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

Joel Robinson

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

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

WM Residences fills gap in Mordialloc townhouse market

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

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

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

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

NAB funds $1 billion Surfers Paradise apartment development, Palmera

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

First look: Aqualand joins St Leonards apartment party

Foreign Buyers

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There has been an underlying strength in the Melbourne market since October 2012, but right now it looks like it has gone up a notch again.
Over the last year or so we have talked about t<a href="/expert-insights/heres-how-the-auction-process-really-works-a-buyers-guide-to-step-quoting">he staircase market in the inner Melbourne auction scene</a>; meaning for a month or so it seems to go hot, go incredibly strong and then it flattens out for a while, before giving another burst again. There is no doubt that in late August 2014 we are in another rise.
And at James Buyer Advocates we think it has little to do with the lack of stock (in fact we don’t even think there is a serious lack of good stock right now, remember the stock drought of 2012, today is nothing like 2012). No, we think the current market is all about the strong waves of demand on the right homes.
As we said last week, it’s not so much about the bidders who bought, but the ones who didn’t. What will they do next week or next month when they return to the fray on the next property they choose to compete on?
Chinese Nationals – Scripts, Dialogues and Fear
Where is this strong demand coming from? In our opinion it’s coming right across the board and it is the Chinese nationals who are squeezing the hardest.
But it is not just their actual bidding that is creating the near frenzied bidding response that we are seeing out there right now.
Since 2007 and the FIRB law changes, Chinese nationals bidding have been the single most dominant reason why the Melbourne market has done what it has done (basically outperformed almost everywhere else in the world) and right now in 2014 their influence as a bidding group remains unabated.
However even when no Chinese nationals are bidding, it’s the fear of Chinese nationals bidding that is also pushing prices up. Ask any agent on an inner east home coming to auction and they will tell you we have some “Chinese interest” – it is something firmly implanted in many agents’ “buyer scripts”.
In other words, buyers not only bid as they do against Chinese national bidders but also on the fear that Chinese nationals may bid. The fear issue is also pronounced in expressions of interest and private sales.
Unless the overall bidding of Chinese nationals is affected by something, we feel the market will continue to be strong for some time.
My last 10 purchases I have been directly involved in (Kew, Camberwell, East Melbourne, Elwood, Camberwell, Glen Iris, Camberwell, Kew, Camberwell and Kew) saw Chinese nationals as the direct underbidder on five, used in the selling agents negotiating scripts twice and no mention of Chinese bidders by agents on the other three.
Please note we act for a number of Chinese nationals and they also are affected by the bidding or fear the bidding of other Chinese nationals.
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maljames-vHwm28JUAa

Fear of Chinese buyers is now a part of agents' scripts

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A Chinese investor has purchased the three-storey Junction Club in Moonee Ponds for $10.7 million.
CBRE's Justin Clarkson and Scott Callow sold the club at <a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-hotel+leisure-vic-moonee+ponds-501058655" target="_blank">740 Mount Alexander Road</a> on behalf of the private syndicate, United Investment Management.
It sold at $8.4 million in 2011.
The property is largely leased to Harness Racing Victoria until 2022. There is a total passing income of $802,500 per annum.
The long established gaming venue with 80 EGM's, public bar with Pub TAB and bar/bistro.
It had the potential for a high rise residential development on the 1,943 square metre holding at the intersection connecting Mount Alexander Road, Ascot Vale Road, Pascoe Vale Road, Dean Street and Puckle Street. 
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Chinese investor buys Moonee Ponds Junction Club

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Residential property is virtually a national pastime for many Australians around the country.
In my native city of Sydney, residential property is arguably the number number one topic of conversation at BBQs, dinners out, family gatherings, and office water coolers.
So it is no surprise then that property conversations and public discourse over the past 12 months have focused on the topic of weakened housing affordability as a (possible) result of an increase in foreign investors in the market.
The challenge in discussing it properly, of course, is that up until recently whilst some initial figures have been published by the RBA and a couple of news outlets, there hadn’t been a thorough market analysis of affordability based on foreign influence.
However the federal government has listened to concerns and as a result it has commissioned an inquiry into foreign investment in Australian residential property.
Though the study is ongoing and results are yet to be released, the initial feedback was that foreign investment in Australian residential property has not been a major contributor to any ‘price bubbling’ occurring in capital city markets throughout the country.
Further perspectives outside the governmental inquiry however, have been coming to light in recent weeks and it has been interesting to hear the views put forward.
What is certain right now, however, is that residential property buying is strong in many major capital city markets around the country.
Influential factors such as limited land supply in high demand capital city suburbs (both inner, middle, and outer ring ones), current home owners blocking higher-density construction within city limits areas, and a low interest-rate environment are all stimulating a buying frenzy among locals and foreign investors alike.
These factors have collectively led to a major values growth ‘boom’ period in several markets.
The elephant in the room though is the notion of the foreign investor – in particular the Chinese investor – who are <a href="/news/foreign-buyers-at-record-9-5-of-established-property-demand-nabs-alan-oster">accounting for small but rapidly increasing percentages</a> of all residential property buyers.
However, this is where the research may be coming up short. Like asking the question ‘which came first, the chicken or the egg?’, looking at sales data volumes over time may not account for the buyer's motivations for purchasing the properties they did; for the prices they did; during this time.
As a Sydney native who invests in this city (and is also currently looking for a home to purchase too), I’ve been privy to sentiments expressed “straight from the horses’ mouth” recently from both colleagues in the industry and other buyers ‘on the ground’.
When I am out at open home inspections most weekends, I’ve been speaking to other buyers with interest, hearing what the feedback is. It is certainly true that local buyers are ‘believe’ that foreign investors are having a significant impact, despite concrete official data confirming it.
So, the ‘real’ impact of more foreign buyers in the market could actually be a placebo-like effect. It is likely that the ‘scary thought’ of all the foreigners pushing locals out of the market is the actual catylst for locals pushing themselves out of the market! Or, the ‘FOMO’ (Fear of missing out) effect.
Regardless of your personal position or belief (however well or poorly researched it may be) on foreign investment jacking up prices for locals, the reality is that there are too many contributing factors to any property market’s growth (or indeed, lack of growth) at any one time to be sure.
One area where I do have a concern is in the ‘official’ data. One example here may be that foreign buyers (Significant Investor Visa or otherwise) are not permitted to purchase established dwellings – they are supposed to only be purchasing newly built stock.
However, most in the industry know that this is just not happening and is likely to go unchecked. Foreign buyers, especially from non-western cultures, are using one of the oldest group-buying strategies in the books, consortiums or shared-buying, to crack in to the established property market.
Article continues on the next page. Please click below.
 
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Buying through a consortium means that a distant family member or family friend who is an Australian citizen (and thus not counted as a foreign buyer) may aggregate funds from several other family/friends together who themselves are not Australian residents or citizens.
This enables for the purchase of established houses on land (often without the need for a mortgage as the funds collected between the group/consortium are usually enough to buy the house outright).
As someone who is looking for a house (not a unit), on a decent size block of land in Sydney, I can confirm that I’ve seen this in practice during inspections.
How do you I know? I’ve been engaging in conversations with would-be buyers at inspections who have told me they're using this strategy themselves.
Whilst I do not take personal issue with the notion of foreign investors buying established houses (provided that the scale/extent of this permitted does not substantially prevent local buyers from entering the market), I do take issue with the official inquiry overlooking these purchases.
Consortium-style buying is often unofficial and unstructured, making them very hard to trace and keep a paper trail on. The Australian culture of group-buying (when it actually does happen – which is highly infrequent) is all about drawing up official legal contracts, split loans, and so on (at the point of property purchase – which of course helps to keep more official records on the group buying going on).
Foreign group-buyers tend to have just one person or couple (who have either residency or citizenship status) gather all the funds separately and externally, who then brings these to the solicitor as one lump sum in cash at the point of purchase.
This makes the true nature of the transaction highly difficult to trace locally and will likely not be reflected in any official findings. That said, China’s government has recently put rules in place to make it harder for Chinese nationals to bring funds overseas for investment purposes.
It will be interesting to see the findings of the inquiry as these become available. What will be more interesting though, will be to see if any governmental action is taken thereafter.
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cmcevoy-Go82SmsJA9

How foreign buyers are cracking into the established property market

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Chinese interest in Sydney seems to be concentrated away from first home buyer suburbs, says Shane Oliver, head of investment strategy and chief economist, AMP Capital.
"Whenever house prices take off and affordability deteriorates, there is a tendency to look for scapegoats," Shane Oliver<a href="https://www.smsfadviseronline.com.au/columns/item/237-pointing-the-finger-over-high-housing-prices" target="_blank"> wrote on the SMSF Adviser website</a>.
"Fingers have been pointed at foreign buyers (from China), SMSFs and, as always, negative gearing.
"However, none explain the relative strength in Australian house prices," he said.
Shane Oliver suggested:
<ul>
<li>Foreign and SMSF buying is no doubt playing a role in some areas but looks to be relatively small overall. </li>
<li>Such simplistic explanations ignore the fact that when interest rates go down, Australians borrow to buy houses and prices go up; and</li>
<li>Negative gearing has been around for a long time.</li>
</ul>
"The fundamental problem is a lack of supply.
"Vacancy rates remain low and there has been a cumulative construction shortfall since 2001 of more than 200,000 dwellings.
"The reality is that until we make it easier for builders and developers to bring dwellings to market – and hopefully decentralise our population in the longer term – the issue of poor affordability will remain," he said.
Oliver's comments along with those of UBS economist Scott Haslem who told the parliamentary inquiry into foreign ownership that FHBs are unlikely to be being 'priced-out' of the market because they buy cheaper, established homes outside the inner city.
The Treasurer Joe Hockey has asked for an inquiry into Australia's foreign investment policy as it applies to residential real estate.
Scott Haslem's submission noted average purchase price by foreign citizens and temporary residents for an established dwelling has trended around $1 million in the last five years. 
For new dwellings, it has been a bit below $700,000. 
"FHBs have typically bought established, rather than new, dwellings, and FHBs average purchase price of $328,000k is far below that for foreign purchases.
"This should limit the impact on FHBs. 
"But such an assessment must be judged against the increased FHB demand for new dwellings more recently and the likely greater concentration of foreign demand in inner city Sydney and Melbourne where there must be some quantum of FHB demand facing greater competitive pressures than in the past," he added.
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The Chinese should not be our rising FHB price scapegoat urges Shane Oliver

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Currently there is no cost associated with any FIRB application so there are limited financial resources for the Treasury department to police the current regulations.
The bulk of their activity remains in processing.
But a modest FIRB application fee would be acceptable to overseas buyers that are often subject to fees in other international property markets, according to Steve Douglas, the executive chairman of the SMATS Group that has arranged over $1 billion in lending for expatriate and foreign buyers over recent years.
"These fees could be directed to FIRB for process improvement and policing activity to ensure the current regulations are enforced," he said.
Steve Douglas says provided it remains realistic, it should not have a detrimental impact on the current buyer activity levels, especially if it is balanced by the return of the CGT 50% discount and fairness is restored to previous legislation.
The submission was made to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics which is holding public hearings as part of its Inquiry into Foreign Investment in Australian residential real estate. 
"We do need to appropriately police the fairness of the FIRB regulations and protect the market from abuse and speculation," he told the parliamentary inquiry.
"A modest fee on the approximate 10,000 residential purchases would fund this and allow the FIRB to be properly resourced to investigate illegal activity – without introducing any new restrictions. 
"This would be logical, acceptable to the market and also easy to police with a simple 'Statement of Residency' at any property settlement confirming FIRB compliance and then lodging for spot checks with FIRB."
SMATS Group is an Australian tax agent that specialises in foreign investors and expatriates. 
It commenced in 1995 headquartered in Singapore with offices in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Dubai, London, New York, Perth and Sydney.
The SMATS submission suggests a modest fee would be acceptable by international standards set at:
<ul><ul>
<li>$2,000 for acquisitions under $500,000, and</li>
<li>$3,000 for acquisitions over $500,000</li>
</ul></ul>
"It is our strong opinion that the importance of foreign investors is not fully appreciated in Australia."
Douglas outlined two major misconceptions in the community when it comes to foreign investors.
The first misconception was that "foreigners are buying all the property at auction".
The second was that foreigners are driving up prices.
<ul>
<li>
Misconception: Foreigners are buying all the property at auctions.
</li>
<li>
Reality: Foreigners cannot buy established property under the FIRB Regulations, so the buyer must have held Australian Citizenship or Permanent Residency or if acquired under a Temporary Residency will need to sell the house on exit of Australia. It is more likely these are “new Australians” that have migrated and have appropriate permanent Visa status.
</li>
<li>
Misconception: Foreigners drive up prices.
</li>
<li>
Reality: Improved supply stabilises prices. In fact sometimes Foreigners have paid too much for Australian property then are willing to sell at a loss releasing lower value stock into the market.
</li>
</ul>
Source: SMATS Group's submission to the Inquiry into Foreign Investment in Australian residential real estate.
Douglas said the general community does not fully appreciate that the main driving force in property price increases was Australia’s growing population.
"It is our opinion that Australia’s strong population growth during the period of the global financial crisis between July 2007 and March 2010 was a key contributing factor to Australia’s economic resilience as it created compulsory consumption spending for new arrivals when domestic consumption fell away with economic uncertainty during the GFC."
He suggested that the current population growth now back near or above 400,000 per annum since December 2012 created a demand driven property market and with the absence of adequate supply of housing stock, must inevitably lead to a lift in prices.
In 2012-13 the FIRB approved 11,668 applications for residential property, and increase of 19.45% over the previous year; however the value of these applications actually decreased from $19.7 billion to $17.16 billion.
Douglas said it was a general misconception that foreigners push prices up. 
Where in reality it is more likely that they actually keep prices down for the vast majority of Australian’s as the newly constructed dwellings of foreign investors provide important rental accommodation and expansion of projects and estates that may otherwise not attract sufficient pre-sales to permit financing to begin and allow many larger scale projects to move from concept to reality."
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FIRB application fee would help fund compliance: SMATS Group

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Tukurua, the 21 room 1890s Cottesloe gold boom summer beach mansion, has speculative $50 million plus expectations.
It's not just the restored heritage listed home but rather the 5,000 square metre block with its undeveloped beachfront potential.
Tukurua was built in 1896 as the summer residence of Western Australia’s first attorney-general, Sir Septimus Burt, handsome double storey residence sited on a gently sloping block on the corner of Rosendo Street and Marine Terrace. 
Burt's home was a substantial house, Strawberry Hill, in Adelaide Terrace, which had originally been owned by the Stone family but was purchased by Archibald Burt and extended by the prominent architect J. Talbot Hobbs to accommodate Septimus's large family of ten children ranging in ages from four to twenty-three years. 
Septimus also owned a riverside holiday home in <a href="/news">Peppermint Grove</a>, from which the family cruised the Swan River in their own steam boat Titu, one of only two in the colony.
In 1896, Burt commissioned a second holiday home from architect, R. T. McMasters, to be built in the newly fashionable, beach area of Cottesloe.
Around 1933, one of the Burt children rented the property to the Cass family, whose bed and breakfast made sufficient profit to then buy the property in 1939. During World War II, it served as military headquarters for officers and then as a home for refugee families after the fall of Singapore.
Their daughter, Dorothea Cass left it to her friend of many decades Ted Smith in 1994, when it was valued at $4 million. It has had a $5 million six year renovation.
The grand mansion, with 10 bedrooms and six bathrooms, at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-cottesloe-117546220" target="_blank">1-9 Rosendo Street</a>, has been listed through Frank Torre, at House Real Estate, Cottesloe.
Already there has been Chinese buyer interest.
“Most of the interest has come out of China, with people looking at buying a trophy home or developing the whole site,” Mr Torre told the local Post paper. 
“We’ve had one group fly down from China to have a look at it, and another is arriving this weekend.” 
Torre says the front could be subdivided into five or six blocks, with each of the approximately 300 square metre sites priced at about $3.6 million. 
The median house price in <a href="/news">Cottesloe</a> sits at around $1.76 million, according to RP Data. 
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Chinese inspect Tukurua, the iconic $50 million Cottesloe trophy mansion 

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It makes absolute sense that a parliamentary committee would propose hitting foreign investors with extra fees.
If politicians are silly enough to bring on a lengthy, costly, pointless inquiry into a mythical problem (housing affordability), it follows that they would come up with “solutions” that are equally ineffectual.
The idea which reportedly is being considered by the parliamentary committee investigating housing affordability is to charge foreign buyers of Australian property extra stamp duty or other additional fees.
The “logic” goes like this: there is an affordability crisis; foreign investors are causing it and therefore if we hit foreign buyers with lots of extra costs they’ll all go away and there won’t be a problem any more.
Housing will be affordable once again and young Australians will all live happily every after.
Here’s the problem with the solution: we don’t have an affordability crisis, foreign investors are not pricing young Australians out of the market and charging them additional stamp duty will not have the slightest impact on the cost of dwellings for first home buyers.
The Reserve Bank and many commentators from the property research sector have said they believe the impact of foreign buyers is being overstated. I think they’re right.
None of that should prevent the committee from proceeding with the idea of punishing foreign investors. This whole exercise, remember, is being run according to the 'Boys Own Manual of Bureaucratic Smokescreens' written by Sir Humphrey Appleby.
Foreigners account for a small percentage of residential property sales. Their numbers are dwarfed by local investors and in particular by the most powerful force in Australian real estate, home buyers other than first home buyers.
Foreigners are not out-bidding Australians at Sydney and Melbourne auctions because foreigners are restricted in what they are allowed to buy (although there are claims they are sidestepping the rules in the some cases). The “debate” has got to the point where anyone Asian-looking who buys at auction is deemed to be a foreign investor.
Most foreign buyers are purchasing off the plan apartments in locations such as inner city Melbourne and the Gold Coast. These places are not first homebuyer territory so they are not competing with young Aussie wannabes.
My interpretation is that the impact of foreign investors on Australian house prices is close to zero.
Here’s the great irony in all this: if you really wanted to bring down the price of city real estate, you should be providing incentives for foreigners to buy off the plan apartments, not disincentives.
The only way to reduce property values is to create a massive oversupply. Simply increasing supply a little won’t do it. You need a serious glut, with vacancies at 10% or 15%.
The only markets around Australia where values have dropped a lot (such as mining towns and resources regional centres) are locations with major vacancies caused by oversupply.
Several of the inner city markets in our biggest cities already have high vacancies but developers are bringing on more and more new towers. Why? Because they think they can flog them to foreign investors. At least half of the apartments being built around Australia are being developed by Asian companies.
These apartment towers are not being built for Aussie first home buyers or Aussie buyers of any genre. They’re being built for gullible Chinese investors. Some of our cities, headed by Melbourne, will end up with scary oversupplies, big enough to crash rentals and prices – and not just in the inner city areas.
If politicians scare off foreign investors by hitting them with onerous charges, many highrise developments will be scrapped. No oversupply, no collapsing property values, no cheap dwellings for first home buyers – and, incidentally, no construction boom and none of the jobs it would generate.
On that basis, I think deterring foreign investors is a good idea – not because it will help housing affordability but because it will prevent a disastrous oversupply of apartments in Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, the Gold Coast and, eventually, Sydney.
You can contact Terry via <a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au" target="_blank">email</a> or on <a href="https://www.twitter.com/hotspotting" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. 
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terryryder-YECXbqmri2

Hitting foreign buyers with extra fees is an ineffectual solution to a mythical problem

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Is e-Conveyancing going to be a way of ensuring that foreign nationals comply with Australian foreign investment rules?
The Real Estate Institute of Australia suggests that this might be exactly the case.
As part of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics’ public hearings into the Inquiry into Foreign Investment in Australian real estate, REIA board member First National's Ray Ellis is to address the inquiry and detail the possibility of using e-Conveyancing to improve compliance.
This would ensure greater inter-departmental and agency communication, including with the Department of Immigration, with REIA CEO Amanda Lynch noting that later in the year the first national e-Conveyancing platform will be rolled out.
“While it is important to stress that the new online platform is heavily regulated with keen focus on protecting privacy of individuals, it will be capturing a rich set of data including identification where the transaction involves foreign nationals,” said Lynch.
“Lawyers and conveyancers will have to verify the identity of the clients they represent and reflect the client’s foreign residency status while filling the form in an online workspace,” she said.
They will reflect the paper versions of transfer in each state and territory, with the same data fields, however will store data electronic – something that matches the expectation for 85% of all property transactions over the next two years to be electronic, explained Lynch.
Monitoring could more easily be undertaken under this system.
“The transition towards e-Conveyancing provides the opportunity for easier detection of irregular activity,” said Lynch.
“The last thing that the sector wants to see is unnecessary red tape around foreign investment in Australia and here is an ideal platform that is available for all property purchases, not just those involving foreign investment,” she said, noting the REIA supports both foreign investment in Australia, and the current guidelines.
Ellis noted that the issue isn't that foreign investment happens, but that it is inadequately monitored and regulated.
"Australia has long depended upon migration and foreign investment. It’s vital to a thriving economy in a country with a comparatively small population," he said.   "However, there appears to be evidence that some wealthy foreign investors have been purchasing existing homes and leaving them vacant to avoid detection by the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB)."
He noted that there is currently an $85,000 fine for breaching this law.
"Foreign developer investment, when compliant with our laws, creates jobs and benefits the construction industry. However, if foreign residential property investors believe they can buy existing properties and leave them vacant, to avoid detection, this is clearly against the rules and objectives of the FIRB scheme and measures should be put in place to address this cavalier attitude," he said.
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jduke-EHk3XBmHkn

How e-Conveyancing can help ensure foreign investors comply with rules: REIA

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Losing applicants to Victoria, the NSW government has scrapped its minimum investment in NSW Waratah bonds for its Significant Investor Visa (SIV) requirements.
The decision will make it easier for overseas applicants to seek NSW investment.
The Deputy Premier and Minister for Trade and Investment Andrew Stoner from 1 September, applicants seeking NSW nomination will be able to invest 100% of their funds in the complying investment of their choice.
“Nominations will no longer be tied to a minimum investment in NSW Waratah bonds,” Stoner said.
Under the Significant Investor Visa, successful applicants are required to invest $5 million in complying investments for a minimum of four years before being eligible to apply for a permanent visa.
Up to now, NSW nominated applicants have had to make a minimum investment of 30% of this, or $1.5 million, in NSW Waratah Bonds used to fund state infrastructure projects. Returns on a Waratah bond are less than that desired by some investors.
“To make it easier for investors, and to give them more choice, the NSW government is removing the requirement to invest a minimum amount in Waratah bonds," Stoner advised.
Victoria has attracted 49% of investment from SIV applicants, while NSW has received 35%.
In the past year, $300 million from Chinese nationals has been invested in Waratah bonds, which are transferred into Restart NSW and applied solely to new infrastructure projects.
"It will provide a level playing field between NSW and other Australian States to attract SIV investors," David Chin, the BasisPoint Consulting managing director said.
The federal government has attracted $1.7 billion and granted 343 residency visas to foreigners, 85% to Chinese, under the significant investor visa program.
The figures show that at 31 July, another 602 people applied.
Since the 2012 scheme started slowly, the Abbott government implemented processing measures that has increased the approval rate, granting 31 investor visas in June and 57 in July.
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NSW Waratah bonds no longer compulsory for Significant Investor Visa applicants

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A 60% surge of the funds outlaid by foreign investors for Australian commercial property has been recorded, with $5.9 billion spent in the last financial year, according to Savills Australia.
In the 12 months prior the funds totalled $3.5 billion.
Savills’ national head of research Tony Crabb said that the current figures are “unprecedented” and there's more to come.
Asian investors totalled $3.9 billion, or 67%. Meanwhile, North Americans and Europeans made their presence felt, with 18% and 15% of the spend respectively.
“The last 12 months buying activity is off the charts as far as recent history is concerned. It is almost as if they have been dipping their toe in the water, they like the temperature and now they are just diving right in,’’ Crabb said.
Australia’s reputation for stability, both in terms of the political and economic climates, remain the typical drivers according to Crabb.
“What has happened in the last 12 months for foreign investors is that circumstances at home are not as attractive in terms of returns – official interest rates are well below Australia’s - political and economic conditions may not be as stable, and property investment markets may not be as mature as Australia’s including restrictions on domestic investment,” he explained.
“In order to maintain growth and dynamism, companies, developers and investors are increasingly turning overseas to find new opportunities”.
Currently, 84% of foreign purchases are occurring in office markets, with 14% buying retail and 2% industrial. Asian investors make up two thirds of the spend in office markets. In total, foreign investors accounted for nearly 50% of CBD office market transactions in the last 12 months.
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