Repeat buyers are one of the strongest measures of confidence in any apartment development.

At <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/era-newcastle-west-124-126-bull-street-newcastle-west-nsw-2302">ERA</a> in Newcastle West, some purchasers are returning to <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/gwh">GWH</a> after living at the developer's One Apartments. Their decision to purchase again was driven by the quality of life they found after moving into their first GWH home.

Keith Wilton had spent years living in a house in East Maitland before deciding it was time for a change. Apartment living had always been on his radar, but he was selective about what he wanted.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FH_1EzB-1vs?si=XScVlP1ERsTDJoME" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

"I had some boxes I wanted to tick," he says.

Keith points to the open-plan design, generous outdoor areas and considered inclusions as key reasons One Apartments worked for him.

“One of those things was a nice indoor open plan area, but also I wanted a nice outdoor open area that I could entertain on in summer or Christmases or birthdays,” he says.

He also found value in the smaller details, from integrated appliances to shared resident spaces including the pool, cinema and rooftop areas.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356818]

After comparing several developments, he chose One Apartments because of GWH's longstanding local reputation and his own experience working with the developer on a commercial project more than a decade earlier.

"I knew that they were local, that the quality of the build was going to be up there. I'd looked at other apartment complexes around and close by, and I just knew that here was a better decision location wise."

Today, Keith says the move has completely changed how he experiences Newcastle.

"I enjoy living in this location because it's more of a lifestyle change. That Newcastle city living where you can walk to restaurants and bars and even beaches and parks and even shopping across the road."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356828]

Beyond the location, he says it's the sense of community that has surprised him most.

"Everyone loves living here because they chose to live here, but everyone looks out for each other. It's a real great community feel here."

For Aimee and Lyle Goodman, the journey started almost by chance.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tsioMLcnjas?si=zq-ys3JuWpfa5hFv" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

The couple happened to be having coffee in Newcastle when they noticed the site where One Apartments was about to begin construction.

"We were aware GWH was planning a development," Aimee says. "We made one phone call and things moved pretty quickly after that."

As busy business owners, they initially thought apartment living would simply reduce the maintenance that came with larger homes. Instead, it fundamentally changed how they spent time together.

"We actually catch up more as a family now," Aimee says.

"We've had homes with big yards and lots of space, but everyone ended up in different rooms. Here we'll have dinner together, the kids can play, and we spend far more quality time together."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356829]

Lyle says their confidence came from GWH's reputation within Newcastle's building industry.

"I know people who've worked across different apartment projects, and whenever GWH came up the feedback was always the same. They're rock solid. They're quality."

That confidence only grew throughout the buying process.

"One of the things that really impressed us with GWH was the whole process, was the communication," Lyle says. "It was consistent, it was regular, there was no problem if we had some weird questions, there was no problems in getting answers."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=351104]

Aimee says one moment stood out.

"The project actually finished on time. We realised we needed to hurry up and sell our house because everything was happening exactly when they said it would."

The positive experience at One Apartments ultimately gave all three buyers the confidence to purchase again with GWH, this time at ERA.

Their confidence reflects what many buyers are seeking in today's apartment market. Location remains important, but so too does certainty around delivery, quality and long-term liveability.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356822]

ERA builds on those foundations with 280 one, two and three-bedroom apartments across two landmark towers in <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/newcastle-west-nsw-2302">Newcastle West</a>.&nbsp;

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/fk-australia">Fender Katsalidis</a>, the project will include more than 2,000 square metres of resident amenities, including a resort-style pool, gym, sauna, private cinema and rooftop entertaining spaces overlooking the harbour and coastline.&nbsp;

The development is also within walking distance of the Newcastle Interchange, Honeysuckle, Darby Street, the harbour foreshore, restaurants, retail and the city’s beaches, continuing the walkable lifestyle that existing GWH buyers say has transformed how they live.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356826]

For Keith, the appeal remains straightforward.

"You feel at home even before you've moved into your home."

For Aimee, the change is measured in time.

“I just felt like I had more time,” she says.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=351102]

Construction at ERA is now underway, with more than half of the residences already sold and limited two and three-bedroom apartments remaining in the East Tower release. Priced from $980,000 for two-bedroom residences and $1.46 million for three-bedroom residences, buyers can secure an apartment with a 10 per cent deposit, with premium homes offering ocean views from Level 8 and harbour views from Level 10.

ERA is also backed by Resilience Insurance's 10-year Latent Defects Insurance policy, providing protection against structural or waterproofing defects for 10 years after completion. The project is anticipated to be completed in early 2028.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=135096]

Joel Robinson

From ONE to ERA: Why buyers are choosing GWH again in Newcastle West

Virgate Property Group is preparing to commence construction of Verdé, its new apartment development in Melbourne's Arts Precinct at Southbank, following a strong run of sales that has seen more than half of the project's 173 apartments secured.

Verdé has attracted a broad mix of first home buyers, owner-occupiers upgrading from nearby inner-city suburbs and investors, with younger owner-occupier couples aged between 28 and 45 accounting for the strongest enquiry. Many are already living in Southbank, South Melbourne, Albert Park, Port Melbourne, South Yarra and the CBD.

"Verdé is located in one of the most desirable pockets of southern Melbourne," Blair Property Group Director Darren Blair, who is managing sales at Verdé, said.

"It's within walking distance of the Arts Centre, Royal Botanic Gardens, Albert Park Lake, and Southbank's restaurants and retail. It's a great lifestyle location with strong amenity and liveability, which made it a very attractive choice for the project."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4661 project_image_fid=372549]

Virgate was already familiar with the precinct, having previously delivered the successful Domain House development in neighbouring South Melbourne. That experience gave the developer confidence to acquire the Coventry Street site and continue expanding its presence in Melbourne's inner south.

"We had been keeping an eye on the site and the broader precinct for a few months before deciding to move forward with the acquisition," Virgate said.

The project was ultimately secured in 2020 following feasibility studies, planning assessments and due diligence, with the brief centred on delivering "a high-quality, considered design that feels both refined and fit for purpose."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4661 project_image_fid=314259]

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/bruce-henderson-architects">Bruce Henderson Architects</a>, Verdé comprises 173 one, two and three-bedroom apartments priced from $599,000. The architecture is distinguished by a faceted glass façade that responds to both the site's outlook and Melbourne's changing light conditions.

According to Bruce Henderson Architects, the coloured glazing gives the building a distinctive identity while also providing privacy and solar shading, with residences oriented to capture views across the bay, city skyline and surrounding parklands.

Inside, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/designoffice">DesignOffice</a> has created interiors focused on natural light, efficient planning and enduring materials. Apartments feature engineered oak flooring, natural stone benchtops, floor-to-ceiling glazing and SMEG appliances, while a restrained material palette aims to complement the expansive outlooks rather than compete with them.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4661 project_image_fid=372550]

Resident amenity has also been designed around everyday functionality rather than occasional use. Facilities include a concierge-serviced lobby, residents' lounge with fireplace, library and co-working space, gym, terrace garden with barbecue facilities, ground-floor café, and package delivery management.

The project's location continues to be one of its strongest drawcards. Positioned on Coventry Street, Verdé sits within walking distance of the National Gallery of Victoria, Arts Centre Melbourne, Royal Botanic Gardens and Albert Park Lake, while Southbank's dining precinct, Sturt Street trams and the new ANZAC Station are all nearby. The surrounding education catchment also includes Melbourne Grammar, Melbourne Girls Grammar, Mac.Robertson Girls' High School and several major university campuses.

The sales team says buyers have responded particularly well to the combination of location, design quality and long-term liveability.

"They're responding really positively to the quality of the design, premium resident amenities and the uninterrupted views. Many also appreciate the location and how connected it is to everything they need."

The ability to secure stamp duty savings before completion has also been a key factor for purchasers, alongside the opportunity to personalise finishes ahead of settlement.

With construction set to commence soon and more than half the apartments already sold, Verdé enters its next phase as one of the Arts Precinct's more established apartment developments, offering remaining buyers an opportunity to secure a residence before construction advances further. Expected completion is scheduled for late 2027.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=4661]

Virgate's Verdé Southbank moves toward construction as sales fly past halfway stage

Downsizer-focused apartment development Kooyongkoot in Hawthorn has been recognised at the 2026 Better Future Melbourne Design Awards, taking home Gold and Silver awards in two categories.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kooyongkoot-hawthorn-1-kooyongkoot-road-hawthorn-vic-3122">Kooyongkoot</a>, currently being delivered by developer PQD and designed by Cera Stribley, received Gold in the Interior Design – Proposed category and Silver in the Architecture – Proposed category.

The dual recognition reflects the design approach behind the boutique development on prestigious Kooyongkoot Road, where the focus has been on creating homes for downsizers seeking the space, quality and functionality of a detached house within a low-rise apartment building.

Rather than maximising apartment numbers, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/pqd">PQD</a> and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cera-stribley-architects">Cera Stribley</a> limited the development to just 18 residences, allowing for larger floorplans, greater privacy, generous landscaping and expansive communal spaces.&nbsp;The majority of the apartments also benefit from corner aspects, allowing for dual sources of natural light.

Now around 70 per cent complete and on track for completion in November 2026, Kooyongkoot will comprise a mix of garden residences, ter​race apartments, sub-penthouses, and is crowned by two half-floor penthouses with direct lift access and private rooftop terraces.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355297]

The Silver Award for Architecture recognised the way the building responds to its prominent corner position at the ent​rance to Hawthorn's Scotch Hill precinct, one of Melbourne's most established residential neighbourhoods.

Rather than competing with the grand homes that line Kooyongkoot Road, the architectural approach focused on restraint and longevity, using curved brickwork, generous landscaping and carefully considered proportions to integrate with the existing streetscape.

"The form feels fluid and timeless, as though shaped by the landscape itself – architecture that belongs, rather than competes," said Chris Stribley, Co-Founder and Managing Principal of Cera Stribley.

The judging submission also highlighted practical innovations throughout the building, including lift cores servicing only nine homes each, a central landscaped lightcourt designed to bring daylight and ventilation into the building, and fully enclosed private storage rooms with lighting, power and shelving to better accommodate residents transitioning from larger family homes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355293]

The Gold Award for Interior Design recognised the project's focus on long-term liveability rather than display-home aesthetics.

According to the awards submission, the interiors were designed from the inside out, prioritising how homes would function over decades of daily use through generous proportions, practical storage, durable natural materials and flexible layouts.

The specification includes natural stone throughout, upgraded acoustic glazing, V-ZUG appliances and fully enclosed storage rooms, alongside an amenity offering focused on wellness, entertainment and everyday convenience.&nbsp;

Residents will have access to a gym and yoga studio, a wellness centre featuring traditional and infrared saunas, a cold therapy shower and treatment room, as well as a residents' lounge and golf simulator/cinema room for entertainment.&nbsp;Kooyongkoot has also considered the everyday convenience of its residents by offering a private carwash and pet wash facilities on site as well as dedicated parcel lockers and oversized fully enclosed storage rooms.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355303]

The project's attention to detail has already resonated with buyers. Earlier this year, Kooyongkoot recorded one of Boroondara's highest apartment sales when an $8 million penthouse was purchased by a Melbourne CEO downsizing from a nearby family home.

"Every detail feels deliberate, from the overall design down to the smallest touches," the purchaser said.

"The level of quality and refinement is exceptional, but what really sold it was how liveable it felt... It felt like a place where everything had been considered, not just a luxury building."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355304]

Sustainability also formed a key part of both award submissions. Kooyongkoot is targeting a minimum 7.5-star NatHERS rating across all residences, supported by passive design principles, high-performance glazing, EV charging infrastructure, water reuse systems and a wellness model focused on lower-energy dry facilities rather than pools and large wet areas.

Located within walking distance of Scotch College, Methodist Ladies' College, Koo​yong Lawn Tennis Club, Aubur​n Village and Camberwell Junction, Kooyongkoot continues to target owner-occupiers looking to remain in Melbourne's inner east without compromising on space or quality. A limited selection of two, three and four-bedroom residences remains available, with prices starting from $1.9 million.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=102717]

Kooyongkoot wins Gold and Silver at Better Future Melbourne Design Awards

New apartment supply has become increasingly constrained across <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/parramatta-nsw-2150">Parramatta</a> in recent years, with fewer projects progressing through to completion as development conditions have become more challenging.

It makes <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/novm">NOVM</a>'s 2021-completed <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/the-lennox-parramatta-12-phillip-street-parramatta-nsw-2150">The Lennox</a> one of the most recently completed residential towers on the Parramatta River, and among the newest apartment developments in Sydney's second CBD.

With the project largely completed before the sharp escalation in construction costs and inflation following the pandemic, The Lennox is now offering pricing that would be difficult to replicate in a comparable new development in Parramatta today, or across much of Western Sydney.

The majority of the 413 apartments at The Lennox sold before and shortly after completion. A limited release of the remaining apartments has recently been brought to market by capital partner <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/equitifund-group">Equitifund</a>, with entry-level pricing from $700,000 and two-bedroom apartments available from under $1 million.

Rising above the Parramatta River at 12 Phillip Street, The Lennox comprises one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments, appealing to first home buyers, young professionals, families, downsizers and interstate investors seeking a completed apartment in one of Australia's fastest-growing economic centres.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5743 project_image_fid=372394]

Rather than positioning Parramatta as an alternative to Sydney's CBD, Equitifund believes the city has reached a point where it stands on its own merits.

"Parramatta is no longer simply an alternative to Sydney CBD, it's becoming a destination in its own right," Equitifund Executive Chairman Greg Huxley said.

"The Lennox captures that evolution with a level of quality and amenity that's difficult to match at its price point."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5743 project_image_fid=953]

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/marchese-partners">Marchese Partners</a>, the tower responds directly to its riverfront setting through expansive glazing and open-plan layouts that maximise views across the Parramatta River and city skyline. Interiors feature engineered timber flooring, stone benchtops, stainless steel appliances and floor-to-ceiling glazing, while generous balconies extend the living spaces outdoors.

Marchese Partners says the project was conceived to balance high-quality apartment living with practical, long-term functionality, pairing larger, efficient floorplans with amenities more commonly associated with five-star hotels.

That emphasis continues through the resident facilities, which include a 20-metre rooftop swimming pool, fully equipped gym and wellness spaces, full-time concierge, a residents' lounge, function room, private lifts, secure basement parking and rooftop communal areas overlooking the Parramatta River. Ground-floor boardwalk retail and dining further activate the riverfront and integrate the building into the surrounding public realm.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5743 project_image_fid=925]

Australian housing and finance group Equitifund has secured the remaining apartments, believing there are few completed apartment opportunities in Parramatta that offer the same combination of location, amenity and pricing.

Equitifund National Sales Director Ben Hamblett says buyers are increasingly recognising that premium apartment living no longer needs to come with Sydney CBD pricing.

"The Lennox is where aspirational living becomes attainable," Hamblett said.

"Wake to river and mountain views, step into Sydney's Second CBD, and arrive home to resort-calibre amenities, all without the harbour price tag."

Hamblett says owner-occupiers are also attracted by the convenience of having Westfield Parramatta, Church Street's dining precinct, Parramatta Park, Riverside Theatres, Western Sydney University and major transport connections all within walking distance.

"At The Lennox, lifestyle is not an afterthought, it is the foundation."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5743 project_image_fid=5374]

The Lennox places residents within walking distance of Parramatta Square, Westfield Parramatta, Church Street Eat Street, Parramatta Station, the ferry wharf, Light Rail, the future Sydney Metro West, Parramatta Park and CommBank Stadium, reinforcing Parramatta's position as one of Australia's most connected metropolitan centres outside Sydney's CBD.

Equitifund says buyers visiting the display suite consistently comment on the quality of the finishes, generous floorplans, river and skyline views, and the walkability of the location. The project has attracted a broad mix of local professionals, upsizers, downsizers, buyers relocating from Sydney's inner suburbs and interstate investors seeking long-term growth opportunities.

That demand aligns with Parramatta's continued evolution as an economic powerhouse. Equitifund Research and Market Insights specialist John Bekiaris says sustained population growth, infrastructure investment and expanding employment opportunities continue to support long-term housing demand across the city.

"Parramatta has evolved from a satellite city into one of Australia's most important economic centres. Population growth, infrastructure investment and employment are all supporting sustained long-term housing demand."

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=5743]

The apartment price gap drawing Sydney buyers west

A luxury beachfront apartment at Rainbow Bay has more than doubled in value since it sold off the plan six years ago, setting a new local apartment record in the process.

The three-bedroom apartment in the Flow development on Petrie Street, the first of four new projects locally by Paul Gedoun's S&amp;S Projects, has sold for $7.4 million, after originally selling for $3.27 million when the project launched in 2020.

The seventh-floor apartment, comprising 187 sqm of internal living space and a 54 sqm balcony overlooking Froggies Beach and Snapper Rocks, was purchased by a local family.

The transaction was negotiated by Pezet Matheson director Kerry Pezet and equates to more than $30,000 per sqm.

Pezet said the sale reflected the limited opportunities to buy into the boutique beachfront development.

"The sale highlights the rarity of opportunities within the boutique beachfront development, where residences seldom become available," Pezet said.

"Flow is one of the Gold Coast's most tightly held buildings. Buyers from our database move quickly when residences become available, and achieving an off-market sale at $7.4 million demonstrates the depth of demand for property of this calibre."

<img alt="Flow" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c585b206-2130-4eee-a50c-3f27c51a7c70" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-06%20at%208.33.25%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=m3pHRDV62Y3fvN.XQuQHq.52ilTWpRLf" />

Flow was the first of four luxury apartment developments delivered by Paul Gedoun's S&amp;S Projects at Rainbow Bay and was completed in 2023.

Positioned on the beachfront overlooking Snapper Rocks, the residence includes three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a powder room and views stretching north along the coastline towards Surfers Paradise.

Pezet Matheson Residential principal Mitchell Lambert said buyers continued to prioritise quality beachfront apartments in tightly held locations.

"Flow Residences offers a rare combination of elevated beachfront positioning, architectural excellence, comprehensive resident amenity and premium finishes, which is exactly what discerning purchasers are seeking," Lambert said.

"The transaction further reinforces Rainbow Bay's reputation as one of Australia's premier coastal lifestyle destinations, where limited supply and growing demand continue to support strong market performance."

Pezet Matheson originally marketed and sold out Flow off the plan, making the latest transaction a return to one of the project's original buyers.

Paul Gedoun is selling his third project, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/radia-rainbow-bay-271-boundary-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Radia Rainbow Bay</a>, after recently completing, and selling out, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/esprit-217-227-boundary-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Esprit</a>. He has plans for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/first-look-s-s-projects-proposes-88-apartment-wellness-tower-at-coolangattas-boundary-street">fourth building</a>, 88 apartments on <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/209-213-boundary-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Boundary Street</a>.

Rainbow Bay apartment doubles in price since off the plan sale during pandemic

Residential Market

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Houses and units across Perth both posted declines in median prices during the September 2015 quarter, according to REIWA president Hayden Groves.
The median house price is down 4.2% from the June quarter to $522,133 with units at $420,125.
Median rental figure fell $20 to now rest at $400 per week, sitting to $420 for houses and $395 for units.
REIWA president HaydenGroves said rhe best performing suburb was St James in Perth’s central sub-region, which topped the list with a 5.1% increase to its quarterly annual median, followed by Mount Claremont with 4.5%.
“Baldivis continued to dominate for houses this quarter with 469 house sales, followed by Ellenbrook with 420 sales and then Canning Vale in third place with 413 sales. Renowned for their appeal to first home buyers, these suburbs continue to dominate in a market skewed by weaker trade-up activity and prominent first time buyers," he said.
“For units, East Perth came in at number one with 288 sales for the three months to September, with Scarborough coming in second with 238 and Perth third with 224 sales, showing that the inner urban apartment market continues to entice buyers.
“We estimate that total dwelling sales for the quarter will come in at around 8,600 sales across WA, below the average and fewer than the June quarter, although the winter months normally return a subdued sales volume measure."
Metropolitan sub-regional markets, the top performers:
<ul>
<li>North West: Madeley up 3.7%</li>
<li>North East: Wattle Grove up 2.2%</li>
<li>South West: Rockingham up 3.3%</li>
<li>South East: Bedfordale up 1.2%</li>
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mick.cee-iDmgDDAmu8

Perth houses, units post median September declines: REIWA

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GUEST OBSERVER
Building approvals rose slightly in September, but did not offset last month’s fall. 
We continue to believe that the housing market is at or near a peak, and further growth from housing construction is looking increasingly unlikely.
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Housing building approvals rose marginally in September, not offsetting the previous month’s decline, which was revised even further downward. Detached housing approvals fell slightly, meaning that activity has been unchanged for near two years. But the key swing variable, the higher-density segment, posted growth of 6.9% m/m (Figure 1).
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 This monthly growth in the higher-density segment was mixed across the states. Queensland rebounded sharply to a near-record level, while Victoria posted mild growth. On the other hand, New South Wales approvals fell heavily, and are now 60% lower than the peak of just two months ago, highlighting the volatility inherent in the data. Nonetheless, the national level of approvals continued to trend lower, consistent with our belief that although demand for new housing will remain solid, it will not return to the peak levels of earlier this year. This means that although construction activity will remain elevated, further growth, and further contribution to national output, will be increasingly hard to come by.
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 Meanwhile, the outlook remains weak in the non-residential segment. Approvals rose slightly in September, but remain low, hindered by ongoing softness in the office segment particularly. Accommodation-related approvals continue to trend higher, and now sit at record levels, likely supported by the lower AUD’s positive impact on the tourism sector (Figure 2). 
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<div class="column">Other data today showed house price growth weakening in Sydney, up just 0.3% in October (in seasonally adjusted terms). In turn, annual price growth eased back to 16%, from a peak of 20% in July. This marked slowdown is in line with falling auction clearance rates (Figure 3), reflecting lower housing market sentiment, especially amongst investors. Melbourne price growth remained more robust, outpacing Sydney for the past four months in seasonally adjusted terms. However, price growth is easing in Melbourne too, and has slowed over each of the past three months.</div>
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 This waning enthusiasm for housing is at least partially driven by tighter regulation aimed at removing some of the heat from the housing market. APRA’s macro prudential measures (which have resulted in tighter borrowing conditions and higher interest rates) have resulted in a sharp slowdown in investor borrowing, as seen in last Friday’s credit data. This is expected to result in house price growth easing further over coming months, with Sydney and Melbourne growth rates to converge with other capital cities. 
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Cherelle Murphy is co-head of Australian economics, ANZ and Daniel Gradwell is economist. They can be contacted <a href="https://bluenotes.anz.com/authors/our-economists/" target="_blank">here</a>.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Building approvals improve, house price growth eases: ANZ Research

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A reputed $19 million sale has been secured on harbourfront Point Piper. 
The Wunulla Road trophy home sale (above) was through <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/7-wunulla-road-point-piper/Property-Details-sold-residential-9658008" target="_blank">Ray White agents Michael Finger and Elliott Placks</a>.
It last traded at $4.4 million in 1998. The 2011 designed contemporary home sits on a 430 sqm block. The sale price is unconfirmed.
Meanwhile the intended Point Piper home of ANZ trader Etienne Alexiou which was purchased in early last year for $7.2 million has been relisted for sale.
It was bought in March and settled in November 2014.
The house on 1037 sqm was bought from the Melbourne property developer Adrian Valmorbida by Alexiou who was named earlier this year named as one of seven senior traders suspended by the bank following an investigation into possible manipulation of the bank bill swap rate.
An ANZ spokesperson had previously advised that while the bank could not comment on individual staff members, it was pointed out to Fairfax Media that the suspended trader was still an employee, was receiving the full salary and may be cleared of wrongdoing as ASIC's investigation was ongoing and may not be complete for some time. 
The Federation Wunulla Road home now comes with Alex Popov redesign plans. 
The previous owner, the shoe designer Donna-May Bolinger also sold it without undertaking her envisaged update.
She secured $6.37 million in 2007 having paid $5.85 million in 2005.
Geza and Eva Szekely owned it for four decades having bought it in 1965 for £22,500.
The Wunulla Road house (below) is on a double-access block opposite the yacht club marina. 
<img src="/images/2015/11/700_wynulla.jpg" alt="" width="555" height="337">
Alexiou, who currently resides in Woollahra, has a November 23 scheduled auction <a href="https://www.lsdb.com.au/real-estate-for-sale-20-wunulla-road-point-piper-nsw/2477501/" target="_blank">through D’Leanne Lewis, of Laing+Simmons Double Bay</a>.
 
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Point Piper's reputed $19 million harbourfront sale

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<div class="column">GUEST OBSERVER</div>
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<div class="column">As was evidenced in September, there are yet more signs that housing investors are shifting their focus away from Sydney and Melbourne to other capital cities and regional centres. </div>
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<div class="column">An easing of the home price boom in Sydney and Melbourne will be viewed very favourably by the Reserve Bank. If in 6-12 month’s time, all capital city home prices were growing at a 3-5% annual pace, then policymakers would take the housing market off the ‘wall of worry’.</div>
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<div class="column">While regional home price data is only available to September, it is clear that the strength in the Sydney market is spreading. Regional NSW home prices are up 8 per cent over the year – the fastest pace of price growth in 51⁄2 years.</div>
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 Building approvals were at record highs in the year to September. The current annual total of approvals is 18% higher than the previous peak set 21 years ago. In short, the economy will remain driven by the housing sector well into 2016. 
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What do the figures show? 
Home prices
The CoreLogic RP Data Hedonic Australian Home Value index of capital city home prices rose by 0.2% in October to stand 10.1% higher than a year ago.
House prices rose by 0.1% in October while apartments rose by 0.4%. House prices were up 10.5% on a year ago and apartments were up by 7.7%. 
The average Australian capital city house price (median price based on settled sales over quarter) was $621,000 and the average unit price was $515,000. The average Sydney house price was $940,000 – still some way off the $1 million mark.
Dwelling prices rose in five of the eight capital cities in October: Adelaide &amp; Canberra (up 1.5%), Hobart (up 1.4%), Melbourne (up 0.6%) and Sydney (up 0.3%). Prices fell in Perth (down 2.8%), Brisbane (down 0.2%), and Darwin (down 0.1%).
Home prices were higher than a year ago in six of the eight capital cities. Prices rose most in Sydney (up 15.6%), followed by Melbourne (up 12.8%), Canberra (up 4.5%), Brisbane and Hobart (both up 3.8%), and Adelaide (up 2.3%). Price fell in Darwin (down 3.7%) and Perth (down 3.6%).
Total returns on capital city dwellings in the year to October rose by 14.2% with houses up 14.5% on a year earlier and units up 12.5%.
CoreLogic RP Data noted: “Clearance rates have been trending lower since April this year, with Sydney and Melbourne now showing auction clearances that are below 70% week to week. Additionally, monthly mortgage related activity across CoreLogic RP Data’s valuation platforms was lower when compared with the same period a year ago; the first annual fall in platform activity since 2013. Added to this are record levels of new housing supply now entering the market. We are now seeing a picture of reduced house price inflation over the coming year.”
Performance of Manufacturing
The Performance of Manufacturing index fell from 52.1 to 50.2 in October. A reading above 50.0 indicates that the sector is expanding.
Production, orders, employment and sales fell in October but inventories, exports, selling prices, wages and capacity utilisation rose.
Building Approvals:
Dwelling approvals rose by 2.2% in September after falling 9.5% in August and rising 9.5% in July. Over the past year a record 229,438 new homes were approved.
House approvals fell by 2.0% in September (private sector fell by 1.9%). Meanwhile ‘lumpy’ apartment approvals rose by 6.9% in September after falling by 20.8% in August and rising by 22.7% in July. Private sector apartment approvals rose by 6.1% in September.
Dwelling approvals are up 21.4% on a year ago with house approvals up by 1.1% while apartments are up by 53.3%. 
Across states and territories in September: NSW approvals fell by 16.6%; Victoria rose by 5.0%; Queensland rose by 41.6%; South Australia fell by 14.9%; Western Australia fell by 8.9%; Tasmania rose by 31.6%. In trend terms, approvals fell by 3.3% in the Northern Territory and fell 0.7% in the ACT.
The value of all commercial and residential building approvals fell by 2.1% in September after falling by 5.9% in August. Residential approvals fell by 4.3% with new building down by 5.4% while alterations &amp; additions rose by 4.7%. Commercial building rose by 2.9% in September to be up 8.8% over the year.
Inflation gauge
The monthly inflation gauge was unchanged in October after a 0.3% rise in September. The annual rate of inflation eased from a 10-month high of 1.9% to 1.8%. 
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Tradable good prices fell by 0.3% in October after rising by 0.5 cent in September. Tradable good prices are up just 0.9% on the year. Non-tradable prices were up 0.2% to be up 2.4% over the year.
The underlying rate (trimmed mean) was flat in October after rising 0.2% in September. The annual rate rose from 1.6% to 1.7%.
Excluding volatile items like petrol and fruit &amp; vegetables, the core inflation gauge rose by 0.1% in October to be up 2.2% over the year.
TD Securities noted that: “Contributing to the overall change in October were price rises for tobacco (+1.3%), newspaper, books and stationery (+3.0%), utilities (+1.3%). These were offset by price falls in fruit and vegetables (-1.1%), holiday travel and accommodation (-1.5%), and bread and cereal products (-1.1%). The price of automotive fuel eased slightly in October.
What is the importance of the economic data?
The CoreLogic RP Data Hedonic Australian Home Value Index is based on Australia’s biggest property database. Unlike the ABS Index, which excludes terraces, semi-detached homes and apartments, the CoreLogic- RP Data Hedonic Index includes all properties. Home prices are an important driver of wealth and spending.
The Australian Industry Group and PricewaterhouseCoopers compile the Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI) each month. The Australian PMI is the Australian equivalent of the US ISM manufacturing gauge. The PMI is one of the timeliest economic indicators released in Australia. The PMI is useful not just in showing how the manufacturing sector is performing but in providing some sense about where it is heading. The key ‘forward looking’ components are orders and employment. 
The TD Securities/Melbourne Institute Monthly Inflation Gauge is designed to “provide a timely and accurate monthly measure of inflation in Australia”. The Bureau of Statistics only releases the Consumer Price Index on a quarterly basis.
The Bureau of Statistics' monthly Building Approvals release contains figures on local council approvals to build residential structures such as homes and units as well as commercial premises such as offices and shops. Approval is one of the first stages of the construction ‘pipeline’ and is thus a key leading indicator of future activity. An increase in approvals would point to stronger future activity for construction-related companies.
What are the implications for interest rates and investors?
If major banks hadn’t been forced to lift interest rates to cover the cost of new capital, the Reserve Bank would have had an easy decision on interest rates. Interest rates would have been left on hold. While the decision is now more finely balanced, we believe that the Reserve Bank will wait a little longer to evaluate the impact of major bank increases in home loan rates.
The lift in apartment approvals in September will add yet more work to the housing pipeline. Approvals hit record highs in the 12 months to September with almost 30% of activity from apartment buildings of four storeys or more in height.  
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<div class="column">Craig James is the chief economist at <a href="https://www.comsec.com.au/default.aspx" target="_blank">CommSec</a>.</div>
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More regions benefit from firm housing activity: CommSec's Craig James

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<div>Earlier this year I wrote about the extent to which Chinese investment in Australian real estate has mushroomed over the past few years.</div>
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<div>Unfortunately the Foreign Investment Review Board is not due to release its 2015 Annual Report for some time, and furthermore not all states release full disclosure of foreign land ownership.</div>
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<div>One state which does so is Queensland, and indeed its Annual Report for the 2015 financial year was released only this week.</div>
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<div>The Foreign Ownership of Land Register (which requires disclose of the ownership of freehold or leasehold land) provided further evidence that Chinese investment in Queensland has absolutely exploded, with the value of annual acqusitions soaring by more than 170 per cent in the space of only two financial years from $323 million to $873 million. </div>
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<div>This accounted for a greater value of investment than all five of the other major countries disclosed combined.</div>
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<div>The data shows that while British interests continue to own the greatest land area in Queensland, Chinese investors have been very much focussed on the acquisition of urban land, in particular locations in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast.</div>
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<div>Indeed, Chinese investors accounted for a thunderous 63 per cent of foreign interest land acquisitions on the Gold Coast in 2014-15.</div>
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<div>Meanwhile, foreign interest land acquisitions in Brisbane for the financial year were overwhelmingly mopped up by investors from China (37 per cent), Singapore (33 per cent), and Hong Kong (8 per cent).</div>
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<div>The value of foreign land acquisitions in the financial year away from Brisbane and the Gold Coast was considerably lower.</div>
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<div>The interest of Chinese investors in Australian property is set to scale unprecedented heights in 2016, but the impacts of this are not always well understood.</div>
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PETE WARGENT is the co-founder of <a href="https://allenwargent.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">AllenWargent</a> property buyers (London, Sydney) and a best-selling author and <a href="https://petewargent.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">blogger</a>. 
His latest book is <a href="https://www.bigskypublishing.com.au/Books/General-Interest/Four-Green-Houses--and-a-Red-Hotel/1015/productview.aspx" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Four Green Houses and a Red Hotel</a>.
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Chinese investment in Queensland explodes: Pete Wargent

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Now, more than ever before, is the time to seriously consider and pay close attention to what your real estate agent promises you.
Don’t be too complacent and think that most agents actually care about your best interests. Most realtors wouldn’t shout you a cup of coffee, if it means actually putting their hand in their pockets to accommodate your needs.
No, this isn’t a rant about Vendor Paid Advertising (VPA). We’ve already had that discussion.
This article is about making sure, your agent, is looking after your best interests. Your interests when they suggest that your property is best marketed; via an auction campaign.
Below are some simple steps to follow and questions to pose to the agents that are hell-bent on auction strategies.
In this instance, the focus is on the auctioneer, more than the listing agent that wants to sign you up. Or in some cases: stitch-you-up.
Questions you need to ask about the auctioneer:
1)     Price: Is the auctioneer the cheapest in the area?
2)     Performance: How well does he/she perform?
3)     Pre-auction inspection: Will they actually come to view the home before the day of the auction?
4)     Price
Like everything, pay peanuts and you will get monkeys. But sometimes in the auction game, you also get very expensive baboons.
The key here is, don’t just base the decision on the criteria of “price”. Base your decision, in collaboration with the other two points, as well as price.
Performance
To help you better gauge the caliber of the individual that will have control of the sale on the day, make time to see them in action. Do it first hand and don’t rely on what their mate, the real estate agent, tells you about them.
Pre-auction inspection
I find it difficult to grasp the belief that an auctioneer, that has 5-9 properties to auction off in a period of 5 hours, can actually perform to their best of their ability on the day.
What I have seen is, most auctioneers stumbling and running late from appointment to appointment in Saturday traffic-jams in Sydney.
Their complacency, may have worked for them as people are prepared to pay 20-30% above the odds in a hot market; however, the tide has turned. Clearance rates are dropping weekly and rapidly.
You may be about to give a fool, the reigns of what is your most valuable asset. Think twice before you do. Perhaps the following points will assist you with your decision.
Foolish things agents and auctioneers do when they are under pressure
1)     Run an auction when no one has actually registered nor has anyone requested contracts prior to day of auction. I witnessed one last week. It was disastrous for     the vendor.
2)     Advertise low price-guides to draw a crowd only to pass the property in at the low price-guide.
3)     Calling vendors bid low, believing this will stimulate the bidding. I see this occur over and over again, and auctioneers do this even when the reserve is 15%-25% higher.
The common outcome: property is passed in at vendors bid and therefore, devaluing the potential of the property.
4)     Auctioneer not properly informed, if at all, about material facts such as; easements and covenants, development potential, history and not knowing in detail about the property.
5)     Auctioneers, thinking more about the traffic conditions they will encounter travelling to the next property, than the actual sale at hand.
6)     Agents and auctioneers conducting room auctions with 3 or more properties. Again, may have worked in a hot market, however, this is suicide for the vendor in normal circumstance.
Prevention is better than cure
To understand why agents are pushing auctions, you need to have a behind the scenes peak. Most real estate training manuals simply state:
“…Auction campaigns, gives the agent a definitive sales date. One that vendors and buyers are locked into… and you’re guaranteed your commission”
The above would be perfect if it also meant two outcomes:  first, the sale achieves the best price and second, the agent was ethical about the entire campaign. 
If your agent’s recommendations of an auctioneer does not meet the above criteria and what you hear and see on the video; you may well lose tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars.  Then again, ask yourself, is your property that unique to go to auction, and is it really the best strategy.
Happy selling. 
 
EDWIN ALMEIDA is licensee in charge of <a href="https://www.just-think.com.au/" target="_blank">Just Think Real Estate</a>.<a href="https://www.just-thin.com.au/"> </a>
He is also the creator of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/JustThinkProperty" target="_blank">Oz Real Estate.TV</a> and a presenter for <a href="https://propertyinvestingvault.com/" target="_blank">propertyinvestingvault.com</a>.
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Pay close attention to what your real estate agent promises you: Edwin Almeida

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Sydney has 2.4 months of supply left on the market, according to CoreLogic RP Data's senior research analyst Cameron Kusher.
He said the figure has increased from 2.2 months over each of the past two years and despite the rise, it is still the shortest month of supply for each capital city.
"Across the combined capital cities, there is currently 3.4 months of supply on the market," he said.
"This figure has increased from a recent low of 2.9 months in March."
 
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Vendor offerings equal 2.4 months of supply on the Sydney market: CoreLogic RP Data

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Real estate agents in Queensland's Mackay are fielding increased sales enquiries driven by local first-home buyers, according to the latest quarterly report from the Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ), indicating confidence in the economy and property market.
Local property projects like Somerset Park, off Bedford Road in Andergrove, are reporting increased enquiries.
Developed by Trinity Property Consultants, Somerset Park will have 250 homes, duplexes and townhouses built across four stages over the next two to three years. 
“Somerset Park homes are available from $379,000, a highly affordable entry price for first home buyers,” said TOTAL Property Group managing director and Somerset Park marketing manager Adrian Parsons.
It is six kilometres from the CBD, and is surrounded by shops, day-care centres, schools, health care services etc.
The trend in house sales over the past 12 months indicates that the city was rising from the bottom of the property cycle, said Peter McFarlane, REIQ zone chairman for Mackay district.
“More first home buyers are taking advantage of the low interest rates and the affordable property prices to realise their dream of owning their own home,” he said.
Somerset Park developer Jim Relph of Trinity Property Group said Mackay has a robust local economy, making Mackay an ideal city for first home buyers to live and invest in.
Buyers can choose from architecturally designed luxury three, four and five bedroom homes, some with lake views.
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First-home buyer activity boosts Queensland's Mackay market

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GUEST OBSERVER
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has created a new ministry for cities and the built environment. Announcing his decision last month, he said:
Liveable, vibrant cities are absolutely critical to our prosperity. (They are) where the bulk of our economic growth can be found … (and they are) economic assets. (M)aking sure that Australia is a wonderful place to live in, that our cities and indeed our regional centres are wonderful places to live, is an absolutely key priority of every level of government. Because the most valuable capital in the world today is not financial capital … (it’s) human capital.
While the question of what is a “liveable city” inspires endless debate, less thought has been given to making urban planning a more democratic process.
Natural evolution and the birth of urban planning
In the 18th century, one of London’s pioneer police magistrates, Henry Fielding, strove to keep the streets of the city clear of crime and vice. But in the course of his work Fielding also went out of his way to help prostitutes and petty criminals. He understood that the city was made up of all sorts of people with different values and cultures.
Fielding was living in a period when London was experiencing a population boom, going from just over 500,000 in 1700 to 900,000 in the 1801 census.
Today, 54% of the world’s population lives in cities, which have historically drawn people from myriad economic, social and cultural backgrounds. Cities have always been places of integration, intense population pressures, migration flows, cultural interactions and variations in socioeconomic positioning and values.
Fielding was interested in making London a liveable city, although the term would have been anachronistic to him. Yet it appears almost ubiquitous in contemporary policymaking, urban planning and in the public imagination. A liveable city has become the highest form of praise we can give to a city space.
But liveable for whom? The implication is that ordinary people should be able to inhabit cities. Yet how governments generate affordable housing, and even who is allowed to have a say in the planning and development of a city, is often badly developed.
Where does democracy fit in?
Is a liveable city a democratic city? Who gets to participate in the process of governing and shaping a city?
In the early 20th century, modern cities were thought to evolve according to “natural” processes, combining migration, growth and the urban form. Urban sociologists from the Chicago School outlined how cities evolved like living social organisms balancing conflict and co-operation, density, heterogeneity and tolerance. Ernest Burgess even suggested that the very form of the modern city developed in predictable fashion as a set of “concentric rings”, with production and workers’ cottages in a singular inner centre and more affluent suburbs at the extremities.
Such ideas have given way to a more complex depiction of post-modern cities, incorporating multiple (or no) centres, historical communities, development interests and urban planning. Urban planning is seen as an essential technical science. A failure to plan is associated with dystopian images of suburban sprawl, of the “exopolis” without facilities or a civic centre, or of “edge cities” growing like lichen along the intersections of major highways.
Appropriate planning is aimed at building the best cities to enhance quality of life and attract the elite of the global workforce. We strive to find a formula for the most liveable city and potentially top the EIU’s Global Liveability Ranking (which Melbourne achieved in 2015).
Urban planners explore how cities can be sustainable and how a continuous food and water supply can be ensured, but they also deal with concerns about over-population, migration and what happens when poverty is concentrated in certain areas, which can increase the potential for crime.
Cities as economic sites or liveable places
Soon after his appointment, the new cities minister, Jamie Briggs, conveyed his vision of cities as economic sites:
Cities are one of the great drivers of our economy. Most Australians live in our cities and the majority of businesses are based in or around them. They are the engine room of commerce, infrastructure, innovation, the arts, science and development.
While it’s true that historically people have been drawn to cities because of the economic opportunities they offered, such claims disguise both the difficulties for urban migrants and environments that economic opportunities have created, as well as the negative implications for those remaining in rural areas.
Before 1871, migrants from across France settled in Paris as a consequence of its economic opportunities and political importance. The social disconnection implicit in such movement became evident in Emile Durkheim’s 1897 study of French suicide rates and the breakdown in traditional forms of social solidarity.
Migration also played out broader social inequalities across the nation in urban space. People grouped in neighbourhoods based on shared languages and dialects that related to their home regions. Within those districts, rich and poor shared the same buildings, their wealth demarcated by their positioning in the building.
Perhaps this was better for social integration than many modern environments, but a focus on the city as an economic space can lose sight of how cities are made liveable. Social relationships are key to central ideas of safety, belonging and ownership.
In 1903, Georg Simmel described the metropolis as a blasé, rationalised space that alienates people from people and feelings, in that:
… punctuality, calculability, exactness are forced upon life by the complexity and extension of metropolitan existence.
Sixty years later, however, Jane Jacobs defended the city as a myriad of communities in that:
… the trust of a city street is formed over time from many, many little public sidewalk contacts.
What makes the ideal Australian city?
Is it Canberra, which divides public opinion with its low density, its roundabouts and planned streets? Is it Sydney or Melbourne with their high-density cultural vibrancy? Or is it the small country towns, which often appear communal in ways larger cities do not?
We often think of the attachment we have towards cities in emotional terms; we love or hate a place, we feel comfortable or settled in some spaces but not in others. We instinctively speak about cities in terms of their emotional impact on our lives.
Even Wordsworth, renowned for his love of nature and solitude, spoke of his emotional attachment to the city. Reflecting on his first sight of London, he wrote: 
A weight of ages did at once descend
Upon my heart – no thought embodied, no
Distinct remembrances, but weight and power,
Power growing with the weight…
For Wordsworth, as for others then and now, the city inspired a complex set of emotions.
What the new ministry needs to do
First, it needs to recognise the cultural, aesthetic and emotional elements of cities. It needs to acknowledge the importance of cultural activity ahead of the pursuit of commerce and the idea of cities as “economic assets”.
The aesthetic qualities of space are crucial to the notion of a liveable city. These became important in the 18th century with a growing appreciation of the ways that environment shaped the self and emotional behaviours.
To produce “civilised” behaviours in their populace, urban planners laid out wide streets, introduced sewage and flowing water, added street lamps and began to police both the behaviour and cleanliness of the urban environment. This was not just about practical benefits to the population, but reflected a strong belief that surrounding yourself with beauty enabled people to be better versions of themselves.
 
Such ideas remain important to the present. Historians of emotions spend a lot of time thinking about how cities and spaces create emotions, historically but with implications for modern spaces. Urban planning (or its lack) can produce emotions in inhabitants, whether that is the disgust at poor sewage and disease that inspired reform in 18th-century Copenhagen or 20th-century Sydney, the anger and tensions caused by ghettoisation of minority groups, or the political unrest caused by poor housing and overcrowding.
Perhaps most famously, cities have provided “outcast” individuals, such as gay men and lesbians, with a space to create a community, to find affirmation of their feelings and to build pride and political identity. A narrow focus on the city as a driver of the economic, without an appreciation of how the urban shapes those who live within it can act as a challenge to social stability and personal wellbeing.
Historically, the use of space in cities has been a matter of pride, displaying important cultural and architectural landmarks, but also an issue of public health and safety, preventing the spread of diseases, fires and crime. Our historical knowledge of cities can be enormously helpful in informing current ideas about city planning by showing how people have reacted emotionally to city spaces in the past.
The answer to the question of what makes a city liveable is complex and constantly evolving. Because of this we should be insisting on answers about what will be happening to Australia’s cities in the next few decades.
 
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/merridee-l-bailey-196598" target="_blank">Merridee L. Bailey </a>is senior research fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for the History of Emotions, University of Adelaide. <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/amy-milka-200753" target="_blank">Amy Milka </a>is postdoctoral research fellow, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the History of Emotions, University of Adelaide  <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/craig-lyons-200755" target="_blank">Craig Lyons </a>MSc candidate in human geography, School of Geosciences, University of Sydney  <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/david-lemmings-200749" target="_blank">David Lemmings </a>is professor of history, University of Adelaide  <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gordon-raeburn-143098" target="_blank">Gordon Raeburn </a>is postdoctoral fellow in the History of Emotions, University of Melbourne  <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/katie-barclay-200751" target="_blank">Katie Barclay</a><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/katie-barclay-200751"> </a>is research fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for the History of Emotions, University of Adelaide  <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/roger-patulny-94836" target="_blank">Roger Patulny </a>is lecturer in Sociology, University of Wollongong  <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/thomas-bristow-92779" target="_blank">Thomas Bristow </a>is postdoctoral research fellow, University of Melbourne.
All are authors for The Conversation.
 
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Liveable cities: who decides what that means and how we achieve it?

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Over the June 2015 quarter, 9.6% of Adelaide resales were at a gross loss, which was up from 9.3% at the end of the first quarter of 2015 but lower than the 10.9% over the same quarter last year.
The proportion of loss-making resales was relatively lower in the Prospect (2.0%), Holdfast Bay (2.7%) and Norwood Payneham and St Peters (2.7%) council areas, according to CoreLogic RP Data.
The highest proportions of loss-making resales over the quarter were recorded in Playford (28.3%), Mallala (20.0%) and Gawler (19.8%). 
 
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