Perth’s new apartment market recorded its strongest quarter of sales since Q4 2021, with 412 apartments sold in Q1 2026 and a record quarterly sold value of $537 million, according to Urbis’ latest Apartment Essentials results.

Urbis said the March quarter result reflects strong, highly product‑specific demand across both ends of the market, from more attainable projects delivering at scale, through to premium stock being absorbed by equity‑rich downsizers.&nbsp;

David Cresp, Partner at Urbis, said the key story in Perth is not demand, it is the market’s ability to convert demand into delivered housing.&nbsp;

“This is the strongest sales quarter since Q4 2021, and it reinforces that demand in Perth is real and it’s local,” David Cresp said. “But the task now is delivery, turning that demand into projects that can actually be built and completed.”&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=110291 project_image_fid=302785]

<h2>Affordable product leads, premium demand remains resilient</h2>

Sales in Q1 were led by more affordable projects, with The Boulevard (SKS Group) recording 115 sales in the quarter, the presentation noting this is only the second time a single project has surpassed 100 quarterly sales. The project was able to offer more affordable housing product right next to a train station.&nbsp;

Palmyra West (Finbar) also delivered strong results with 28 sales in Q1, following 84 sales in Q4, with an average price of under $800,000, underscoring depth of demand for well‑located, attainable new stock.&nbsp;

At the premium end, Urbis said downsizer demand is continuing, with the results highlighting Romeo (Applecross, Finbar) recording 75 sales and reaching almost 50% sold in one quarter.

Jual (Shenton Park, Celsius Property) also posted a strong quarter with 28 sales, reaching 39% sold in one quarter.

Urbis noted that Perth apartment demand is not speculative, not investor‑led, and not uniform, describing it as localised, often equity‑driven and highly product‑specific, a pattern reflected in the polarisation between strong “attainable” performers and premium downsizer product.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=148957 project_image_fid=364102]

<h2>Prices underpinned by costs, and the delivery risk is growing</h2>

Urbis said pricing pressure is cost not demand‑driven: construction costs and delivery risk are now a central constraint, with the results noting build costs remain elevated and volatile, and that energy, fuel and labour uncertainty weigh on feasibility.

David Cresp said a growing challenge for private Build‑to‑Sell developers is simply securing a builder in the current environment.

“Developers are really feeling the pressure from a building market that was operating at capacity and securing a builder is challenging,” David Cresp said, adding that even where a builder can be secured, “trying to get to the price that makes the development financially viable is incredibly challenging in the current market.”&nbsp;

Urbis’ broader WA commentary also notes that industry remains at or above capacity with lot and housing creation, and that many builders are limiting new sales to manage stretched workforces and fixed‑price contract pressures, conditions that flow directly into apartment feasibility and delivery timing.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108869 project_image_fid=317905]

<h2>Supply: improving later, but still constrained, and Perth lags eastern benchmarks</h2>

While near‑term supply remains constrained, Urbis’ forecast shows completions lifting “Supply is forecast to be back above 1,500 apartments per annum for the first time since 2019”, with 1,775 completions forecast for 2026, and volumes remaining above that level over the following years.&nbsp;

Looking further ahead, completions are forecast to reach 2,500 in 2028, with the report noting 32% of that total is social/affordable, reflecting the role of government‑supported delivery in rebuilding the pipeline.&nbsp;

However, Urbis said Perth remains behind comparable markets on pipeline scale. In a national comparison of projects under construction, the report shows under construction Perth Build‑to‑Sell (BTS) at 3,446 apartments versus the Gold Coast at 7,922. Mr Cresp said “The challenge for Perth is how to we grow the delivery pipeline”.

Urbis’ conclusion is that Perth’s market is increasingly defined by product discipline and delivery certainty, with the research identifying “delivery certainty is key” and calling out builder risk and procurement models as core success factors, alongside “timing and staging”.&nbsp;

Joel Robinson

Perth apartment sales hit strongest pace since late 2021 as builder capacity tightens

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sammut-developments">Sammut Group</a> has secured development approval for its latest Brisbane apartment project, marking the Sydney developer’s next step in expanding its Queensland pipeline following the success of its debut Gold Coast development, Coast.

The approved project at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/44-glen-road-toowong-qld-4066">44 Glen Road, </a><a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/toowong-qld-4066">Toowong</a> will deliver a 15-storey riverfront apartment building with 42 residences, significantly increasing the scale of the site’s previous approval for a smaller luxury scheme. Designed by Bureau^proberts, the development will comprise a mix of predominantly four-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments positioned to maximise Brisbane River and city views.

Sammut Director Julian Sammut said the group had been actively searching Brisbane for several years before identifying Toowong as the right fit.

“Brisbane was the right step for Sammut,” Sammut said.

“With the success of Coast we thought we should definitely look to do more in Queensland alone. We then pushed up to look at Brisbane. We've been looking for I'd say two to three years actually and it was hard to find the right location.”

<img alt="Sammut makes Brisbane apartment play" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/f_auto,c_limit,w_1440,q_75/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/field/image/Screenshot%202025-12-23%20at%203.27.14%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=dYAVIL7qdcGA8ojvkslSrLjczXFejSSx" />

Sammut said suburbs including New Farm and Teneriffe were considered before the group ultimately focused on Toowong due to its strong downsizer demographic and limited supply of developable riverfront land.

The site was acquired off-market after what Sammut described as a lengthy negotiation and planning process, with the developer pursuing an uplift to the original approval.

“We are DA approved now which is very exciting,” Sammut said.

“We've had our change approval come through and we've obviously doubled the height, 15 storeys plus rooftop. We've got 42 amazing apartments that are going to be coming to market soon.”

<img alt="Sammut makes Brisbane apartment play" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,dpr_2.0,q_auto:good/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-12-23%20at%203.27.26%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=ohkRkY0dIZlqdfME2EZePsCQavRiBadE" />

Bureau^proberts said the design responds to Toowong’s evolving urban character, balancing contemporary apartment living with the area’s established residential identity.

“A place where traditional Queensland living has taken place for centuries; Toowong is seeing a shift of contemporary influence, commercial and retail hubs mixed with well-considered residential offerings – all the while maintaining its character and charm,” the architect noted in planning documents submitted to Brisbane City Council.

The architecture practice said the project’s form was shaped by its riverfront setting, flood considerations, neighbouring building scales, and view corridors.

“They said the mix of four and two-bedroom apartments capture the ‘fundamental qualities of Queenslander living,’ translated into the context of a contemporary subtropical building.”

The development sits just off Coronation Drive within walking distance of Toowong’s retail precinct and the upgraded Regatta ferry terminal, while also benefiting from proximity to the incoming green bridge connection to West End. Sammut said the accessibility and amenity offering were central to the site’s appeal.

The approval adds to growing residential activity along the Toowong riverfront, joining nearby projects including Consolidated Properties’ Monarch Residences and Spyre Group’s ARC Residences.

Sammut secures approval for debut Brisbane apartment development in Toowong

Developer Lanevick is heading back into Sydney’s apartment market after focusing more heavily on the luxury townhouse and terrace sector in recent years.

Lanevick, founded and directed by Steve Maroun, is expecting to receive approval in the coming months for a new apartment development in Gladesville, with the aim to launch it to the market later this year.

The 51-apartment project, designed by Studio Johnston, will comprise a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments positioned toward the Hunters Hill downsizer market.

“Traditionally it’s been difficult for people in that market to downsize because there just hasn’t been the right product available,” Maroun said.

“We’re targeting buyers who might have 30 to 40 per cent of their house value sitting in the bank after downsizing.

“They still want good spacious entertaining areas, they still want quality design, but they also want flexibility and the ability to enjoy life a bit more after working hard for a long time.”

The project sits near Boronia Park and within close proximity to the Parramatta River foreshore, an area Maroun says offers more of a Hunters Hill lifestyle than a traditional apartment precinct.

“From a lifestyle perspective, it’s really more Hunters Hill than Gladesville,” Maroun said. “You’re close to the foreshore, close to parklands, and still connected back into the village precinct.”

From level four and above, apartments will capture water views&nbsp;toward Sydney Harbour. Communal amenity will include rooftop entertaining areas, wellness spaces, and a gym tailored toward owner-occupier buyers.

“We’ve really designed these apartments around that buyer coming from the Hunters Hill LGA and what they’re actually looking for in their next chapter.”

The proposed development has also been designed to respond to the changing character of the broader Gladesville town centre, where a growing number of mixed-use and residential proposals are expected to emerge over the coming years.

“Gladesville presented a rare opportunity to deliver a genuinely design-led residential project within an evolving lifestyle precinct, just moments from the growing Gladesville town centre, and we’ve approached the project with a strong focus on architecture, liveability and long-term community value,” Maroun said.

Maroun said Lanevick saw a first-mover advantage within the precinct as planning controls continue to evolve to accommodate greater housing density.

“We think there’s a real opportunity there that hasn’t really been serviced properly yet,” he said.

“There’s going to be a broader evolution of the whole Gladesville village precinct over time, particularly with more activation and mixed-use outcomes.”

The Venus Street proposal will include a commercial and retail component at ground level designed to contribute to that evolving streetscape activation.

“A big part of the thinking was how do you activate that area properly and create more vibrancy and amenity, which is what Hunters Hill has been looking for,” Maroun said.

Lanevick’s focus since 2020 has largely been on smaller-scale luxury townhouse and terrace developments. The developer recently completed Royale Randwick, also designed by Studio Johnston, where prices reached $3.65 million. The project was featured in the UDIA NSW 2026 Professional Development Prospectus and was also named a finalist for Development of the Year.

&nbsp;

Lanevick to cater for Hunters Hill downsizers with new Gladesville apartment development

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

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

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

WM Residences fills gap in Mordialloc townhouse market

Property News

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The Double Bay home of entertainer Jeanne Little - before Alzheimer's disease took hold - has been sold by her devoted husband, Barry for $2.4 million.  
Interior designer, Barry and Jeanne, the Gold Logie winning daytime television star, had bought the apartment in Overthorpe for $1.7 million in 2008 after selling their longtime terrace in Paddington.
The New South Head Road apartment, with sub-tropical garden aspect from every room, was recently snapped up through McGrath agent Mary Howell.
The 218 sqm three bedroom apartment in the early 1980s Mirvac built complex was mortgage free.
Barry has recently spent $440,000 on a Hunters Hill apartment in The Lodge retirement village.
The effervescent Jeannie Little, made famous for her signature greeting "daahling" began her TV career on The Mike Walsh Show in 1974 before being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2009. She has been in nursing home care for five years.
For some time now Jeanne Little has not recognised her husband and her only daughter, Katie Little who told Studio 10 on Channel 10 in February of her heartbreak at watching the once vivacious TV personality lost inside the confusing mental maze of dementia.
The 77 year-old began her TV career on The Mike Walsh Show in 1974 showcasing designer maternity fashions when she was pregnant with Katie.
"It’s a shocking way to live for a star performer who entertained audiences with her outrageous antics, signature shrill voice and affectionate persona," Katie said of her bedridden mother.
Katie said one of the first moments she realised her mother may have been battling the mental illness was when she couldn’t remember the names of her television industry friends.
In 1976 Little won the Gold Logie for most popular television personality which in her last ever interview she told New Idea that it was her most shocking showbiz moment.
"When Burt Lancaster opened that envelope and drawled in his famous macho voice that Jeanne Little was the most popular female personality on Australian television, I just sat there thinking it’s a hideous mistake. They’ve got it wrong. The room was stunned, no-one clapped, there was deathly silence so I went up on stage, feeling really awful inside about having won."
She had become one of the most popular panelists on Beauty and the Beast.
The irrepressible Jeanne Little performed on stage including her tribute to 1930's screen legend Marlene Dietrich at venues including the Western Suburbs Leagues Club, before it toured the USA in the early 2000s.
This article was first published in the Saturday Daily Telegraph. 
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Jeanne Little's Double Bay apartment sold

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GUEST OBSERVER
A decade or so ago a large Australian fund manager ran a campaign urging Australians to pay more attention to their superannuation (pension) savings. 
This initially struck me as good advice – after the family home for most of us it will end up being our biggest pot of savings so it makes sense to keep a close eye on it. And surely the closer we look at it the better the outcome? But over the years I have come to the view that we need to be careful here. 
In fact the avalanche of information around investing if not properly managed may be making us worse, not better, investors: more fearful, more jittery and more focussed on the short term than ever. I have looked at this theme before and the more I look into it the more convinced I have become that investors need to try and turn down the noise around investing. 
The permanent worry list 
The technology revolution has made it easier and easier to track our investments. And with this has come easier and easier access to information and views around the outlook for investment markets. Some of this is balanced, but a lot of it is not. 
For the last few years it seems there has been a constant worry list with a range of things about to drag us down into the next financial crisis: budget deficits, debt, money printing, the Euro, Greece (every six months!), hyperinflation, deflation, taxes, welfare spending, banks, retiring baby boomers, the government, peak oil, low oil, pollution, global warming, the Middle East, terrorism, Russia, a pandemic, China, the South China Sea, emerging markets and of course the current fascination being the Fed (will she or won't she?). And of course the perennial worry in Australia relates to the residential property market. 
Big picture macro concerns have always been around. And I find it very hard to believe that things are any worse today than they were 100 years ago (when Europe had entered World War 1, living standards and life expectancy were a fraction of today's and pandemics were a regular phenomenon). 
But the communication revolution means that such concerns are now regularly in our face. I cannot google something without links popping up to new disasters. The fascination with financial news has exploded – with several financial TV channels with 24/7 finance updates interspersed with constant debate about what it all means. And this is now all accessible via apps we can have at our fingertips on smart phones.
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Loss myopia 
In a way this is all fun. But there are several risks. Human nature is naturally cautious because our brains evolved at a time when we had to be on the lookout for physical threats. As a result bad news always attracts more interest and so "bad news sells". Of course, this also applies to financial news. 
But it also feeds into a common behavioural trait called "myopic loss aversion." And here lies the threat to our long term financial health. Oddly enough I was reminded of this by a great Wall Street Journal article I saw recently – "Keep Stock-Market Apps Off Your Phone", by Dr Shlomo Benartzi – that I actually found on a stock market app on my phone! It’s long been observed that a loss in financial wealth is felt much more distastefully by investors than the beneficial impact of the same sized gain and in the world of behavioural economists – who study how people behave in relation to economic and finance considerations – this has come to be known as "myopic loss aversion". 
When the value of an investment falls it makes sense that unless something has fundamentally gone wrong investors should be thinking about increasing their allocation to it to take advantage of it now being cheaper and better value and therefore offering better return prospects. 
The reality though is that many are motivated to do the opposite as the distaste for loss combines with another well-known behavioural trait called "recency bias" that causes investors to give more weight to recent events than they should so they project recent news of falls in their investment into the future. 
The information overload we are now seeing is likely to be reinforcing this because it is increasing our exposure to news about our investments. And this constant feedback is likely adding to "myopic loss aversion". (Hopefully this is not getting too technical!) 
The shorter the horizon the worse shares look 
In a family discussion about shares versus bank term deposits a relative once observed to me that there is no point investing in shares as they just go down about as much as they go up. I thought this odd as my experience has been a lot more positive. But then it occurred to me that for many people their perception of what shares do likely comes from daily updates – from the media or increasingly via an app. And this can lead to a very jaundiced experience.
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For example, if you track the daily movements in the Australian All Ordinaries share price index, measured over the last twenty years it has been down almost as much as it has been up with falls 47% of the time and gains 53% of the time. It’s little different for the US S&amp;P 500 share index which has seen falls 46% of the time on a daily basis versus gains 54% of the time. So from day to day it’s pretty much a coin toss with bad news nearly half the time. 
By contrast if you only look at how the share market has gone each month and allow for dividends the historical experience tells us you will only get bad news (ie a loss) 35% of the time in Australia and the US. Looking only on a calendar year basis, data back to 1900 indicates that the probability of bad news in the form of a loss slides further to just 19% for Australian shares and 27% for US shares. And if you can stretch it out to once a decade, again since 1900, positive returns have been seen 100% of the time for Australian shares and 82% of the time for US shares. See the next chart.  
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The point is that the less frequently you look the less you will be disappointed and so the lower the chance that a bout of "myopic loss aversion" will be triggered which causes you to adopt an investment strategy which is too cautious to meet your goals or leads you to sell at precisely the wrong time. 
But is there any evidence backing this up? Yes there is. As the Wall Street Journal article sited above noted, a 1997 study by US behavioural economists Richard Thaler, Amos Tversky, Daniel Kahneman and Alan Schwartz showed that providing investors in an experiment "with frequent feedback about their [investment] outcome is likely to encourage their worst tendencies...More is not always better. 
The subjects with the most data did the worst in terms of money earned." Basically what's happening here is that investors tend to go for the safer lower returning investment options when more frequent feedback on their investment performance is provided. 
Of course, the greater access to financial information we are now seeing in the media and via mobile devices is having the effect of encouraging us to look at our investments more frequently not less – via daily and even more frequent updates. And around this is an avalanche of news and other information that is often out of context, often irrelevant and often in the bad news category. 
This has the effect of exposing us to more frequent news of loss from our investments and reinforcing that news. Which in turn risks encouraging bad investment decisions. In particular a focus away from investments like shares that can grow wealth over time towards assets that may be safe in the short term but will lead to much lower wealth levels over the long term. 
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What can investors do to avoid this? 
The key I think is to find ways to turn down the volume on financial news because if you are exposed to it less frequently you are less likely to make decisions that are contrary to your long term investment goals. Try to avoid looking at market updates so regularly and even consider removing related apps from your smart phones, tablets and watches. Or at the very least find a way to filter such news in a way that it doesn't distort your investment decisions. 
The traditional approach of adopting a long term investment strategy and sticking to it is arguably now more important than ever. Yes we are now in an environment of more constrained and volatile investment returns which has increased the importance of active asset allocation – but this is best left to experts who can put the time in to filter the noise from fundamental signals and avoid allowing “myopic loss aversion” from getting control.
 
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://plus.google.com/110172465327488162875?rel=author" target="_blank">SHANE OLIVER</a> is head of investment strategy and economics and chief economist at <a href="https://www.ampcapital.com.au/home" target="_blank">AMP Capital</a> and is responsible for AMP Capital's diversified investment funds.
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The perils for investors of too much information in the app age: Shane Oliver

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Actor Richard Roxburgh, star of Rake, and his wife, the SBS TV celebrity chef Silvia Colloca have their five bedroom Bilgola Plateau home listed for auction.
Their northern beaches modern <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-bilgola-121101482" target="_blank">beach-style retreat</a> has been listed through James Baker at Raine and Horne Palm Beach who sold it to the couple six years ago.
With panoramic views over Pittwater, the ultra modern two level home on Lower Plateau Road has been scheduled for November 22 auction - yes a Sunday - with around $2 million tipped.
It cost $1.62 million in 2009 having been initially listed with $2 million hopes in 2008. 
They are planning on staying on the northern beaches.
This article was first published in the Sunday Telegraph.
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Actor Richard Roxburgh lists Bilgola home for Sunday auction

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From April 2016, Paul Craig currently managing director for Western Australia, will be Savills Australia &amp; New Zealand chief executive.
Paul McLean will retain his responsibilities for Queensland and New Zealand
Robert McKellar, CEO Savills Asia Pacific said Savills had undertaken a regional review of its Asia Pacific management structure, including succession planning, with a view to strengthening and expanding the executive management platform.
“The business under Paul McLean's leadership has trebled in size in Australia and New Zealand - a period of continuous growth, expansion, and improved profitability, and Savills is indebted to his hard work, vision, loyalty and leadership during this time," Robert McKellar said.
“Paul Craig has over the past 15 years built a very successful West Australian business and has been a major contributor to our Capital Markets capability both domestically and internationally, having held the position as head of Australian Cross Border Capital Markets for the past 8 years.
"Paul will bring renewed energy and vigour to the role and will continue to build on the successes of the recently expanded executive management team."
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Savills WA's Paul Craig to take on national role

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Just 19 millioniares have sought significant investor visa permits since Australia overhauled its requirements from July, the Australian Financial Review has reported.
New applicants now must invest some of their $5 million into smaller equities and venture capital, directing investment away from passive investment towards investment in innovation and industrial development.
It was sitting at seven applications two months ago.
Some 1,600 applicants, mostly from China preferred the former fast track residency scheme that allowed low-risk government debt and property investments investing around $3.8 billion into Australian assets after the Federal Government created the golden visa in 2012. 
Under the new rules, applicants must spend $500,000 on funds investing in startup and small private companies, $1.5 million on small-cap equity funds, with the other $3 million on managed funds across Australian listed securities, eligible corporate bonds or notes, annuities and property.
Investment in residential real estate will only be permitted to comprise 10% of the $5 million minimum investment amount, although investors may invest in excess of this outside of this limit.
"The cost of the visa has gone up the risk curve," David Chin, the Sydney-based managing director of Basis Point Consulting Pty told the paper.
Chinese nationals accounted for 91 percent of applications under the old program, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. estimated.
Australia granted around 750 of the visas between November 2012 and March 2015 from 1,679 applications submitted, government data show with Victoria the most popular destination.
The new Federal Government rules which require investors to put their money into riskier assets such as venture capital come as likely investors also struggle to shift money following China's official central government move to tighten capital controls.
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New venture capital SIV scheme off to very slow start as Chinese mostly want property

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GUEST OBSERVER
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The Westpac Melbourne Institute Index of Consumer Sentiment rose by 3.9% in November from 97.8 in October to 101.7 in November. 
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This is a cracking result. Apart from the brief surge we saw following last May’s Budget this is the highest print for the Index since January 2014. The Index is now 8.3% higher than in September, immediately preceding the change of leadership in the government. 
It marks only the third month out of the last twenty one that optimists have outnumbered pessimists. 
The increase also comes despite the banks’ decisions to raise mortgage rates for both owner occupiers and investors. It is surprising that such events did not have a negative impact on confidence. It appears that such is the boost to confidence from the recent political events that the impact of the interest rate increases was comfortably contained Most remarkably, the confidence of respondents who hold a mortgage increased by 4.1% – a slightly larger increase than the rise in the overall Index. 
There is evidence to support this observation that the result is the net effect of two strong opposing forces. The components of the index that measure respondents’ assessments of their own finances were down, on average, by 5.7% whereas the components of the index that measure respondents’ expectations for the overall economy increased by an average of 15.0%. 
The assessments of personal finances were presumably linked to the interest rate increases whereas the outlook for the economy was most likely boosted by confidence in the new leadership. 
Following a spectacular 13.7% fall in October the Westpac Melbourne Institute Index of Unemployment Expectations rose by 3.3% in November. Recall that lower readings indicate fewer consumers expect unemployment to rise in the year ahead. The Index remains 10.9% below its September level and continues to signal a much less pessimistic attitude towards the labour market than we have seen for a number of years. 
As discussed there were some significant conflicting movements amongst the components of the Index. The sub-index tracking assessments of ‘family finances compared to a year ago’ fell 2.2% and the sub-index tracking expectations for ‘family finances over the next 12 months’ slumped 9.1%. Those falls were probably in direct response to the increase in mortgage rates. 
On the other hand the sub-index tracking expectations for ‘economic conditions over the next 12 months’ increased 5.8% while that tracking expectations for ‘economic conditions over the next five years’ soared 24.2% to its highest level since September 2013. It is likely that a boost in confidence towards the economic credentials of the new leadership team played an important hand here. 
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In an encouraging sign for retailers, the sub-index tracking views on ‘time to buy a major household item’ lifted 4.8% although it is still 2.2% below its level this time last year. 
Another encouraging sign for the Christmas spending outlook comes with our special question: “Do you expect to spend more; less; or about the same on Christmas gifts compared to last year”. Since we started this question, seven years ago, the average proportion proclaiming ‘more’ has been 12.5%. Today’s survey scored 16.9% whereas ‘less’ registered 29.6% compared to the average of 34.7%. Consumers in NSW were particularly upbeat with more planning to increase than cut Christmas spending compared to a year ago. 
In fact, this survey shows the most positive mix of Christmas spending plans since we began running this special question in 2009 – a very encouraging signal in the lead in to the holiday period. 
Prospects for the housing market remained soft in this survey. The ‘time to buy a dwelling’ index rose slightly in November but the 1.4% gain still leaves the index down 12.5% over the last year and 29% below its most recent peak in 2013. Weakness persists in NSW; Queensland softened markedly; while Victoria held up well. Possibly in response to recent price falls there was a marked boost in confidence in Western Australia. 
There was another sharp fall in house price expectations. The Westpac-Melbourne Institute House Price Expectations Index fell 7.9% to be down 18.7% over the year. The biggest falls this month were in NSW and Queensland with price expectations in Victoria remaining remarkably robust. 
The Reserve Bank board next meets on December 1. Following its November meeting the Bank has adopted a ‘medium’ easing bias with the low inflation environment affording scope to ease if that is deemed necessary. 
However, the Bank currently expects growth in 2016 of 3.0% (above trend) building to 3.5% in 2017. The positive results from this survey will only bolster these confident growth expectations. There is little chance of a rate cut in December.
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The real issue is whether the Bank will eventually act to cut rates next year – as confidently expected by the market. It is our current view that the growth dynamics of the Australian economy will remain sufficiently supportive through 2016 to ensure steady rates. The lift in spending expectations and confidence around the employment outlook from the survey point in that direction 
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Bill Evans is chief economist of <a href="https://www.westpac.com.au/" target="_blank">Westpac</a>.
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bevans-rYk9SxEa4r

Political change further boosts consumer sentiment: Bill Evans

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Sales volumes and high demand for the sub $500,000 property market on the Sunshine Coast pushed over into the local higher value markets between $600,000 to $700,000 in the first half of 2015, according to Herron Todd White.
Herron Todd White's October Month in Review found coastal property in the $550,000 price bracket is strong, with buyers placing a greater emphasis on the underlying land value of the property. 
"Two examples of the market movement over the two years are from Peregian where one property sold in January 2013 for $466,000 and resold in March 2015 for $515,000 and another was purchased in May 2013 for $482,000 and has recently sold for $560,000," the review noted.
"Prestige housing market has improved in the entry end of this market (up to $1.5 million). Sale volumes appear to be quite good but as you move into the higher value level bands, say plus $2 million, buyers are thinning out. 
"Noosa Waters and Sunshine Beach areas have performed well on the back of the Sydney and Melbourne markets and also increased interest from overseas."
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mick.cee-iDmgDDAmu8

Sunshine Coast property demand strong under $550,000: Herron Todd White

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A property featuring an outdoor pit toilet with sweeping views over the Clandulla ranges in New South Wales is currently on the market for $125,000.
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The 1012sqm property, <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-acreage+semi+rural-nsw-clandulla-120074537" target="_blank">488 Cooper Drive Clandulla</a>, will appeal to both fans of outdated public transport and unusual fixtures, with an original train carriage renovated into a two bedder already on the property decked out with an original "red rattler" flip down toilet.
<img src="/images/2015/11/5/700_yep_its_a_toilet.jpg" alt="" width="436" height="265">
The listing, through Buy My Place, mentions the carriage was built for track work, comes complete with "a large smoko dining area with kitchen sink and cupboards" and has been updated internally with three doors to give a range of cooling options.
 
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Loo with a view price starts at $125,000

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Prime property prices only increased by 1.9% in the year to September 2015 around the world, according to Knight Frank’s Prime Global Cities Index with Vancouver and Sydney leading the rankings with standout performances. 
The index, which monitors and compares the performance of prime residential prices across key global cities, reports an increase of 20.4% in Vancouver in the year to September 2015. A shortage of supply and strengthening local demand alongside foreign interest are the reasons behind the strong performance. 
Sydney ranks not far behind with an increase of 13.7%, while Melbourne sits in fifth place with an annual increase of 9.4%. The weak Australian dollar, an undersupply of new homes and a strong local economy are behind Sydney’s accelerating values, and to an extent Melbourne as well. In addition, Melbourne has been named ‘The Most Liveable City in the World’ for the fifth time in a row by the Economist Intelligence Unit. 
Michelle Ciesielski, director of residential research, at Knight Frank Australia said the lower Australian dollar had influenced the number of ex-pats buying back in Sydney and Melbourne, taking advantage of buying a prime property in these ideal conditions.
Shanghai also recorded double-digit annual price growth, up 10.7% in the year. The reversal of strict housing policies and the introduction of new fiscal measures, including tax and interest rate cuts, have fuelled demand in Shanghai. 
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Looking beyond the top rankings, the overall performance of the index was less than robust, Knight Frank noted.
The index now stands 34.1% above its low in Q1 2009 but its annual rate of growth is slowing. 
Kate Everett-Allen, residential researcher at Knight Frank noted the index’s annual rate of growth had slowed significantly from 7% two years ago to 1.9%.”
Some 73% of cities recorded positive annual price growth in the year to September down from 91% two years ago.
Singapore was the weakest performing prime market tracked by the index for the seventh consecutive quarter, but the rate of annual decline has slowed from -15.2% at the end of Q2 to -7.9% this quarter. 
Analysis by world region highlights that Australasia leads the Prime Global Cities Index, with an average annual price growth of 11.6%, followed by North America at 8.5%. Europe has entered positive territory this quarter with an increase of 0.8%. However, performance here varies from an increase of 9.4% in Monaco to -5.1% in Zurich. 
As QE unwinds and a US rate rise draws near, prime assets will remain on the radar of investors and HNWIs. The big question mark surrounds not Greece and the Eurozone but the slowdown in the Chinese economy. Wealth from China will continue to flow into overseas property markets with the UK, US, Canada and Australia being key target destinations. 
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Sydney shines in Knight Frank global cities report

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Two childcare centres were much sought after at Burgess Rawson's 100th portfolio auction in Melbourne.
The one in Hampton sold for $3.95 million and the other in Heatherton for $3.2 million.
“Both childcare centres attracted strong and competitive bidding with both Hampton and Heatherton selling on circa 5.6% yields," selling agent Adam Thomas said.
"These investments continue to be highly sought after due to the long secure leases to national tenants and are underpinned by the high underling land value coupled with the inherent value of the business.” 
The 461-463 Bluff Road, Hampton site (above) is leased for 15 years to Only About Children (OAC) till 2030, with three 10-year options.
OAC is a high-end childcare provider with 31 locations across Melbourne and Sydney's affluent suburbs, including Armadale, Camberwell, Coogee, Cremorne, Mosman, Neutral Bay and Rose Bay.
The rent is $224,985 per annum and there is a fixed annual 3% rent increase.
The tenant pays all usual outgoings.
The main road site is spread over 1,149 square metres with a 34-metre frontage and is licensed for 56 long day care (LDC) places.
The location is just 14 km from the Melbourne CBD and minutes to Beach Road and the Nepean Hwy.
It was extensively redeveloped in 2015, providing for income tax saving depreciation.
The Heatherton property sits at 16-20 Arco Lane and is leased to G8 Education Limited.
It is a new 10-year lease to 2025 with two further five-year options to 2035.
ASX-listed G8 Education is a childcare provider with 450+ centres across Australia.
The facility is built on 595 square metres and is licensed for 90 LDC places.
The land area is a 2,232 square metre commercial zoned site with 16 car spaces.
The rent is $180,000 per annum and the tenant pays all outgoings including land tax.
Beginning in 1975, Burgess Rawson established a nationwide network of offices and is Australia's largest locally owned and operated commercial property agency, marketing more than 10,000 properties and generating sales in excess of $25 billion over the past 40 years. For more information, <a href="https://www.burgessrawson.com.au/portfolio-auctions" target="_blank">click here</a>.
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