,” she says. “We love the Queenstown and Arrowtown area.”

<img alt="From slopes to markets: Mountain Oak connects residents to the best of Queenstown" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/f_auto,c_limit,w_1440,q_auto/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/field/image/658d4f_48c3ec1ae5df4a2cab7d23c07c7f51b3~mv2.jpg?VersionId=27K8oQ4ExDN8Yu70VHDa9Olq59XU36m3" />

Time spent visiting her sister-in-law, who owns in Arrowtown, along with regular stays at Millbrook Resort, had already shaped a strong personal connection to the region.&nbsp;

Rather than approaching the purchase purely as an investment play, Wendy’s starting point was lifestyle.

“We were more thinking about ourselves and where we could stay, and then the rental aspect was second.”

Mountain Oak Apartments, located within the masterplanned Remarkables Park precinct in Frankton, aligned with that thinking. The ability to secure the apartment with a deposit and settle on completion made the timing work.

“The fact that we could put a deposit down with the balance on completion was a bonus for us,” she explains.

<img alt="Safari Group’s Mountain Oak Apartments brings new investment potential to Queenstown" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/f_auto,c_limit,w_1440,q_auto/https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,dpr_2.0,q_auto:good/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/313_Livingv2_WEB.jpg?VersionId=nV229fM0ZeYpoxOrX372HyGjfwY_LR8c" />

Wendy selected a two-bedroom, two-bathroom penthouse, a configuration that supports both private use and guest flexibility.

“The two-bedroom, two-bathroom configuration appealed from both a rental viewpoint and for the ability to have friends stay while we are there,” she says.

Across the development, two-bedroom apartments range from 64sqm to 78sqm, with two-bedroom plus flexi options from 71sqm to 75sqm, each with an allocated car park. The flexi layouts introduce an additional space suited to work or hobbies, reflecting demand from buyers who split their time between leisure and remote work.

Apartments include underfloor heating in bathrooms, heat pumps to living areas, and joinery positioned to maximise natural light and mountain outlooks. The Remarkables Park precinct is known for its extended winter sunshine hours, water frontage and open views toward The Remarkables.&nbsp;

Units come in light and dark interior colour schemes.

<img alt="Mountain Oak Apartments draws holiday home buyers to Queenstown" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fd685a22-3b95-43a1-87cb-48fdd42bb4ba" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/658d4f_f9f89107c2704ebbbe5a6b36da508cb3~mv2.jpg?VersionId=MigFIEm6b.mrANANwxSmwHvC4RdJUuyR" />

While lifestyle was the primary driver, the fundamentals of the Queenstown market added reassurance.&nbsp;

“Proximity to the airport and tourism being the main attraction all year round,” Wendy says, when asked what stood out from an investment perspective.

Mountain Oak sits just eight kilometres from Queenstown’s CBD and around a two-minute drive from Queenstown Airport.&nbsp;

For Wendy, that airport proximity carries practical value.

“The airport proximity is a bonus, we think that being so close will be an attraction for the convenience side.”

Residents are also a short drive from Coronet Peak, Jack’s Point Golf Course, New World Supermarket, Five Mile Shopping Centre, and the dining, medical, gym, cinema and library amenities within the town centre, as well as the seasonal Remarkables Market.

Importantly, the purchase does not lock owners into a single use. Mountain Oak offers the flexibility to opt for short-term visitor accommodation or longer-term residential rental management, with 365-day visitor accommodation consent in place. Owners can utilise Safari Group’s 24/7 on-site management service or appoint their own provider, and do not need to decide on a strategy immediately.

“It was a bonus that we can rent it out as well as use it for ourselves,” she says.

Additional buying options, including furniture packages and storage units available for purchase within the building, further support a lock-and-leave model suited to interstate and overseas owners.

<img alt="Safari Group’s Mountain Oak Apartments brings new investment potential to Queenstown" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/f_auto,c_limit,w_1440,q_auto/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/field/image/Ext_Cam15_Sunny.jpg?VersionId=SJAROUM_1s.Tr5ciMk4EEj5oAt_Vewmv" />

Mountain Oak Apartments comprises 141 residences, ranging from one-bedroom configurations through to larger apartments and penthouses. One-bedroom apartments are currently priced from NZ$639,000, with three-bedroom options from NZ$1,299,000.

With 365-day visitor accommodation consent, the development is structured to respond to Queenstown’s established four-season tourism economy, spanning winter ski traffic and summer hiking, cycling, golf and lake-based activity.

Although Wendy acknowledges the strength of rental demand, her approach remains long term.

“We’re not planning to sell it anytime soon, so we are keen to hang on to it, but the passive income will be a bonus.”

Confidence in the developer also influenced her decision. Before proceeding, Wendy sought feedback within the local building community.

“We asked around and Safari Group had a good reputation,” she says.

Safari Group has delivered more than 2,000 hotel units and residential apartments across over 18 developments nationwide, with more than 25 years’ experience in the sector.

With completion anticipated by mid-2027, Mountain Oak is attracting a cross-section of buyers, from yield-focused investors to lifestyle purchasers seeking a foothold in one of New Zealand’s most tightly held alpine markets.

For Wendy, it represents both a future holiday base and a long-term asset within Queenstown’s year-round tourism economy.

Joel Robinson

How Mountain Oak Apartments draws holiday home buyers to Queenstown

Eduard Litver's Capitel Group is seeking to redevelop Chatswood's Mandarin Centre in the heart of the burgeoning suburb.

Capitel Group, in a joint venture with Metis Group, has filed a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) to demolish the Mandarin Centre and construct a 32-storey tower designed by Skidmore, Owings &amp; Merrill (SOM) with 325 apartments.

The 3,524 sqm site at 61A-65 Albert Avenue will also home extensive retail amenity, both at street-level and across a four-level podium.

<img alt="First look: Metis and Capitel unveil $1.2bn+ plan to redevelop Chatswood’s Mandarin Centre" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="905976ea-08cd-409f-8a4c-33a3fb8bf351" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/1771923441002.png?VersionId=f_xI2ejpxQvEm4fPqGji01RY9_AWVY6O" />

In its early stage Design Report submitted to the NSW Government's Housing Delivery Authority, SOM describes the ambition for the project as one that “aims to revitalise and reactivate an important corner of the Chatswood CBD.”

The architects note that the existing shopping centre “has a lack of vertical connection between its five levels of retail and a cumbersome pedestrian access from the street to the second-level transit connection,” framing the redevelopment as an opportunity to reconfigure circulation and better integrate with surrounding transport infrastructure.

The design adopts a single tower configuration, shaped through early testing to respond to neighbouring buildings and key public spaces.

Retail activation is concentrated at ground and lower podium levels, with a focus on food and beverage, lifestyle and wellness tenancies. The intent is to create a more permeable ground plane and improve connections between Albert Avenue, Victor Street and the Chatswood transport interchange, located within walking distance of the site.

<img alt="First look: Metis and Capitel unveil $1.2bn+ plan to redevelop Chatswood’s Mandarin Centre" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b1e0c8cb-ee9b-41c1-97ac-0455c043b9e7" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/1771923442914.png?VersionId=y.Kbo.9bzLIbOabeygYts8Uf9imI.Dqh" />

The site occupies a prominent position on the southern edge of the Chatswood CBD core, bounded by Albert Avenue and Victor Street. It sits near the rail and metro interchange and within close proximity to Chatswood Chase, Westfield Chatswood, Chatswood Oval and a range of commercial office towers and residential buildings.

Chatswood has been one, and continues to be, of the most popular suburbs for developers in recent years. The most recent tower to launch is Hyecorp's Celine on Archer Street, which followed The Anderson by Changfa and Huirong.

Soon to launch is Coronation's Archer &amp; Albert nearby the new proposal.

Chatswood boom continues with Capitel and Metis’s $1.2 billion Mandarin Centre redevelopment

Apartment development applications continue to tally up in Rose Bay following the NSW Gov's 2025 update to the Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy.

&nbsp;

Some $200 million worth of developments were filed in the space of four weeks at the back end of last year, with the likes of Fyve, HSN, Luxcon and Fortis all seeking to creating new apartment buildings.

The latest plans are for an amalgamated 3,105 sqm site across Conway Avenue, Fernleigh Avenue, and Carlisle Street. Developer Mathieson Property is planning <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/dian-2-6-conway-avenue-rose-bay-nsw-2029">Dian</a>, 70 apartments across a new eight-storey building, perched on a ridgeline within walking distance of Rose Bay Town Centre.

The State Significant Development Application (SSDA), includes one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom configurations. Over 15 per cent will be dedicated as affordable, as per the NSW Government's push for affordable housing. The 17 apartments will be managed by a community housing provider for 15 years following completion of the building.

<img alt="First Look: Mathieson Property unveils eight-storey infill housing proposal ‘Dian’ in Rose Bay" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f99c21d9-e69d-4a23-ae35-3244cfa0b4ae" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Rose%20Bay%20site_0.png?VersionId=67KSZfecJ3fvn1ewo9xxKrneRT.Nsjwd" />

MHNDU has designed the building around three central cores, with lower-level apartments arranged to maximise corner balconies and cross-ventilation. Upper levels are configured with dual north–south aspects to capture harbour views and solar access.

Private open space is a key feature of the scheme, with generous balconies and terraces throughout. Five ground-floor apartments would include private pools, while one upper-level residence will feature a rooftop terrace and pool. A communal room and adjoining landscaped outdoor terraces provide shared open space for residents.

<img alt="First Look: Mathieson Property unveils eight-storey infill housing proposal ‘Dian’ in Rose Bay" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="dd2e275f-c270-4eb1-9a02-2b573b8eb540" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Rose%20Bay%20front_0.png?VersionId=Us5jNEG6iLFLLMfQSzVBVdILYobBj.g9" />

The site sits around 365 metres walking distance of Rose Bay Town Centre and around 312 metres from regular bus services on New South Head Road, meeting the accessible area criteria under the Housing SEPP.

In early 2025, the NSW Government implemented significant changes to its Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy, altering planning controls to allow greater density for new apartment projects within an 800-metre walking distance of stations and town centres in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/woollahra-nsw-2025">Woollahra</a>&nbsp;Local Government Area, overriding existing local controls. Buildings are now permitted to rise up to six storeys within 400 metres of a station or centre, or eight storeys where affordable housing is incorporated, and up to four storeys within the 401 to 800 metre radius, which can increase to six storeys with affordable housing.

Mathieson Property unveils Dian Rose Bay apartment development

Lower North Shore developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/hyecorp-property-group">Hyecorp</a> is preparing to launch <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/celine-chatswood-37-archer-street-chatswood-nsw-2067">Celine</a>, its new apartment development in Chatswood.

Set within a blue ribbon location on Archer Street, Celine will rise on a quiet, tree-lined enclave on the edge of the South Chatswood Heritage Conservation Area, a short walk from the connectivity which Chatswood is famous for.

Celine will deliver 122 one, two, three, and four-bedroom residences, designed to accommodate a broad range of buyers, from owner-occupiers to investors.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149594 project_image_fid=362610]

Designed by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/fuse-architecture-0">Fuse Architects</a>, the 29-storey tower has been shaped to respond to its Archer Street setting, with a defined podium and slender upper levels.&nbsp;

The building incorporates a two-storey residential lobby at the corner, double-height retail fronting Bertram Street, food and beverage tenancies along a through-site link, and two levels of commercial office space.&nbsp;

A landscaped pedestrian connection between Archer and Bertram streets will provide a publicly accessible link through the site, extending activity at ground level beyond the building footprint.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149594 project_image_fid=362606]

Inside, Hyecorp is emphasising scale and flexibility. Most residences will incorporate multipurpose rooms, allowing buyers to configure additional living, study or guest space within their floorplan.&nbsp;

Kitchens have been designed with proportions more commonly associated with standalone homes, complemented by Gaggenau and Miele appliances, integrated refrigeration, Miele laundry appliances, Taj Mahal stone and bronze tapware.&nbsp;

Buyers will also have the option to tailor aspects of their home through the developer’s “Live Your Way” personalisation service.

Resident amenity will include an outdoor pool, gym and sauna, as well as barbecue and lounge areas designed for shared use. Upper levels are oriented to capture eastern outlooks towards the Sydney CBD and surrounding greenery.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149594 project_image_fid=362633]

The location places future residents within 800 metres of Chatswood Interchange, providing access to metro and rail services, and within walking distance of Westfield, Chatswood Chase and the Chatswood Concourse. Parks including Chatswood Park and Beauchamp Park are nearby, along with a cluster of schools and private hospitals.

Celine continues Hyecorp’s focus on the Lower North Shore. The Australian, family-owned developer has been operating locally for more than 30 years, with recent projects including Audrey in St Leonards, now nearing completion, and Juliet in Roseville. With registrations expected to open soon, Celine represents the group’s latest addition to the Chatswood apartment market.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=149594]

Hyecorp unveils Celine, a striking new apartment tower in the heart of Chatswood

International development company <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/spg-land">SPG Land</a> has kicked off construction of the $1.5 billion <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/paradiso-place-surfers-paradise-103-ferny-avenue-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Paradiso Place</a>, one of the highest value developments to get underway on the Gold Coast in more than a decade.

Located on a 1.15ha site stretching from Surfers Paradise Boulevard to Ferny Avenue, Paradiso Place, when completed, will deliver 845 residences across three residential towers. &nbsp;

Paradiso Place has been several years in planning by SPG, which has now pushed the green light on construction to meet pent-up demand from investors and owner occupiers.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=106566 project_image_fid=185858]

The move follows minor amendments to the original design to cater to buyer demand, including the provision of more premium residential amenity, including private dining, lounge and events spaces for residents to entertain guests.

The three towers, comprising 41, 40 and 44 levels, will bring to the market 845 apartments with each tower boasting its own podium level interconnected skybridge to create a unique elevated ‘beachside village’ for residents.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=106566 project_image_fid=362500]

The <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a>-designed development will bring a broad range of residences to the market, most offering ocean views and all enjoying five-star hotel amenities with world-class facilities and the convenience ground level retail precinct.

&nbsp;

Construction of Paradiso Place has been made possible by SPG’s newly established SPG Built division partnered with experienced project management group Eastview Australia, a company that has supported the development of a raft of major projects on the Gold Coast over the past two decades.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=106566 project_image_fid=362499]

“It’s a very exciting time for Paradiso Place as we start construction,” said SPG Land Chairman David Wang.

“We have spent our energy refreshing design and assembling the best team and waiting for what we believe is the right time to start construction on one of the most exciting mixed-use developments to proceed on the Gold Coast since Oracle in Broadbeach and Circle on Cavill in Surfers Paradise. &nbsp;

“The local and interstate downsizer market is getting stronger, and we see Paradiso Place as the right project for our times right now. Our company has the capacity to deliver large-scale projects, and we are thrilled to be bringing this vision to reality.”

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=106566 project_image_fid=185861]

SPG Invest, a company founded in Australia in 1998 with a focus on high-end real estate and premium hospitality assets, has delivered 56 projects in the Asia-Pacific region over the past twenty-five years, including The Peninsula Hotel Shanghai and the Global 188 twin-tower project in Suzhou and Cambridge Residences at Robina.

Paradiso Place will deliver a range of new apartments with two-, three- and four-bedroom layouts, as well as a collection of sub-penthouse and penthouse apartments across three levels. Prices start from $950,000.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=106566 project_image_fid=185852]

“We have a very strong vision for Paradiso Place – we are creating a unique beachside residential community where contemporary design &amp; architecture and luxury materials combine with five star residents’ amenities and the convenience of a premium retail precinct on the ground floor”, said SPG Land CEO Dr Ying Rao&nbsp;

“We are confident that the community will recognise that this is more than just another development. Paradiso Place will bring a much-needed retail precinct and lifestyle hub to northern Surfers Paradise with premium retail, lifestyle and food and beverage options,” Said Dr Rao&nbsp;

“The retail precinct is critical to enhancing the lifestyle amenity for residents and guests, so SPG will retain control of this precinct to curate a premium retail offering that will support this thriving new community.

“SPG will also retain short-term holiday letting to control premium and luxury outcomes in line with our vision.”

Construction of Stage 1 Paradiso Place is expected to be completed by end of 2029.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=106566]

Construction commences on $1.5 billion Paradiso Place development in Surfers Paradise

Expensive Housing

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Australia has a new richest postcode, Palm Beach the pricey peninsula playground.
It the first time in seven years that the Sydney Northern Beaches location has dethroned the Point Piper, Edgecliff, Darling Point postcode, according to Australian Taxation Office statistics released late on Thursday.
The 1,279 tax filers in Palm Beach's 2108 postcode reported an average income of $230,330 for 2016/17, while the 6,089 tax filers in Edgecliff's 2027 postcode made an average of $187,769.
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<div class="advert" data-module="article.ad" data-ad-type="MEDIUM" data-loc="MOBILE" data-max-width="727" data-sticky-class="" data-sticky-offset="0">Postcode 2027 had ranked as Sydney's highest earning postcode since 2009/10.</div>
<div class="advert" data-module="article.ad" data-ad-type="MEDIUM" data-loc="MOBILE" data-max-width="727" data-sticky-class="" data-sticky-offset="0"> </div>
<div class="advert" data-module="article.ad" data-ad-type="MEDIUM" data-loc="MOBILE" data-max-width="727" data-sticky-class="" data-sticky-offset="0">Although in 2016/17 it also ranked behind Melbourne's 3142, where the 10,044 filers in Toorak made an average of $193,904.</div>
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Palm Beach's 2108 postcode also includes Scotland Island, Coasters Retreat, Great Mackerel Beach and Currawong Beach.
The rankings reflects the trend in the past few years of owners turning Palm Beach holiday homes into principal residences.
It is not the first time a beach retreat location has ranked at the top of the ATO list as in 2008/09 the postcode 3944 - the Mornington Peninsula suburb of Portsea - was the top-earning postcode, with an average income of $197,987.
WA's 6011 was the richest postcode in Western Australia, with the 6,431 tax filers living in Cottesloe and Peppermint Grove on Perth's western suburbs made an average of $155,264.
In ACT, the 2603 was richest, with 6,650 tax-filers in Forrest, Griffith, Manuka and Red Hill earned an average of $110,394.
In Queensland, 4007 took the top spot, with 9,278 residents of Ascot, Hamilton and Hamilton Central in northeast Brisbane earning an average of $107,478.
South Australia's top postcode was 5061, where 6,587 residents of Hyde Park, Malvern and Unley in inner-southern Adelaide made an average of $93,871.
In the Northern Territory, 885 residents in the mining town of Alyangula - postcode 885 - made an average of $83,343.
Tasmania's top postcode was 7258, where the 571 residents of the Launceston suburbs of Breadalbane, Relbia and White Hills made an average of $68,621.
The lowest-earning postcode was 2308, covering Newcastle University and Callaghan, with an average taxable income of $20,589.
The second-lowest was 4611 in Queensland, where Marshlands and Mondure residents earned an average of $23,225.
Queensland had five of the bottom 10 postcodes, with 4611 recording the second lowest average income nationally of $23,225.
The report also showed that surgeons were once again the top-earning profession, making an average of $394,866.
Anaesthetists came second, earning $367,343 on average.
Out of 1,100 occupations recorded, there were 72 where women made more than men, including authors, future traders, magistrates, pro surfers and illustrators, the ATO statistics showed in 2016/17.
The Herald Sun reported female futures traders in Australia earn nearly 4 per cent more than their male counterparts, with an average income of $315,197.
This year’s stats present an overview of 16.5 million 2017 income tax returns for 13.9 million individuals, 970,000 companies, as well as super funds, partnerships and trusts. 
Australians reported donating $3.5 billion in charitable donations with an average gift size for those who did donate of $770.
The most generous state was Western Australia, with 30 per cent of residents claiming an average deduction of $1190. 
Northern Territory residents recorded the lowest charitable donations, with 34 per cent of residents claiming an average deduction of $405.
 
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Shift to residency sees Sydney's Palm Beach top ATO tax payers list

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The top sale of 2017 was the Double Bay harbourfront mansion Elaine (above), sold by the Fairfax family for $71 million through Ken Jacobs at Christies International.
It sold to the billionaire Rich Lister Scott Farquhar and his wife Kim Jackson, who'd been previously content in a Pyrmont apartment.
Farquhar, co-founder of software company Atlassian topped the BRW Young Rich List again this year, along with business partner Mike Cannon-Brookes. Their combined wealth was tallied at just over $6 billion.
The top echelon of Australia's prestige property this year has seen a national price record and three state records. But nothing seemed overly easy.
The cut off for inclusion in the Property Observer national top 25 list was $18 million, based on registered sales, plus those that have sold at undisclosed prices awaiting settlements.
There are sales across four capital cities, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane.
Jacobs suggested that the recently introduced government regulations alienating overseas investment in Australia, meant the trophy home market was needing to be supported by the domestic market.
Elaine had been in the Fairfax family dynasty for 120 years before its sale which took almost three years to secure.
It's initial press commentary - by the Fairfax press - damaged the initial campaign when a silly $100 million prospect price estimate was published based on calculating the foreshore price per square metre capability to the entire 7000 sqm parcel that runs between the premium Seven Shillings Beach and the so-so New South Head Road position.
The unrenovated home had previously traded when bought by Geoffrey Evan Fairfax in the 1890s.
Next door to Elaine is Fairwater, the other Fairfax family home, which is likely to come to market next year following the death of Lady Mary Fairfax.
Mike Cannon-Brookes would rank as a serious a prospect to secure the prized offering.
Elaine's sale topped the previous $70 million house record set in 2015 when Ken Jacobs sold the Vaucluse mansion, La Mer, (below) on behalf of James and Erica Packer to Chinese-Australian businessman Chau Chak Wing. It sold off market.
<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/2017/12/22/700_la_mer.jpg" alt="">
A mid-December sale saw the Singaporean businessman CK Ow's luxury Vaucluse mansion sell at a reputed $67 million (below).
It had been listed with hopes of bettering Sydney's $71 million record price by the chairman of the hotel owner and developer Stamford Land Corporation.
Phoenix Acres, a 3731sq m site with six-bedroom, six-bathroom home, was last traded 22 years ago for $7,001,000 from the Braham family. Craig Pontey of Ray White sold it to Ow.
Despite the hoopla of attracting interest from potential buyers from as far away as New York, India and Beijing, the deal was struck with a local buyer on Sunday some eight weeks after it quietly hit the market.
<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/2017/12/22/VAUCLUSE.jpg" alt="">
The price gain, before costs, reflected 10 percent annual price growth at around $18,000 per sqm.
Agents were hoping to better tycoon James Packer's 3300 sqm non-harbourfront mansion, also in Vaucluse which sold in 2015 for $70 million, and in April this year John B Fairfax family's Elaine estate on 7000 sqm in Double Bay that sold for its still standing $71 million record.
Had Phoenix Acres sold to a foreign buyer it would have incurred around a $700,000 fee to FIRB, plus an extra $10 million in purchase duty and premium property duty payable on foreign buyers, along with a likely annual land tax of around $2 million.
The Phoenix Acres site was originally a public park with a wharf ferry service to Circular Quay before the legendary publisher Ezra Norton built his mansion, then known as Albemere, in the mid-1960s.
It set a record $370,000 price when first sold in 1968, having also been the highest then build costing an estimated 250,000 pounds
The Melbourne and Brisbane markets have been equally buoyant record prices during 2017.The first was in Brisbane when a clifftop Kangaroo Point home sold for $18.48 million, easily eclipsing the prior $14 million record set in late 2014 when mining and farming magnate Gina Rinehart bought a Brisbane riverfront home.
The record-breaker (below), sold by City Motor Auctions Group boss Angelo Russo and wife Sandra, was a three-level Leopard Street home, the work of renowned designer Greg Harris, who created the vast 1445 sqm split level residence.
The home came with five bedrooms, six bathrooms, a home office with adjoining boardroom, a fully equipped gym and steam room, sound proof cinema and a wine cellar.
A heated infinity lap pool and spa spans the width of the 1,184 sqm parcel and runs along the cliffs edge, with gun barrel views of the Brisbane River.
<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/2017/12/22/leopard.jpg" alt="">
The marketing through Ray White New Farm agent Matt Lancashire suggested no expense had been spared by the owners, including heated Saint Lorraine marble flooring from Greece used across the living and entertaining area.
Then mid-year came Melbourne's record breaking sale in Toorak.
Reports emerged in July of a new $40 million record house price set by 18 St Georges Rd, Toorak.
The grand 1920s home, known as Mowbray, was bought off-market, with its selling agent yet to claim credit with settlement still to come. 
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Mowbray was sold by former Mirvac director Marina Darling and husband Anthony who acquired it from venture capitalist Roger Allen and his wife Dianne for $4.9 million in 1995, the highest sale in Melbourne of that year. It sold again in 1987 at $3.95 million.
The five-bedroom two-storey residence stretches across around 5000 square metres was built by noted architect Christoper Cowper, though not protected by heritage overlay.
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The sale of the Mowbray estate exceeded the prior record of $26.25 million paid by Netflow managing director Phil Dreaver last year for the modern 9 Towers Road mansion owned by the Besen family.
Mowbray's buyer will be hit with a $5 million stamp duty bill, including a 7 per cent surcharge for foreign buyers in Victoria, which came into effect in July last year.
The mooted FIRB application fee of $412,000 applies for a $40 million home. The buyer also faces the prospect of an annual land tax bill of about $370,000 if the Toorak mansion is not their principle place of residence and another $300,000 in annual taxes from January 1 next year should it remain empty for more than six months in any calendar year.
But Marcus Chiminello says "Melbourne has never experienced such demand in the $10 million to $40 million bracket."
Indeed Chiminello recently advertised his desire for a $50 million home for a local client who has yet to secure their dream home.
The agency launched an advertising campaign this month to find potential sellers. Chiminello estimated there were 50 properties in the leafy inner east that were worth more than $35 million, but all were tightly held.
There was a $19 million Myvore Court, Toorak auction sale, which would've warranted inclusion in the Property Observer top 25 list, but the deal fell over with the resale coming in at $16 million.
Perth secured its highest residential sale in six years with $21.5 million paid in Mosman Park during 2017. It was sold by the Creasy mining family to Alan Tribe.
The Chidley Way home on a 4045 sqm site was designed by architect Robert Cann.
Creasy’s former husband Mark, a mining prospector, had paid the highest price for a WA property when he bought the mansion for $8 million from the late Multiplex Construction boss John Roberts in 1995.
There's already been a good offer on the former Bond home in Dalkeith. 
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-dalkeith-127215174" target="_blank">It is being marketed</a> as among Perth's most expensive houses with $50 million plus hopes.
The Watkins Road mansion sits on the Swan River.
Real estate agent Willie Porteous suggests the four-storey home (below) has gained millions in value since it was bought in 2011 following its extensive renovations, including a complete make-over of the outdoor area.
It has been listed by mining entrepreneur Steve Wyatt and his wife, Sue.
<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/2017/12/21/bond2.jpg" alt="">
The property last traded for $39 million sale in 2011 when sold by businessman Barry Patterson, who was Sonic Healthcare chairman from 1999 to 2010 and previously held gold mining interests.
It last traded in 1999 for $9.5 million, which was to stand as Perth’s record until 2006.
The seven-bedroom riverfront mansion is set across six titles totalling 6,400 square metres.
Gold mining magnate Ross Atkins bought the property in 1993 from the Bond family trust company, Armoy Pty Ltd, for $7.3 million, selling it six years later to Patterson after extensive renovation.
Wyatt’s business associate Chris Ellison set the WA real estate record when he paid $57.5 million for iron ore heiress Angela Bennett's riverfront compound in Mosman Park in 2009.
In Canberra a Deakin home, with views of Parliament House, sold for $5.75 million recently through Luton Properties, the third highest sale in the nation's capital.
The house's 2010 construction to its designed by local architect Terry Ring on its 1710 sqm grounds saw extensive use of dry stack stone walls, marble, natural timber and sandstone.
In Tasmania's Hobart the Sandy Bay mansion Sentosa sold for a $6.5 million record.
The 100 year old home, which was bought by Sydney property developer Piers Dawson Damer and wife Kim, was designed by Marco Linardi. It sits in 2310 sqm of Paul Bangay-designed gardens on Blinking Billy Point.
Knight Frank selling agent Matthew Chugg described Sentosa as one of Tasmania's finest homes.
Sentosa topped the previous $6.06 million record set in 2011 when Waimea House, a Federation Arts and Crafts style on hillside Sandy Bay sold.
Adelaide's record price hasn't budged since 2015 when Ivanhoe, the Gilberton home built in 1889, sold quietly for $7 million, with the top sale so far this year being $4 million.
Ken Jacobs has an unsold Rose Bay estate listed with record setting 2018 aspirations for the Sydney and Australian markets.
Straddling five land titles with a frontage to Rose Bay beach, the 4000 square metre property belongs to Adrienne Dan, the wife of eminent Sydney neurosurgeon Professor Noel Dan.
It comes with two houses, pool and a tennis court.
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The top 25 sales of 2017
1. $71 million: Elaine at Double Bay when local tech billionaire Scott Farquhar bought the prized beachfront from John B Fairfax.
2. $67 million*: Phoenix Acres at Vaucluse where CK Ow fell disappointingly short of taking the mantle as most expensive home ever sold.
3. $45 million*: Deauville, Longworth Avenue, Point Piper when car importer Neville Crichton secured a beachfront home subject to its construction completion.
4. $40 million*: Mowbray, 18 St Georges Road, Toorak when the grand 1920s home was bought off-market by Chinese buyers, with its selling agent yet to claim credit with settlement still to come.
5. $36 million: 110 Wolseley Road, Point Piper when Neville Crichton onsold to property investor Andrew Potter.
6. $33 million: 110 Wolseley Road, Point Piper when Neville Crichton bought from the Zamel family.
7. $30,263,400: Yarranabbe Road, Darling Point when John Roth and wife Jillian Segal bought.
8. $30 million*: Bayview Hill Road, Rose Bay when the home of the late Sonja Lyneham was bought by Samira Jeihooni, wife of property developer Arash Tavakoli.
9. $29 million*: The Boatshed, Wunulla Road, Point Piper which after three years on the market was offloaded by the O’Neil family.
11. $28 million: New Beach Road, Darling Point when the digital entrerepnuer Patrick Grove bought from the Meagher family.
12. $26.5 million: Vaucluse Road, Vaucluse when the media scion Alexander Ma bought the residence of businessman Yaron Remen and his wife Shauna.
13. $22.45 million: Bay Street, Mosman/Beauty Point when the property developer Bryan Rose bought the Pick a Box house.
14. $22.1 million: Vailele, The Point Road, Woolwich when the Salter family sold to the Wang family.
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15. $21.5 million: Chidley Way, Mosman Park. Perth saw its highest sale for six years. 
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16. $21 million+*: Belhaven, Victoria Road, Bellevue Hill when the Brambles chairman Stephen Johns sold Belhaven to Dominic Stevens.
17. $21 million: Coolawin Road, Northbridge when Primo Smallgoods heiress Kristie Ward bought the 3434sqm holding from the Salteri family.
18. $20 million+*: Bonnington, Victoria Road, Bellevue Hill when sold by the executors of the late businessman Neville Christie.
19. $20 million*: Wyuna Road, Point Piper when the LA entrepreneur Andrew Banks made a return to Point Piper.
20. $20 million*: Ashton, Elizabeth Bay Road, Elizabeth Bay when the travel industry entrerepenuer Ray Harris sold the historic Ashton on the loop
21. $20 million: Wunulla Road, Point Piper when the property investor Andrew Potter sold his waterfront to Sarah Mayo.
22. $19.18 million: Fernleigh Gardens, Rose Bay when the Horizon Media owners Semyon and Dina Pinchuk sold to Xia Danrui.
23. $18.48 million: Kangaroo Point, Brisbane. A new home sale set an all-time Brisbane report price through Ray White.
24. $18 million+*: Sundorne, Victoria Road, Bellevue Hill when Cranbrook School sold to the property developer Eduard Litver.
25. $18 million: Bulwarra, Hunters Hill when Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton sold after an earlier 2016 sale to Chinese buyers fell over.
25. $18 million: Nee Morna, Sorrento when one of Victoria's most historic coastal estates was bought by BRW Rich Lister and property developer Andrew Buxton. Not to far away on the peninsula, and just off the top 25 list was the Good Guys whitegoods boss Andrew Muir purchase of Miramar, the stunning Flinders home built by entrepreneur Daniel Besen and wife Danielle. It just fell shy of inclusion. Settlement records show Muir paid $17 million for the Wood Marsh-designed home that was described as 'land art by the sea' by its selling agent, Peninsula Sotheby's International Realty agent Rob Curtain.
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jrobinson-rf4aSBido9

The 25 most expensive house sales of 2017 across Australia

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A six bedroom, four bathroom home in Bellevue Hill topped this weeks most expensive sales with $7.25 million, according to CoreLogic RP Data.
Sold through Ballard Properties Clint Ballard and James Ball, the home features a swimming pool, a home cinema and a wine cellar.
The second most expensive house was in Collaroy where Brendan Pomponio and Kirsten Bertram of Belle Property sold a five bedroom, four bathroom home for $5.65 million.
The designer sandstone and timber designer home belonged to Fairfax CFO David Housego and features an open fire place beside the swimming pool.
 
Top ten sales of the week
25 Suttie Road, Bellevue Hill, NSW: 6 bed, 4 bath, 4 car house - $7.25 million - Ballard Property Group Woollahra
14 Seaview Parade, Collaroy, NSW: 5 bed, 4 bath, 2 car house - $5.65 million - Belle Property Dee Why
7 Cheyne Walk, Castlecrag, NSW: 5 bed, 4 bath, 3 car house - $4.72 million - McGrath Estate Agents
1/6 Wulworra Avenue, Cremorne Point, NSW: 3 bed, 2 bath, 3 car unit - $4.06 million - McGrath Estate Agents
25a/171 Gloucester Street, The Rocks, NSW: 3 bed, 2 bath, 3 car unit - $3.75 million - Colliers International Sydney
32 Lower Almora Street, Mosman, NSW: 2 bed, 2 bath, 1 car house - $3.7 million - Belle Property Mosman
9 Oxley Avenue, St Ives, NSW: 5 bed, 4 bath, 2 car house - $3.37 million - Savills Cordeau Marshall St Ives
59 Station Street, Pymble, NSW: 5 bed, 3 bath, 2 car house - $3.2 million - LJ Hooker Wahroonga
27 Ruskin Rowe, Avalon Beach, NSW: 4 bed, 4 bath, 5 car house - $3.15 million - LJ Hooker Avalon Beach
8e/171 Gloucester Street, The Rocks, NSW: 3 bed, 3 bath, 2 car unit - $3.12 million - McGrath Estate Agents.
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Fairfax CFO David Housego misses out on the most expensive sale of the week

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Sydney has unsurprisingly dominated the latest most expensive housing suburbs.
The figures, correct as of December, show Centennial Park topping the list with a median value of $6.29 million per house.
Point Piper edges Darling Point after it's $39 million sale of Villa del Mare, $39.9 million of Mandalay and two more on Wunulla Road which sold for $28 million and $18 million.
Peppermint Grove in Perth is the only non-New South Wales suburb.
Vaucluse's surprisingly misses out on the top three despite Jamie Packers $70 million sale of La Mer in August. 
Whale Beach comes in at 10th place. It's latest sales see Google Australia boss Maile Carnegie and her executive consultant husband Charles outlay $3.52 million <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/7-malo-road-whale-beach-nsw-2107-2012010652" target="_blank">on a Whale Beach weekender. </a>
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Maile Carnegie was appointed to head Google in mid-2013, moving across from her role as managing director at Procter &amp; Gamble.
Charles Carnegie heads The Waypoint Group corporate advisory firm. The Malo Road property last traded when bought by the Hatty family for $180,000 around 36 years ago. It was listed through LJ Hooker Palm Beach’s David Edwards.
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<a href="/images/2016/02/04/Screen%20Shot%202016-02-04%20at%2010.49.53%20am.png" target="_blank">Click here to enlarge</a>
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