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.

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.

<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.

The development will be delivered across two stages, with the first stage carrying an estimated gross realisation value of around $360 million.

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.

The residential mix will include townhomes, oversized two-bedroom apartments, substantial three-bedroom residences and four-bedroom homes.

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.

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.

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.

<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" />

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.

"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.

"With Gold Coast Airport on its doorstep, it also offers a level of accessibility that broadens its appeal across almost every market demographic."

The project comes as the southern Gold Coast continues to attract an increasing share of high-end apartment development and buyer activity.

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.

Mould said those characteristics had informed the approach MAYD and Cera Stribley had taken to the project.

"We've worked closely with Cera Stribley to create a vision that is deeply connected to its surroundings," he said.

"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."

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.

"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.

"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."

Cottam said the proximity to Gold Coast Airport was also proving increasingly important for interstate and second-home buyers.

"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."

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.

MAYD is targeting an early 2027 launch.

Joel Robinson

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

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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.

But despite that growth, the suburb has seen relatively few major new apartment projects brought to market over the past 18 months.

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.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377679]

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.

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.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377675]

Nova Rêve also represents a significant step up from the family's first apartment development, Grand Rêve, which was delivered nearby on Garthowen Crescent.

Grand Rêve introduced larger, house-like apartment layouts and premium inclusions including Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances to the Castle Hill market.

Nova Rêve takes that approach to a precinct scale, combining the residential component with hospitality, retail and substantial public and resident landscaping.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377685]

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.

"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.

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.

It will include restaurants, cafes, skybars and all-day dining, alongside conference and event facilities catering to business functions, community groups and private events.

At ground level, more than 1,600 sqm of shops and cafes will open onto the surrounding streets and landscaped areas.

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.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377680]

Reve Group's Romio Georges said creating an active ground plane had been central to the planning of Nova Rêve.

"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.

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.

More than 80 per cent of the apartments will occupy corner positions, with Turner responsible for both the architecture and interiors.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152737]

<h3 data-end="3697" data-section-id="q3n5ak" data-start="3672">&nbsp;</h3>
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Nova Rêve arrives as Reve Group bets on Castle Hill's next growth phase

A collection of just 25 large-format apartments and penthouses overlooking Goodwin Park is entering the Coolangatta market, with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/marea-residences-coolangatta-27-27a-dixon-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Maréa Residences</a> combining a low-density, residential-only approach with uninterrupted park and Pacific Ocean outlooks.

Located at 27 Dixon Street, Maréa comprises three and four-bedroom residences alongside a limited number of dual-level penthouses, with the project positioned between Goodwin Park and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/coolangatta-qld-4225">Coolangatta</a>’s coastal precinct.

Construction has commenced, with completion currently estimated for late 2027. Three-bedroom residences are priced from $1.8 million.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374005]

The project has been designed around its northern outlook across the park, with the building’s architecture, landscaping and material palette intended to establish a connection with the neighbouring green space. The residences have been configured to maximise natural light and views across Goodwin Park towards the ocean.

Inside, the material palette incorporates timber, stone and brushed brass, complemented by curved detailing and ambient lighting. Kitchens and bathrooms carry the same natural material approach, while residences also include basement parking, storage and lift access.

Maréa’s penthouses are arranged over two levels and include private pools, adding another layer to the project’s focus on larger-format apartment living. Across the development, residences are configured with three or four bedrooms rather than the broader mix of smaller apartment types commonly found in larger projects.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374010]

Resident amenity is concentrated at rooftop level, where landscaped entertaining terraces and pools take advantage of elevated views across Coolangatta and the Pacific Ocean.

The project has so far been particularly well received by local owner-occupiers and downsizers, according to Urban Activation Property Sales and Marketing Director Matt George, with the residential-only format, construction quality and northern park outlook among the features resonating with purchasers.

“The uninterrupted northern aspect overlooking Goodwin Park has been a key point of difference, with buyers attracted to the sense of serenity and open space the park provides, while still enjoying easy access to the ocean and being within walking distance of the lifestyle and amenities Coolangatta has to offer,” George said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374002]

“The combination of high-quality construction, a residential-only building, park outlook and proximity to the beach has resonated strongly with the local downsizer market.”

The Dixon Street address is within walking distance of Coolangatta Beach and the broader southern Gold Coast coastline, including the surf breaks at Snapper Rocks and Kirra. Coolangatta’s cafés, restaurants and retail are nearby, while Gold Coast Airport is also within close proximity.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150999]

Maréa Residences brings parkside apartments to Coolangatta

Melbourne developer PDG has secured Victorian Government approval for its $1.5 billion Southbank development <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-one-1-queens-bridge-street-southbank-vic-3006">The One</a>, clearing the way for the long-dormant riverfront site opposite Crown to finally be developed.

The Minister for Planning has approved the project at 1-29 Queens Bridge Street, with the Department of Transport and Planning issuing the planning permit following its assessment.

The approval will allow PDG to develop the prominent 5,059 sqm site with a major mixed-use tower comprising premium apartments, including branded residences, a luxury hotel and boutique office space.

PDG acquired the site in late 2024, with its position directly opposite Crown's main entrance and near Melbourne's Arts Precinct making it one of Southbank's most significant remaining development opportunities.

<img alt="PDG" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3933013e-6332-4386-b9be-089df05caf17" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%209.29.22%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=sITIgBqDL0N3VNSMwWEmF5UA.uvcsRyu" />

Designed by COX in collaboration with ODO and PDG, the tower's architecture draws on the movement of the Yarra River, with six vertical pleats running the height of the sculpted facade.

The project will also see the heritage-listed Queens Bridge Hotel restored and incorporated into the development&nbsp;with new hospitality and public uses, including a rooftop venue.

A significant component of The One will be its residential amenity.

More than 5,000 sqm of resident facilities will be delivered across a single level, making it one of the largest consolidated residential amenity offerings proposed in an Australian apartment development.

The planning approval also incorporates a major upgrade of Queensbridge Square, which PDG will deliver in partnership with the City of Melbourne.

<img alt="PDG" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="73167fcd-1031-4b6f-a408-a064cfe45ed1" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%209.29.17%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=Pf1AEWxw6SNmBqR0zQW5lyEze.MtxgFp" />

The existing square will be revitalised as a new civic and pedestrian space along the Yarra River, strengthening the connection between the project, Southbank and the riverfront.

PDG Founder and Managing Director Vince Giuliano said the approval represented a major milestone for a site which has remained largely underutilised for more than 15 years.

“This is the most significant Planning Permit approval Melbourne has seen in recent years,” Giuliano said.

“For more than 15 years, this site has remained underutilised. This approval enables us to deliver a project that will contribute meaningfully to the revitalisation of Southbank, restore and reactivate an important heritage building, and create a new civic and hospitality destination for Melbourne.”

The latest approval follows an earlier planning permit issued by the City of Melbourne covering demolition works across part of the site at 9-29 Queens Bridge Street. Those demolition and early works are already underway.

PDG has also started generating early interest in the residential component from owner-occupiers ahead of a planned public launch in early 2027.

PDG secures approval for $1.5bn Southbank apartment development, The One

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

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

International

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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) started a global house price index last year. 
They recently released a set of charts detailing their findings on world housing prices.
They continue to track house prices around the world. Their chart with annual percent change is based at Q2, 2014. It puts Australia fourth highest given a 7.4% gain.
Click to open in new windows: 
<a href="/news"> </a><a href="https://www.imf.org/external/research/housing/images/globalhousepriceindex_lg.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.imf.org/external/research/housing/images/globalhousepriceindex_600px.jpg" alt="chart of house price index"></a><a href="https://www.imf.org/external/research/housing/images/housepricesaroundtheworld_lg.jpg" target="_blank" style="font-family: Tahoma, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1599998474121px; line-height: 1.3em;"><img src="https://www.imf.org/external/research/housing/images/housepricesaroundtheworld_600px.jpg" alt="chart of house prices around the world"></a>
Credit growth Around the world:
<div>
<a href="/news"> </a><center><a href="https://www.imf.org/external/research/housing/images/creditgrowth_lg.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.imf.org/external/research/housing/images/creditgrowth.jpg" alt="chart of credit growth around the world"> </a></center>
</div>
House price-to-income ratio:
<div>
<a href="/news"> </a><center><a href="https://www.imf.org/external/research/housing/images/pricetoincome_lg.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.imf.org/external/research/housing/images/pricetoincome.jpg" alt="chart of house price-to-income ratio"> </a></center>
</div>
House price to rent ratio:
<div><center><a href="https://www.imf.org/external/research/housing/images/pricetorent_lg.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.imf.org/external/research/housing/images/pricetorent.jpg" alt="chart of house price-to-rent ratio"></a></center></div>
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Australia ranks fourth in IMF's global house price index

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There was little consensus on what the next move for interest rates in Australia was.
Several economists have changed their predictions from flat or rising rates through 2015 to forecasts of declines, while others maintain that the next shift will be up.
A key financial market indicator, <a href="https://www.sfe.com.au/content/prices/rtp15SFIB" target="_blank">the ASX 30 Day Interbank Cash Rate Futures</a> February 2015 contract, on 27 January revealed a 38% expectation of an interest rate cut to 2.25% at the RBA’s board meeting on 3 February. But, with the release of higher than anticipated inflation data for the final quarter of 2014 on 28 January, the indicator dropped sharply to 16%, suggesting much lower expectations of a rate cut in February.
Click to open in new window:
<a href="/images/2015/01/30/zoe-jan-30-onem.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="/images/2015/01/30/zoe-jan-30-onem.jpg" alt=""></a>
Source: global-rates.com, Property Observer research.
Some economists, including HSBC Bank’s chief economist for Australia and New Zealand Paul Bloxham, say the latest inflation figure means interest rates are now more likely to remain on hold through 2015 than be cut.
The RBA bases its interest rate decisions on a wide range of economic drivers. Local inflation figures are a critical component. But global economic factors such as falling oil prices and uncertainty in the economic outlook for Australia’s trading partners and other countries also have an influence.
Property Observer had a look at what central banks in other countries are doing with their official interest rates.
The RBA bases its interest rate decisions on a wide range of economic drivers. Local inflation figures are a critical component. But global economic factors such as falling oil prices and uncertainty in the economic outlook for Australia’s trading partners and other countries also have an influence.
Trading partners
China is Australia’s biggest two-way trading partner so its economic health is vital to Australia. China’s economy has been slowing and in November 2014 its central bank cut interest rates for the first time in two years in move to improve the situation. Its official interest rate is now at 5.6%, down from 6% in November.
Australia’s second largest trading partner is Japan. The Japanese economy has been in a poor state for years. Its official interest rate is just 0.1%.
The Federal Reserve, the central bank of Australia’s next biggest trading partner, the USA, has been vocal about its intentions to keep rates low for the near term. Its interest rate has been at 0.25% since December 2008, when the Fed slashed rates from 1%.
The table below shows the current interest rates of several major countries, the previous interest rate and the date of the most recent change.
As the table shows, many countries have been lowering interest rates. Most recently, at the end of January, Canada surprised markets by cutting rates, while Switzerland further lowered its negative interest rate, so customers must pay more to the central bank for holding their money.
Only a handful of countries have boosted rates in recent months, one being New Zealand, which is another of Australia’s top 10 trading partners. New Zealand lifted its interest rate in July last year to 3.5%.
While many countries manage monetary policy through interest rates, Singapore, another of Australia’s most important trading partners, manages its foreign exchange rate instead. On 28 January, the Monetary Authority of Singapore surprised the market by saying it would take measures to slow the rise of its dollar. This could be considered its version of cutting interest rates.
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zfielding-GvX3Uq9KTa

What central banks around the world are doing with interest rates

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A two level New York penthouse of the One57 condominium tower has been settled with the price of US$100.5 million, a record for Manhattan.
Unit 90, which spans the 89th and 90th floors of the 306-metre tower, has almost 1,020 square metres of space at One57 West 57th Street.
Bloomberg reported <a href="https://www.one57.com" target="_blank">One57</a>, near Carnegie Hall, broke ground amid the global property crisis (or rout as the US called it) in 2009, then setting off a high-end residential development boom. 
Sales at One57 began in 2011 and have topped $1 billion. As of the end of September, 24 of the project's 94 condos were unsold.
Another duplex at the building, spanning the 75th and 76th floors, is under contract at more than $90 million to an investment group that includes Bill Ackman, founder of New York-based hedge-fund firm Pershing Square Capital Management. 
The luxury skyscraper apartment building designed by French architect Christian de Portzamparc.
Extell is listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, where the company sells debt to investors.
City records show the mystery buyer was listed as P89-90 LLC, the sale having been first announced in May 2012.
The deal sets a new bar for the Manhattan residential market, breaking a record set in 2012 when former Citigroup, chairman Sanford Weill sold his penthouse at 15 Central Park West for $88 million to fertilizer tycoon Dmitry Rybolovlev.
The priciest closed sale of the year was hedge-funder Israel Englander’s purchase of the former French Ambassador’s residence at 740 Park Avenue for $71.2 million, the most ever paid for a NYC co-op. Broker Serena Boardman of Sotheby’s handled the listing, the realdeal.com reported.
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$100 million New York penthouse sale at One57

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Sydney has been ranked the third most unaffordable major property market in the latest annual Demographia International Housing Survey.
Melbourne took sixth spot on the unaffordability index.
Hong Kong was ranked the most unaffordable place to buy a house, followed by Vancouver.
The report noted historically, the median multiple had been "remarkably similar" in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, with median house prices from two to three times median household incomes.
"However, in recent decades, house prices have been decoupled from this relationship in a number of markets, such as Vancouver, Sydney, San Francisco, London, Auckland and others," the report said.
<a href="/images/2015/01/19/unaffrodabe-jan-19-one.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="/images/2015/01/19/unaffrodabe-jan-19-one.jpg" alt=""></a>
Source: Demographia
The US was the most affordable place to buy a house of all the countries surveyed, with 14 major property markets ranked as being affordable.
New Zealand property values rose 4.9% last year, less than half the pace in 2013, according to recent QV figures, but Auckland ranked ninth.
The 11th annual Demographia survey analysed 86 major property markets in New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland and Singapore.
<img src="/images/2015/01/19/unaffrodabe-jan-19-two.jpg" alt="">
Source: Demographia
The most affordable major metropolitan markets in 2014 were in the United States, which had a moderately unaffordable rating of 3.6. 
Canada and Ireland were rated "seriously unaffordable," with a median multiple of 4.3, along with Japan (4.4), the United Kingdom (4.7) and Singapore (5.0). Australia (6.4), New Zealand (8.2) and Hong Kong (17.0) were severely unaffordable.
Hong Kong's median multiple of 17.0 was the highest recorded (least affordable) in the 11 years of the Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey.
Click to open in new window: 
<a href="/images/2015/01/19/unaffrodabe-jan-19-three.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="/images/2015/01/19/unaffrodabe-jan-19-three.jpg" alt=""></a>
Source: Demographia
Again, Vancouver was second only to Hong Kong, with a median multiple of 10.6.
Housing affordability in Sydney deteriorated to a median multiple of 9.8, which was followed by San Francisco and San Jose (each 9.2). 
Melbourne had a median multiple of 8.7 and London (Greater London Authority) 8.5. 
Three other markets had median multiples of 8.0 or above, including San Diego (8.3), Auckland (8.2) and Los Angeles (8.0). 
For the 11th year in a row - each of the years the Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey has been published - all of Australia's five major metropolitan areas were severely unaffordable.
Sydney's median multiple of 9.8 was a substantial increase from last year's 9. It was based on an $812,000 median price and an $82,800 median household income.
Housing affordability also deteriorated in Melbourne, rising to a median multiple of 8.7 in 2014 from 8.3 in 2013, based on $658,000 and $75,900 income. Housing affordability deteriorated slightly in Adelaide (from 6.3 to 6.4 based on $410,000 median and $63,600 median income), Perth (from 6.0 to 6.1 $535,000 and $87,200) and Brisbane (from 5.8 to 6.0 $465,000 and $78,000). 
The top 10 most unaffordable city markets in the world:
1. Hong Kong 2. Vancouver 3. Sydney 4. San Francisco 5. San Jose 6. Melbourne 7. London 8. San Diego 9. Auckland 10. Los Angeles
Source: Demographia
Among all 378 markets, there were 98 affordable markets, 88 in the United States, five in Canada, three in Ireland and, for the first time, there were affordable markets in Australia, <a href="https://www.demographia.com/dhi.pdf" target="_blank">perhaps the only surprise</a> in what has been a highly repetitive predictable survey.
The most affordable surveyed Australian market was suggested as Karratha, in Western Australia's Pilbara, with a median multiple of 2.6. Kalgoorlie, also in Western Australia was judged the second most affordable Australian market, with a median multiple of 2.8. 
"These improvements appear related to resource industry related demand decreases," the report's author Wendell Cox noted.
But amid the smaller surveyed markets Tweed Heads sat in the highly unaffordable at a 9.1 median multiple and Port Macquarie, with a median multiple of 8.2. 
In 2008 the survey suggested Australia was perhaps the least densely populated major country in the world, but state governments there have contrived to drive land prices in major urban areas to very high levels, with the result that in that country housing in major state capitals has become severely unaffordable.
House price data for Australia is from multiple sources, the most important being the Real Estate Industry Association of Queensland (Queensland Market Monitor), the Real Estate Institute of Victoria, the Real Estate Institute of South Australia, the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia, Australian Property Monitors, the Real Estate Institute of Australia and various real estate internet web sites.  
The report noted in Australia, housing affordability multiples have been published that compare average household incomes and median house prices. 
"To make valid comparisons between international markets, it would be necessary to also calculate these "average/median" multiples for the markets outside Australia to which comparisons are made (and to provide historical data). However, "average/median" multiples have been inappropriately compared to median multiples," Wendell Cox advised.
"This treatment portrays Australian housing affordability, which is among the worst in the high-income world, more favorably than the reality." 
While Property Observer takes housing affordability seriously, the results of the report are, as noted, predictively repetitive. So which of the three most expensive cities would you prefer to live in? 
{mijopolls 75} 
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Only Hong Kong and Vancouver dearer than Sydney's severely unaffordable housing: 11th Demographia 2015 survey

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Global property portal Lamudi have compiled a list of five emerging international markets which are often overlooked.
They have used market trends, infrastructural developments and attractive commercial, residential and industrial real estate opportunities as markers.
<h3 style="text-align: left;" align="center">Lamudi's top five emerging real estate investment hotspots:</h3>
<ul>
<li>
Colombo, Sri Lanka
</li>
</ul>
Sri Lanka’s largest city and commercial capital is currently undergoing a dramatic transformation. Driven by Sri Lanka’s economic growth and infrastructure development, there has been greater urban migration towards Colombo, as well as a number of wealthy Sri Lankans moving back to the city following the end of the country’s civil war, leading to demand for both luxury and affordable housing.
<ul>
<li>
Cartagena, Colombia
</li>
</ul>
Colombia’s main platform for foreign trade, Cartagena’s ports, airport and close proximity to the Caribbean, Florida and Panama, position the city as a key investment spot. Renowned, international companies are putting down roots in Cartagena, taking advantage of Colombia’s 48 trade agreements and strategic location. Not only an industrial hub, Cartagena’s tourism industry is thriving, with world-class hotels investing in expansion in the city.
<ul>
<li>
Irbid, Jordan
</li>
</ul>
Investment in Jordan is primarily concentrated in real estate, financial services and tourism. Jordan’s third largest city by population, Irbid, has a number of attributes that create attractive opportunities for real estate investors. Considered the cultural capital of Jordan, Irbid is home to a number of universities, including Yarmouk University, the Jordan University of Science and Technology, and a number of businesses related to these institutions. Furthermore, the city acts as an important transportation connection between Amman, Syria and Mafraq.
<ul>
<li>
Naivasha, Kenya
</li>
</ul>
Located 90 kilometers northwest of Nairobi, Naivasha has attracted a number of developers into the region. Tourist attractions in and around Naivasha, such as the Lake Naivasha, Hell’s Gate, Aberdare Hills and Longonot National Park have led to the town’s development as a preferred getaway location, increasing demand for holiday homes in the area.With an environment conducive to both business and leisure, in addition to the availability of land, 2015 will see growth in residential, commercial and industrial real estate investment opportunities in Naivasha.  
<ul>
<li>
Faisalabad, Pakistan<a href="https://www.lamudi.pk" target="_blank"></a>
</li>
</ul>
Pakistan’s third largest metropolis has experienced a recent growth in development and construction as a result of the rapid growth of Pakistan’s economy. The city has a large industrial sector, brimming with investment opportunities; Faisalabad’s reputation as a major textile hub makes it an attractive option for commercial property investors, looking to expand into or within Pakistan. With a strategic location at a road and railway junction, and an international airport 15 kilometers from the city, Faisalabad is easily accessible for domestic and international investors.
Source: Lamudi.
{mijopolls 74}
Picture: Cartagena, Colombia. Source: Provided.
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Which of these emerging international real estate markets would you invest in?

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Queensland House, a six-storey building on The Strand in central London, has been listed for sale by the Queensland government.
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It is the office of the Queensland Agent General Ken Smith and his staff.
News Ltd papers suggest property agents tip up to $38 million for the 1980s office building.
<a href="https://www.allinlondon.co.uk/directory/1100/93666.php" target="_blank">393 The Strand</a>, which has retail premises, was reportedly purchased by the state for about $4 million.
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Queensland House, London offices set for sale by Queensland government

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New York ranks first, with Sydney sitting in second place when it comes to the latest Knight Frank forecast for 2015 luxury residential market price growth.
Rising business confidence and an increasing sense of political stability is helping to attract interest in Sydney from overseas, the Prime Global Cities Forecast report from Knight Frank said.
It tips 5% price growth in 2015 for Sydney luxury property markets.
Click to open in new window:
<a href="/images/2014/12/10/kf%20dec%2010%20two.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="/images/2014/12/10/kf%20dec%2010%20two.jpg" alt=""></a>
"The weak Australian dollar is adding to this momentum and also reviving interest from Australian expats," Knight Frank researcher Kate Everett-Allen said.
Knight Frank’s Global Cities Report has eight cities included in its forecast.
New York is back on top with luxury prices across Manhattan expected to accelerate by 5% to 10% over the course of 2015, with strengthening foreign interest from Chinese, British, Russian and Latin American buyers. 
"Sydney is also on the radar of foreign buyers but here limited luxury supply is pushing prices higher, so we forecast by up to 5% in 2015," Knight Frank wrote. 
The report noted Sydney was a beneficiary of the flow of wealth from economic or political crisis locations into ‘safe-haven’ markets.
"In markets like London, Sydney and New York, these flows tend to reinforce demand for established market neighbourhoods, with buyers focusing on wealth preservation and looking for mature and stable markets," according to Knight Frank.
The report pinpointed Sydney's eastern suburbs and the lower north shore.
But the report noted their was a risk of potential political interventions in the residential property markets given the prospect of "further debates" in Australia.
"The rising level of cross-border investment is likely to contribute to further debates in other parts of the world in 2015 (Canada, Australia, Dubai) on the impact of foreign buyers on local residential market affordability and stability," it said.
It noted the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics had delivered its review into foreign investment in Australia’s residential property market. 
"No additional restrictions have been placed on foreign purchasers buying in Australia but a list of recommendations have been made to ensure the rules are more rigorously enforced."
"The Significant Investor Visa program that attracts high net worth individuals will be refined and a Premium Investor Visa will be introduced on 1 July 2015; a more expeditious pathway to permanent residency for those meeting a $15 million threshold."
The Sydney forecast noted low interest rates are forecast with banks keen to lend at competitive rates.
The report noted luxury residential markets face a diverse range of challenges and opportunities in 2015, but now that stimulus measures have all but disappeared in the US and the UK, all eyes are on Europe and Japan and the extent to which they could halt the tentative global recovery.
"Of the eight cities included in our forecast we expect two to experience prices gains, one to see prices remain stable and five to see prices decline."
Dubai sits at the bottom of the Knight Frank forecast with prime prices expected to slip by 5% to 10% as limited supply and a growing appetite from Indian purchasers should cushion the market.
<img src="/images/2014/12/10/kf%20dec%2010%20three.jpg" alt="">
Source: Knight Frank
The full <a href="https://content.knightfrank.com/research/379/documents/en/prime-global-cities-forecast-q4-2014-2541.pdf" target="_blank" title="Prime Global Cities Forecast Q4 2014">Prime Global Cities Forecast </a>for city by city analysis by Kate Everett-Allen, says residential markets in the world’s leading cities are well-positioned to benefit from both the peaks and troughs of the global economy.
 
“As there are more purchasers in the prime end of the market, prices are now being achieved closer to the original asking price and in most instances, this was set by the owner several years ago," Knight Frank Australia associate director of residential research Michelle Ciesielski said.
 
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Sydney luxury residential to run second only to New York in 2015: Knight Frank

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With 15% annual price growth, Ireland leads the world in residential price growth.
But with subdued price growth in Dubai and much of Asia slowing, the Knight Frank Global House Price Index record a rise of just 0.1% in the third quarter of 2014 across its 54 surveyed countries.
Some 16 countries had zero or negative price direction.
Australia sat in ninth place with 9.1% annual price growth.
"For the first time in two years the <a href="https://content.knightfrank.com/research/84/documents/en/q3-2014-2540.pdf" target="_blank" title="Global House Price Index Q3 2014">Global House Price Index </a>came close to falling into negative territory," Kate Everett-Allen from Knight Frank research said.
"Muted growth in the third quarter comes on the back of jitters over the global economy, a lingering malaise in Europe and, in the US, a slower-than-expected housing recovery."
Ireland, having languished at the foot of the table for most of 2009 to 2012, saw prices increase by 15% in the year to September.
But Ireland remains 39% below their pre-crisis peak in 2007.
The turnaround in fortunes over the last 12 months (see below) included Spain.
<img src="/images/2014/12/10/kf%20dec%20120%20one.jpg" alt="">
Hong Kong and Dubai, by comparison, have seen price growth slow. 
No country has recorded an annual fall in house prices in excess of 10% for three consecutive quarters.
Dubai mainstream residential prices fell by 5.2% in the three months to September – the emirate’s first quarterly decline in prices in the last four years.
China’s slowdown continued with 58 of the 70 cities tracked by the National Bureau of Statistics recording price falls in the year to September.
In the US, the price of a single-family home increased by 4.8%, down on last quarter’s figure of 6.2%, with Miami pinpointed as the city with the strongest prices rising by 10.3% year on year.
The Knight Frank Global House Price Index was established in 2006 to allow investors and developers to monitor and compare the performance of mainstream residential markets across the world.
The index is compiled on a quarterly basis using official government statistics or central bank data where available.
The index’s overall performance is weighted by GDP and the latest quarter’s data is provisional pending the release of all countries’ results. 
<img src="/images/2014/12/10/houses-list-dec-10-oone.jpg" alt=""> 
Source: Knight Frank
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Ireland residential back on top, with Australia ninth fastest in world rankings: Knight Frank

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With the Australian currency at four-year lows of around US84.7c, there is little doubt that expatriates will be back holidaying here, with a keener eye for house purchasing.
A falling dollar makes local property less expensive for overseas buyers, especially opportune for expatriate Australians anticipating their return to Australia.
With the Australian dollar weaker, property is around 10% cheaper than the US94.9c it was just five months ago for those who are paid in foreign currencies.
The dollar is at the lowest levels since mid-2010. 
Purchasing has tended to peter out as the Aussie climbed higher and estate agents now expect overseas inquiries from expatriate Australians to increase.
But it doesn't necessarily mean higher prices.
In 2004 after plotting the correlation between house prices and US-Australian exchange rates since 1980, Rod Cornish from Macquarie Group concluded there was an interesting link between the rising dollar and house prices.
"Over the long term, house prices climb when the Australian dollar rises against the US dollar. The rate goes up when our economy is performing well, which means that inflation is held down so the Reserve Bank has less need to raise rates," Cornish said.
As a long-term trend, Cornish noted, a rising Australian dollar has almost the same effect on the economy as an interest rate rise.
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Expatriates to enjoy lower dollar house hunting over summer holidays

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GUEST OBSERVATION
There is a nice weather map cartoon by Matt featuring the UK characterised by the varied intensity of dinner table house price conversation. And it is not just that we are obsessed with property values. The dysfunctional national fixation both reflects and is reflected by media and professional hyperbolic language concerning what is going on in local and national housing markets.
For many years, my colleague Tony O'Sullivan and I ran courses for planners on practical housing market analysis. We regularly ran a workshop deconstructing newspaper house price stories as a way to make people more critical of data and more aware of the interests lying behind such stories. We were regularly told that this was also an effective way of breaking out of the mindset that rising house prices are “good” in some sense and that volatility and other housing ills were inevitable (a quick tour of international housing markets can also quickly put paid to that notion).
It is in this context that I approach the recent <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/houseprices/11192271/House-prices-fall-across-England" target="_blank">flurry of house price statistics</a> that some have claimed indicate evidence of a turning point, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/nov/18/uk-housing-market-average-price-slips" target="_blank">a slowing down or a correction</a>.
<h3>Slowing, but growing</h3>
The Nationwide’s UK house prices <a href="https://www.nationwide.co.uk/~/media/MainSite/documents/about/house-price-index/Oct__2014.pdf" target="_blank">October 2014 report</a> was headlined “annual house price growth continues to soften”. This was after a monthly increase (seasonally adjusted) of 0.5%, up from a 0.1% fall in September. The annual growth figure was 9.0%, down from 9.4% in September. The report then goes on to draw on corroborating evidence for a (modest) slowdown – but a slowdown in growth – so house prices are still rising by four times the rate of inflation, just not as quickly as they were. However, the forces said to be acting on house prices can be seen as working in both directions (and this does not appear to be formally modelled).
Earlier this week, the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30094813" target="_blank">ONS house price statistics</a> were published for the year to the end of September 2014. These suggested annual UK house price inflation of 12.1%, up from 11.7% for the 12 months to the end of August. Price increases were in double figures in England (12.5%) and the now-recovering Northern Ireland (10.9%) but less dramatic (though still substantial real-terms gains) in Scotland (7.6%) and Wales (5.8%).
Both Nationwide and ONS make serious attempts with large sample mortgage transactions data to quality adjust for the mix in properties. They are tried-and-tested approaches.
A <a href="https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/mortgageshome/article-2836703/Fresh-signs-cooling-housing-market-Rightmove-reports-1-7-fall-asking-prices-November-growth-seen-paused" target="_blank">different approach is provided by Rightmove</a>. Their property blog this week reports market movements inferred by estate agent business, the prices of property coming on the market and whether they are rising or falling – and the volume of online visits. This is clearly useful additional information about market sentiment and activity but it is also about doing explicit estate agency marketing business (which is fair enough). It also reports that while prices coming on the market have slipped back by 1.7% in the current month, nonetheless overall annual house prices are 8.5% higher.
Finally, the <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/constructionandproperty/11242967/At-this-rate-well-never-solve-the-housing-crisis" target="_blank">official housebuilding figures</a> added to our picture in England – 116,000 units completed in the year to September, up 8%. That represents a positive outcome, but still well below the widely agreed figure of 200,000-plus required year-on-year. It is also the case, however, as pointed out by the <a href="https://www.cityam.com/1416534106/london-leads-uk-wide-house-price-slowdown" target="_blank">Chartered Institute of Housing</a>, that the building figures actually fell by 10% in the final quarter of that 12 month period.
<h3>Plausibility</h3>
What are we to make of it? How do we get behind these numbers? We need to work out just what does the idea of a national market actually means except as a crude aggregate indicator – housing markets after all are fundamentally local, spatial and inherently complex. Also, house prices are exemplars of the difficulty in measuring the reality of underlying trends because homes are fundamentally idiosyncratic and individualised (and need rigorous quality adjustment so we can compare like with like).
I think we should always approach these house price stories by adopting the following checklist of tests:
<ol>
<li>What type of house price data is being used: what time period is being compared, at which geographic scale, what is the sample size and how representative is it, how is differential quality adjusted for, are we measuring prices in real or nominal terms and are we using prices or indices?</li>
<li>Re-read the analysis removing all descriptive adjectives and adverbs and root out all hyperbole.</li>
<li>Identify all assumptions about the housing system. My preference, for what it is worth, is that we should aim for real house price growth of zero per cent, that is that house prices grow at the same rate as general prices over the long term.</li>
<li>Can we, looking at the data, see a genuine pattern or trend in the data, or is it just noise?</li>
<li>Is there a plausible narrative and one that is as rigorous as the data would allow?</li>
</ol>
Here is the crux. If we apply these tests to the numbers we have seen recently, then it is clear that rising real house prices mean that housing relative to everything else is still getting more expensive and less affordable.
The figures above, though by no means identical, suggest the house prices are still rising at several times the rate of general prices and this is now occurring widely across the UK. Calling this a correction misses the point – it is not the “plausible narrative” we seek. Just ask <a href="https://theconversation.com/rise-of-generation-rentier-with-buy-to-let-property-shaping-up-as-new-annuity-for-pensioners-25294" target="_blank">Generation Rent</a>.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/34335/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="line-height: 1.3em;">
Kenneth Gibb is professor of housing economics at <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-glasgowhttps://www.gla.ac.uk/" target="_blank">University of Glasgow</a>.
Kenneth receives funding from ESRC, Scottish government, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Shelter and the Wheatley Group.
This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>.
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