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

Price Growth

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A speaker at a seminar in Melbourne told the audience they should buy in a particular suburb because the median unit price had jumped 20%-plus in the previous 12 months.
I’m not sure I’ve heard worse advice in a public forum.
But it’s a common syndrome in real estate - one that defies all logic, but common nevertheless.
For many years I have observed investors getting excited about buying in a location because they read/heard that it had shown exponential price growth in the recent past. 
There are multiple reasons why this is a mistake. 
The first is that they would be buying in a location after the big growth has happened. Publicity-hungry research firms that publish lists of the highest annual growth are telling you where you should have bought a year ago – maybe. 
The second reason is that the figures show the rise in the median price, which doesn’t mean values have risen to the same degree. Given the way median prices work, it’s not uncommon for the median price to rise in an area where values have fallen.
The third reason is that the figures are often nonsense, wildly distorted by a small sales sample or a short time frame. 
Here’s a recent example. RP Data, a persistent source of worthless information on real estate prices, recently spat a list out of its computer of the five locations in each state/territory which had shown the highest price growth in the most recent quarter. 
Numerous locations on these lists had (allegedly) recorded median price growth between 25% and 35% in three months. 
If this represented actual growth in values at those levels, this would be the greatest real estate boom in the history of the planet. But it did not mean anything of the sort.  
In each case, it was a statistical aberration. There was not a single instance among those 40 locations where values were rising at the levels suggested. 
In most cases, the statistical glitch was caused by a small sales sample. More than half of the 40 locations had fewer than 30 sales in the previous 12 months, which meant the quarterly data was based on only six or eight sales. 
Some had only 10 or 12 sales in the year, providing a quarterly sales sample was just two or three sales. To publish median price results on samples so small is irresponsible as well as misleading. 
In every case – i.e. in all 40 locations – the RP Data growth figures were contradicted by figures from other research sources. 
RP Data claimed Harlaxton in Queensland had grown 28% in three months, but Domain recorded zero growth for the same location. RP Data said Cape Schanck in Victoria (a tiny market with only 14 annual sales) had grown 29% in one quarter, but Domain said its median price had actually dropped 1.3%. RP Data said Manjimup in WA had jumped 29% in three months, but Domain said it had declined 3% for the quarter and 1% for the previous 12 months.
The problem is that some media organisations, especially the online magazines, publish these furphies as if they’re nuggets of gold for information-starved investors. 
“Australia’s top property markets revealed!” shout the headlines. 
How can they be so careless?
A more accurate headline would: “Australia’s worst misinformation exposed!”
TERRY RYDER is the founder of <a href="https://www.hotspotting.com.au/" target="_blank">hotspotting.com.au</a>. You can <a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au" target="_blank">email him</a> or follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/hotspotting" target="_blank">Twitter.</a> 
Terry was recently joined by Property Observer editor at large Jonathan Chancellor for a webinar on why research is the key to successful property investing in 2015. You can download slides and audio from the webinar here.
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terryryder-YECXbqmri2

Real estate advice syndrome a common problem: Terry Ryder

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Bravo Eliza Owen of On the House for this fabulous time lapse video presentation of Sydney median house values over the past 35 years. 
You can watch it <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cC0xL24ecs0" target="_blank">here</a>.
<div>There are a number of fascinating aspects to this piece, which suggested to me that home buyers and investors seeking long term capital growth should aim to buy in the best-located suburb that they can afford, and should also look for scarcity value.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Bellevue Hill had a median price which broke through $200,000 in 1980 - around double Sydney's median house price at that time - yet the median house price in the suburb has exploded to $4.2 million today, more than four times the median house price in the harbour city.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>How so? A combination of a lack of new building - the result being scarcity value - combined with gross income and equity growth, with buyers and wealthy residents at the premium end of the market rarely reliant upon linear salary income for their house purchases. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Other well located inner suburbs have demonstrated massively strong price growth as they have gentrified. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Note how housing booms and corrections have been recurrent and have repeatedly been characterised by massive boosts in price in locations close to the city, with suburbs on the north shore and close to the water leading price booms and the western suburbs lagging behind. Being located near a train line with a direct city link can help, particularly it seems on the north shore (cf. Killara, Gordon, which have historically led price growth in previous cycles). On the other hand being in an industrial suburb under a flight path, historically at least, has been a negative, with inner western suburbs such as Mascot having lagged through the cycle. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Due to this disparate nature of capital growth which has favoured suburbs closer to the city, the On the House figures show that today there is a significantly wider range of median house price values by suburb across Sydney than there was in the past. I expect this widening of prices to continue. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>With a good deal of building having taken place on Sydney's outer south western fringe, median home values have increased sharply in that sub-region since 2011.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>However, recent auction results (or more accurately, should one say, the dearth of positive results at auction, with the outer south west recording a worrying preliminary clearance rate of "n/a" this week) suggest that a sharp correction could be in the post for that sub-region.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Very interesting stuff.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>
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>. 
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>.
</div>
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pwargent-M4siyDbqQY

35 years of Sydney house prices: Pete Wargent

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Sydney’s three years of price growth has dragged the city up the capital city rankings for long-term capital growth, but only as high as fourth. 
Six months ago, it ranked sixth among the eight capital cities and still lags behind Perth, Melbourne and Darwin. This is for average annual growth in house prices over the past 10 years, which we survey regularly for the Capital Growth Superstars report.
Fourteen of Sydney’s Top 20 suburbs have long-term growth rates below 8% per year - not nearly good enough to make the Top 20 lists for Melbourne, Perth or Darwin.
No suburb in the vast Sydney metropolitan area has a double-digit growth rate. The best is Pemulwuy (median price $720,000) in the city’s western suburbs, with a long-term growth rate of 9.5% per year. Most of the suburbs in the Top 20 have growth rates in the 7.0% to 8.0% range.
At first glance, it appears that the Top End suburbs dominate Sydney’s Top 20 list, as 19 of the Top 20 (all except Pemulwuy) have median prices above $1 million. But, in fact, these are mostly suburbs a tier below the top end. 
In Sydney, the 15 most expensive suburbs all have median house prices above $2 million. None of the 20 most expensive suburbs (all with median prices above $1.9 million) make the Sydney’s Top 20 list for long-term capital growth. Most of them have growth rates below 5% per year.
Sydney’s Top 20 is dominated by 15 suburbs in the $1 million to $1.5 million range, which is Sydney’s second tier market.
This is a change from other surveys in the past three years, which have strongly featured the cheaper end of the Sydney metropolitan market. The growth of the past 2-3 years has elevated some of the more expensive areas.
The outstanding precinct is the Ryde LGA on the lower North Shore, which has four suburbs in the city Top 20. Ryde is the only municipality with more than two suburbs in the Top 20. Its four top suburbs are Eastwood, Ryde, Denistone East and West Ryde, all with median prices in the $1.1 million to $1.3 million range.
The prestige end of the market, suburbs with median house prices above $2 million, continues to deliver poor capital growth rates. Indeed, three of the most expensive suburbs of Sydney are included in the Bottom 20 list of suburbs with the worst growth rates in the city.
Vaucluse (median $3.4 million), Palm Beach (median $2.6 million) and Clontarf (median $2.5 million) all have growth rates of 2.1% per year or less. Clontarf’s 1.3% grow rate means it would take 55 years for property to double in value (compared to eight years for Pemulwuy, which has Sydney’s best growth rate).
There are four other million-dollar suburbs on the Bottom 20 list.
The worst precinct in Sydney for capital growth is the Sutherland LGA in the south of the metropolitan area – it has four suburbs (Burraneer, Bundeena, Lilli Pilli and Illawong) on the Bottom 20 list, all with growth rates below 2% per year.
Sydney’s Top 10 for long-term capital growth is:-
1 Pemulwuy 9.5%
2 Waitara 9.2%
3 Homebush 8.7%
4 Burwood 8.6%
5 Bondi 8.0%
6 Darlington 8.0%
7 Hurstville 7.8%
8 North Willoughby 7.8%
9 Haberfield 7.6%
10 Hurlstone Park 7.6%
TERRY RYDER is the founder of <a href="https://www.hotspotting.com.au/" target="_blank">hotspotting.com.au</a>. You can <a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au" target="_blank">email him</a> or follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/hotspotting" target="_blank">Twitter.</a> 
Terry was recently joined by Property Observer editor at large Jonathan Chancellor for a webinar on why research is the key to successful property investing in 2015. You can download slides and audio from the webinar here.
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Sydney's top 20 suburbs for growth rates: Terry Ryder

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<div>Macroprudential measures have had the desired effect, and the rate of home price growth has steadied.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>CoreLogic-RP Data's Daily Home Value Index may be a little seasonal, but the year-on-year figures show the slower gradient of growth.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Nationally home price growth has slowed to +6.3 percent year-on-year.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Melbourne (+8.8 percent), Sydney (+8.1 percent) and Brisbane (+4.5 percent) between them have accounted for most of the price growth over the past year.  While Sydney and Melbourne have been grabbing all the attention in recent years, Brisbane prices have just kept rising steadily and under the radar.  CoreLogic's index shows the median price for Brisbane &amp; Gold Coast having increased by $61,330 or +13.1 per cent over the past three years.  Although I have long been sceptical about the somewhat parlous state of the South Australian economy, Adelaide mediabn prices have also increased by just shy of +10 per cent over the same timeframe.</div>
<a href="/images/2016/04/11/RP1.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/04/11/RP1.jpg" alt="">
<div class="separator"> </div>
<div> </div>
<div>I was busy doing other things than charting data over the Christmas/New Year 2014-15 period, so actually have no idea what happened in the gaps in the chart.  Maybe there was a property crash and a speedy recovery, for all I know, not sure.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>
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>. 
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>.
</div>
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Home price growth steadies: Pete Wargent

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New growth stars will emerge in 2016. You’re most likely to find them in Brisbane, Melbourne, regional New South Wales and regional Queensland, although others such as Adelaide and Hobart may put their hands up.
Here are five areas I think are worth watching as we get into the New Year. These are all places that should produce price growth in 2016, on the back of serious momentum with rising sales activity in their markets.
1 Oxenford and the northern growth corridor, QLD: 
The Gold Coast is now the clear national leader among the Local Government Areas of Australia. It has the most growth suburbs, by a wide margin. 
These rising suburbs are found right across Gold Coast city, but the growth corridor stretching north from the Gold Coast towards Brisbane is the standout area, with growth suburbs either side of the Pacific Motorway.
Oxenford stands out, with sales rates lifting from 80-90 per quarter last year to 130-135 in the past two quarters. Other growth suburbs in this precinct include Coomera, Upper Coomera, Pimpama and Ormeau. 
2 Lalor and Whittlesea, VIC:
The focus of Melbourne’s up-cycle has switched increasingly from the middle market to the outer suburbs, where affordability and good infrastructure are key drivers.
The Whittlesea LGA in the northern suburbs is leading the way, headed by the suburb of Lalor (median house price $400,000), where sales rates have increased from around 70 per quarter last year to above 100 more recently. 
Other growth suburbs in this precinct include Epping, Mill Park, Doreen, Mernda and Thomastown. 
3 Beenleigh and Logan City, QLD:
Logan City, which borders the Gold Coast to the south and Brisbane City to the north, has led the revival of Greater Brisbane markets in 2015. 
It has more growth suburbs than any other precinct in the Brisbane metropolitan area, headed by Beenleigh, the administration centre for the LGA, where house sales have increased steadily over the past 12 months or so.
Another standout suburb in Logan City is affordable Eagleby, where sales in the past four quarters have increased from 59 to 65 to 95 to 102.
4 Forster-Tuncurry, NSW:
The Great Lakes LGA in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales is a standout performer is this latest survey for The Price Predictor Index.
Residential sales in Forster, about 300km north of Sydney, have risen from 106 to 114 to 139 to 152 to 155 in consecutive quarters, while neighbour Tuncurry has recorded a similar pattern.
5 Point Cook and Wyndham City, VIC:
Another example of the emergence of the affordable outer ring suburbs of the Melbourne metropolitan area is Wyndham City in the south-west heading towards Geelong.
A number of suburbs have strong growth trajectories, headed by the developing suburb of Point Cook, where quarterly sales in the past 18 months have been 289, 313, 350, 396, 395 and 420.
Wyndham Vale is another standout market in this precinct, with quarterly sales levels lifting from 85-90 about 18 months ago to around 140 in the September 2015 Quarter.
 
Terry Ryder is the founder of <a href="https://www.hotspotting.com.au/" target="_blank">hotspotting.com.au</a>. You can <a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au" target="_blank">email him</a> or follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/hotspotting" target="_blank">Twitter.</a>
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5 key suburbs across Australia to watch in 2016: Terry Ryder

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Canberra has recently joined the biggest cities with strong price growth, if you can believe the numbers.
As is the case with all our capital cities, the level of growth in Canberra house prices depends on which research source you favour.
The latest figure from the Australian Bureau of Statistics records annual growth of 6.6 percent, while the Real Estate Institute of Australia says 5.1 percent. But Domain, SQM Research and CoreLogic, using their various mysterious methodologies, all have Canberra house prices (on average) rising by more than 10 percent in the past 12 months.
The uplift in price growth in the national capital is quite recent. Unlike Sydney three hours up the highway, Canberra has not been pumping for the past 3-4 years. It went through a period of malaise when the Federal Government downsized the public service and the market was also impacted by an oversupply of apartments.
Canberra has got those negative symptoms out of its system and appears to be growing again. Certainly that aligns with my analysis of sales activity, which have been elevated in the past two years.
But what really stands out for me is the uplift in activity and prices in New South Wales locations close to Canberra.
The proximity of Queanbeyan (now part of the newly-formed Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council area) to the nation’s capital is certainly helping local property markets.
The region has strong population growth, unemployment is low and new housing estates are under construction – helped by Queanbeyan’s affordability relative to Canberra, with median prices for both houses and units generally below those in the national capital.
Canberra prices are kept artificially high by the tight control of land releases and general dwelling supply by the ACT Government. But Queanbeyan, while closer to central Canberra than many ACT suburbs, is in NSW and has cheaper prices. Many of its suburbs have median house prices in the $400,000s while Queanbeyan, Queanbeyan East and Crestwood all have median unit prices in the $200,000s – something that’s difficult to find within the ACT.
Property sales activity in Queanbeyan increased in 2015 and 2016, leading it to become a standout region for growth, as identified in the Autumn edition of the Price Predictor Index published by Hotspotting.
Good rental yields are another attraction, with several suburbs having median yields around 5 percent for houses and 6 percent for units.
Goulburn, about 80km from Canberra, also benefits from being close to the national capital and having much cheaper house prices. It’s a growth market, partly because of local events, partly its proximity to Canberra and partly a Ripple Effect from Sydney’s growth market.
Sales activity has been rising steadily in the past 18 months and this has generated solid growth in Goulburn’s median house price (up 7% to about $350,000 in the past 12 months).
Goulburn (the LGA’s population is around 30,000) has long been a solid regional centre servicing the Southern Tablelands area of NSW near the ACT border.
Long-term, it will benefit from its location in the growth corridor linking Canberra with Sydney – with growing numbers living in affordable Goulburn and working in Canberra.
It would also be a key beneficiary of plans for high-speed rail links between Canberra and Sydney, if that grand plan ever happens.
Goulburn has more diversity to its economy than your standard regional centre, with a big wind farm industry, the presence of the NSW Police College and also the Goulburn Correctional Centre.
Terry Ryder is the founder of <a href="https://www.hotspotting.com.au/">hotspotting.com.au</a>. You can <a href="mailto:%20%3Cscript%20type='text/javascript'%3E%20%3C!--%20var%20prefix%20=%20'ma'%20+%20'il'%20+%20'to';%20var%20path%20=%20'hr'%20+%20'ef'%20+%20'=';%20var%20addy38821%20=%20'ryder'%20+%20'@';%20addy38821%20=%20addy38821%20+%20'hotspotting'%20+%20'.'%20+%20'com'%20+%20'.'%20+%20'au';%20document.write('%3Ca%20'%20+%20path%20+%20'/''%20+%20prefix%20+%20':'%20+%20addy38821%20+%20'/'%3E');%20document.write(addy38821);%20document.write('%3C//a%3E');%20//--%3E/n%20%3C/script%3E%3Cscript%20type='text/javascript'">email him</a> or follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/hotspotting">Twitter.</a>
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Canberra's strong price growth extends to neighbouring cities: Hotspotting's Terry Ryder

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Capital city home prices up, what happened to the downturn? Shane Oliver

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EXPERT OBSERVER
Australia has many growth markets at the moment. Jurisdictions where prices are growing outnumber those where they’re falling.
Didn’t know that? Here’s the problem.
Most of our major media emanates from Melbourne and Sydney. Writers there are obsessed with themselves and have little awareness of the 17 million Australians who don’t live in the two biggest cities. They tend to assume that events in Sydney describe the whole nation. If Sydney’s booming, they write about the national property boom. If Melbourne - otherwise known as Corona Country, home of the Dan-demic – is falling, the coverage suggests a national market slump.
That’s never true and it’s certainly not true right now. Regional Australia is pumping and we’re not hearing too much about it.
Let’s look at the latest price data from Domain, which focuses on the figures for the June Quarter.
In annual terms, six of the eight capital cities have house prices higher than a year ago. Remarkable, really. The exceptions are Perth and Darwin.
In the June Quarter, Canberra and Hobart recorded increases while Adelaide was essentially no change. Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Darwin all fell about 2% and Melbourne around 3%. Those figures generated nationwide headlines that prices were falling everywhere.
It’s important to note that other sources, like SQM Research and CoreLogic, have different results. Media never acknowledges that the various sources come up with different outcomes on prices – they’re too busy sensationalizing the negatives in any set of figures.
But CoreLogic’s latest figures record growth in house prices in the June Quarter in Adelaide, Hobart, Canberra and Darwin and no change in Brisbane. In other words, CoreLogic’s figures are more positive than those from Domain.
Returning to the Domain data, the results for regional Australia are considerably more bullish than those for capital city Australia. For the June Quarter it records price rises in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania – while in annual terms, there are increases in Tasmania (12%), Victoria (7%), NSW (6%), South Australia (4%), the Northern Territory (4%) and Western Australia (2%). Queensland was the only regional jurisdiction to record an annual decrease (less than 1%).
The CoreLogic figures for regional Australia in the June Quarter recorded house price rises in NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory.
Markets in many regional areas are pumping. Regional cities and towns have generally experienced few cases of Covid-19 – and some have had zero cases. Apart from those heavily reliant on international tourism, local economies are travelling pretty well and some are thriving, because of the components of the local employment sector. Agriculture, viticulture, mining, medical services and food services are all sectors that have done fairly well or very well amid the virus shemozzle.
There is also the trend I call “the exodus to affordable lifestyle”. This was already well under way, with people relocating from the big cities to sea change and hill change locations within 1-2 hours of the capital. The virus shutdown phase has enhanced this significant trend. Working remotely doesn’t suit everyone but there are many for whom it works to work at home.
First-home buyers boosted by multiple government incentives and investors seeking affordability and yield, as well as solid growth prospects, are also helping to drive regional markets.
Near Melbourne, markets like the LGAs of Baw Baw (10%), Golden Plains (16%) and Central Goldfields (11%) have all recorded double-digit annual rises, according to the Domain data.
Near Hobart, municipalities such as Brighton and Huon Valley have risen 20% in 12 months, but growth markets can be found right across regional Tasmania.
In Queensland, the regional markets with prolific one-year increases tend to be resources-related locations, some of them rising from a low base after years of decline.
There’s plenty of growth happening out there in Australia, beyond the boundaries of Melbourne and Sydney.
Terry Ryder is the founder of hotspotting.com.au ryder@hotspotting.com.au twitter.com/hotspotting
 
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Property growth markets are the majority despite claims otherwise: Hotspotting's Terry Ryder

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We are in recession; unemployment is rising, and we should be in a situation where house prices catastrophically fall. Yet, they remain resilient.
Across Australia, prices have softened slightly since March (except in Canberra), but comparing prices to the same time last year, Sydney is doing remarkably well. A lot of this has to do with how hot the market was leading up to March, but the surprising resilience is also being driven by a stable banking sector.
In Sydney, the strongest markets continue to be those priced well above the current house price median of $969,500. There are definitely some areas of weakness in Sydney at the moment, but it isn’t for houses in premium suburbs, many of which have seen double digit price growth.
Topping the list for price growth is Petersham with a 32% increase since last year. Meanwhile, the most expensive suburb on the top growth list is the north shore suburb of Lindfield, which is now getting close to a $3 million median.
It does appear that people are also keen to hold on to their properties if they can, and would prefer to tap into superannuation or selling shares.
A recent survey by Fidelity Investments found that 26% of Australians plans to access their super early in the next 12 months, while 4.5% plan to sell shares.In comparison only 1.8% plan to sell property. This is a major contributor to stable pricing; COVID-19 doesn’t appear to be denting our obsession with property.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2020/7/20/REA%20July%201.JPG" alt="">
NERIDA CONISBEE is the Chief Economist at REA
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Sydney suburbs seeing double-digit price growth: REA's Nerida Conisbee

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EXPERT OBSERVER
The Australian property market – particularly Melbourne and Sydney – has gone from boom and FOMO in 2017 to slump and FONGO into mid last year only to rebound again with a degree of FOMO returning! (FOMO = fear of missing out, FONGO = fear of not getting out.)
The boost from the election result, RBA rate cuts, the relaxation of the 7% mortgage rate serviceability test along with a greater willingness to lend by banks are continuing to drive home prices higher as demand that was pent up over the period of falling prices between September 2017 and June last year has been unleashed.
 The strength in demand continues to be evident in strong auction clearance rates in Sydney and Melbourne.
While this initially came on very low volumes, listings have now picked up following the normal pattern that sees clearances lead volumes. As a result sales at auctions are now running around double depressed year ago levels.
The high level of auction clearance rates points to a continuing strength in home prices in Sydney and Melbourne in the months ahead and this is likely to be aided by further interest rate cuts and strong population growth.
 However, the pace of growth is likely to slow with home price gains more constrained than what we saw through the 2012-17 property price boom because: 
Household debt to income ratios are very high, bank lending standards are much tighter than in the last boom, APRA may move to tighten lending standards again if housing credit growth accelerates; there are still more units to hit the Sydney and Melbourne property markets and unemployment is likely to drift up as overall economic growth remains weak. 
For 2020 as a whole average capital city property prices are expected to rise by around 10%, with continuing strong gains in the first quarter giving way to a more constrained pace from around April-June.
We also anticipate a broadening out of the property price gains beyond Sydney and Melbourne as Brisbane and Adelaide our relatively cheap and Perth looks to have bottomed and will be helped by a recovery in mining projects.
However, a big and rising risk to the property market outlook is now posed by the global coronavirus outbreak. 
At this stage apart from the possible absence of some Chinese buyers I doubt coronavirus is having much impact on the property market.
 However, if the situation badly worsens globally and the virus takes hold in Australia then it could become a big short term negative as the economy slows even further potentially into recession, the loss of share market wealth drags on property demand and if people put off buying property along with other activities for fear of catching the virus.
 More RBA rate cuts could partially help in the other direction and help boost buying once the virus fear comes under control though, but in the interim it could drive renewed falls in property prices. 
This is not our base case but given all the unknowns around Covid-19 it is worth monitoring as the risk is rising.
SHANE OLIVER is the Head of Investment Strategy and Chief Economist at AMP Capital 
<a name="_Hlk7176352" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;" href=""></a>The Australian property market – particularly Melbourne and Sydney – has gone from boom and FOMO in 2017 to slump and FONGO into mid last year only to rebound again with a degree of FOMO returning! (FOMO = fear of missing out, FONGO = fear of not getting out.)
The boost from the election result, RBA rate cuts, the relaxation of the 7% mortgage rate serviceability test along with a greater willingness to lend by banks are continuing to drive home prices higher as demand that was pent up over the period of falling prices between September 2017 and June last year has been unleashed. The strength in demand continues to be evident in strong auction clearance rates in Sydney and Melbourne. See the next two charts.
 
<table style="font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 15px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web (West European)', 'Segoe UI', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; color: #323130; border-collapse: collapse;" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr>
<td style="width: 233.75pt; padding: 0px 5.4pt; border: 1pt solid windowtext;" valign="top">
<img src="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAYAAAAfFcSJAAAAC0lEQVQYV2NgAAIAAAUAAarVyFEAAAAASUVORK5CYII=" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: inherit; width: 364.79pt; height: 221.4pt; cursor: pointer;" data-imagetype="AttachmentByCid" data-custom="AAMkADQ3ZGM4MTFjLTUzM2MtNGRlMy1hNTRkLTVlMTg5NTg1MTZjNABGAAAAAACwVkXUIRtYR67gBrMt3wq%2FBwDeQoafX1oGQ7i8PLrB5m%2FDAAAAAAEMAADeQoafX1oGQ7i8PLrB5m%2FDAAGX6uVdAAABEgAQAKCx7jCjebxJntP04tMxgUM%3D" data-outlook-trace="F:1|T:1">
</td>
<td style="width: 233.75pt; padding: 0px 5.4pt; border-width: 1pt; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-color: windowtext;" valign="top">
<img src="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAYAAAAfFcSJAAAAC0lEQVQYV2NgAAIAAAUAAarVyFEAAAAASUVORK5CYII=" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: inherit; width: 365.4pt; height: 221.99pt; cursor: pointer;" data-imagetype="AttachmentByCid" data-custom="AAMkADQ3ZGM4MTFjLTUzM2MtNGRlMy1hNTRkLTVlMTg5NTg1MTZjNABGAAAAAACwVkXUIRtYR67gBrMt3wq%2FBwDeQoafX1oGQ7i8PLrB5m%2FDAAAAAAEMAADeQoafX1oGQ7i8PLrB5m%2FDAAGX6uVdAAABEgAQAJqCdDsOBpVDkmUCWbIwRTY%3D" data-outlook-trace="F:1|T:1">
</td>
</tr></tbody></table>
<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 7pt; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: inherit;">Source: Domain, CoreLogic, AMP Capital
<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 7pt; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: inherit;"> 
While this initially came on very low volumes, listings have now picked up following the normal pattern that sees clearances lead volumes. As a result sales at auctions are now running around double depressed year ago levels.
<img src="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAYAAAAfFcSJAAAAC0lEQVQYV2NgAAIAAAUAAarVyFEAAAAASUVORK5CYII=" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: inherit; width: 353.99pt; height: 215.39pt; cursor: pointer;" data-imagetype="AttachmentByCid" data-custom="AAMkADQ3ZGM4MTFjLTUzM2MtNGRlMy1hNTRkLTVlMTg5NTg1MTZjNABGAAAAAACwVkXUIRtYR67gBrMt3wq%2FBwDeQoafX1oGQ7i8PLrB5m%2FDAAAAAAEMAADeQoafX1oGQ7i8PLrB5m%2FDAAGX6uVdAAABEgAQAL7iZEfT4%2FpKhNddj9J8F%2BI%3D" data-outlook-trace="F:1|T:1">
<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 7pt; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: inherit;">Source: Domain, AMP Capital
The high level of auction clearance rates points to a continuing strength in home prices in Sydney and Melbourne in the months ahead and this is likely to be aided by further interest rate cuts and strong population growth. However, the pace of growth is likely to slow with home price gains more constrained than what we saw through the 2012-17 property price boom because: household debt to income ratios are very high, bank lending standards are much tighter than in the last boom, APRA may move to tighten lending standards again if housing credit growth accelerates; there are still more units to hit the Sydney and Melbourne property markets and unemployment is likely to drift up as overall economic growth remains weak. For 2020 as a whole average capital city property prices are expected to rise by around 10%, with continuing strong gains in the first quarter giving way to a more constrained pace from around April-June.
We also anticipate a broadening out of the property price gains beyond Sydney and Melbourne as Brisbane and Adelaide our relatively cheap and Perth looks to have bottomed and will be helped by a recovery in mining projects.
However, a big and rising risk to the property market outlook is now posed by the global coronavirus outbreak. At this stage apart from the possible absence of some Chinese buyers I doubt coronavirus is having much impact on the property market. However, if the situation badly worsens globally and the virus takes hold in Australia then it could become a big short term negative as the economy slows even further potentially into recession, the loss of share market wealth drags on property demand and if people put off buying property along with other activities for fear of catching the virus. More RBA rate cuts could partially help in the other direction and help boost buying once the virus fear comes under control though, but in the interim it could drive renewed falls in property prices. This is not our base case but given all the unknowns around Covid-19 it is worth monitoring as the risk is rising.
Please feel free to call if you wish to discuss.
 
Regards
Shane
 
<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 8pt; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: #0070c0;">Shane Oliver<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 8pt; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: #0070c0;"> <span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 8pt; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: #212d69;">| Head of Investment Strategy and Chief Economist | AMP Capital 
<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 8pt; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: #212d69;"> 
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