One of North Sydney's best-known commercial buildings could become hundreds of new homes, with insurance giant Zurich Australia lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) to transform 5 Blue Street into a mixed-use residential development above North Sydney Station.

Rather than demolishing the existing building and starting again, Zurich is proposing an adaptive reuse project that would convert the landmark office building into a 15-level residential development delivering 62 apartments, 86 affordable co-living dwellings, activated retail and significant upgrades to the Blue Street Plaza.

The proposal reflects a growing trend of commercial property owners repositioning ageing office assets into residential housing as Sydney grapples with housing supply shortages and changing workplace demand.

<img alt="Zurich" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0bba7d12-06dc-4375-aad7-238c94b21ac5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%2010.42.05%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=NJl5oLAEBDGuPmY3RnyliKODjMc8lvRh" />

Located directly above North Sydney Metro and train station, the 3,051 sqm site occupies one of the most strategically positioned parcels of land on Sydney's Lower North Shore.

Designed by fjcstudio, the proposal seeks to retain and adapt much of the existing structure while creating a contemporary residential address that better connects with the public domain surrounding North Sydney Station.

The application proposes two basement levels, ground floor retail, affordable co-living accommodation across the podium levels, and apartments above, while preserving and enhancing the publicly accessible Blue Street Plaza.

Rather than pursuing maximum apartment numbers, Zurich has opted for a housing mix heavily weighted towards larger owner-occupier residences.

The proposal includes 62 build-to-sell apartments comprising 12 one-bedroom, 19 two-bedroom, 29 three-bedroom apartments and two premium penthouses. It also incorporates 86 affordable co-living dwellings, which would be managed in perpetuity by a Community Housing Provider.

That balance between traditional apartments and affordable housing reflects the NSW Government's push to increase housing diversity around major transport infrastructure.

The proposal has been lodged concurrently with a rezoning application, with Zurich arguing the site is ideally positioned to support additional housing given its immediate proximity to public transport, employment and services.

"The proposal aims to respond to the housing challenges facing Sydney through the delivery of diverse housing types in a highly accessible location," the design report by fjcstudio states. It also seeks to improve pedestrian amenity through upgrades to Blue Street Plaza while creating a high-performing residential building that responds to the surrounding context.

<img alt="Zurich" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="36082e15-c636-4481-bb68-5a5f6443fe39" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%2010.41.36%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=5P6VD.fvmqjQfIG3TWWMRXxQWiQBjeFB" />

Rather than replacing the commercial building, fjcstudio has developed a design that works with the existing structural framework above the rail corridor, an approach that significantly reduces demolition while allowing the site to be repositioned as a mixed-use residential precinct.

The existing structural constraints have informed much of the building's design, including its relationship with Blue Street and surrounding public spaces.

The building has been designed as a slender tower rising above a clearly defined podium, with vertically expressed façades intended to reduce the perceived bulk while reinforcing North Sydney's emerging skyline.

According to fjcstudio, the architectural language responds directly to the surrounding commercial towers while maintaining a finer grain expression more closely aligned with the neighbouring Lavender Bay streetscape.

The tower incorporates articulated façade elements, landscaped podium edges and recessed upper levels to soften its appearance and improve pedestrian amenity below.

A significant component of the proposal is the revitalisation of Blue Street Plaza.

The existing public space has long served as one of the primary pedestrian connections between North Sydney Station, Greenwood Plaza and Blue Street, yet its role is expected to become even more important following the opening of Sydney Metro.

Zurich's proposal seeks to strengthen that role by improving landscaping, introducing new retail frontages, enhancing pedestrian permeability and creating more active edges throughout the day and evening.

Ground floor retail would wrap the plaza, while separate residential and co-living entries have been designed to improve wayfinding without reducing street activation.

Landscape design has been integrated throughout the podium and public realm, softening what is currently one of the most heavily urbanised parts of North Sydney.

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fjcstudio has carefully oriented apartments towards Sydney Harbour and the CBD while using privacy blades and articulated façades to minimise overlooking between neighbouring buildings.

Large framed openings along the western elevation maximise harbour outlooks, while the eastern apartments have been angled towards the south-east to improve privacy from neighbouring development.

The project forms part of the continuing transformation of North Sydney from a predominantly commercial CBD into a genuine mixed-use city centre.

Since the completion of Victoria Cross Metro Station, developers have increasingly shifted their attention towards residential projects capable of leveraging the area's unparalleled transport connectivity.

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FiveX recently lodged plans for a 61-storey, 490-apartment tower that would become one of the tallest residential buildings in North Sydney if approved.

Aqualand continues to expand its Lower North Shore presence following the completion of AURA on Walker Street and its recent St Leonards and Roseville proposals.

Developers are also progressing projects throughout Walker Street, Miller Street and the Victoria Cross precinct as demand for well-located owner-occupier apartments continues to strengthen.

Joel Robinson

First look: Zurich targets North Sydney office conversion with 148-unit proposal above Metro station

Busy developer Aqualand Prestige has formally taken the next step in its expansion across Sydney's Lower North Shore, lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for its long-held Archer Street site in Chatswood.

The application covers <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/51-55-archer-street-chatswood-nsw-2067">51-55 Archer Street</a>, a 1,767 sqm amalgamated site on the eastern edge of the Chatswood CBD, where the developer is seeking approval for a 45-level mixed-use tower delivering 114 apartments, including a significant affordable housing component, alongside retail, commercial space and six basement levels of parking.

The SSDA marks the latest milestone for a project Aqualand has been quietly progressing over the past two years. The developer first secured the site for its Aqualand Prestige platform before undertaking an alternative design excellence process with PTW Architects, ultimately avoiding a formal design competition through the Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

The proposal has evolved considerably from Aqualand's original concept. The revised scheme has been designed around larger owner-occupier product, with an unusually high proportion of three and four-bedroom apartments, targeting the more affluent buyer profile, and downsizer, emerging across the North Shore.

<img alt="Archer St" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0171204c-5811-41b5-9b09-2335d1b7c3d0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%208.52.48%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=6YTuxfq.puZo7k2wbfgemcO5K3QfXYGQ" />

The 114-apartment mix comprises six studios, 27 one-bedroom apartments, 18 two-bedroom apartments, 50 three-bedroom residences and 13 four-bedroom homes. A quarter of the building will be dedicated to affordable housing, well above the mandated 15 per cent&nbsp;

PTW has structured the building vertically, with affordable housing across levels one to six, premium apartments through levels seven to 31, duplex skyhomes on klevels 32 to 43, a penthouse on level 44, and a rooftop plant level above. Six basement levels will provide resident parking and servicing.

The tower is proposed to reach approximately 154 metres, placing it among a growing collection of residential high-rises transforming Chatswood's skyline.

Rather than competing purely on height, PTW says the design has been driven by creating a slimmer tower capable of delivering significantly larger apartments.

"The primary objective of this project was to create a distinctive building that stands out from the recently approved or built structures in the Chatswood area," the design report states, noting the structural efficiency allows greater investment into apartment quality and resident amenity.

Residents would have access to more than 450 sqm of communal open space including landscaped gardens, swimming pool, rooftop entertaining areas, fitness spaces, community gardens, children's play areas and barbecue facilities.

A major focus of the design has been the public domain.

The ground plane has been opened up through landscaped terraces inspired by Willoughby's sandstone ridges, with native planting, public seating, artwork, retail activation and a series of gathering spaces intended to soften what has traditionally been a hard commercial streetscape.

The landscape strategy references Blue Gum forests once common throughout the area, while incorporating Indigenous storytelling, public art and lighting installations to strengthen the connection to Country.

Chatswood has been one of Sydney's busiest apartment markets over the past 12 months, with a steady pipeline of both new project launches and fresh development applications.

Hyecorp recently launched Celine, a 122-apartment development just along Archer Street, while Changfa and Huirong Group are progressing The Anderson, an 84-apartment project on Anderson Street.

Develotek recently secured approval for a 101-apartment tower on Pacific Highway, while Tian An LFD received the green light for Hammond Greens, its apartment development on the edge of the Chatswood Bowling Club.

Commercial property developer FiveX is also making its move into the residential market. Last month it lodged plans for a 61-storey tower with 490 apartments, which, if approved, would become one of the tallest residential buildings in Chatswood.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-fivex-targets-chatswood-skyline-with-61-storey-tower-after-north-sydney-plans">First look: FiveX targets Chatswood skyline with 61-storey tower after North Sydney plans</a>

Aqualand is also expanding its development pipeline following the launch of its luxury residential brand, Aqualand Prestige. The developer has delivered a string of high-end apartment projects across Sydney's affluent suburbs over the past decade, most recently AURA by Aqualand on Walker Street in North Sydney.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=292863]

It has since quietly assembled its next wave of projects.

Earlier this year Aqualand launched Boronia in Roseville, a boutique 111-apartment development on Larkin Street. The project is one of the first significant apartment developments to launch in the suburb ahead of what is expected to become one of Sydney's most active new housing precincts under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing reforms, which allow greater density around train stations.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152095 project_image_fid=373685]

The developer has also lodged plans for a two-tower, 413-apartment development on Herbert Street in nearby St Leonards, further strengthening its presence across the Lower North Shore.

Beyond that, Aqualand remains behind the final stage of Barangaroo, where plans will deliver a five-hectare mixed-use precinct comprising new homes, retail, hospitality and community facilities, alongside a new Metro entrance and more than two hectares of public open space, completing the Barangaroo precinct.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/central-barangaroo-development-takes-big-step-with-concept-proposal-approval">Central Barangaroo development takes big step with concept proposal approval</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-aqualand-joins-st-leonards-apartment-party">First look: Aqualand joins St Leonards apartment party</a> 
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First look: Aqualand pushes ahead with Chatswood apartment tower as SSDA lodged for Archer Street

Mass timber is becoming an increasingly popular construction material in apartment developments, but Adelaide developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/otello">Otello</a> is taking the approach a step further.

At its new <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/flowe-bowden-18-gibson-street-bowden-sa-5007">Flowe Bowden</a> development, the exposed cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure isn't just about reducing the building's environmental footprint. It also forms the foundation of a broader wellness strategy, influencing everything from indoor air quality and natural materials to the way residents move through and experience the building.

The 115-apartment mixed-use development, designed by Melbourne-based architecture practice Fieldwork, will occupy a prominent island site opposite Bowden Village Reserve, combining one, two and three-bedroom apartments with retail and a dedicated wellness destination.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375528]

Wellness isn't confined to a gym or shared resident facility at Flowe. Instead, Fieldwork embedded the concept into the building itself.

The development has been split into two residential wings connected by a naturally ventilated central breezeway, replacing traditional enclosed corridors with open-air walkways that improve natural light, encourage cross ventilation and create more opportunities for neighbourly interaction.

"Rather than treating wellness as something that only happens on the ground floor, our response integrates it throughout the building, which led us to ask what it really means to design a healthy building," Fieldwork Director Quino Holland said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375531]

The building's architecture also reflects Bowden's industrial heritage. The lower podium references the area's historic brick and sandstone buildings, while the upper levels transition to exposed CLT, allowing the timber structure to become a defining feature throughout the apartments and shared spaces.

The use of mass timber sits alongside a range of sustainability initiatives, including a fully electric, gas-free design, rooftop solar and a targeted 5 Star Green Star rating.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375524]

Inside the residences, the focus remains on natural, durable materials. Blackbutt engineered timber flooring, exposed CLT ceilings, porcelain surfaces and warm timber joinery create a calming interior palette, while low-VOC finishes and responsibly sourced materials have been selected to improve indoor air quality.

Kitchens have been designed as the centrepiece of each apartment, featuring porcelain island benchtops, timber-look cabinetry and brushed steel tapware, with layouts that maximise natural light and ventilation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375530]

The more traditional interpretation of wellness comes in the form of Level Eleven, a two-storey wellness club spanning the ground floor, mezzanine and first floor.

The facility will include a gym, yoga and reformer Pilates studios, Finnish and infrared saunas, magnesium hot and cold plunge pools, and dedicated recovery spaces. Unlike many residential wellness facilities, Level Eleven will also operate commercially, allowing the broader Bowden community to access the venue while giving residents exclusive membership benefits.

The ground floor has also been designed around everyday living. A café overlooking Bowden Village Reserve will activate the street frontage, while a bike workshop with tool storage, co-working space and dog wash has been incorporated to support daily routines and encourage interaction between residents.

"Flowe brings together my two biggest passions, creating places and creating healthier lives," Otello founder Daniel Harris said.

"We wanted to create something Adelaide hasn't seen before, a genuinely healthy building, where the way you live is lifted without even trying."

Flowe is positioned directly opposite Bowden Village Reserve and within walking distance of Bowden Railway Station and the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, placing future residents just minutes from the Adelaide CBD while remaining connected to one of the city's most established urban renewal precincts.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152022]

Otello launches wellness-focused Flowe Bowden with Adelaide-first mass timber apartment design

Not all apartment amenities are immediately visible.

Swimming pools, gyms, rooftop terraces and residents' lounges have long featured on buyers' wishlists, but as the way Australians live has changed, so too have the features that make apartment living more convenient.

Increasingly, buyers are placing value on the practical aspects of day-to-day life. Fast internet, EV charging, secure bike storage, flexible workspaces and parcel management are becoming just as relevant as lifestyle amenities, reflecting changing habits and expectations.

Online shopping has been one of the biggest drivers of that shift.

Australians spent a record $82.6 billion shopping online in 2025, with almost one in every four retail dollars now spent digitally, making parcel deliveries a routine part of everyday life rather than an occasional convenience.

For apartment residents, however, receiving those deliveries isn't always straightforward.

Without someone home to accept a parcel, deliveries can be redirected to a nearby Post Office, left in building foyers or common areas, or require building management to temporarily store packages. As apartment living continues to grow across Australia's cities, parcel management has become an increasingly important consideration for both residents and developers.

Australia Post's Parcel Locker network is one response to that shift.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KPZ9j5FRdsQ?si=Qztc1dNP3ZvEIUhb" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Rather than relying on home delivery, eligible parcels can be directed to a nominated Parcel Locker, where they're securely stored until collected. Once a parcel arrives, residents receive a notification through the AusPost app or SMS and can retrieve it using a one-time code or QR code at a time that suits them.

The network has expanded to more than 1,500 locations nationwide, with Parcel Lockers positioned at Post Offices, shopping centres, supermarkets, transport hubs and, increasingly, within or alongside residential developments.

That growing presence reflects a broader change in how apartment buildings are being planned.

Developers are increasingly considering the operational side of apartment living alongside traditional lifestyle amenities. Just as secure mailrooms, bicycle storage and EV charging have become more common inclusions, parcel management is emerging as another feature that supports everyday convenience.

It also helps preserve the arrival experience within a building. Carefully designed lobbies and communal spaces can quickly become cluttered when deliveries accumulate, while secure parcel solutions reduce the likelihood of missed deliveries or parcels being left unattended.

For buyers comparing apartments, these everyday details are becoming part of the decision-making process.

Location, floorplans and finishes remain fundamental, but the features that simplify daily life are carrying greater weight than they once did. As online shopping continues to shape consumer behaviour, secure parcel delivery is increasingly becoming another amenity worth looking for.

Parcel delivery is joining the apartment amenity checklist

Inca Property Group has lodged a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for Dawn, a 53-apartment oceanfront development overlooking Mona Vale Beach.

The proposal, at 35-39 Darley Street East, would replace an existing 18-apartment strata building with a new owner-occupier-focused development comprising 53 two and three-bedroom apartments, including nine affordable built-to-rent residences delivered under the State's infill affordable housing scheme.

Positioned on a 2,679 sqm elevated site around 280 metres from Mona Vale Beach, the development has been designed to maximise panoramic ocean views while responding to the site's sloping topography.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/inca-property-group">Inca Property Group</a> Managing Director Josh Thompson said the State Significant pathway provided greater certainty for projects of this scale.

"This State Significant pathway gives the team real certainty to progress <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/dawn-35-39-darley-street-east-mona-vale-nsw-2103">Dawn</a> through to completion," Thompson said.

"It allows us to acquire a one-off site, design it carefully and deliver the right offering for the suburb, assessed by the NSW Government's planning department."

The project is one of the first developments in the area to be assessed under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy, with the site sitting on the edge of the policy's designated inner area.

The proposal includes three basement levels providing 124 car spaces, alongside a range of resident amenities including a swimming pool, gym, sauna, wellness facilities and private plunge pools for selected ground-floor and penthouse apartments.

<img alt="Dawn" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fc1a1daf-0ce4-4f12-9076-b1fa553c7a91" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-21%20at%208.42.11%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=4GZ9h.gpNkTljbxyAET8Jfhv51XUamDm" />

Thompson said Dawn had been designed specifically for owner-occupiers and downsizers, a buyer profile that has driven demand across Inca's recent Upper North Shore developments.

"The majority of buyers in our recent North Shore projects have been downsizers, and we are learning exactly what this market is looking for. Beyond the location itself, we have included resort-style amenities to deliver a genuine lifestyle offering," Thompson said.

Located within walking distance of Mona Vale Beach, the town centre, Mona Vale Golf Club and the Royal Motor Yacht Club, Dawn represents Inca's first Northern Beaches project following the sell-out of Tara on Park in Waitara and Ellis Residences, currently under construction in St Ives.

Construction will be undertaken by Inca's in-house construction arm, GOP Constructions.

Dawn is the latest major apartment proposal for Mona Vale, with the suburb emerging as one of the key beneficiaries of the NSW Government's new Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy.

New developer One Living, led by industry veteran Joseph Scuderi, recently secured a site on Mona Vale Road, on the border of Mona Vale and Pymble, where it is planning around 140 apartments.

IPM is also planning its third project in Mona Vale, significantly increasing the scale of its previous developments with an 82-apartment proposal at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/159-167-darley-street-west-mona-vale-nsw-2103">159-167 Darley Street West</a>, opposite Bayview Golf Course and less than 800 metres from Mona Vale town centre.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/one-living-enters-sydneys-new-apartment-market-with-northern-beaches-site-acquisition">One Living enters Sydney's new apartment market with Northern Beaches site acquisition</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-ipm-plans-third-mona-vale-project">First look: IPM plans third Mona Vale project</a>

First look: Inca eyes Mona Vale with State Significant DA for Dawn apartments

Property Sales

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Tim Gurner, the Melbourne based property entrepreneur, has sold 1700 apartments in a single year.
The apartments are said to have brought in just under $1 billion for Gurner's company Gurner.
Since launching his first project in 2014 Gurner has quickly acquired a development book of over $2.1 billion, selling the 1700 apartments across 13 unique buildings across the eastern seaboard.
Tim's first venture, whilst studying at Melbourne University was a gym in Elwood.
"The gym was the best learning experience I could have asked for. 
"I think I learned more in the first four weeks of starting my own business from scratch with my own money than I did in three years at university".
Tim has also ventured out of the Melbourne market with a $600 million FV three tower precinct in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley.
The end of year caps off a huge year for Gurner who celebrated a record breaking 651 apartments sold totalling over $300 million just 12 weeks, followed by the success of the sell-out Ikebana in West Melbourne in just six weeks.
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Tim Gurner notches up 1700 apartment sales in single year 

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The greatest volume of sales across Tasmania is in the mid-price residential market, according to Herron Todd White.
Herron Todd White's October Month in Review said during the second quarter of 2015 the southern suburb of Howrah, located on Hobart’s eastern shore, listed as good examples a circa 1960s, 147 square metre dwelling located on just over 600 square metres for $371,000 and an an older style, 104 square metre unit for $310,000.
"For this same period in the north the greatest number of sales in occurred in Legana. Examples of these sales include a near new, 98 square metre unit for $272,000 a modern, 245 square metre home on just over 900 square metres of land for $395,000, and an older style, 159 square metre home on a lifestyle block for $353,000," it said.
"For this same period in the north-west, the Devonport region is where the greatest number of sales in this sector occurred. Examples of sales include a new, centrally located, 99 square metre unit for $364,000, an older style, 203 square metre home located near to water for $377,000 and a modern, 131 square metre residence on a lifestyle block on the periphery of Devonport for $350,000."
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Mid-price market most popular in Tasmania: Herron Todd White

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The annual Spring selection auction by Ray White Surfers Paradise saw more than $22 million in Gold Coast property change hands.
Thirty properties were auctioned with 141 registered bidders.
RWSP group CEO Andrew Bell, who has more than 14,000 auctions under his belt, said competitive bidding drove many sales well over the reserve.
“Collectively, properties that sold under the hammer achieved more than $1.5 million above their reserve prices,” he said. 
The RWSP Group recorded its third highest sales month in history in September, with $96 million in sales across its Gold Coast offices.
“Month after month we are seeing serious and competitive bidding at our in-room auctions which has allowed us to gain momentum heading into peak selling season.”
Previous highs were in the latter part of 2007, at the peak of the Gold Coast’s last property boom.
Bell said this reflected increased market share, resurgence of the local property market and success of the auction format.
“Auctions represent approximately half our sales, but it is this method of sale where we are seeing the most significant price growth,” he said.
Bell said his agency was also seeing the return of the owner-occupier market on the Gold Coast.
While the very top end of the market was slowly gaining traction, the $1-$2 million sector was seeing much activity, he added.
Ray White Surfers Paradise is the largest office in the Ray White Network and services the residential, prestige, commercial, industrial and marine sectors.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Buyers snap up properties worth over $22 million at Ray White's Gold Coast auction

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Non-bank lender Firstmac has indicated its reluctance to be involved in the funding of “vertically integrated” development schemes.
“What we are targeting is vertically integrated groups that have the same builder, lender, solicitor and marketing outset," Firstmac chief financial officer James Austin told Australian Broker. “I call them vertically integrated groups because they are one consortium who are developing the property and who own and are selling the property.
"They are using the same solicitors and then are marketing the properties offshore.
"So it is this concentration which is quite a high risk form of lending. 
"Therefore [Firstmac] have decided to pull out of that business.”
Austin noted it just happens that it is commonly overseas Chinese investors who are attracted to these sorts of schemes. “As we saw some of these types of loans coming into our pipeline, we sent a note out to our brokers saying that we would not do this type of business.
"It just so happened that the particular example we had at the time involved Chinese investors.
"But it is not the nationality or the borrower we are targeting – it is often the offshore resident which is susceptible to this marketing scheme and form –it is that type of vertically integrated type of operation.” According to Austin, these types of loans are higher risk due to concentration and conflict of interest, particularly in off-the-plan developments. “First of all you are getting concentrations in one area.
"You’ve got borrowers from overseas who are going to be less familiar with the true values of these properties. 
"In addition, when you’ve got this sort of integration going on, you’ve also got a conflict of interest where all the parties are working to one outcome – which is to build and sell properties. “I think the market is quite volatile right now given all the changes and development going on and I just think that off-the-plan is potentially a very problematic area.  “With funding being restricted across the industry, to investment particularly, I think that off-the-plan could become a very dangerous area.
"I think that there is a lot of development going on – both in Melbourne and in Brisbane – and I think that when they come to deliver it may be not a good place to be,” Austin told Australian Broker.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Off the plan dangers sees Firstmac avoid highest risk Melbourne and Brisbane projects

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The latest Australian Property Monitors (APM) days on market heat chart indicates the Brisbane and Perth private treaty market slowed in September.
Sydney slowed, but Perth takes around three times longer to now secured a sale.
September property market offerings had a mixed trend across the country as to the required discounting before offerings were sold by vendors.
Sydney property vendors needed to knock 5% from asking prices with Perth vendors needing a 7.1% downwards adjustment. 
 
<a href="/images/2015/10/12/Days_on_market.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2015/10/12/Days_on_market.jpg" alt="">
According to APM, Sydney property vendors need to <a href="/news/sydney-property-vendors-needing-to-knock-5-from-asking-prices-apm-heat-chart">knock 5% from their asking price</a>.
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Perth now the slowest property sales market in country: APM heat chart

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GUEST OBSERVER
A pick-up in the housing sector was a necessary part of the adjustment in the Australian economy following the end of the mining boom.
 The RBA started cutting interest rates in 2011, home buyers returned, home prices rose and this has all encouraged a dwelling construction boom that has helped offset the mining investment slump. However, as always the surge in home prices has refocussed attention on whether there is a property bubble and how it might end. 
Analysing the Australian residential property market is a bit like Groundhog Day as the big picture fundamental issues don’t really change much in that Australian housing is expensive, affordability is poor, household debt is high and there is a constant debate as to whether there is a crash around the corner. This has been the case ever since 2003. 
So quite clearly the issues around the property market are much more complex than many would see them. This note takes a look at where we are now in the Australian residential property cycle and implications for investors. 
Overvalued with too much debt... 
At a big picture level it’s hard to get away from the view that Australian property is expensive and household debt is high:
According to the 2015 Demographia Housing Affordability
Survey the median multiple of house prices to household income is 6.4 times in Australia versus 3.6 in the US and 4.7 in the UK.
On the basis of the ratio of house prices to rents adjusted for inflation relative to its long term average, Australian houses are 37% overvalued and units 14% overvalued.
The ratios of house prices to incomes and rents in Australia are at the high end of OECD countries. By contrast the US is near the low end in the OECD.
Real house prices have been running above trend since 2003. While the excess above trend eased from 2010 it has blown out again in the last two years. 
<a href="/images/2015/10/13/Screen%20Shot%202015-10-13%20at%203.23.20%20PM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2015/10/13/Screen%20Shot%202015-10-13%20at%203.23.20%20PM.png" alt="" width="632" height="360">
The shift to overvaluation has come higher household debt. The next chart shows the deviation in house prices from their long term trend against the ratio of household debt to income. 
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Naturally all of this has led to concern that Australia is in a housing bubble that will inevitably burst.
...but not as simple as it looks
However, it’s not as simple as this:
First, the big surge in home prices and household debt actually took place from the late 1990s into early last decade. Since then measures of overvaluation and the debt to income ratio haven’t changed much (esp after allowing for mortgage offset accounts). See the last chart. In other words the surge in home prices and debt was unrelated to the mining boom, except in some cities like Perth.
Second, the claims around negative gearing, foreign and SMSF buying driving the problem don’t really stack up: negative gearing has been around for a long time and while foreign and SMSF buying has played a role it looks to be small and foreign buying is concentrated in certain areas.
Third, a more fundamental factor explaining the persistence of “overvalued” home prices in Australia relative to other countries is constrained supply. Australia has had a chronic undersupply which has been worsening until recently. This can be seen in the next chart which tracks housing starts versus underlying demand. The cumulative undersupply on this measure reached above 100,000 dwellings last year. The main reason behind the slow supply response appears to be tough land use regulations in Australia. 
 
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Fourth, while household debt has gone up a lot there has not been anything like the deterioration in lending standards seen in other countries. Much of the increase in debt has gone to older, wealthier Australians. Bad debts and arrears remain low. While loan size has increased, Australians’ seem focussed on cutting their debt once they get it.
Finally, while Sydney and Melbourne have had all the characteristics of a bubble of late (overvaluation, rapid price gains, a desire to get in for fear of missing out), the rest of Australia has not. So it’s dangerous to generalise. 
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Despite all these qualifications, high house prices combined with high household debt to income ratios suggest Australia is vulnerable should something threaten the ability of households to service their mortgages. As such the RBA and APRA have been right to try and slow the property market down.
So where are we now?
Our assessment is that the national property market is cooling. 
APRA’s measures to slow lending to property investors are clearly biting with lending to investors slowing.
The Westpac-MI consumer sentiment survey shows a sharp fall in consumers’ assessment as to whether now is a good time to buy a dwelling, led by NSW.
Auction clearance rates have slowed. 
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However, this slowdown is likely to be concentrated in Sydney &amp; Melbourne, which are likely to see price growth slow to around 5% over the year ahead. Price growth is likely to remain negative in Perth and Darwin as the mining boom continues to unwind. Hobart &amp; Adelaide are likely to see continued moderate property growth, but Brisbane may start to pick up a bit.
Nationwide price falls are unlikely until the RBA starts to raise interest rates and this is unlikely before 2017. And then in the absence of a recession or rapid interest rate hikes price falls are more likely to be 5-10% as was seen in the 2009 and 2011 down cycles than anything worse. In fact, the cooling in investor demand in Sydney and Melbourne are likely to provide greater flexibility for the RBA to cut interest rates again.
What to watch for a harder landing?
I would nominate the following:
A recession – much higher unemployment could clearly cause debt servicing problems and hence forced sales. The risk at present looks manageable though at around 20%.
A surge in interest rates – but the RBA knows about the increased debt sensitivity of households so this would require the RBA to get it wrong badly.
Property oversupply – this is a risk but would require the current construction boom to continue for several years. 
Implications for investors 
There are several implications for investors: 
First, over the very long term residential property adjusted for costs has provided a similar return for investors as Australian shares, at around 11-11.5% pa. So there is role for residential property in investors’ portfolios.
Second, housing is looking somewhat less attractive as a medium term investment. It is now expensive on all metrics and offers very low income (rental) yields compared to all other assets except bank deposits and Government bonds. The gross rental yield on housing is around 2.8% (after costs this is around 1%), compared to yields of 6% on commercial property and 6.7% for Australian shares (with franking credits). This means that a housing investor is more dependent on capital growth to generate a decent return.
 
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Third, these comments relate to housing in aggregate. For those who want to look around there are pockets of value, eg in regional areas. You just have to look for them.
Finally, investors need to consider their exposure to Australian residential property generally. As a share of total household wealth its nearly 60%. Once allowance is made for indirect property exposure via Australian shares (banks, property trusts, etc) it’s even higher. I am not in the property crash camp but the risk of it does reinforce our assessment that Australian investors should have a decent exposure to say unhedged global shares because it could provide an offset should something go wrong with Australian housing. 
 
<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 Australian housing market starting to cool (in parts): AMP Capital's Shane Oliver

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Chief executive officer of McGrath Estate Agents John McGrath has outlined his top five picks for the Brisbane area and Queensland housing market, with the former industrial area of Murarrie looking ideal for those priced out of other areas.
In the McGrath Report 2015 he said properties in Brisbane and Gold Coast suburbs such as Paddington, Everton Park, Birtinya and Paradise Point are worth keeping note of.
"Murarrie, Brisbane has long been seen as a largely industrial area but today it is coming of age as young singles, couples and families priced out of nearby Bulimba, Morningside and Cannon Hill venture in looking to renovate," he said.
"Everton Park, Brisbane offers a huge range of properties to suit every buyer demographic and there is plenty of value for money. Investors and first home buyers are competing strongly for the lower priced homes.
"Paddington, Brisbane presents the best value among all of Brisbane’s blue chip suburbs. Over the past two years, Paddington buyers have been venturing into Bulimba, Ascot, New Farm and Hawthorne looking for better value. Now they are returning following a rejuvenation of Paddington’s café scene.
"Paradise Point, Gold Coast is located between Hope Island and the mesmerising Gold Coast Broadwater. It has a wonderful burgeoning café scene and offers four bedroom houses around $700,000 just 200 metres from the water.
"Birtinya, Sunshine Coast offers great value and there is plenty of room for growth as the suburb continues to benefit from the ongoing development of the Kawana health precinct."
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Murarrie leads John McGrath’s top five Queensland picks

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Having sold Headingley House in Woollahra, John Spender QC is off to Double Bay.

He has paid $3.975 million to buy in Juliana Lim's Oceania complex on Bay Street, the Bay Residences , a 14 apartment complex designed by Kann Finch architects. The legal paperwork shows the lawyer transfered the home into joint ownership with wife Catherine earlier this month under 104B of the Duties Act.

Estate agency 1st City Hasemer &amp; Caldwell.Eyles - Double Bay has one left.

Headingley, which was his diplomat father, Sir Percy Spender purchase from the Kater pastoralist family in 1949 for £11,676, fetched $13.1 million.

It was bought by New York fund manger Alwyn Heong who sold in his Rose Bay harbourfront Indah for $27.08 million to barrister Georgina Black, the partner of Graham Edwards, chief executive of the UK’s property giant Telereal Trillium.

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The LJ Hooker Bill Malouf marketing says the 1880s Woollahra house had been redesigned by acclaimed architect Professor Leslie Wilkinson in the 1930s.

Spender, the dapper Queen's Counsel, who now does commercial arbitration, moved into the stunning Georgian-style Wellington Street residence in 1985.

While he was the Member of the House of Representatives for the seat of North Sydney - before Joe Hockey's election - he would occasionally take the trip from his eastern suburbs home to the lower North Shore electorate in his late father's white Rolls Royce.

This article first appeared in the Sunday Telegraph.
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John Spender buys $3,975,000 Double Bay apartment after Headingley House sale 

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A architecturally designed residence at Hamilton in Brisbane’s inner north has been sold for $3.05 million.
The modern home at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-hamilton-119766351" target="_blank">141 Crosby Road, Hamilton</a> was sold to a bank executive through North South Real Estate’s Drew Davies.
Mr Davies said the buyer had been living in London and has returned to Australia with their family.
“The buyer loved the home’s position high on Hamilton Hill as well as the sense of space, style and privacy that is evident the moment you walk through the door,” he said.
With six bedrooms and five bathrooms, the home features a gym and steam room, wine cellar, billiards room, sitting room, dining room and eight seat cinema.
Mr Davies said the property had previously been on the market with another agency for three months and a failed auction campaign.
“The property was sold to the first buyer I showed through the home,” he said.
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Hamilton Hill home sells for $3.05 million

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The top sale of the week was a five bedroom, five bathroom freestanding home in Toorak, according to CoreLogic RP Data.
140 Kooyong Road, Toorak, Vic (above) sold by private treaty for $9,980,000.
Proudly positioned on 1190sqm, the home was designed by the architectural firm Workroom Design and crafted by AGUSHI Builders in gardens designed by Jack Merlo. 
The use of Off-form Concrete as a finished material is offset by a luxe pallet of Smoked European Oak joinery and travertine flooring, Italian stone bench tops and architectural fixtures giving the house a prestige unsurpassed. The home was marketed as utilising the the best in technology in heating and cooling (Hydronic and reverse cycle), hot water, home automation (CBUS), Audio visual technology, security, solar panelling and double glazing thereby achieving a 9 star energy rating to minimise ongoing energy costs.
 
Top Ten
140 Kooyong Road, Toorak, Vic 5 bed, 5 bath, 4 car house $9,980,000 Castran Gilbert Aust Pty Ltd 
88 Elizabeth Bay Road, Elizabeth Bay, NSW 4 bed, 3 bath, 3 car house $7,400,000 McGrath Estate Agents 
2 Alton Street, Woollahra, NSW 3 bed, 2 bath, 2 car house $6,600,000 BradfieldCleary Double Bay 
269 Cobbitty Road, Cobbitty, NSW 9 bed, 8 bath, 6 car house $5,450,000 Bos Realty Carnes Hill 
5 Private Road, Northwood, NSW 5 bed, 4 bath, 3 car house $5,380,000 McGrath Estate Agents 
33 Finch Street, Malvern East, Vic 4 bed, 3 bath, 4 car house $5,230,000 Jellis Craig Armadale 
12 Arthur Street, Bellevue Hill, NSW 5 bed, 4 bath, 2 car house $5,150,000 BradfieldCleary Double Bay 
27 Dorking Road, Cabarita, NSW 4 bed, 2 bath, 3 car house $4,661,000 Raine &amp; Horne Concord 
30 Campbell Street, Kew, Vic 4 bed, 4 bath, 6 car house $4,210,000 Marshall White Hawthorn 
65/299 Forbes Street, Darlinghurst, NSW 3 bed, 2 bath, 2 car unit $4,020,000 BresicWhitney Darlinghurst  
 
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Source: CoreLogic RP Data
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