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

The Eveleigh brings house-like apartments to Broadbeach

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reality Tv

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The new season of Channel 7's reality renovation program, House Rules, returns to our screens next month. And host Johanna Griggs tells Property Observer that the contestants might have it harder this time than they ever have before.
The show, like some of the other competitive reality television programs currently on television, has tended to stack the competing teams with plenty of renovation professionals, whether plumbers, carpenters or cabinet-makers. But in the upcoming season, Griggs says, there is only one tradie among the competitors.
"They're absolute novices," she says. "They're the least experienced renovators that we ever had."
The results of the casting move, Griggs says, weren't always pretty.
"The first reveal, I said, 'oh dear'. The finishes weren't up to standard, and I was a little worried."
As in previous seasons, the contestants hail from all over Australia. House Rules sees the teams renovate each other's homes according to a set of "house rules", with the winning team having their mortgage paid off.
Among the novice competitors are father and daughter duo Steve and Tiana, from Western Sydney. The other teams will be renovating Steve's current house, which Tiana was raised in. Steve, the oldest competitor in this series, raised Tiana in the three bedroom 1960s brick.
The only team with professional trades skills are Bronik and Corinne, from Victoria. Bronik, a carpenter, lives with his girlfriend, Corinne, in the living room of the 1960s weatherboard.  The couple can't afford to renovate the home, which has only one habitable room.
There are no "baddies" among the contestants this season, according to Griggs.
"They're so lovely," she says.
"It's so hard getting the six homes done, and the six gardens, so there's no luxury of casting anyone who's nasty."
Last season, Tasmanian couple Brook and Grant were largely portrayed as villains. This season, the Tasmanian representatives are Cassie and Matt. Cassie says "the pressure is on" after Tasmanian couples were the first to be eliminated in previous seasons.
They live in a 1960s brick home in Hobart. Cassie works as a pharmacist while Matt is a swimming instructor training to be a P.E. teacher.
Ryan, of Adelaide, lives with his girlfriend and teammate Marlee. He purchased the house four years ago alone, and works two jobs to pay for what the couple calls "the ugliest house in Australia". Marlee works as a travel agent, and sees the competition as way to relieve Ryan's workload.
From Western Australia are married couple Karina and Brian, who have three children. Their house in Geraldton, north of Perth, sits on five acres, with ocean and mountain views. Although they bought it with the intention to renovate, they can't afford to make changes to the 1970s Spanish-style villa. At 42 and 44, they are the oldest team in the season.
While Brian does have some professional trades experience as a qualified timber framer, not all the contestants have an easy time at the beginning of the season, with Griggs saying some don't realise to do things like account for flooring when taking measurements for a room.
"With the first reveal, I was quite in shock at the standard, and maybe that's heartening," she said.
But the teams "improve dramatically"over the course of the season, she says. One of the hardest homes this season, she tells Property Observer, is in the first week, with contestants competing with mould and only one livable room. But Griggs says the house, presumably Corinne and Bronik's, has more than just shock value.
"You've got to remember that the man who owns it is the first man in his family who's ever owned his own home. So he's the most proud human being to own that place, and that's what makes it special."
Another house, she says, is obviously the product of an owner-builder "who just decided to rewrite the laws of building". With structural problems, Griggs calls the house "a basket case from start to finish".
While other renovation shows pitch themselves to a luxury market, Griggs says House Rules is more emotional, and relatable.
"The biggest point of difference is that its their own home," says Griggs.
"They're going to have to live in it."
The season premiere of the new season of House Rules airs on Channel 7 on Tuesday, 5 May.
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House Rules promises the toughest season yet

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Then unremitting diet of big-budget "reality" programs might be good for the economics of our three cash-strapped, revenue-challenged main TV networks, but it is not impressing viewers, who have deserted free-to-air TV prime-time viewing at a rate of one in 10 since the official ratings race started in February.
And there is likely more bad news ahead for the free-to-air networks, which have doubled down on reality shows for the year, with the coming of streaming services like Netflix.
According to analysis of Oztam ratings data for the ratings year so far by Fusion Strategy in Sydney, peak live main channel audiences are down 11.51% so far in 2015. And Fusion’s Steve Allen blames the three networks, which he says are “hammering away at each other with reality ... [and that] will diminish audiences further”.
And he will be proven right when Seven’s House Rules starts after Easter, and Nine starts its knock-off, Reno Rumble. It’s an expensive spoiler from Nine, which shows that the network has run out of ideas for new programs.
Oztam data shows that while both Seven and Nine have lost ground for their current headline reality shows (My Kitchen Rules and The Block), Ten’s audience is up dramatically -- but that is more to do with the fact that a year ago Ten started the year with its weakest audience figures in a decade or more. So far this season, MKR has lost 12.6% of its audience this year compared to 2014, with a 14.4% drop in the 16-to-54 demographics. The Block's audience has fallen 33% compared to 2014 and more than 38% in 16-to-54 viewers.
In a note to clients on Friday, Allen wrote:
“A large proportion, but not all the viewers, are happy with Reality TV … we estimate it is about 65%. The rest do not like or enjoy this genre ... [It’s] pretty clearly a reasonable number of viewers are tiring of Reality … yet this is the pattern the Networks have chosen and committed to for pretty much the whole year. Thus we think the outlook for audiences … just as SVOD [subscription video on demand] launches, as another competitive attack … is a little bleak and problematic."
Over the past couple of years the networks have used reality shows to cut programming costs in a very simple way -- by extending the nightly episodes from an hour or 75 minutes to 90 minutes. That means audiences are held longer to a winning format (in Nine’s case though it has amplified the fall in viewer numbers of The Block), enabling the networks to reap more revenue from charging high ad rates for the extra half hour -- more than they could for a new program. That in turn allows the network to cut half an hour of programming costs four or five nights a week, or one sitcom or two hour-long dramas -- and save upwards of $300,000 to $1 million in production and scheduling costs. The cost of the extra half hour for the reality program is marginal -- the vision would have been shot anyway (the shooting ratio for these programs is quite high).
The danger for the networks is that as the year goes on viewers will stop watching the new programs because they are bored, or have seen them before. And as we saw with Australia’s Got Talent on Seven a couple of years ago, and then on Nine, and Big Brother on Ten and Nine, once viewers get bored with a format, they stay away, costing the network huge amounts of wasted production costs and lost ad revenues.
The driver for this approach is the absence of any growth in TV ad revenues in the past five years -- in 2014 ad revenue for the three networks was less than it was in 2009, despite the rise in costs for big-ticket productions and the huge new broadcasting contracts for the AFL (Seven and Foxtel) and the NRL (Nine and Foxtel). Nine and Seven are now gearing up for the new AFL contract, so they will need to save every dollar of costs they can. Ten will talk the talk on how it wants a part of a new broadcasting contract, but unless the tooth fairy appears to drop a couple of hundred million dollars down its balance sheet, it won’t be a player. It has to convince TV advertisers and viewers it will return in 2016.
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Viewers switch off The Block as networks face harsh reality

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The co-founders of an early education facility dedicated to the care of children with disabilities have received an $80,000 investment from two of the investors on Channel Ten's Shark Tank, a show inviting news businesses to pitch in front of a panel of investors.  
Rebecca Glover decided to start her own business dedicated to the holistic care of children with disabilities in 2013 when she realised there was nowhere to send her own daughter, Ruby, who lives with a disability.
“The early years with Ruby were very turbulent and she was in constant pain. My other daughter was three when things became difficult. So once I got to the point where Ruby was more settled, I knew I would need respite for myself or I just wouldn’t be able to keep going,” Glover told Women’s Agenda.
“So I thought, who will look after her? And there was no one. I realised there was a huge gap in the market because she couldn’t go to a normal daycare and in-home care would put me $300 out of pocket every day.”
Glover said this motivated her to start a business of her own. The business, a home-run childcare service, is called Hummingbirds Early Intervention and Education Service. 
“I could see something needed to change so I started investigating different models I could use to start my own childcare service. I started to see where the need was in the community and it was clear that there was a huge amount of need for a new service like this,” Glover said.
“So I realised that same need must be everywhere. I decided I would start a childcare centre in my home at first and see where it went from there.”
 Then, in mid-2014, Glover connected with a parent who was bringing her child to Glover’s home childcare centre, Leah James.
“I had been running Hummingbirds for just over a year from my home and Leah was bringing her son each day, so we got talking about how she could help out with the business. We then joined forces and started work on a bigger plan to get a proper external centre and reachmore families, which is exactly what we’re trying to do now,” Glover said.
And this week, Glover and James have received the investment they need to do just that. The $80,000 investment from Steve Baxter and John McGrath, awarded following their pitch on Shark Tank, will help them establish their first childcare centre.
Glover said the mentoring they had received as a result of the show, on top of the large investment, has been particularly helpful.
“It’s so much bigger than just the money – the mentors we have found in Steve and John are priceless. The knowledge they can bring to our business will be unbelievably helpful. Leah and I have thepassion and the drive and we know what we’re doing, but their expertise will be such a great input and that, to me, is more important than the money,” she said. 
“We showed them that this is a real life problem and we painted a picture of what is actually happening for parents in our communities. We gave them a glimpse into this world and showed them that something has to change, and so they believed in us and saw this could be aviable business and a good investment for them.”
 Investor Steve Baxter echoed this sentiment.
“Not only does Hummingbirds strike a chord with me because of the simply incredible service it offers, it’s also a very smart business investment because it is essentially filling a large gap in the market. Rebecca and Leah have the heart, the passion, the wits and the business smarts, all brilliant traits in a business partner,” he said. 
Glover hopes to see the business grow to include multiple childcare centres in Brisbane and across Australia.
“It’s not just about childcare, it’s more than that. It’s about helping families who need help, and allowing their children to flourish and become whoever they want to be,” Glover said.
This article first appeared on <a href="https://www.womensagenda.com.au/" target="_blank">Women's Agenda</a>.
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Why some of Channel 10's 'Sharks' are investing in childcare

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John McGrath invested $40,000 in a childcare centre for children living with disabilities or special needs on Channel 10's Shark Tank this week.
The McGrath estate agents founder secured a 12.5% stake of Hummingbirds, as did tech entrepreneur Steve Baxter when the pair decided to split the offered 25% stake.
The two "Sharks" chose to invest after hearing the story of Rebecca Glover and Leah James, businesswomen and mothers of children with disabilities.
Their business, Hummingbirds, offers care, early intervention and support for young children of all abilities, including those with motor development delays. They founded the business after finding traditional childcare facilities unsuitable for their own children, who live with disabilities.
Currently, they offer just four places for children, but said on the show there was a waiting list of 35. Hummingbirds' care is offered at $120 per day, with government assistance and Medicare rebates reducing the out of pocket cost to about $35 per day.
Glover and James are hoping to expand the business to accommodate 21 children, with two carers carers available at all times for each room of seven children.
As they presented their business model on Shark Tank, the potential investors queried the businesswomen about their plans to upscale the business, wondering whether they were willing to take on the extra commitment of expanding Hummingbirds. The entrepreneurs assured the panel that they one day hoped to become a national business.
James said to the panel: "We're driven with heart and passion but we're smart women. We're very capable of this. But we have so many desperate, desperate mothers and fathers out there."
Their pitch was enough to convince Baxter, founder of SE Net, who has no experience in childcare. He later wrote in BRW: 
"If you told me a year ago that I would be investing in the childcare industry, I'd have laughed you out the door. However, when Leah James and Rebecca Glover entered the Shark Tank, they came not just with a moving personal story about what they've done to ensure a better future for their children, and other children effected by disabilities. They came with a sharp, well-thought and viable business proposition ... As I said in Shark Tank, Hummingbirds was a deal too important not to be done."
McGrath, who was visibly moved by the pair's story, said he had a friend who worked in the childcare industry.
McGrath's $40,000 investment isn't his first on the show – he has also committed money to Salsa Rudo Hot Sauces, paying $80,000 for a 45% stake in the business. And while not investing in teenager Daniel Baise's interactive computer screen GTouch, he did, with Baxter, help support the teenager's trip to a trade show in Las Vegas.
McGrath famously did very poorly in his HSC results before moving into the real estate business as a letting agent. At 20, he moved to real estate sales and later founded his own agency. McGrath Estate Agents now has 62 offices along Australia's east coast and sold over $12 billion in residential property in the last year.
McGrath has also been a director on the board of REA Group since 2001.
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John McGrath puts down $40,000 for childcare centre on Shark Tank

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Shark Tank, which premiered on Channel Ten on Sunday, hosted by Sarah Harris, took a look at a property website among its mentoring considerations during the opening episode which was watched by 616,000 viewers.
Shark Tank features five successful Australian business people, all hunting for the next big idea to turn into a profitable co-venture, including John McGrath from McGrath Estate Agents (pictured above, far right).
The self-made multi-millionaires judge the business concepts pitched by the owner and then decide whether to invest some of their own money to help market and mentor each. The pitchee must convince a shark that their idea is original and the product worth pursuing.
Shark Tank's panel of prospective purchasing entrepreneurs Janine Allis (Boost Juice), Steve Baxter (internet pioneer), Andrew Banks (Talent2), and Naomi Simson (Red Balloon).
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The Sharks – worth collectively more than $1 billion - debate, argue over and judge the products and concepts brought to them.  
</div>
</div>
</div>
The website is <a href="https://www.rentresume.com.au" target="_blank">rentresume.com.au</a> which was founded in June 2011 by Darren Smith out of the frustration and repetition involved when applying for a rental property.
"I thought there must be an way to make the process a lot easier, rewarding, smoother &amp; safer for all concerned," his website says. The series launch on Sunday February 8 saw Toowoomba resident Darren Smith frustrated - having ambitiously wanted $2.5 million for a 40% stake in the subscription service for tenant rental histories.
There were <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://twitter.com/sharktankau/status/564358698311491585" target="_blank">presentation issues during the pitch</a>.
“I’ve seen some worse ideas but not many,” John McGrath said.
<img src="/images/2015/02/06/screenshot-feb-6-oner.jpg" alt="">
Photo: A shot from the opening episode of Shark Tank. Source: Channel Ten.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Shark Tank millionaires consider Australian property website

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A $4.2 million refurbishment is planned for the forthcoming The Block Octagonal series.
The development application proposes seven whole-floor apartments, each with three bedrooms.
It is not known how many contestant couples there will be, with rumours of a competition between the alumni of rival Block and House Rules television shows going head to head.
 
<img src="/images/2014/10/24/block%20octagonal%20oct%2024%20three.jpg" alt="">
The rooftop of the former Hotel Saville.
At ground level, the Brenchley Architect plans propose a café for 80 patrons.
Stonnington Council has yet to approve the conversion of the recently closed hotel.
The eight level, 34-room octagonal-shaped Hotel Saville in South Yarra was purchased last year by Watercress Pty Ltd, the production company of Channel 9’s The Block for $6.25 million.
The property has close access to popular attractions and amenities such as the Prahran Market, Chapel Street, Fawkner Park, the Botanical Gardens and Albert Park Lake. St Kilda Road and public transport are all nearby, with The Alfred Hospital is just down the road. 
<img src="/images/2014/10/24/block%20octagonal%20oct%2024%20two.jpg" alt="">
The Hotel Saville, the site of a forthcoming series of The Block.
Property Observer is aware that in the 1990s, some of its rooms were briefly rented to the Alfred Hospital.
In 2002 the hotel was in the news after it was alleged Reservoir man Shane Chartres-Abbott violently raped a client in a hotel suite, with part of her tongue missing.
The gigolo Chartres-Abbott was arrested shortly after the attack with the victim's blood on his pants and her phone in his bag. With the forensic evidence, medical reports, the victim's testimony and witness statements, Chartres-Abbott presented a bizarre, headline-grabbing defence that he was a 200-year-old vampire.
Chartres-Abbott was subsequently executed outside his Reservoir home in 2003 as he left for the County Court during the rape trial. 
The 3.5 star Hotel Saville of South Yarra, with restaurant, had been trading under various names since its opened in the early 1970s.
With 360 degree views, the property is located at<a href="https://rca.colliers.com.au/property-land+development-vic-south+yarra-501125927" target="_blank"> 1-5 Commercial Road</a>, near busy Punt Road.
<img src="/images/2014/10/24/block%20octagonal%20oct%2024%20one.jpg" alt="">
A notice at the entry of the Hotel Saville.
Watercress's next series of The Block which is currently being advertised to start next month is on Darling Street, South Yarra.
Their Brenchley Architects plans were lodged for a $2.4 million development application for the <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-unitblock-vic-south+yarra-116269171" target="_blank">South Yarra</a> property. Titled The Block Triple Threat, the show's 10th series follows the 2014 The Block Glasshouse series in Prahran.
The current 12-unit block at 27 Darling Street, South Yarra, (pictured below) will be four luxury triple-storey townhouses.
<img src="/images/2014/10/24/block%20octagonal%20oct%2024%20five.jpg" alt="">
Watercress paid $5.7 million for the Darling Street site.
 
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The Block Octagonal will have seven luxury South Yarra apartments

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BCS Strata Management has been named the owner corporation manager for the six Prahran apartments best known as The Block Glasshouse.
The Block's production team also appointed BSC Strata Management to manage its previous two ventures, South Melbourne's the Block Sky High building and Albert Park's the Block Fans v Faves development in the former Dux theatre.
General Manager of Business Development John Georgas said: "For the past 40 years we've enhanced community living. We can't wait to work with the new owners of one of Melbourne's most-watched and talked about properties.
The apartment block has a total of 3,500 square metres of floor space, with a carpark, lock-up storage and indoor common entrance area and lift access.
The Albert Park Block development had a substantial common area, with an indoor pool, lounge with televisions and lifts.
"We're looking forward to providing our services to a building which is sure to go down in history as a Melbourne icon," said Georgas.
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BCS to manage The Block Glasshouse

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The latest series of The Block Glasshouse tried to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
And the reduced pool of savvy potential buyers - and bidders - didn't buy into all the associated hype as the final three auction results limped over their reserves.
With a $1.6 million average sale price - reflecting around $6900 a square metre - it actually almost succeeded, though the viewing public was deprived if they only desired uplifting show business hoopla.
It was thwarted in the end by its b-grade High Street, Prahran location. For Sydneysiders it would be like flogging prestige apartments on Parramatta Road, Annandale, which has very nice houses away from its busy thoroughfare, though without the trams. Certainly Prahran and some of its Chapel Street is a cosmopolitan suburb, but not quite everywhere yet in the immediate neighbourhood.
The most profitable selling market would have been student style - or Gen Y workers - rather than vast luxe given its proximity to Swinburne University with the 6 route tram out front and the railway very close via the Percy Street garage exit.
So the deep-pocketed baby boomer buyers that are the traditional recent Block apartment auction attendee either understandably didn't turn up or showed suitable reserve and mostly kept their hands in their pockets given the mediocre Prahran location. Couldn't imagine the baby boomers heading a few doors along to Misty’s Diner, a genuine American diner right next door to a <a href="https://www.theworkscarwash.com.au/theworks/" target="_blank">hand car wash</a> at what one blogger recently described as <a href="https://filluponbread.net/2014/06/26/mistys-diner/" target="_blank">the bleaker end of Prahran High Street</a>.
The local gay population didn't appear to embrace much of the Glasshouse either.
Also property success is often premised on population trends so those big three bedroom apartments were perhaps oversized for the very obvious Prahran composition of households without children. It sits at around 70% compared to the 50% Melbourne average. Ditto the lone person households category in the last census sat at around 40% of Prahran households compared with the Melbourne 23% average. There were just the 99 households in Prahran with five or more occupants.
Also RP Data puts the median Prahran apartment price at <a href="/news">around $510,000</a>, and going backwards a bit after its recent peak, presumably because of the enormous increase in newly constructed stock. Prahran houses have a $900,000 median. Just across High Street is for instance, ART, a block of 50 apartments that has incorporated supposed hip art into its eastern facade ands its foyer after a Facebook page where people could vote for their favourite. <a href="https://www.artprahran.com.au" target="_blank">Designed by ROTHELOMWMAN for developer Crema</a>, ART included 26 one-bedroom apartments, 23 two-bedders and the three-bedroom, two-bathroom penthouse. 
The one-bedroom apartments range from 51 square metres to 76 square metres; the two-bedroom apartments from 69 square metres to 87 square metres; and the penthouse was marketed as 160 square metres. Back in 2011 the off the plan prices for all but the penthouse ranged from $346,000 to $719,000, so from $6700 a square metre to $9400 a square metre. The penthouse fetched $1.16 million on its June settlement, so around $7250 a square metre. The former petrol station-turned residential development was offloaded by the Deague family at $5.5 million after they scrapped plans to build a hotel as part of its "art" series chain. 
The much desired $2 million plus hopes for the Glasshouse proved elusive. One Melbourne buyers' agent has egg on their face for suggesting the $2 million likelihood even on auction eve when the feedback ought have been obvious.
"This is reality … the property market is the one thing we can't control," bemoaned decor consultant Shelley Craft during the Channel 9 telecast.
“Something happened ….that’s not easily explained by me or frankly by anyone else,” producer Julian Cress told easily convinced, naive newspaper reporting attendees, adding they used the same valuer in each and every series.
The full results:
<ol>
<li>Simon and Shannon, 2/125 High Street: $1.9 million ($335,000 over adjusted reserve)</li>
<li>Chris and Jenna, 2/121-127 High Street: $1.81 million ($310,000 over reserve)</li>
<li>Maxine and Karstan, 3/121-127 High Street: $1.71 million ($40,000 over reserve)</li>
<li>Michael and Carlene, 1/125 High Street: $1.39 million ($10,000 over reserve)</li>
<li>Deanne and Darren, 6/121 High Street: $1.38 million ($10,000 over reserve)</li>
</ol>
The further into the auction finale - and the more Scottie slumped into his couch - viewers got to see just how hit and miss property renovation success can be when buyer demand doesn't go deep enough for the ill-suited, over supply.
They were lucky all five apartments of The Block Glasshouse were sold under the hammer at their Prahran onsite auction, as the extended last offering brought flooding back memories of the Richmond auction disaster in 2011 when just one of the four Block cottages sold under the hammer.
But with metres of floor space over five floors, the Prahran building was almost double the size of the historic Dux House warehouse renovation at 47 O'Grady Street, Albert Park which the Watercress production company bought from billionaire businessman Lloyd Williams last year for $5.9 million. It was perfect for their flush buyer mix. 
<a href="/news/substance-over-style-as-chantelle-and-steve-win-the-block-2014-fans-v-faves">The Block Fans v Faves results</a> which secured a $9.6 million total in April were as follows:
<ol>
<li>Steve and Chantelle, 1/47 O’Grady: $2.47 million ($636,000 above the adjusted reserve)</li>
<li>Alisa and Lysandra, 3/47 O’Grady: $2.375 million ($616,000 above the adjusted reserve)</li>
<li>Kyal and Kara, 2/47 O’Grady: $2.44 million ($567,250 above the adjusted reserve)</li>
<li>Brad and Dale, 4/47 O’Grady: $2.31 million ($507,250 above the adjusted reserve)</li>
</ol>
It was a similar success at The Block Sky High too at 142 Park Street, South Melbourne parkland which secured five sales totalling $7.6 million, with Watercress having retained the sixth apartment, after paying $6.71 million for the four-star bizMOTEL, which closed its doors in late 2012.
 
<ol>
<li>Apartment 5 Trixie &amp; Johnno – $1.605 million - $205,000 over reserve</li>
<li>Apartment 4 Madi &amp; Jarrod – $1.601 million - $291,000 over reserve</li>
<li>Apartment 3 Bec &amp; George – $1.507 million - $242,000 over reserve</li>
<li>Apartment 2 Matt &amp; Kym – $1.455 million - $250,000 over reserve</li>
<li>Apartment 1 Alisa &amp; Lysandra – $1.435 million - $295,000 over reserve.  
</li>
</ol>
So the High Street Glasshouse office block now has six split-level, atrium apartments above two retail/restaurants premises after the production company, Watercress spent $8.25 million on the 1980s office building. The $2.5 million Brenchley Architects infill works schedule was mostly internal, and then the constantant couples spent their renovation funds.
The $8.2 million auction proceeds covered the initial outlay with Watercress retaining the sixth apartment plus two street front retail premises. And then there is all the ad revenue for Channel 9.
The winning Glasshouse apartment at 4/125 High Street, renovated by brothers Simon and Shannon Vos, had a southerly aspect overlooking busy, noisy High Street, so it was the hipster fit out that seemed to work in its favour.
The 249 square metre apartment was the second largest of the five on offer.
It's priced reflected the top $7630 a square metre.
Chris and Jenna with their runner-up offering had 277 square metres of floor space, making it the biggest apartment in The Block. But with just skylights and an internal terrace along with the rooftop terrace. It's price was $6530 a square metre.
Max and Karstan had the apartment at 3/121-127 High Street Prahran, with a sunny north-westerly aspect. The couple also have an extra little, almost useless room. The sale worked at to be $7125 a square metre as their apartment was 236 square metres of floor space.
Michael and Carlene's apartment at 1/125 High Street has 236 square metres of floor space, and a southerly aspect. It was the poorest price at $5890 a square metre.
Deanne and Darren's apartment, 6/121 High Street, was the smallest on The Block, with just 186 square metres of floor space.
But it, however, had the most desirable aspect, facing northward and delivering city views. Its sale price reflected $7,419 a square metre, the second placed by square metreage.
Each apartment will also have 70 square metres of private storage and two car spaces.
Viewers saw it was a very close shave exceeding the reserve for the threesome of the contestant couples.
And there were two terrific over-reserve results on High Street in the ninth series of the Channel 9 series. 
It appeared the order of sale again impacted the result as it did in past series where investors, rather than home buyers, were at the fore, but this time it favoured those who went up in the auction order.
The first series of The Block in Bondi Beach back in 2003 came after the $1.95 million four block acquisition through the Channel 9 company. 
Such has been the success of the reality television renovation stress series that nowadays that doesn't even come close to the current day renovation costs. 
The next series at Darling Street, South Yarra might work out ok, though it is cheap serviced apartment heartland. Then onwards to the <a href="/expert-insights/investing/the-block-south-yarra-octagonal-hotel-saville-mystery">still unconfirmed Octagonal</a> which will be anyone's guess as to how it goes!
*Jonathan Chancellor, the Property Observer editor at large, has been closely following The Block since its 2003 Bondi Beach debut series.
Property reality television shows can inspire and create controversy and drama, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some lessons to learn. Here’s our latest free eBook with tips, tricks and information we’ve gained from <a href="/images/stories/marketing/ebooks/PO-ebook-RealityTV.pdf?utm_source=Property+Observer+List&amp;utm_campaign=e7c94f84fa-16_September_2014&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_a523fbfccb-e7c94f84fa-" target="_blank">property game shows</a> through the years. 
 
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Not enough bidding baby boomer buyers to boost B-grade location in The Block Glasshouse 2014 auction results

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SPOILER ALERT 
No winner reveal within - so mild spoiler alert from Property Observer - but Sunday night's The Block Glasshouse finale will nicely illustrate just how hit and miss property renovation success can be.
All five apartments of The Block Glasshouse were sold under the hammer earlier today at their Prahran onsite auction, Property Observer understands.
<a href="/expert-insights/building/smashing-win-for-simon-and-shannon-in-the-block-glasshouse-auctions-results">Brothers Simon and Shannon took out the $100,000 prize at the auctions of The Block Glasshouse.</a>
But viewers will see it was a very close shave exceeding the reserve for some of the contestant couples.
While there is no official confirmation ahead of the Sunday night broadcast, the five results bettered Melbourne's overall 73% auction success rate which was recorded this weekend amid the 820 auctions reported to the REIV. 
And there were terrific over-reserve results on High Street in the ninth series of the Channel 9 series. 
But I note one of the weakest sales finished just 6% up on its opening bid before the hammer came down.
"It is extremely good buying at this level," the auctioneer vainly suggested.
Another took over 30 minutes to secure the sale for little over reserve.
It appeared the order of sale again impacted the result as it did in past series where investors, rather than home buyers, were at the fore.
The auction saw Darren and Deanne, Michael and Carlene, Max and Karstan, Chris and Jenna and Simon and Shannon compete to get the highest price over their respective reserves.
The winning couple will receive $100,000 in addition to the huge profit they made over reserve.
Reserves were determined officially prior to the renovations, and the in the game that followed each couple also got the chance to discount these reserves when completing the building’s final “secret” apartment which may be retained by the show's production company.
Maxine and Karstan received a $30,000 cut to their reserve price, as did Deanne and Darren. Michael and Carlene’s reserve was discounted by $20,000, while Simon and Shannon received a $10,000 discount.
Chris and Jenna did not get placed in the top three at either stage of the challenge, and so missed out.
I thought the judge Darren Palmer gave a very good summation of the factors that were likely to influence the result - a balancing act of southerly versus internal versus northerly aspect, weighing up square meterage, views and amenity, <a href="/expert-insights/buying/darren-palmer-says-max-and-karstan-might-triumph-on-the-block-glasshouse">he noted in his LJ Hooker blog</a>.
But that was before the buyers, the agents, the buyers agents, and the auctioneers did their stuff. 
The much desired $2 million plus proved elusive.
*Jonathan Chancellor, the Property Observer editor at large, has been closely following The Block since its 2003 Bondi Beach debut series <a href="/expert-insights/buying/not-enough-bidding-baby-boomer-buyers-to-boost-b-grade-location-in-the-block-glasshouse-2014-auction-results">with f</a><a href="/expert-insights/buying/not-enough-bidding-baby-boomer-buyers-to-boost-b-grade-location-in-the-block-glasshouse-2014-auction-results">ull analysis of the results</a> to follow the Sunday night broadcast.
Property reality television shows can inspire and create controversy and drama, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some lessons to learn. Here’s our latest free eBook with tips, tricks and information we’ve gained from <a href="/images/stories/marketing/ebooks/PO-ebook-RealityTV.pdf?utm_source=Property+Observer+List&amp;utm_campaign=e7c94f84fa-16_September_2014&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_a523fbfccb-e7c94f84fa-" target="_blank">property game shows</a> through the years. 
 
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The Block 2014 auction results in not quite five gold stars at the Glasshouse Prahran: SPOILER ALERT 

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Last night's episode of Location Location Location Australia showed buyer's agents Veronica Morgan and Bryce Holdaway helping out two relocating couples.
Though one couple was upsizing and the other downsizing, they were both forced to negotiate the tricky realities of moving far from home.
Veronica was working with retirees Sue and Barney. After living in Port Macquarie for 16 years, they wanted to relocate to Wagga Wagga, where their son and his young family lived.
The couple, who have been married for 47 years, raised their own family in Wagga Wagga before moving northward to the beach.
For their return to Wagga, they wanted a three bedroom house with a double garage and a shed, which was close to the grandkids.
Their move, which they think might be their final one, had to be done on a tight budget of $350,000.
With limited stock on market in Wagga, Veronica was tasked with finding them the perfect final home among very few options.
She started by taking the couple to their preferred area of <a href="/news">Turvey Park</a>, in the heart of Wagga and only minutes from their son Ben. The three bedroom house, on the market for $329,000, had three bedrooms, a shed and a backyard.
The recently renovated home was a lot smaller than what Sue and Barney were used to, and the couple believed it would take a lot of hard work to make it worthwhile. It was immediately struck from the list despite its great location and the search continued.
The second house they inspected was in <a href="/news">Kooringal</a>, south of Turvey Park but only four kilometres from their son's home. The bigger house, with three bedrooms, only had a single car garage and the shed was on the small size.
While Sue loved the brick bungalow with an open plan kitchen, Barney was pretty skeptical. At $339,000, the house fell under their budget - but only just.
The third home they inspected was in <a href="/news">Bourkelands</a>, four kilometres from Central Wagga. The former site of a military base, developers have recently taken a liking to the area, with new builds popping up.
The house, which also had a $339,000, had a double garage, an open plan kitchen and living room layout. The master bedroom came with a walk in robe and ensuite, which also appealed.
With somewhat shabby bathrooms, the house (pictured below) would require a little bit of work. It <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-bourkelands-116920539" target="_blank">remains on the market</a>, with its asking price now at $332,500. 
<img src="/images/2014/09/24/1.jpg" alt="">
After visiting three homes, none of which ticked all the boxes and all a step down from their dream home in Port Macquarie, the true reality of downsizing began to set in.
Sue and Barney showed just how difficult it is to downsize, especially from a home you love. Though they both wanted to be closer to their family, they weren't quite ready to make the final purchase of their life - especially if it meant settling for a home they weren't happy in.
In the end, although they couldn't find the perfect home, Sue and Barney decided they needed to be in Wagga. So they sold their Port Macquarie home and set out to rent a house in Wagga while waiting for the right home to come onto the market.
This article continues on the next page. Please click below.
<hr class="system-pagebreak">
 Bryce teamed up with Melbourne couple Ben and Amelia, who had the opposite move in mind.
They were planning to migrate northward, to the Gold Coast. After watching prices skyrocket in Melbourne, they decided they wanted more warmth and luxury for their dollar.
The upgraders, who want a family home they can grow into, had a budget of $1 million. They've been searching for a home in the Gold Coast for some time, but were finding the interstate property inspections a little impractical.
Enter Bryce. He was tasked with finding them a four bedroom home with a minimum of two bathrooms, a pool and canal views. Ben and Amelia wanted something close to the beach, with plenty of entertaining space.
Bryce was optimistic about their prospects, especially on their budget. The property market's downturn means that homes are more affordable than before, and it's a buyers' market.
According to Bryce, good capital growth potential can again be found in the Gold Coast, with high price growth in the southern states spurring on upgraders just like Ben and Amelia.
Their hunt began in <a href="/news">Broadbeach Waters</a>, at a home situated right on the canal. The four bedroom, four bathroom house had a pool and a six car garage. Unfortunately, it required some renovations - but with a price of $800,000, there was plenty of money leftover in the couple's budget for that.
It seemed, however, that Ben and Amelia had other things in mind. They weren't interested in extensive renovations, and wanted at least two living areas.
So house number one was a bust, and they moved along to house number two: a <a href="/news">Mermaid Waters</a> house with two open plan living areas. The contemporary tiled house had four bedrooms, four bathrooms and a spot to tie up the boat.
There was also an outdoor entertaining space by the pool. On the market for $995,000, it was within their budget, and made a good first impression.
But Ben and Amelia, it turned out, wanted a home with a better indoor-outdoor flow. So house number two was also out.
The <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-broadbeach+waters-116288195" target="_blank">third home they inspected</a> was one on main road, which caused some concern. But its huge contemporary interior space and layout, pictured below, won them over. The home, on a wide plot, also included a pool and spa facing the canal, with its own jetty.
<img src="/images/2014/09/24/2.jpg" alt="">
While the home's bedrooms weren't amazing, the outdoor entertaining area was enough to win them over.
The house had a $1 million asking price, but it turned out that the vendors had accepted a $950,000 offer previously, and finance had fallen through.
They inspected a final house, a single storey home with two large living areas and four bedrooms in Broadbeach. The house, which the couple wasn't keen on, had an asking price of $950,000.
The price gave Amelia and Ben a point of comparison, and solidified their preference for the third home.
Knowing that the vendors had accepted a $950,000 offer, Bryce proposed a $930,000 to $950,000 price for the home. Amelia and Ben decided to put in a $920,000 bid, and were happy to play the waiting game.
However, so was the vendor, who rejected the bid. Amelia and Ben pushed up their offer to $945,000 - which, after a few days of waiting, was accepted by the vendor.
By knowing the previous offers put in on the house, Amelia and Ben were able to gauge the vendor's needs, securing the home for $55,000 under the asking price.
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