<p><a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/broadbeach-qld-4218">Broadbeach</a> offers plenty of reasons to live vertically, but moving from a substantial family home into an apartment can expose the compromises of high-density living. Privacy, room for guests and usable living space tend to matter more when an apartment is intended as a permanent home rather than an occasional coastal base.</p>

<p>A typical residential floor at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-eveleigh-broadbeach-7-9-surf-parade-broadbeach-qld-4218">The Eveleigh</a>, on Surf Parade,&nbsp;contains just four apartments. The 94-residence development by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/hirsch-faigen">Hirsch &amp; Faigen</a> is predominantly made up of expansive three-bedroom homes, with a limited collection of half-floor penthouses above.</p>

<p>Across the apartment floors, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a> has used the relatively limited number of residences to give each home greater access to natural light and outlook. Living spaces extend towards full-height glazing, while a series of bay windows frame selected views across the Pacific Ocean, city and hinterland rather than treating the building edge as a continuous wall of glass.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360965]</p>

<p>“The apartment floors deliver a collection of homes that embrace controlled outlook via a series of bay windows deliberately framing moments of view,” Rothelowman Director Kim Lowman said.</p>

<p>From outside, those projecting forms contribute to the tower’s faceted profile. Strong horizontal and vertical elements establish its proportions, while the changing position of the sun alters the light, shadow and reflection across the façade throughout the day.</p>

<p>The same attention moves inside the apartments, where the material palette combines warm timber, natural stone, metallic detailing and softer curved forms. Kitchens sit within the main living zone, with stone island benches, integrated joinery and European appliances, before the living areas extend towards the glazing and the outlook.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360981]</p>

<p>Three genuine bedrooms provide room to accommodate family and guests, while two secure car spaces and storage address some of the practical considerations that can become more noticeable when moving from a larger home. Feedback from the display suite has centred on the warmth and restraint of the interiors, with buyers commenting that the residences feel like homes rather than conventional coastal apartments.</p>

<p>A limited collection of half-floor penthouses occupies the upper levels, increasing the scale of the living spaces and adding private balconies and elevated finishes. From this position, the outlook extends between the ocean and hinterland.</p>

<p>Outside the private residences, The Eveleigh separates its shared spaces between the podium and rooftop. The podium is centred on wellness, with subtropical landscaping surrounding a swimming pool and pool terrace, yoga garden, private gymnasium, sauna and hot and cold plunge facilities. Landscaped retreats and pavilions provide additional places to sit away from the main recreation areas.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360966]</p>

<p>Higher in the building, a rooftop pavilion and private dining suite sit alongside resident lounge, barbecue and outdoor dining areas, opening towards panoramic views across the ocean, city and hinterland.</p>

<p>“Buyers are no longer just looking for an apartment, but a lifestyle where they can relax, reset, and enjoy a balanced way of living,” Hirsch &amp; Faigen Director of Sales Matt George said.</p>

<p>Interest to date has come from established owner-occupiers and interstate lifestyle purchasers, including buyers planning a future move to the Gold Coast. Many are coming from larger homes and want to reduce ongoing maintenance without giving up space for family and guests, privacy, two car spaces or the ability to entertain at home.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360969]</p>

<p>Much of that daily life can also take place beyond the building without requiring a drive. Kurrawa Beach and Pratten Park are an easy walk from Surf Parade, while Pacific Fair, Oracle Boulevard, The Oasis, restaurants, cafés, entertainment and public transport are also within walking distance.</p>

<p data-end="8307" data-start="8063">The Eveleigh is Hirsch &amp; Faigen's fourth Gold Coast development since entering the market in 2021, following The Hemingway at Palm Beach, The Emerson at Kirra and Yves at Mermaid Beach. Each of the preceding projects sold out before completion.</p>

<p data-end="8543" data-start="8312">“Broadbeach had been on our radar throughout our time operating on the Gold Coast,” the developer said. “Following our projects in Palm Beach, Kirra and Mermaid Beach, Broadbeach represented the natural next step for the business.”</p>

<p data-end="8915" data-start="8548">The Surf Parade site brought together proximity to the beach, protected coastal outlooks and walkability to dining, shopping and recreation. Hirsch &amp; Faigen also identified the street as an emerging premium residential address, with enough separation from Broadbeach's busier destinations to retain a quieter environment at home.</p>

<p>The Eveleigh is now under construction by Maxcon, with completion forecast for mid-2028. Three-bedroom residences are currently available from $2.87 million.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=149670]</p>


Joel Robinson

The Eveleigh brings house-like apartments to Broadbeach

<p>A long-stalled Campbelltown development site is back in play, with new plans for 139 apartments set to supersede a mixed-use scheme approved almost a decade ago but never built.</p>

<p>The new proposal for 28 Cordeaux Street would deliver 116 market and 23 affordable apartments in a part 14-storey building, bringing a substantial new project into a Campbelltown market where new apartment supply remains limited.</p>

<p>Plans have been filed over the 3,092 sqm corner site at Moore-Oxley Street, around 600 metres from Campbelltown Railway Station and the city-centre retail core.</p>

<p>The site already carries a mixed-use residential approval dating to 2016. Doroch Architects has now been engaged on a larger replacement scheme, which is progressing as a State Significant Development Application following a Housing Delivery Authority determination in August 2025.</p>

<p>The apartment mix comprises 39 one-bedroom, 72 two-bedroom and 28 three-bedroom residences. Two-bedroom apartments make up just over half of the project, while three-bedroom homes account for 20 per cent.</p>

<p><img alt="First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="136dd5b9-3791-4da6-9e31-76f533f5b4de" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Campbelltown%20da2.png?VersionId=LgOSy9nwf5u.MGswBBwaGGxuX8QpHSl_" /></p>

<p>Of the 139 apartments, 23 will be delivered as affordable housing under the in-fill affordable housing provisions of the Housing SEPP. The affordable component represents 15 per cent of the residential gross floor area and will be managed by a registered Community Housing Provider.</p>

<p>Doroch has sought to break the scale of the building into two distinct elements, with a masonry podium of around four storeys establishing the street edge before the residential tower steps back above.</p>

<p>The corner position has shaped that approach. Cordeaux Street faces toward the commercial and civic centre, while Moore-Oxley Street leads into the lower-scale residential neighbourhood to the south, and the design verification report describes the site as "bridging the commercial core to the north and established residential areas to the south."</p>

<p>The podium will be expressed predominantly in face brick, while the upper levels shift to brushed and grooved concrete cladding with darker metal detailing. Recessed sections, deep balcony edges and landscaping break down the upper form, with an approximately 11.8-metre setback to the northern boundary addressing the adjoining St Peters Anglican School.</p>

<p><img alt="First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c8b3d2d3-c561-4bfc-a5d9-a68c0c10dac1" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Campbelltown%20da1.png?VersionId=AeAEyJU02Gk2k5noUj2StziCvdQ7fW4B" /></p>

<p>Campbelltown has been starved of new residential developments in the last decade.</p>

<p>The only other notable development set to come to market this year is ALAND's Queen Square, a mixed-use precinct on over two hectares that will comprise apartments above a vibrant ground-level retail and hospitality dining precinct.</p>


First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site

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<p>A 60-apartment building nine storeys tall would be a rarity almost anywhere along this stretch of Moreton Bay, but that's exactly what's been lodged for a modest Deception Bay street better known for its single-storey weatherboard homes.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sherlock-construction-homes">Sherlock Construction Homes</a> is seeking to push Deception Bay’s emerging medium-density housing profile higher, lodging plans for a nine-storey apartment building near the suburb’s shopping centre and foreshore.</p>

<p>Dubbed Grosvenor Apartments, the proposal at 14-20 Grosvenor Terrace would replace two detached homes with a new building designed by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/mode">Mode Design</a>&nbsp;which would&nbsp;reach nearly 30 metres, well above the site’s mapped 21-metre building height.</p>

<p><img alt="First Look: Sherlock Construction pitches 9-storey tower for low-rise Deception Bay" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="86c21a25-5a97-4ca7-a361-80757137ea5b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Deception%20da%20front.png?VersionId=aXIujfvEhH33sLHOEjHFv9Ii6qxSvAF4" /></p>

<p>The apartment mix is weighted toward larger homes, with 14 three-bedroom apartments, 31 two-bedroom apartments and 15 one-bedroom apartments. Six apartment types are spread across the floors, ranging from 66 sqm one-bedroom units through to three-bedroom apartments of 116 sqm, most with private balconies or terraces.</p>

<p>Levels one through seven follow a consistent layout of six to eight apartments per floor arranged around a central lift and stair core, with the top floor, level eight, trading one apartment for a landscaped community breakout space rather than repeating the standard layout below.</p>

<p>Ground floor is dedicated to arrival and services, with a lobby, mailroom and manager's office, alongside 91 car spaces.</p>

<p><img alt="First Look: Sherlock Construction pitches 9-storey tower for low-rise Deception Bay" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b098bde0-5fe1-4e6c-9601-e5446612e5fc" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Deception%20podium.png?VersionId=A0hfENMNxSxkfh9Jl6D4WJ9XIraeOukA" /></p>

<p>Mode Design's brief describes a "serene coastal-inspired design blending soft curves, natural textures and light-filled spaces to reflect the relaxed Deception Bay lifestyle."&nbsp;</p>

<p>The material palette leans on white and grey render, timber-look aluminium screening and stacked-brick-look finishes, with hanging greenery and vine planting proposed across balcony edges and ground-level walls.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Balconies feature asymmetrical geometries intended to vary the building's rhythm rather than repeat a single module up the tower, while lush planting is concentrated over the entry and level one balconies to soften the building's base.</p>

<p><img alt="First Look: Sherlock Construction pitches 9-storey tower for low-rise Deception Bay" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c05c5693-3e00-42d0-b075-55c36094f4db" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Deception%20da%201.png?VersionId=cMKJgBsBaaVCd2dA5O22SOT38OT_.BPA" /></p>

<p>The design evolved following an April 2025 prelodgement meeting with council. At that stage, the project was conceived as a seven-storey building containing 45 apartments. The subsequently lodged scheme increases the development to nine storeys and 60 apartments while introducing one-bedroom residences to the mix.</p>

<p>Zone Planning argues the additional scale reflects the site's position within an area earmarked for increased residential intensity. The planning report points to the North Lakes-Redcliffe-Moreton Bay Rail corridor strategy, which identifies Deception Bay as a district-level activity centre and supports greater housing choice within urban neighbourhoods.</p>

<p>Market Square Deception Bay, Deception Bay Sports Centre, Deception Bay State School, public transport, community facilities and the Moreton Bay foreshore are all identified within approximately one kilometre of the site, while the property falls within a 400-metre walking catchment of Market Square.</p>

First Look: Sherlock Construction pitches apartments for low-rise Deception Bay

<p data-end="587" data-start="368">Queensland builder-developer MAYD has revealed the first look at its major North Kirra beachfront development, lodging amended plans that reduce the number of apartments and increase the proportion of larger residences.</p>

<p data-end="778" data-start="589">The project is planned across a substantial 4,742 sqm amalgamated site spanning seven lots at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/2-6-pacific-parade-bilinga-qld-4225">2-6 Pacific Parade</a> and 27-33 Golden Four Drive in Bilin​ga, directly opposite Nor​th Kirra Beach.</p>

<p data-end="907" data-start="780"><a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/mayd-group">MAYD</a> secured the site for $32.5 million in 2025, in what was one of the Gold Coast's largest property transactions of the year.</p>

<p data-end="1052" data-start="909">The development will be delivered across two stages, with the first stage carrying an estimated gross realisation value of around $360 million.</p>

<p data-end="1311" data-start="1054">The latest amendments seek to reduce the overall apartment count and shift the project further toward the owner-occupier market, with larger residences designed for buyers wanting considerably more space than traditionally offered in a beachfront apartment.</p>

<p data-end="1451" data-start="1313">The residential mix will include townhomes, oversized two-bedroom apartments, substantial three-bedroom residences and four-bedroom homes.</p>

<p data-end="1676" data-start="1453">MAYD has appointed Cera Stribley to lead the architecture and interiors, with the Melbourne-based design practice drawing on the beachfront setting through a series of ocean-facing terraces and heavily landscaped balconies.</p>

<p data-end="1908" data-start="1678">Strong horizontal forms and curved balconies will define the exterior, with subtropical landscaping integrated throughout the building to soften the built form and increase the connection between the residences and the beachfront.</p>

<p data-end="2142" data-start="1910">The project will also include an extensive collection of resident wellness and lifestyle facilities, continuing the broader shift across the Gold Coast's luxury apartment market toward larger homes supported by resort-style amenity.</p>

<p data-end="2142" data-start="1910"><img alt="MAYD" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d1bcbb05-e659-4b47-8bd4-1e595315e2ad" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%202.05.03%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=jj0XEud1X1DuLt7_KyElhjMdZGOXmLHP" /></p>

<p data-end="2308" data-start="2144">MAYD Founder Todd Mould said North Kirra was increasingly appealing to buyers attracted to the more established, lower-density character of the southern Gold Coast.</p>

<p data-end="2648" data-start="2310">"North Kirra presents one of the most compelling luxury residential opportunities currently emerging in Australia, combining absolute beachfront with the character and authenticity that buyers are increasingly seeking, and the same sense of tight-knit community that defined Burleigh and Currumbin perhaps 10 or 15 years ago," Mould said.</p>

<p data-end="2797" data-start="2650">"With Gold Coast Airport on its doorstep, it also offers a level of accessibility that broadens its appeal across almost every market demographic."</p>

<p data-end="2938" data-start="2799">The project comes as the southern Gold Coast continues to attract an increasing share of high-end apartment development and buyer activity.</p>

<p data-end="3216" data-start="2940">Kirra in particular has emerged as one of the region's more tightly held beachfront markets, with its relatively low-density character, established surf and hospitality scene and proximity to Gold Coast Airport differentiating it from the higher-density markets further north.</p>

<p data-end="3325" data-start="3218">Mould said those characteristics had informed the approach MAYD and Cera Stribley had taken to the project.</p>

<p data-end="3442" data-start="3327">"We've worked closely with Cera Stribley to create a vision that is deeply connected to its surroundings," he said.</p>

<p data-end="3662" data-start="3444">"Inspired by the coastline itself, the architecture has been shaped around space, privacy and resort-style living, creating a collection of homes that reflects the next generation of luxury on the southern Gold Coast."</p>

<p data-end="3818" data-start="3664">MOTIV Managing Director Carly Cottam, who has been appointed to market the project, said buyer attention had continued to move south along the Gold Coast.</p>

<p data-end="4076" data-start="3820">"Purchasers who may once have defaulted to Broadbeach, Main Beach or Surfers Paradise are increasingly recognising the value of a genuine beachfront location that offers lower density, strong amenity and a more established sense of community," Cottam said.</p>

<p data-end="4375" data-start="4078">"Kirra has a powerful combination of growing demand and genuine scarcity. Beachfront supply is inherently constrained, the area remains relatively low density, and buyers are increasingly placing a premium on locations that feel established, uncrowded and authentic rather than heavily developed."</p>

<p data-end="4503" data-start="4377">Cottam said the proximity to Gold Coast Airport was also proving increasingly important for interstate and second-home buyers.</p>

<p data-end="4741" data-start="4505">"Being minutes from Gold Coast Airport makes it particularly compelling for interstate buyers, frequent travellers and second-home purchasers who can access an authentic coastal lifestyle almost immediately after stepping off a flight."</p>

<p data-end="4910" data-start="4743">The acquisition takes MAYD's active development portfolio to more than $500 million, with the North Kirra project representing one of its largest undertakings to date.</p>

<p data-end="4951" data-start="4912">MAYD is targeting an early 2027 launch.</p>


First look at MAYD's North Kirra mixed-use precinct

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<p data-end="600" data-start="394">Castle Hill, the longtime hub of the Hills District, has been one of the major beneficiaries of Sydney's Metro expansion, with improved connectivity helping drive continued population growth, development and buyer demand across the Hills District.</p>

<p data-end="733" data-start="602">But despite that growth, the suburb has seen relatively few major new apartment projects brought to market over the past 18 months.</p>

<p data-end="970" data-start="735">Hills District developer Reve Group is looking to fill that gap with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nova-r-ve-castle-hill-2-garthowen-crescent-castle-hill-nsw-2154">Nova Rêve</a>, a major new mixed-use precinct on the corner of Garthowen Crescent and Old Castle Hill Road, a short walk from Castle Hill Metro Station and Castle Towers.</p>

<p data-end="970" data-start="735">[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377679]</p>

<p data-end="1159" data-start="972">The project will comprise three residential towers alongside a hotel, restaurants, cafes and a skybar, more than 1,600 sqm of ground-floor retail and almost an acre of landscaped gardens.</p>

<p data-end="1357" data-start="1161">It represents the largest project undertaken by Reve Group, the development arm of the Kassis family, which has been building across the Hills District for more than 30 years through Kassis Homes.</p>

<p data-end="3400" data-start="3216">[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377675]</p>

<p data-end="3400" data-start="3216">Nova Rêve also represents a significant step up from the family's first apartment development, Grand Rêve, which was delivered nearby on Garthowen Crescent.</p>

<p data-end="1664" data-start="1517">Grand Rêve introduced larger, house-like apartment layouts and premium inclusions including Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances to the Castle Hill market.</p>

<p data-end="1826" data-start="1666">Nova Rêve takes that approach to a precinct scale, combining the residential component with hospitality, retail and substantial public and resident landscaping.</p>

<p data-end="1826" data-start="1666">[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377685]</p>

<p data-end="2045" data-start="1828">Reve Group Managing Director Sam Kassis said the project reflected the family's three decades of building in the Hills, which has evolved from trophy homes on quarter-acre blocks to larger-scale apartment development.</p>

<p data-end="2269" data-start="2047">"Grand Rêve was our first apartment project here and it showed us what this pocket of Castle Hill could be. Nova Rêve is the refinement of that idea: not just apartments, but a place the whole suburb can use," Kassis said.</p>

<p data-end="2430" data-start="2271">A key part of that approach is the hotel, which has been designed to operate as an amenity for the wider Castle Hill community rather than solely hotel guests.</p>

<p data-end="2606" data-start="2432">It will include restaurants, cafes, skybars and all-day dining, alongside conference and event facilities catering to business functions, community groups and private events.</p>

<p data-end="2724" data-start="2608">At ground level, more than 1,600 sqm of shops and cafes will open onto the surrounding streets and landscaped areas.</p>

<p data-end="2892" data-start="2726">Almost an acre of gardens designed by Land and Form Studios will run through the precinct, incorporating pathways, seating, barbecue areas and children's play spaces.</p>

<p data-end="2892" data-start="2726">[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377680]</p>

<p data-end="3004" data-start="2894">Reve Group's Romio Georges said creating an active ground plane had been central to the planning of Nova Rêve.</p>

<p data-end="3214" data-start="3006">"There are gardens with pathways, barbecues, seating and play areas, shops and cafes opening onto the street, and a hotel with restaurants and a skybar that anyone in Castle Hill can walk into," Georges said.</p>

<p data-end="3400" data-start="3216">The project's elevated position on one of Sydney's highest ridgelines will also provide apartments with outlooks toward the Sydney skyline, surrounding parkland and the Blue Mountains.</p>

<p data-end="3400" data-start="3216">More than 80 per cent of the apartments will occupy corner positions, with Turner responsible for both the architecture and interiors.</p>

<p data-end="3670" data-start="3538">&nbsp;</p>

<p data-end="3670" data-start="3538">[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152737]</p>

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Nova Rêve arrives as Reve Group bets on Castle Hill's next growth phase

Housing Market

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<p><span>The </span>apartment market in Coffs Harbour has turned around, with dwelling construction ramping up and key suburbs seeing considerable new unit development, according to Herron Todd White.</p>
<p><span>Herron Todd White's September Month in Review found </span><span style="line-height: 1.3em;">popular beach and harbourside suburbs around Coffs Harbour typically have prices ranging from $350,000 to in excess of $1 million, with average prices around $450,000 to $700,000.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.3em;">"The high end of the market of $700,000 plus does see sales dramatically reduce due to limited local demand for this price range," the report noted.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.3em;">"These units are generally purchased by high net wealth individuals with long selling periods required to attract potential purchasers. </span></p>
<p>"Several modern townhouse complexes have been constructed which generally provide three bedroom, one or two bathroom accommodation in complexes of five to ten units ranging in price from $350,000 to $400,000. The majority of purchasers have been investors with rental returns of $360 to $400 per week being achieved."</p>
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Coffs Harbour construction ramping up: Herron Todd White

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<p>Geoff Baldwin of RE/MAX Lighthouse Realty Western Australia suggests the time is right for opportunistic buyers in Western Australia looking to secure value.</p>
<p>As the real estate market moves into the annual Spring/Summer resurgence there remains a window of opportunity to take advantage of some great buys, especially in the middle to upper price ranges with the Northern suburbs standing out according to RE/MAX WA managing director, Geoff Baldwin.</p>
<p>“Homes in suburbs like Ocean Reef, Connolly, Iluka, Currambine, Burns Beach and Jindalee are all selling well below what they would cost to buy land and build and the added bonus is that the owners of these properties have invariably added extra value by way of pools, pergolas, solar boosters, etc that they tend to discount at sale time”, he said.</p>
<p>“It is also a fact that people selling lower priced properties are not having to drop their prices by near the percentage that is happening further up the market and this means they have a window of opportunity to upgrade that will only remain open for a limited time.</p>
<p>“Properties along the coast that were selling for over a million dollars are now going for high eight hundreds to early nine hundreds and buyers are now really beginning to recognise this value.</p>
<p>“Upgraders should not hesitate to consider making offers subject to the sale of their present property provided the owners of the one they are buying are willing to give them time to sell however this will always depend on how saleable their current home is made.</p>
<p>“This irregularity in the market is primed for upgraders to take action however it will not exist for a long period because, as the weather heats up so too will the market with the result that stock levels will reduce and prices will bounce back quickly”, Mr Baldwin said.</p>
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Price drop opportunity in Western Australia

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<p><span>Stockland property group released the Sustainability Report and Annual Review for 2015 which noted underlying profit grew by 9.4% to $608 million with statutory profit at $903 million, more than 70% higher than the previous year.</span></p>
<p><span>Stockland Chariman Graham Bradley said the results reflect solid increases in earnings across Commercial Property, Residential and Retirement Living.</span></p>
<p><span>Managing director Mark Steinert said commercial property remains a key driver of the group’s success.</span></p>
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<p><span>"On a comparable basis we achieved operating profit growth of 4.3% across the portfolio, with 4.2% in Retail, 3.1% in Logistics and Business Parks and 6.4% in Office, reflecting our strong focus on property fundamentals," he said.</span></p>
<p><span>"Our residential business achieved a substantial 73.5% uplift in profit and ended the year with a record 3,742 contracts on hand, up 17% on last year. </span></p>
<p><span>"Our Retirement Living operating profit was up 19.9% on FY14 reflecting strong sales, active management and improved efficiency. The business is now two years into our five year plan to achieve a 7% cash return on assets, which is marked by taking a much more active approach to how we manage our village portfolio.</span></p>
<p><span>“These reports show we are intertwining our approaches to property development and sustainability. We are focussed on the development and delivery of sustainable communities… Every year, Stockland engages in an independently-reviewed process to record its achievements, review and update its sustainability strategy, and set new targets for the year ahead.”</span></p>
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Stockland underlying profit grew by 9.4%

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<p>Residential developer Villa World have released the first stage of their Redland Bay Brisbane development Ellabay. </p>
<p>The first stage of the release includes 43 of the eventual 81 homes one kilometre from the shores of Moreton Bay. </p>
<p>Prices start at $499,000, with lots ranging in size from 375sqm to 644sqm. </p>
<p>Villa World senior development manager Murray Simpson said a range of <span style="line-height: 1.3em;">new four-bedroom home designs at Ellabay, which will be delivered fully landscaped and NBN ready. </span></p>
<p>“New homes have been designed to complement the coastal setting with premium ‘extras’ as standard,” he said. </p>
<p>An onsite display home will open on 19 September at 2 Muller Street, Redland Bay. </p>
<p>For more information about Ellabay, <a href="https://www.ellabayredlandbay.com.au" target="_blank">click here</a>.</p>
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jonathanchancellor-7SQnKwU6yx

First stage of Brisbane's Ellabay development released

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<p>For years now I have contemplated how an investment banker would run the Australian economy and now we are about to find out with Malcolm Turnbull taking over the reigns as prime minister.</p>
<p>Straight after the news broke I posted a message on Mr Turnbull’s Facebook page – “Congratulations on becoming Prime Minister of Australia.If I can ask you to do one thing – could you please appoint Kelly O’Dwyer as Housing minister. It’s rather embarrassing that the Australian government does not have a Minister for this important portfolio.”</p>
<p>There are major dark clouds forming and what we might expect is being discussed by a few, and if we are proven correct this will be a major storm that will reverberate across Australia. The problem started back in 2008 when the then prime minister Kevin Rudd and his treasurer Wayne Swan changed the ratio permitting foreign buyers to purchase off the plan in Australia. The ratio was adjusted from 50 per cent to 100 per cent (which is where it currently sits) at that time I wrote that such a move was fraught with danger.</p>
<p>Take Sydney for example, where tens of thousands of new apartments have been sold off – the – plan, there now are grave concerns that the foreign buyers will walk away from the deposits and won’t settle. With interest we should be watching the stock market in China which has lost approximately 40 per cent in the last three months, where when we see stock market corrections money is then diverted into real estate – this time around this may not be the case. Then we see that volatility on the global equity markets in August was the highest since 2011.</p>
<p>The first signs of cracking in the residential market will be, when these new developments are completed, how many apartments that were sold off the plan are immediately placed back on the market. BIS Shrapnel recently reported that NSW is set to become Australia’s top home builder in 2016, having overtaken Victoria which has held this position since early 2000.</p>
<p>Should the foreign buyers spook then the new construction will in all probability come to a grinding halt where history shows prices start falling significantly due to an oversupply on the markets. Thanks to the overseas buyer ratio being doubled this spells double trouble, given what we have seen with the real estate investment markets has been unprecedented. Historically we have absolutely no measures on what may happen aside from expecting the worst.</p>
<p>We also see that APRA’s policy initiatives are now cooling the markets which may need some urgent critiquing given that if the property markets cool too quickly this will spook the foreign buyers in to a frenzy of defaults.</p>
<p>On the flip side we have the Australian government via the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) forensically examining all property transactions for existing homes that may have been illegally acquired – I predict this will be huge. There is approximately another 6 weeks left of the amnesty period before the ATO starts prosecuting.</p>
<p>Thus far this crackdown on illegal purchases has more than doubled to over 500 investigations and that’s before the amnesty period ends – predominately at this stage the ATO is relying on public tip offs. Treasurer Joe Hockey let the cat out of the bag this week when he commented “So we are getting on with the job of enforcing the laws. There has been no enforcement and no successful order for at least the last 20 years. But we have taken this decision to ensure that there is integrity in the foreign investment regime and that those people who unlawfully hold Australian residential real estate are caught.”</p>
<p>Going by that one must be thinking that this investigation is so huge that they are now looking back 20 years – which would lead to an unprecedented number of divestment orders in 2016. Should we see the off – the – plan investors defaulting it would not be smart for the integrity of Australian property prices to also run divestment orders on existing dwellings.</p>
<p>Another point that needs raising is that NSW is doing the major lifting in terms of the Australian economy as this is the hub for economic momentum. The Reserve Bank of Australia, APRA, ATO, lenders and elected politicians need to immediately start consulting property developers and industry specialists and start drawing up a battle plan.</p>
<p>Until a clearer picture is presented foreign ownership rates from 100 per cent need to be cut hard. So that’s why Malcolm Turnbull needs to appoint a Housing minister next Monday as he/she will have plenty of work to do given I see the property markets now on a “High Alert”.</p>
<h5>MOSMAN – 2088</h5>
<p>• Number of houses on the market this time last year – 64</p>
<p>• Number of houses on the market last week – 56</p>
<p>• Number of houses on the market this week – 52</p>
<p>• Number of apartments on the market this time last year – 44</p>
<p>• Number of apartments on the market last week – 49</p>
<p>• Number of apartments on the market this week – 51</p>
<h5>CREMORNE – 2090</h5>
<p>• Number of houses on the market this time last year –10</p>
<p>• Number of houses on the market last week – 6</p>
<p>• Number of houses on the market this week – 7</p>
<p>• Number of apartments on the market this time last year – 16</p>
<p>• Number of apartments on the market last week – 20</p>
<p>• Number of apartments on the market this week – 22</p>
<h5>NEUTRAL BAY – 2089</h5>
<p>• Number of houses on the market this time last year – 7</p>
<p>• Number of houses on the market last week – 2</p>
<p>•Number of houses on the market this week – 3</p>
<p>• Number of apartments on the market this time last year– 33</p>
<p>• Number of apartments on the market last week – 37</p>
<p>• Number of apartments on the market this week – 29</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em><span>ROBERT SIMEON</span> is a director of </em><em><a href="https://www.rwm.com.au/" target="_blank" title="RWM" rel="nofollow">Richardson Wrench Mosman and Neutral Bay</a> </em><em>and has been selling residential real estate in Sydney since 1985. <br>He has also been writing real estate blog </em><em><a href="https://www.rwm.com.au/news/" target="_blank" title="Virtual Realty News" rel="nofollow">Virtual Realty News</a> </em><em>since 2000. </em></p>
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Are foreign buyers about to ‘short’ our residential markets? Robert Simeon

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<p><span>House price expectations fell in September according to the Westpac- Melbourne Institute Consumer House Price Expectations Index, which also found an annual growth in dwelling prices at just under 10% nationally.</span></p>
<p><span>The Westpac- Melbourne Institute Consumer House Price Expectations Index fell 6.1% from 132.7 in Aug to 127.3 in September.</span></p>
<p><span>According to the report the September fall was felt greatest in NSW, down 17%.</span></p>
<p><span>"Composite price measures based on all available private sector indexes shows annual growth in dwelling prices tracking at just under 10% nationally but varying enormously across geographies. Price growth is running closer to 20% in the Sydney market, showing a stark disconnect with the recent weakening in consumers’ price expectations," the report noted.</span></p>
<p><span>"While still more positive than buyer intentions, consumers’ house price expectations are also showing signs of waning.  The Index is now down 17%yr although it remains well above the 100 level indicating those expecting prices to rise still outnumber those expecting them to fall.</span></p>
<p><span>"Price growth is a reasonably firm 9%yr in Melbourne, but is only really keeping pace with inflation in Brisbane (2.6%yr) and is recording outright declines in Perth (–2.5%yr). With 75% of WA consumers picking prices to be flat or lower in 12mths, weakness looks entrenched."</span></p>
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<p><span>Westpac-MI House Price Expectations Index </span></p>
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<p><span>House prices: expectations vs actual by state </span></p>
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NSW house price expectations down 17%: Westpac's Red Book

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<div class="column">Housing market confidence fell in September nationally with New South Wales being the region to fall hardest where price expectations were previously strong, according to the Westpac Melbourne Institute House Price Expectations Index for September.</div>
<div class="column"> </div>
<div class="column">The Westpac Melbourne Institute House Price Expectations Index fell 6.1% to 127.3 in September – down 17% year on year. </div>
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<span>Housing market confidence time to buy category fell</span><span> 0.9% - down 8.6% year on year and 30% below the Sep 2013 peak.</span>
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<span>The report said b</span><span style="line-height: 1.3em;">uyer sentiment fell hard in NSW, with the state index down 14% in Sep, 34% on a year ago and 55% over the last 2yrs.</span>
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<div class="column"><span style="line-height: 1.3em;"> </span></div>
<div class="column"><span style="line-height: 1.3em;">"The NSW index is at its lowest level since Jun 1989 and the more specific Sydney index is at an all time low going back to 1975. This veritable collapse in buyer sentiment is a clear warning that owner occupier demand is set to fall. Disaffected buyers may also be starting to consider inter-state migration as an option," the report noted.</span></div>
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<div class="column">"The mood is very different across other markets. Readings have shown a less pronounced fall in Vic and remain relatively positive in Qld and WA. The latter is a little surprising given the stress the WA economy is currently coming under and price declines in Perth’s housing market. That said, the index tends to reflect buyers’ affordability assessments rather than expectations for price growth."</div>
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<span style="line-height: 1.3em;">"The age-group breakdown shows much weaker ‘time to buy’ reads for consumers in key first home buyer (FHB) age groups, and notably firmer readings for those that own their home without a mortgage."</span><span style="line-height: 1.3em;"> </span><span style="line-height: 1.3em;"> </span>
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<p><strong>‘Time to buy a dwelling ’ by state, buyer group</strong></p>
<p><span> </span></p>
<p><span><img src="/images/2015/09/18/Screen%20Shot%202015-09-18%20at%209.10.04%20AM.png" alt=""></span></p>
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Housing market confidence fell in September: Westpac's Red Book

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<p>GUEST OBSERVER</p>
<p>Of course, I finished my <a href="/expert-insights/is-sydney-now-the-rotten-apple-for-investors-oasis-gavin-mcpherson">last article</a> with a poke at the overpriced markets of Sydney and Melbourne. <br><br> Now for someone that calls Sydney ‘home’ 3-4 days per week and in South East Queensland the other 3-4, I may as well call my hand early. That is...I’d only invest in Sydney and Melbourne perpetually, if all things were even.</p>
<p>The problem however is that things aren’t even, and they never have been. So let’s explore those discrepancies.</p>
<p>So with the prerequisite that you should read my <span><em>last article</em></span>, allow me to switch from bear to bull and start with the ripe opportunities that sit north of the NSW border. And I’ll start with the counterpoint of my last article with the introduction that “the cure for low prices...IS low prices.”</p>
<p>I’d ask the reader to think about it this way...using Gold Coast as an example.</p>
<ul>
<li>Gold Coast <em>did</em>suffer from overdevelopment in 2007. Over 100 cranes in the sky were witnessed with as many as 14,500 apartments (approved in 2004-2006) advanced from concept to delivery.  Of course, many of these sold while the market was solid, but as history would demonstrate, as many as 3000-4000 new apartments (without buyers) were delivered to the market just when the market turned on the eve of the Global Financial Crisis. Some of these properties still traded, with disgruntled buyers settling on them at the risk of being sued. Many of them returned these to the market trying to recover their costs. They failed.  Others returned their contracts and lost their property deposits. All in all, the market was flooded with all sellers trying to head for the exit at the same time, not to mention the oversupply of rental property, tipping the Gold Coast into 4%+ territory, one of the weakest across Australia.</li>
<li>But while the above took all the headlines, think about the effect this had on construction. Pre GFC, the Gold Coast had a raft of over 100 cranes featured in the skyline to satisfy the appetite of developers. Full circle to 2011, once the already committed projects of the Hilton and Soul were constructed...a total of only <em>one</em> crane only graced the Gold Coast skyline.</li>
<li>Fast forward 4-5 years, seeing in record low interest rates for domestic buyers and a stellar exchange rate for overseas buyers, Gold Coast is craving for more dwellings. How would I know this? Do you think I just made this up? </li>
</ul>
<p>It’s easy. The Gold Coast now has sub 1% vacancy rates (REIQ). In fact, while other figures show 1.8% across the whole of the coast, it’s well understood that the congestion does appear on in the Surfers/Broadbeach /Mermaid and Main Beach districts, putting further downward pressure on this figure. Vacancy rates are a <em>symptom</em> of a market that does not have enough property. It’s also the reason why I envelope this notion in the adage that “low prices IS the cure for low prices.”</p>
<p>Bottom line, all the extra property that had been on the market after the GFC has been bought. Whether it sold for high, low or firesale prices is irrelevant. That property is all gone. Sold. And most likely with long term owners who are braced for long term investment, not about to return it to the market tomorrow and realise only minor profits. </p>
<ul>
<li>With vacancy rates this low and the Southern markets of Sydney and Melbourne now reaching their zenith, one also has the value proposition that the Gold Coast presents to the foreign buyer. A quick check on the algorithm for the $AUD to Chinese RMB (now 4.60 to $1AUD), noting that five years ago the equation represented a 25% currency increase, with the RMB to $AUD at 6.12. If you thought Gold Coast property was cheap before, try it with a 25% discount!</li>
</ul>
<p>I concede that a 25% currency discount is an almost unfair advantage, and it’s the reason why my advice to clients now is not to hesitate on purchasing in the Gold Coast. With vacancy rates so low, a simple $450k investment, realising up to $480/$500 per week rental is all possible, with the near term pressure to push the rental yields up even higher as the sea change effect also brings more residents to the Gold Coast. </p>
<p>Again I ask, do you think I’m guessing about this [migration to the Coast] Sea Change effect? Think again. For those who thought that Gold Coast is an employment desert, I’d challenge that with facts. In 2014, the Coast provided a whopping <span><em>181,856</em></span> net jobs increase. A different data sample reveals similar outcomes with recent figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) pointing to 14,100 net jobs increase per month. The fact that in 2013 that figure was <span><em>19,662</em></span> should demonstrate that the trajectory is not just good...it’s gobsmacking. With a current population of 535,000 and projections of a population of 680,000 by 2021, (QLD Office of Economy and Statistical Research Population) there is a lot of room for rationing this growth and still achieving outstanding property prices in the near future.  These recent ABS figures put the Gold Coast at the top of Queensland’s employment economy.  </p>
<p>Of course, other regions are not immune to the same primary drivers that subscribe to this logic (the cure for low prices IS low prices). That brings Wollongong, the Hunter and certainly some other regional bastions like Cairns and Townsville. <br><br> For me however, the clincher is certainly the extra ‘froth’ that gets created around Gold Coast by the strong support by overseas investment. That is not to say some of these other regions do not see the same benefit; they do. But in its brief but important history, the Gold Coast sits at the top of the queue for international investment. And with all signs pointing to more inward investment that out with the $AUD exchange rate, look for “the Goldie” to outstrip all its peers in spades!  </p>
<p>So with my investor hat on now and the old adage that ‘the trend is your friend’...this is one trend that, in my opinion, is not only predictable...but imminent!</p>
<p><em>Gavin McPherson is chief executive officer of Oasis Property Buyers Agency and author of "Value Investing in Property: What would Warren Buffet do if he was investing in property in Australia?" He can be contacted <a href="https://www.oasisproperty.com.au/oasis-buyers/oasis-property-buyers.php" target="_blank">here</a>.</em></p>
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The ripe apple for investors? Oasis' Gavin McPherson

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<div>Although commentary often tends to focus on the dollar value of loans written in the housing market (which in the case of Sydney have been going through the roof) the actual number of home loans being written in Australia on a monthly basis is still some way below the levels seen across 2006-8. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>In Sydney home loan volumes have even been tracking well below where they were in 2003 when the headount of the harbour city was considerably smaller, though the past two months of figures have recorded a big surge which is not yet fully reflected in the trend data. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Looking at the high level figures the trend in home loan volumes has generally been up for the three most populous states since 2012, but transaction volumes can hardly be said to be high compared to where they have been in the past. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Volumes have been trending down in Western Australia since July 2014, while the trend in the Northern Territory for want of a better word has "crashed" by a third since September and is threatening to soon take out the lowest levels seen in more than a decade. </div>
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<div>Home loan activity levels in South Australia are...flatlining. </div>
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<div><span>A similar pattern is also evident when looking at the below chart of home loans by property type, with home loans to purchase established properties in a multi-year uptrend but still not even close to previous heights.</span></div>
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<div><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stamp</span></strong></div>
<div> </div>
<div>There are a number of reasons for these muted home loans volumes, not least the more significant market share of investors seen through this cycle in Sydney and Melbourne in particular.</div>
<br><span>I'll offer another: stamp duty.</span><br><br><div>With rising property prices already pushing the boundaries of detached housing affordability in Sydney and Melbourne close to breaking point, stamp duty - a levy which is ratcheted up as the purchase price increases - acts as a further disincentive to trade.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>This has long been an issue in London at the premium end of the market, where plainly ridiculous<a href="https://www.gov.uk/stamp-duty-land-tax/residential-property-rates" target="_blank"> </a>rates of stamp duty above GBP 925,000 absolutely discourage buying and selling, and instead encourage owners to sit on prime location sites for as long as they feasibly can. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>I can't speak for others, but certainly whenever I've written a stamp duty cheque to the OSR the last thing I am thinking of is subsequently selling a property, and indeed neither my wife nor I have ever sold a property in 19 years, in part for that very reason.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>While stamp duty can serve one useful purpose in making the market more stable and less attractive to "flippers", it also discourages labour market mobility and creates a royal pain in the tail for homeowners who are required relocate for work. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Arguably both homeowners and investors are becoming more inclined to such buy and hold strategies while accepting that there will be inevitable market downturns, in part because the transaction costs are so punitive: buy, hold, and hold some more. </div>
<div> </div>
<div><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">First homebuyers</span></strong></div>
<div> </div>
<div>On a related note, the share of first homebuyers loans in the market has trended down to 15.4 per cent, which is at least a couple of full percentage points below what was seemingly becoming the norm before the financial crisis struck (whereupon market incentives led to an enormous spike in first homebuyer market share). </div>
<div> </div>
<div>We know that the data may be incompete, but affordability - and specifically the deposit hurdle - is playing an obvious role here too, nudging a proportion of first time buyers towards buying an investment property as a first step onto the housing ladder instead of a place of residence. </div>
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<div><a href="/images/2015/09/15/HF3.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a></div>
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<div><img src="/images/2015/09/15/HF3.jpg" alt=""></div>
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<div>
<div>Stamp duty is a key consideration for first homebuyers or new market entrants too.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>It is often said or implied that first homebuyers should start with an entry level property and then look to trade up later, but with the average first homebuyer <strong>loan</strong> <strong>size </strong>now passing $340,000, new entrants to to the market must be seriously considering how many times in their lives they want to be trading property. I know that I would be. </div>
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<div><a href="/images/2015/09/15/HF4.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a></div>
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<div>
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Dwelling starts to peak in 2015</span></strong><br><br><div>A number of forecasts and indicators have suggested that dwelling starts could peak in 2015, and the new dwellings data does not contradict them, although with so many new builds being sold offshore to Asia through this cycle arguably this data series is a less useful indicator than it once was. </div>
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<div><img src="/images/2015/09/15/HF2.jpg" alt=""></div>
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<div>
<span>Construction loans written to owner-occupiers have also been trending down in recent months.</span><br><br><div>On the other hand the rise in property prices and associated equity gains has for some time been predicted to cause a renovations boom. Certainly this is what we witnessed through 2003 as the preceding Sydney market boom approached its peak. </div>
<br><div>There has already been a decent uplift in renovations activity in Sydney, but the "alts &amp; adds" figures to date have barely even hinted at much going on elsewhere. </div>
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<div><a href="/images/2015/09/15/HF6.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a></div>
<div><img src="/images/2015/09/15/HF6.jpg" alt=""></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span>Driving around Brisbane it certainly "feels" as though there is more renovation work underway, but this may just be good old anecdotal evidence giving a bum steer. </span></div>
<div><span> </span></div>
<div>
<p><span><em>PETE WARGENT is the co-founder of <a href="https://allenwargent.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">AllenWargent</a> property buyers (London, Sydney) and a best-selling author and <a href="https://petewargent.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">blogger</a>.</em><br></span></p>
<p><em>His latest book is <a href="https://www.bigskypublishing.com.au/Books/General-Interest/Four-Green-Houses--and-a-Red-Hotel/1015/productview.aspx" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Four Green Houses and a Red Hotel</a>.</em></p>
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pwargent-M4siyDbqQY

Property hot, but volumes not: Pete Wargent

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<p><span>June quarter house and unit sales in Queensland continue to </span>climb with regional centres are showing hints of recovery,<span style="line-height: 1.3em;"> according to the REIQ's recent Queensland Market Monitor.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.3em;">Investor activity is picking up in both the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast with Cairns and the Fraser Coast showing promise of market stability with less average days on market and levels of vendor discounting for unit markets.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.3em;">Sales volumes are slowing for a second consecutive quarter in Toowoomba’s house market.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.3em;">REIQ chief executive officer Antonia Mercorella said regional centres, where the impact of the GFC and mining downturn continue to be felt years later, are 'defiantly consistent'.</span></p>
<p>"The southeast corner remains the powerhouse of the state’s real estate market, with Brisbane LGA recording a new high median house price of $610,000," she said.</p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.3em;">“The market in the southeast corner is performing well and this will eventually be felt throughout the rest of the state.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.3em;">"Even though some of our regional centres are struggling, we are seeing signs of a return to equilibrium."</span></p>
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