<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.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377675]

Nova Rêve also represents a significant step up from the family's first apartment development, Grand Rêve, which was delivered nearby on Garthowen Crescent.

Grand Rêve introduced larger, house-like apartment layouts and premium inclusions including Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances to the Castle Hill market.

Nova Rêve takes that approach to a precinct scale, combining the residential component with hospitality, retail and substantial public and resident landscaping.

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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

Residential Auctions

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Sydney home auction market is back to record pace following last weekend's long weekend according to domain's Andrew Wilson.
He said over 800 homes are set to go under the hammer this Saturday, well ahead of last weekend’s holiday impacted 407 auctions and significantly higher than the 650 listed over the same holiday weekend last year.
"Sydney sellers continue to rush the local market in unprecedented numbers with this weekend set to break the previous June Saturday record of 788 set just two weekends ago," he said.
"Sydney’s strong inner west market will host the most number of regional auctions this weekend with 118 listed. 
"The next highest is the upper north shore with 108 closely followed by the south 107, the city and east 84, the lower north 80, the west 66, Canterbury Bankstown 57, the northern beaches 49, the south west 46, the north west 37 and the central coast with 25 auctions scheduled on Saturday.
"Mosman is clearly the most popular suburb in Sydney this weekend with 15 followed by Randwick, Killara and Ashfield each with 10, Bankstown, Cronulla and Blacktown each with 9, Marrickville 8 and a number of suburbs with 7 auctions listed including St Ives, Epping and Paddington.
"Over 950 Melbourne homes are set to go under the hammer this Saturday which will be predictably up on last weekend’s holiday impacted 267 but similar to the 989 listed over the same weekend last year.
"Auction numbers will continue to ease over coming weeks as the market enters the typically quieter mid-year selling season. A significantly lower proportion of inner suburban, higher-priced listings will be the usual feature if the winter market.
"Melbourne’s western suburbs are the most popular for auctions this weekend with 176 listed.  Next highest region is the outer east with 141 followed by the inner south with 133, the north east 123, the inner city 121, the inner east 100, the north 79 and the south east with 62 auctions scheduled.
"Glen Waverley is clearly the most popular suburb for auctions this Saturday with 19 followed by St Albans 14, Mount Waverley 13, Reservoir and Richmond each with 12 and a number of suburbs with 11 auctions scheduled including Epping, South Yarra and Elwood."
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jonathanchancellor-7SQnKwU6yx

Sydney, Melbourne auctions back to strength

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Housing measures announced in the federal budget drove a high point for Sydney and Melbourne auctions over the weekend, according to Domain's Andrew Wilson.
He said on Saturday, the Sydney recorded an auction clearance rate of 79.6 percent, a sharp increase from the previous weekend’s year-low 73.6 percent.
"This was however lower than the 80.3 percent recorded over the same weekend last year, when interest rate cuts activated the local market," he said.
"This strong performance was likely influenced by the announcement of last week’s federal budget policy initiatives designed to alleviate perceived housing market imbalances.
"These included allowing first home buyers to save home loan deposits through superannuation accounts, incentives for older down-sizers to sell larger homes and financial penalties for foreign investors that leave investment properties vacant.
"The northern suburbs returned to the Saturday boom-time results typically recorded over the past year to clearly lead the regional results at the weekend.
"The top performer was the Blue Mountains with a 100 percent clearance rate from the single reported auction.
"Next highest was the northern beaches with 96.2 percent followed by the lower north 90.6 percent, south 83.8 percent, inner west 81.3 percent (and the highest number of sales at 65), north west 80.0 percent, upper north shore 78.7 percent, city and east 76.1 percent, Canterbury Bankstown 68.8 percent, central coast 66.7 percent, west 65.8 percent and south west with a clearance rate of 65.2 percent."
"Melbourne recorded a clearance rate of 78.3 percent at the weekend which was similar to the 78.7 percent recorded the previous weekend but still well ahead of the 73.6 percent recorded over the same weekend last year.
"Auction listings bounced back hard at the weekend with 936 homes scheduled to go under the hammer which was significantly higher than the previous weekend’s 646 listings and also well ahead of the 759 listed over the same weekend last year. Higher auction numbers will continue through the remainder of autumn with over 1100 auctions listed next weekend.
"Melbourne’s booming north recorded another strong result at the weekend with a leading clearance rate of 83.1 percent. Next highest was the inner south with 81.1 percent followed by the inner city 80.5 percent, the west 79.8 percent, the inner east 79.0 percent, the north east 78.0 percent, the south east 73.1 percent and the outer east with an auction clearance rate at the weekend of 71.6 percent."
 
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Federal budget measures drive weekend auctions

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Melbourne's strong home auction market continues this weekend with just over 900 homes are scheduled to go to auction on Saturday, up from the 655 conducted last weekend, according to Domain's Andrew Wilson.
"Melbourne’s north east is the most popular suburban region for auctions this weekend with 148 followed by the west (137), the inner city (131), the inner east (130), the inner south (123), the outer east (109), the north (87) and the south east with 46 auctions.
"Reservoir is again the most popular suburb for auctions in Melbourne this Saturday with 18 followed by Preston 15, Mt Waverley, South Morang, Camberwell and Kew each with 13 and a number of suburbs with 11 auctions listed including Glen Waverley, Brighton and Glen Iris.
"Nearly 800 homes are scheduled to go under the hammer this Saturday in Sydney which will be significantly higher than the 458 conducted last weekend and also well ahead of the 505 listed over the same weekend last year.
"The upper north shore will host the highest number of auctions of the Sydney regions this weekend with 111 followed by the city and east (104), the inner west and the south each with 100, the south west 71, the lower north 67, the northern beaches 66, the west 57, Canterbury Bankstown 41, the north west 31, the central coast 21 and the Blue Mountains with just 1 auction scheduled this weekend.
"Mosman is the most popular suburb in Sydney this weekend for auctions with 13. 
"Next highest is Castle Hill with 11 followed by Marrickville, Ashfield, Randwick and Turramurra each with 9 and a number of suburbs with 7 auctions listed including Eastwood, Dee Why and Chatswood."
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Bumper weekend for Sydney, Melbourne home auctions

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Auction volumes are expected to rise this weekend with CoreLogic predicting some 2,196 properties across the combined capital cities listed for the forthcoming weekend.
According to CoreLogic Victoria has the busiest suburbs for auctions, with 17 homes scheduled to go under the hammer in Reservoir, while Kew and Preston are each set to host 16 auctions, followed by Brighton and Craigieburn with 14 auctions each.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/05/11/Screen%20Shot%202017-05-11%20at%2010.29.09%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
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"Melbourne will be host to the highest volume of auctions this week, with 1,001 homes set to go to auction across the city, up from 792 last week, however Sydney will see the largest increase in volumes week-on-week, with 877 auctions scheduled, up from 592 last week," CoreLogic said.
"It is expected that auction activity will increase across Brisbane, Canberra and Tasmania, while decreasing slightly in Adelaide and Perth.
"Overall activity is set to be higher than what was seen over the same period last year (1,876)."
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2017/05/11/Screen%20Shot%202017-05-11%20at%2010.33.16%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
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Auction volumes to rise this weekend: CoreLogic

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Auction numbers in Sydney and Melbourne are well down ahead of this weekend with Domain's Andrew Wilson saying the drop is likely to drive intense competition amongst residential property buyers.
"Just over 650 homes are scheduled to go under the hammer this Saturday in Melbourne which will be well down on the 1047 conducted last weekend and also lower than the 909 listed over the same weekend last year," he said.
"Melbourne’s west will again be the most popular region for auctions on Saturday with 133 followed again also by the north east (98), the outer east (79), the north (72), the inner south (77), the north (72), the inner east (61), the inner city (54) the south east with (51) auctions listed this weekend.
"Glen Waverley, Epping and Reservoir will host the most suburban auctions this weekend each with 12 followed by St Albans (11), Thomastown (10), Craigieburn (9), and a number of suburbs with 8 auctions scheduled including Hopper Crossing, Richmond, Rowville and Brunswick West.
"Just over 450 homes are scheduled to go under the hammer this Saturday which will be well down on the 653 conducted last weekend and also lower than the 526 listed over the same weekend last year.
"Sydney’s inner west will be the most popular region for auctions again on Saturday with 70 followed by the south (56), the south west (47), the upper north shore (43), the city and east (41), the lower north (34), the Canterbury Bankstown and the northern beaches each (31), the north west (22), the north west (22), the central coast (17) and the Blue Mountains with 2 auctions listed on Saturday.
"Blacktown will host the most suburban auctions this weekend with 7 followed by Marrickville and Crows Nest each with 6 and a number of suburbs with 5 auctions listed including Ashfield, Beverley Hills, Carlingford, Surry Hills, Bankstown, Pyrmont, Kellyville and Leichhardt."
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Sydney, Melbourne weekend auction numbers well down: Andrew Wilson

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The Melbourne house where 1980s singing actor heart-throb Rick Springfield spent a few formative years (above) sold at weekend auction for $1.13 million.
After competition between four bidders, Springfield’s Parkdale teenage years' home was secured by a young couple who saw the classic <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-parkdale-124558774" target="_blank">clinker brick home</a> for the first time on auction morning.
Buyers Wei Gu and his wife Jiegiong Zhan also only heard the Sydney-born rocker’s No. 1 hit Jessie's Girl for the first time when it was played prior to the auction.
The Hodges Mentone agent Mark Eddy said it was a great result.
"Rick and his brother Michael will be pleased that their mother’s home of many years has sold,” Eddy told the Herald Sun.
Domain Group chief economist Andrew Wilson told Domain the upbeat Melbourne auction market had passed another test, but a record super Saturday of auctions loomed next weekend, further testing the depth of buyer support. 
Home sales across the nation ranged from $166,000 to $5.68 million at weekend auctions.
Both sales were in Victoria, with a likely Brighton knockdown selling at $580,000 above reserve (below) at an executor’s auction for $5.68 million. It was a 720 sqm <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-vic-brighton-124543926" target="_blank">St Ninians Road</a> offering.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/02/20/Screen%20Shot%202017-02-20%20at%2010.13.43%20AM.png" alt="">
The cheapest was a one bedroom unit at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-unit-vic-bacchus+marsh-124468598" target="_blank">Bacchus Marsh</a> (below), 57 kms out of Melbourne, which was sold for $166,000.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/02/20/Screen%20Shot%202017-02-20%20at%2010.15.56%20AM.png" alt="">
It last sold at $101,000 in 2006, reflecting 4.7 percent annual growth for the Grant Street townhouse which was marketed as having an expected rental return of $190 to $210 per week.
A prime parkside home in Sydney's Chatswood (below) fetched $4,955,000, the second dearest result at auctions across Australia over the weekend.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/02/20/Screen%20Shot%202017-02-20%20at%2010.17.40%20AM.png" alt="">
Located at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-chatswood-124569382" target="_blank">47 Stanley Street</a>, the property was marketed as "an ideal combination of prime positioning and powerful potential."
The solid five bedroom Federation home on a 925 sq m block was knocked down to an local Chinese owner occupier at about 15 per cent above its reserve.
The combined capital city weekend clearance rate remains in the high 70s, despite mid-February auction volumes reaching the highest level so far this year, according to CoreLogic's auction commentator Kevin Brogan.
The larger volume was driven by a substantial rise across the Sydney and Melbourne markets, while there was a small decrease across the smaller capital cities.
The strongest clearance rates, based on preliminary data, were in Sydney and Canberra, where 83 per cent and 81 per cent of auctions returned a successful result.
Canberra’s preliminary auction clearance rate of 81 percent was consistent with last week, and significantly higher than the 61 per cent recorded last year.
A 2011 Philip Leeson-designed <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.allhomes.com.au/ah/act/sale-residential/50-schlich-street-yarralumla-canberra/1317334380511" target="_blank">Yarralumla house</a> (below) sold for $2.4 million with Peter Blackshaw Manuka agent Mario Sanfrancesco signing up seven registered bidders.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/02/20/Screen%20Shot%202017-02-20%20at%2010.19.08%20AM.png" alt="">
The Schlich Street block cost $861,000 in 2008.
Melbourne recorded a strong preliminary clearance rate, with 76 per cent of auctions clearing, just below the 77 per cent national average.
The preliminary combined capital city clearance rate was higher on the weekend than the 71 percent in same period last year.
The 2,280 auctions held was slightly lower as 2,347 auctions were held over the same time last year.
Across Melbourne, the 76 per cent clearance rate was up from 75 per cent last week and also higher than the 74 per cent over the same weekend last year.
Melbourne hosted around 1,100 auctions, around double the 556 held last weekend, and around the same seen one year ago.
This weekend in Melbourne, the number of properties for sale is expected to rise to 1400 with Domain's Dr Andrew Wilson suggesting the listings were big for February when auctions were usually only just starting to build up again.
Of the Melbourne sub-regions, the highest clearance rate was recorded across the North East region, with preliminary results showing 85.5 per cent of the 91 auctions were successful.
Sydney’s preliminary clearance rate this week was 83 per cent across 661 auction results.
There were a total of 844 auctions held across the city. Looking back at the same weekend last year, 800 auctions were held across Sydney and a clearance rate of 76 per cent was recorded.
The North Sydney and Hornsby region hosted the most auctions of any Sydney sub-region this week, with 137 properties taken to auction.
"It's another extraordinary result for Sydney," Domain chief economist Dr Andrew Wilson told Domain.
"Next week it could be even bigger with the number of property listings to rise about 30 per cent to 900."
Brisbane’s preliminary clearance rate was 50 per cent, down from 53 per cent last week.
There were 117 Brisbane auctions this week, compared to 131 last week.
Adelaide recorded a clearance rate of 68 per cent across 86 auctions this week, up from 66 per cent across 91 auctions last weekend.
Perth’s clearance rate of 36 per cent across 41 auctions was up from the previous week's 25 per cent.
Perth's highest sale was $2.1 million when a <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-mount+pleasant-124579946" target="_blank">Tudor-style Mount Pleasant riverfront</a> reserve home (below) sold with views of the Mount Henry Bridge on the Canning River.
 
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2017/02/20/Screen%20Shot%202017-02-20%20at%2010.20.24%20AM.png" alt="">
It was the same price as its 2011 sale at $2.1 million.
 
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Rick Springfield's teen home sold at weekend auction

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GUEST OBSERVER
Super Saturday is coming early for Cooley Auctions with 100 homes set to go under the hammer on February 25 - a personal best for the successful team.
Looking back at the same weekend over the past five years, February has never looked hotter for Cooley Auctions. Only 2014 came close with 97 auctions in one day, but this year will smash that record.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Sydney cracks 1,000 auctions. It's definitely going to be a very big day. 
There are already 926 auctions scheduled for February 25 according to APM price finder figures, but that number could be higher on the day.
With so many homes on the auction block on one day, the Cooley Auctions team will be far busier than the same weekend last year when there were 66 auctions scheduled. In 2015 there were 83 auctions on the corresponding Saturday.
All eyes turn to February as the month when consumers and industry insiders can truly gauge how the year's auction season will shape up.
It's extremely important that the day passes the acid test. If the market goes well on a big Saturday with big volumes then the indication will be that the market is in a really good position to continue through the Easter period and most likely well into the first half of 2017.
If the autumn season starts with a bang then it almost always guarantees that the winter market will be hot. However, timing is everything.
Super Saturday usually comes just before Easter, but Easter this year is in mid April which is actually really good news for agents.
Agents can capitalise on that time frame. When Easter is a little bit later it means that we get a couple more weeks of auctions in before the holiday weekend.
Despite 2017 barely being two months in, the Sydney auction scene is already showing signs of market sentiment.
Honestly, I think there is a bit of fear about. A lot of vendors are trying to come onto the market as early as they can because there's a lot of talk of a market correction. There is a fear of missing out on the peak of the market which is absolutely a contributing factor to the number of auctions on February 25.
With such a bumper February that will see 403 auctions in the bag, Cooley Auctions is gearing up for a busy 2017. The closest February auction numbers were back in 2015 when the firm clocked up 379 auctions for the shortest month of the year and subsequently went on to perform more than 6,000 auctions over the 12-month period.
Damien Cooley, managing director of Cooley Auctions and can be contacted <a href="https://cooleyauctions.com.au/" target="_blank">here</a>.
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Super Saturday in February: Damien Cooley

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The Melbourne and Sydney auction markets will ramp up this weekend with the holiday season well and truly over.
More than 200 homes are set for auction across Sydney and Melbourne this Saturday with Melbourne suburbs Hoppers Crossing, St Albans, Epping holding the most popular.
Sydney's western suburbs region will host the most number of auctions followed by the inner west and the upper north shore.
Dr Andrew Wilson, Domain Group chief economist said the most popular suburbs for auctions this weekend in Sydney are Blacktown, Marrickville and Parramatta.
"The lower north, Canterbury Bankstown and the south west all reported 100 percent clearance rates last weekend from low listing numbers," he said.
"In Melbourne, the north east, the outer east, the west and the inner east all reported 100 percent clearance rates last weekend from low listing numbers. 
"Low auction numbers can result in misleading insights into the underlying nature of the housing market with more robust understandings set to be revealed as listings climb sharply over coming weekends.
"The Reserve Bank will meet for the first time this year next week to decide the level of official interest rates for February. 
"Recent economic data remains underwhelming, particularly with the national jobless rate rising to 5.8 percent over December – the highest result for the year. Although the Bank is more likely to leave rates on hold for the fifth consecutive month, a pre-emptive early year cut similar to February 2015 can’t be ruled out."
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Sydney, Melbourne auction levels back from holiday lows

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The Channel Nine television series, The Block is more about entertainment than real estate.
But there are always important takeouts from the stressfully quick renovation which concluded with the Sunday night showing of its rather laboured auction finale.
The location of this year's Port Melbourne offerings was brave, not because it sat in the capital city attracting negative headlines around the increasing potential of an oversupply in apartments.
The choice pushed the envelope because Ingles Street is still very much an industrial location, so a b-grade location in most buyers' mind.
For Sydneysiders it would be like flogging prestige apartments on say Canal Road, Tempe.
Notwithstanding the nearby rubbish tip, it will be a cosmopolitan suburb, but not in the immediate future.
Its massive residential development potential is only now kicking in.
Everywhere one looked from the heritage Block apartments, there's development which is potentially a good outcome, but also a poses a risk, and at least a disruptive period for potential buyers.
It will be many years before there is anything like a village atmosphere, so the art deco office apartment offerings were only ever going to appeal to a small number of owner occupiers.
Indeed four of the five apartments were sold to investors including the winning one fitted out very well by the young Queenslanders, Will and Karlie. 
Dan and Carleen Foley’s apartment was bought by a young family of owner-occupiers.
Will and Karlie's ground floor garden apartment sold for $2.6 million, some $715,000 over its conservative reserve. Remarkably the pair only had the ground floor apartment because they came last in a challenge among the contestants.
I am a huge fan of garden apartments as they are a rarity, so should typically always make for good prices and price growth.
With some 200 sq m internal space, plus alfresco deck and lawn, it was the biggest price any apartment on The Block has ever secured, beating the $2.47 million paid in 2014 for an apartment in the converted cinema complx in upmarket Albert Park.
All five sales did much better than the current price per square metre record for Port Melbourne that sits around $7,000. 
There's no doubting the depreciation benefits attracted the investors. 
Buyers secured likely tax deductions upwards of $80,000 in the first year, totalling more than $2 million after 11-plus years of ownership.
Investors were accordingly out in force, lured by the tax treat that investors receive from depreciation.
It was interesting the only criticism of the apartments came not from the posse of buyers' agents, but rather the Melbourne radio comedian, Dave Hughes who got inside by pretending to be a potential buyer. He turned up with his cheque book, and registered for the right to bid, though never raised his auction paddle.
His major issues centred around the height of the ceilings, noting the ground floor apartment, renovated by Karlie and Will, was his obvious preference due to the high ceilings, which then disappointed elsewhere in the apartment complex conversion.
He suggested the apartment won because the ceilings were really high, and as "you got up higher the ceilings get lower and lower."
The comedian was also critical of the parking facilities.
"You've got one car port and you've gotta walk quite a way to get to the car port.
"There's no parking people!"
The 1920s converted soap factory office was, he however acknowledged, "extraordinary."
This article first appeared in the Saturday Daily Telegraph.
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Garden apartments are property winners

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A likely $16 million private treaty trophy home sale in Mosman headlined the nation's weekend property sales.
It was the redundant Federation Queen Anne style home of the London-based infrastructure investment adviser, Peter Hofbauer.
The six-bedroom <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.mcgrath.com.au/buy/house/nsw/lower-north-shore/mosman/322852" target="_blank">1910 Bradleys Head Road</a> trophy home (above) on 2244 sqm was listed only late last month.
Offers were not due for another 20 days when it was snapped up Friday night.
It came with an asking price of between $15.5 million and $16.5 million through McGrath agents Michael Rava and Michael Coombs. 
It set a non-waterfront record for the suburb when it last sold at $7.15 million in 2001, but not this time.
At around $16 million is does rank as the third highest sale result across the lower north shore this year.
The Melbourne-born Hofbauer, who was previously Babcock &amp; Brown's head of infrastructure, moved back to London in 2007 where he now oversees infrastructure investments at Hermes, which is owned by BT Pension Scheme in London.
The top auction sales reported in Melbourne and Sydney were also both secured early in their pre-auction marketing.
A Cronulla beachfront (below) sold <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-nsw-cronulla-121799054" target="_blank">well ahead of its scheduled weekend auction</a> at $5.25 million on October 25.
<img src="/images/2016/11/07/Screen%20Shot%202016-11-07%20at%209.40.05%20AM.png" alt="">
The five bedroom, five bathroom bayside home sits on a near level 1340 sqm block with 24 metre width on the water.
It last sold at $4.3 million in 2011.
The Seaholme sale on the bay near Melbourne's Altona at $2.888 million was secured October 20.
The Jon Fredrick and Clayton Brown architecturally designed four bedroom home with study had a prominent street facade since built around 10 years ago.
<img src="/images/2016/11/07/Screen%20Shot%202016-11-07%20at%209.41.04%20AM.png" alt="">
The <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-vic-seaholme-123732738" target="_blank">13 Esplanade, Seaholme home</a> (above) had been initially listed in May with $2.9 million hopes. 
Auction activity has continue to rise through into the final month of spring, however the number of auctions remained well below the highs recorded a year ago.
The preliminary national clearance rate was 77.5% across 2,490 reported auction results, according to CoreLogic.
This was higher than last week’s final clearance rate of 74.4 percent, with auction volumes increasing compared to the 2,253 capital city auctions reported last week.
Over the corresponding week last year, auctions volumes were significantly higher with 2,947 auctions reported and a 61 percent clearance rate.
The jump in success rate over the past week was especially evident in Melbourne which reported an 80.5 per cent clearance rate, up from the previous week's 77.5 percent.
There was a bigger jump in the Canberra clearance rate. Across Canberra a total of 113 auctions were held this week, compared to 93 last week and 122 at the same time last year. Canberra’s preliminary clearance rate of 79.5 percent was up on the 70 percent in the previous week. 
Sydney's 82.1 percent was the fourth week-on-week reporting above 80 percent, up from 80 percent, although the total 1,063 auctions scheduled fell just below last week's 1,100.   The Domain chief economist Dr Andrew Wilson suggests the Sydney market was beginning to ease 'reflecting more choice for buyers'.
'With more robust listing numbers also set for coming weekends' said Domain chief economist Dr Andrew Wilson.
Sydney’s preliminary auction clearance rate was up slightly on the prior week's 80.5 percent, while one year ago it was a significantly lower clearance rate of 58 percent.
The Northern Beaches sub-region of Sydney has shown the strongest performance with 92 percent of the 111 reported as sold over the past week.
It included the Thursday twlight auction when the North Curl Curl home of model Jennifer Hawkins and builder, husband Jake Wall sold.
They secured a $5,235,000 sale of the Koichi Takada-designed five bedroom, three bathroom home that had been listed with $4.8 million expectations.
<img src="/images/2016/11/07/north%20curl%20curl_0000_1.jpg.jpg" alt="" width="562" height="341">
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