A collection of just 25 large-format apartments and penthouses overlooking Goodwin Park is entering the Coolangatta market, with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/marea-residences-coolangatta-27-27a-dixon-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Maréa Residences</a> combining a low-density, residential-only approach with uninterrupted park and Pacific Ocean outlooks.

Located at 27 Dixon Street, Maréa comprises three and four-bedroom residences alongside a limited number of dual-level penthouses, with the project positioned between Goodwin Park and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/coolangatta-qld-4225">Coolangatta</a>’s coastal precinct.

Construction has commenced, with completion currently estimated for late 2027. Three-bedroom residences are priced from $1.8 million.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374005]

The project has been designed around its northern outlook across the park, with the building’s architecture, landscaping and material palette intended to establish a connection with the neighbouring green space. The residences have been configured to maximise natural light and views across Goodwin Park towards the ocean.

Inside, the material palette incorporates timber, stone and brushed brass, complemented by curved detailing and ambient lighting. Kitchens and bathrooms carry the same natural material approach, while residences also include basement parking, storage and lift access.

Maréa’s penthouses are arranged over two levels and include private pools, adding another layer to the project’s focus on larger-format apartment living. Across the development, residences are configured with three or four bedrooms rather than the broader mix of smaller apartment types commonly found in larger projects.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374010]

Resident amenity is concentrated at rooftop level, where landscaped entertaining terraces and pools take advantage of elevated views across Coolangatta and the Pacific Ocean.

The project has so far been particularly well received by local owner-occupiers and downsizers, according to Urban Activation Property Sales and Marketing Director Matt George, with the residential-only format, construction quality and northern park outlook among the features resonating with purchasers.

“The uninterrupted northern aspect overlooking Goodwin Park has been a key point of difference, with buyers attracted to the sense of serenity and open space the park provides, while still enjoying easy access to the ocean and being within walking distance of the lifestyle and amenities Coolangatta has to offer,” George said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374002]

“The combination of high-quality construction, a residential-only building, park outlook and proximity to the beach has resonated strongly with the local downsizer market.”

The Dixon Street address is within walking distance of Coolangatta Beach and the broader southern Gold Coast coastline, including the surf breaks at Snapper Rocks and Kirra. Coolangatta’s cafés, restaurants and retail are nearby, while Gold Coast Airport is also within close proximity.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150999]

Joel Robinson

Maréa Residences brings parkside apartments to Coolangatta

Melbourne developer PDG has secured Victorian Government approval for its $1.5 billion Southbank development <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-one-1-queens-bridge-street-southbank-vic-3006">The One</a>, clearing the way for the long-dormant riverfront site opposite Crown to finally be developed.

The Minister for Planning has approved the project at 1-29 Queens Bridge Street, with the Department of Transport and Planning issuing the planning permit following its assessment.

The approval will allow PDG to develop the prominent 5,059 sqm site with a major mixed-use tower comprising premium apartments, including branded residences, a luxury hotel and boutique office space.

PDG acquired the site in late 2024, with its position directly opposite Crown's main entrance and near Melbourne's Arts Precinct making it one of Southbank's most significant remaining development opportunities.

<img alt="PDG" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3933013e-6332-4386-b9be-089df05caf17" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%209.29.22%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=sITIgBqDL0N3VNSMwWEmF5UA.uvcsRyu" />

Designed by COX in collaboration with ODO and PDG, the tower's architecture draws on the movement of the Yarra River, with six vertical pleats running the height of the sculpted facade.

The project will also see the heritage-listed Queens Bridge Hotel restored and incorporated into the development&nbsp;with new hospitality and public uses, including a rooftop venue.

A significant component of The One will be its residential amenity.

More than 5,000 sqm of resident facilities will be delivered across a single level, making it one of the largest consolidated residential amenity offerings proposed in an Australian apartment development.

The planning approval also incorporates a major upgrade of Queensbridge Square, which PDG will deliver in partnership with the City of Melbourne.

<img alt="PDG" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="73167fcd-1031-4b6f-a408-a064cfe45ed1" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%209.29.17%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=Pf1AEWxw6SNmBqR0zQW5lyEze.MtxgFp" />

The existing square will be revitalised as a new civic and pedestrian space along the Yarra River, strengthening the connection between the project, Southbank and the riverfront.

PDG Founder and Managing Director Vince Giuliano said the approval represented a major milestone for a site which has remained largely underutilised for more than 15 years.

“This is the most significant Planning Permit approval Melbourne has seen in recent years,” Giuliano said.

“For more than 15 years, this site has remained underutilised. This approval enables us to deliver a project that will contribute meaningfully to the revitalisation of Southbank, restore and reactivate an important heritage building, and create a new civic and hospitality destination for Melbourne.”

The latest approval follows an earlier planning permit issued by the City of Melbourne covering demolition works across part of the site at 9-29 Queens Bridge Street. Those demolition and early works are already underway.

PDG has also started generating early interest in the residential component from owner-occupiers ahead of a planned public launch in early 2027.

PDG secures approval for $1.5bn Southbank apartment development, The One

Local developer Harridan is seeking to turn its Woolloongabba apartment project into the first stage of a broader transformation of Burke Street, using a new 16-storey mixed-use building to establish a greener pedestrian connection toward the rapidly evolving Boggo Road transport and knowledge precinct.

The South East Queensland developer has filed plans for 154 apartments on the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/4-burke-street-woolloongabba-qld-4102">southern side of Burke Street</a>, where its proposal has been designed alongside a wider vision by LatStudios for the street.

That vision positions the southern side of Burke Street for buildings of 15 storeys and above, while envisaging lower-rise development of up to five storeys on the northern side to transition into Woolloongabba's existing character housing. It also proposes wider pedestrian verges, deep planting, new street trees and upgrades to the pedestrian approach to Boggo Road Station.

The Harridan development itself has been designed by Brisbane-based Arqus Design and will comprise 154 apartments across 16 storeys. The mix is weighted heavily toward two-bedroom apartments, with 121 proposed alongside 10 one-bedroom and 23 three-bedroom residences. There will typically be around 14 units per floor.

A lower-ground car park and three podium levels will accommodate 156 resident parking spaces, along with visitor and commercial parking. There will also be 154 resident bicycle spaces and 40 visitor bicycle parks.

&nbsp;

Harridan is a family-owned developer and part of the Holmwood Highgate Group, with more than three decades of development activity across South East Queensland. Its portfolio spans residential, commercial and industrial property, with current residential projects including Riverbank on Byron in Bulimba, Esperance Residences in Carina and The Precinct at Kinross Road in Thornlands.

Wooloongabba has been popular for apartment developers, particularly since the announcement of the 2032 Summer Olympics games in Brisbane.

While there have been a lot of development applications, it has failed to materialize into real supply.&nbsp;

Sarazin has been the major player in the area. They are under construction at Murcia Residences, on the fringe of East Brisbane and Woolloongabba. They have just launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-stanley-residences-woolloongabba-8-trafalgar-street-woolloongabba-qld-4102">The Stanley Residences</a>, in Woolloongabba on Trafalagar Street. They also have Nuage coming soon on the nearby <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nuage-woolloongabba-14-wellington-road-woolloongabba-qld-4102">Wellington Road</a>.

First look: Harridan plans Burke Street transformation beside Boggo Road transport hub

IN BRIEF

<ul>
	<li>
	Just three double-storey Sky Homes sit at the top of The Waterline, each with its own private marina berth and rooftop terrace.
	</li>
	<li>
	Construction on The Waterline is complete, with the first residents expected to move in from mid-October.
	</li>
	<li>
	Sky Homes range from 282 sqm to 367 sqm and are priced from $3.65 million.
	</li>
</ul>

<hr />
Lewis Land has opened the first completed sky home for inspection at Harbour Shores, giving buyers their first opportunity to step inside one of just three double-storey residences crowning The Waterline.

Each sky home comes with its own private marina berth, rooftop terrace and Broadwater views, combining the scale of a larger home with direct access to the boating lifestyle that underpins the wider <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/harbour-shores-biggera-waters-564-oxley-drive-biggera-waters-qld-4216">Harbour Shores</a> masterplan.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=113271 project_image_fid=366708]

Lewis Land Head of Development Michael Long said the inclusion of a berth with every Sky Home had become increasingly valuable as marina access across the Gold Coast tightened.

“Marina berths are becoming increasingly difficult to secure across the Gold Coast, so including one with every Sky Home makes this a genuinely rare offering,” Long said.

“The private 70-berth marina will accommodate boats up to 12 metres in length and is positioned just 2.5 kilometres from the Broadwater, placing the open ocean only 15 minutes away.

“Being able to step out of your home onto your boat is a rare luxury, and it’s something residents here can look forward to when it opens later this year.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=113271 project_image_fid=366709]

The display opening comes as construction completes on The Waterline, with the first residents expected to move in from mid-October.

The three Sky Homes range from 282 sqm to 367 sqm and each feature three bedrooms, three bathrooms, multiple living zones, expansive kitchens with butler's pantries and large balconies taking in the Broadwater outlook.

Each residence also has three secure basement car spaces and additional storage.

“This is the first opportunity the Gold Coast has had to step into Harbour Shores and see, touch and feel what we’re bringing to life here,” Long said.

“There are only three Sky Homes within The Waterline, ranging in size from 282sqm to 367sqm, with each residence featuring three large bedrooms, three bathrooms, multiple living zones, expansive custom-built kitchens with butler’s pantry, and large balconies capturing Broadwater views.”

<img alt="Harbour Shores" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bab65e10-4fab-45e1-92d8-fc56e2ab98ff" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-25%20at%202.00.16%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=XT8q76LsPkw3cYTsvN3JfFDaPLud90PN" />

Residents of The Waterline will have access to a private pool, along with Harbour Shores' wider collection of amenity including a lagoon pool, social clubhouse, tennis court, gym, yoga facilities and sauna.

Lewis Land partnered with Studio Collective to furnish the completed display, with the interiors designed to demonstrate how the residences could function as permanent homes rather than simply as show apartments.

Studio Collective Director Melissa Park said the surrounding waterways informed the interiors, but in a more restrained way than a traditional coastal scheme.

“We drew inspiration from the canals and coastal surrounds, but our approach was to interpret that subtly through layered materials and a grounded palette of earthy tones, rather than literal coastal references,” Park said.

“We introduced hero moments of green and teal to reference the surrounding waterways, while mirrored elements help reflect natural light.

“The result is a residence that feels elevated yet comfortable, somewhere buyers can genuinely imagine themselves living, entertaining and unwinding.”

Sky Homes are priced from $3.65 million.

Lewis Land is also offering private marina berths with The Residences, its limited collection of three and four-bedroom villas positioned directly along the Harbour Shores waterfront boardwalk.

Three-bedroom villas are priced from $2.99 million, while four-bedroom residences start from $3.19 million.

Harbour Shores is being marketed by Colliers International.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=113271]

Lewis Land opens sky home display as The Waterline completes at Harbour Shores

St Vincent de Paul Society Housing Australia has filed plans for a major mixed-use housing precinct on the southern edge of the North Sydney CBD, adding another significant proposal to a pocket around North Sydn​ey Station that is quickly becoming one of the LGA's busiest development zones.

The State Significant Development Application covers a 5,990 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/1-19-mackenzie-street-lavender-bay-nsw-2060">1-19 MacKenzie Street and 211 Blues Point Road in Lavender Bay</a>, immediately south of Nor​th Sydney Station and between the commercial core and the lower-rise Lavender Bay Heritage Conservation Area.

Designed by Wardle, the proposal would deliver a new residential tower comprising 88 build-to-sell apartments and 19 affordable apartments, alongside a separate co-living building with 57 rooms and a building manager's studio.

It would also see the significant restoration and upgrade of St Francis Xavier Catholic Church, the adaptive reuse of the former school building, new parish facilities, retail, a new public square and around 1,000 sqm of publicly accessible open space.

<img alt="Vinnies North Sydney" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d5dd7f87-a617-463e-b577-17541e01f0e9" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%209.10.13%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=4R8TsFN3P_LrrXO2HswTOIrx2blil8lh" />

The project is seeking a concurrent rezoning of the site to R4 High Density Residential and an increase in the maximum building height to allow a tower reaching RL120, or up to 20 storeys. The proposal was progressed through the NSW Government's Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

The build-to-sell component will be weighted toward larger apartments, with just six one-bedroom apartments compared with 31 two-beds, 43 three-beds and eight four-bedroom residences.

The 19 affordable apartments will comprise two studios, 15 one-bedroom apartments and two two-bedroom apartments, taking the total apartment component to 107 residences before the 58 co-living rooms are included.

<img alt="Vnnies" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7d568ca5-cb90-4e18-96c6-d9795dba0c56" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%209.10.05%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=GY2R5M9VtQh0EKy1vajaea19PSLOPuRD" />

Wardle's design for the Vinnies site has sought to negotiate that emerging high-rise context while retaining the lower-scale character of MacKenzie Street and the adjoining heritage conservation area.

The main building adopts a three-storey podium and tower arrangement, with the podium aligned to the ridgeline and front setback of St Francis Xavier Church.&nbsp;Wardle has designed the podium with colonnades, seating, recessed entries and active ground-floor frontages, with sandstone-toned precast concrete and face brick referencing the materiality of the existing church.

The tower then steps back eight metres to the south and six metres to the north before rising in a sculpted form comprising four interlocking quadrants. Wardle has also introduced rounded forms and chamfered corners to reduce the tower's perceived bulk and improve view sharing with neighbouring development sites.

Resident facilities and outdoor areas are planned at the separation between the podium and tower at Level 3, oriented toward Sydney Harbour and the CBD skyline.

The tower itself will feature a glass reinforced concrete facade, with recessed balconies and deep reveals used both to provide shading and privacy and frame views toward the harbour and city. The lower levels take a different architectural approach, using brick and sandstone-toned finishes intended to establish a stronger relationship with St Francis Xavier Church. The Church itself will be conserved and upgraded for its continued use, while the former school building will be adaptively reused as part of the co-living component.

<img alt="Lavendar Bay" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2d4418ad-90aa-4d49-af93-c80b140aea80" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%209.09.47%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=Kv4gzbsACaGvZSRuaqcfGC54jEJRXIDJ" />

&nbsp;

The proposal adds to an increasingly concentrated pipeline of residential development around Blue Street, MacKenzie Street and Lavender Bay.

Just west of the site, Central Element lodged plans earlier this year for one of the most significant residential developments proposed in Lavender Bay in recent years.

Central Element's SJB-designed scheme at 64-66 Lavender Street and 3-7 Middlemiss Street would deliver 163 apartments across two towers rising 23 and 32 storeys, replacing five existing apartment buildings containing 32 homes. The project also forms part of the Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-central-element-reveals-lavender-bay-apartment-plans?utm_source=chatgpt.com" rel="noopener" target="_blank">First look: Central Element reveals Lavender Bay apartment plans</a>

Immediately around North Sy​dney Station, another two significant proposals have emerged at 5 and 15 Blue Street.

Zurich Australian Insurance Properties is seeking to adaptively reuse its longstanding commercial building at 5 Blue Street, directly above North Sydney Station, rather than demolishing the structure.

Its SSDA proposes converting the building into a 14-storey mixed-use development with 62 apartments and 86 co-living rooms, together with ground-floor retail and a major refurbishment of Blue Street Plaza. The application is currently at the Response to Submissions stage.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-zurich-targets-north-sydney-office-conversion-with-148-unit-proposal-above-metro-station">First look: Zurich targets North Sydney office conversion with 148-unit proposal above Metro station</a>

&nbsp;

First look: Vinnies files for 20-storey Lavender Bay apartment tower as North Sydney housing pocket heats up

Terry Ryder

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EXPERT OBSERVER
If sentiment was money we’d all have got richer in the past month. Pretty much everyone in property has felt the perceptible change in vibe since a series of fortunate events snowballed through the winter market: the election, the demise of Bill Short-sighted and his tax policies, the APRA easing, the interest rates decision, help for first-home buyers and the income tax cuts.
People who provide services to real estate have felt the mood change - but it will take time before consumers, the people who really matter, can touch it and taste it. APRA hasn’t actioned it policy changes, consumers aren’t yet living the lower mortgage rates, FHBs can’t bank the promised assistance and the tax cuts are still a long way from our hip pockets.
The changes will take time to show up in research depicting an uplift in markets. The ABS recently published its price data for the March Quarter – it won’t be until they publish their September Quarter figures towards the end of 2019 that we might see the positive changes reflected in ABS figures.
So how do we know that anything tangible is happening as a result of the recent sugar hits to sentiment?
Little by little, we’re seeing growing research evidence of a turnaround in fortunes for property markets in Australia’s biggest cities. 
Auction clearance rates are improving, vacancy rates are dropping, rents are rising, price decline is bottoming out and the pickup in consumer sentiment is being quantified in surveys.
Two major indicators which measure short-term changes in prices in the capital cities indicate that the slump in property values is coming to a halt. CoreLogic’s Property Market Indicator data shows a trend of improvement in the daily home value index for the capital cities – firstly the rate of decline showed and then we saw recent weeks of no change. The Home Value Index for June showed small monthly improvements in Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart, while those three cities plus Darwin showed monthly increases for units.
The Asking Prices Index from SQM Research has shown more even positive outcomes, with the indexes for Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Hobart all recording weekly rises, while Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra Adelaide, Darwin and Hobart have all achieved monthly increases.
We have to resort to these wobbly short-term measures on prices, because it will take some time before the long-term trends are evident. I don’t like weekly indexes much, but there has been a steady pattern emerging in both the SQM and CoreLogic measures – and that trend has been one of recovery and improvement.
Tyron Hyde, director of depreciation experts Washington Brown, says the uncertainty that existed two months ago has been removed from the minds of investors and home-buyers, and sentiment has improved in the  big city markets.
“Everyone I speak says there’s been a 10% uplift in the market,” Hyde says. “I don’t think that means a return to big price growth, but it has put a floor under those markets that wasn’t there a few months ago.”
All that’s being reflected in some of the surveys. The Westpac sentiment survey has reported a “spectacular” rise in expectations of house price increases and a general improvement in sentiment from real estate consumers. “Housing-related sentiment showed a clear response to the lowering in interest rates,” says Westpac senior economist Matthew Hassan.
The time to buy a dwelling index showed a 1.8% rise to 116.9 points, while the house price expectations index recorded a “spectacular” 22.7% rise. “This is the highest level since August 2018,” Hassan says.
Meanwhile, the latest edition of ME’s Quarterly Property Sentiment Report shows that seven out of ten real estate consumers feel positive or neutral about the market. It found 37% feel neutral towards property overall, while 35% feel positive and 28% feel negative. 
Auction outcomes continue to provide evidence of improvement in the big city property markets. The latest data suggests June was the strongest month for auction outcomes since September 2017 in Sydney and since February 2018 in Melbourne.
The preliminary clearance rates for the weekend were 68% for Sydney and 73% for Melbourne, which are quite strong results, especially compared to the same time last year.
Interest in mortgages rose dramatically in the days following the Reserve Bank cash rate reduction in early June, according to comparison site Finder.  Traffic to <a href="https://finder.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=cc5e9bce699fa1d71a67cf499&amp;id=ab42718692&amp;e=e0c2d5151d">home loan deals</a> on Finder jumped 654% in the 48 hours after the RBA announced the cash rate reduction. Interest in variable rates on Finder grew by 564%, while there was a 369% spike in those looking to refinance.
Residential rents continue to rise in most Australian capital cities, both in monthly and annual terms. Figures from SQM Research show that the Weekly Rents Index has risen in the past year in all cities except Darwin and Sydney. The Indexes have shown similar trends in the past month.
This reflects a general decline in vacancy rates. According to SQM, vacancy rates fell or remained steady in all eight capital cities in May. The national average vacancy rate is 2.2%, well below the 3% benchmark.
As we go forward, I expect the pile of tangible evidence of revival to grow. For people who work in the real estate space, the second half of 2019 is going to be a lot more fun than the first six months.
Terry Ryder is the founder of hotspotting.com.au
<a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au">ryder@hotspotting.com.au</a>
twitter.com/hotspotting
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terryryder-YECXbqmri2

Tangible evidence of stronger property markets: Hotspotting's Terry Ryder

<html><body>
EXPERT OBSERVER
Regional Victoria remains a stand-out market on price performance, although the two latest quarterly surveys conducted by Hotspotting indicate that sales activity overall is not as strong as 2018. 
Some of the key markets have passed their peaks in terms of buyer demand, although other locations are now rising.
In our Winter survey of sales activity, we have identified 22 markets with rising buyer demand, down from 29 in the Autumn survey and a significant reduction on the 51 in the Summer survey. This is primarily because the two growth leaders of the past couple of years, Geelong and Ballarat (pictured above), have passed their peaks in terms of sales activity.
Other recent growth markets appear to have moderated also, including Cardinia Shire on the south-eastern fringe of Melbourne, where Pakenham and Officer have recorded a significant decline from the previous peak levels of sales activity. But new growth markets are appearing.
We have previously declared Regional Victoria to be the strongest market in the nation. Most of the growth markets that have inspired that assessment have been locations within commutable distance of the Melbourne metropolitan area. Now growth markets are being found in locations more distant from the state capital, including Wodonga, Wangaratta, Port Fairy and Portland.
But the No.1 market continues to be Bendigo. It has overtaken Geelong and Ballarat, based on the number of suburbs with rising sales activity.
Bendigo now has eight suburbs with increasing demand, as well as numerous others with steady sales performance. Growth suburbs include Golden Square, Kangaroo Flat, Kennington, Long Gully, Maiden Gully, White Hills and North Bendigo. Quarterly sales in the suburb of Epsom have grown from 20-25 two years ago to 35-40 more recently. Its median house price ($355,000) is typical of pricing in Bendigo, one of the strongest regional cities of Victoria.
Wangaratta (median house price $315,000) has emerged as a market where sales demand has grown steadily over the past two years. Quarterly sales have risen from 80-85 two years ago to around 120 more recently. Its median price has risen 13% in the past 12 months.
Further north at the NSW border, Wodonga (median $340,000) presents as a solid market with growing strength.
In the western areas of the state, both Port Fairy and Portland have had steady increases in quarterly sales. Portland’s quarterly sales pattern of 33, 41, 45, 48, 48, 52, 76, 86, 77, 79, 95, 90 and 101indicates a market that has grown steadily over the past three years, with its median price up 5% to $240,000 in the past 12 months. Port Fairy’s median has increased 7% to $600,000 in the past year.
Geelong has been Victoria’s strongest real estate market in recent years. However, our Winter survey has found only two rising suburbs in terms of sales activity but 20 plateau suburbs, which means sales have tapered off below the former peak levels. There’s a similar trend in Ballarat: it has two rising suburbs, but 11 plateau suburbs and six consistency markets.
Despite being passed their peaks in terms of buyer demand, both Geelong and Ballarat are still delivering significant price growth: 17 suburbs of the City of Greater Geelong and nine in the Ballarat LGA have had double-digit growth in their median house prices in the past year.
A number of Regional Victoria markets have had median price growth above 20% in the past 12 months. Five of them are Geelong suburbs – Indented Head, Mt Duneed, Newcomb, St Leonards and Whittington. Big growth has also occurred in Mt Pleasant and Wendouree, suburbs of Ballarat, as well as Cowes and Wonthaggi in the Bass Coast LGA. 
But the No.1 location in Regional Victoria for annual median price growth is Loch Sport in the Wellington LGA, up 30% in the past 12 months.
Four towns in the Macedon Ranges LGA had recorded double-digit increases in their median house prices, including Woodend which rose 21%. But our Winter survey confirms that this area has peaked in terms of sales activity. It’s a similar story with the Mitchell LGA, where towns like Beveridge, Broadford, Kilmore, Seymour and Wallan have attracted strong buyer interest in the past two years.
Overall, Regional Victoria has been an outstanding performer on price growth, arguably the best in the nation, in the past 12 months. We have analysed price performance for 140 towns and suburbs and found that 89% have median house prices higher than a year ago. Two-thirds of Regional Victoria locations have risen by more than 5%. 
Terry Ryder is the founder of hotspotting.com.au
<a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au">ryder@hotspotting.com.au</a>
twitter.com/hotspotting
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Regional Victoria remains stand-out market, but sales activity drops: Hotspotting's Terry Ryder

<html><body>
EXPERT OBSERVER
State Government approvals which appear to green light the Adani coal project represent a clear and present danger for property investors with poor research and short memories. 
I was alarmed to see News Ltd media publishing stories with headlines like this: “Adani impact: Mining towns on cusp of a housing boom”.
This article was repeated in various forms of media across the nation, with content like this: “After years of poor property price growth, cities like Gladstone, Rockhampton and Emerald are poised to become an investors’ paradise following the State Government’s decision to give the green light for the Adani mine in the Galilee Basin.
“Home prices in towns like Bowen, Longreach and Moranbah, which are up to 73% below their peak, could be on the cusp of a major rebound with work on the Carmichael coal mine set to start immediately.”
Investors’ paradise? Seriously? This is the pinnacle in irresponsible journalism. Anything goes, it seems, in the interests of creating clickbait.
And Longreach to experience an Adani related boom? It’s about 600km south-west of the mine site and, as far as I can tell, has nothing to do with the project or its alleged benefits. (There have been some concerns expressed by Longreach farmers about negative impacts on water resources).
Let’s get some perspective. Mining towns have shown themselves in the recent past to be more of a fool’s paradise than an investor’s paradise. They’re at the extreme danger end of the risk spectrum for property investors. More people have lost money than made fortunes investing in places like Moranbah and Gladstone.
There’s no doubt that many of these places have shown exceptional price growth at times in their history and have also delivered periods of very high rental returns. But the booms have been followed by disastrous busts.
At one point, during the last resources investment boom, Moranbah’s median house price topped $700,000. It had an annual average growth rate around 30% - that’s 30% per year over 10 years. Weekly rents around $1,500 were common.
But what happened next is the core lesson for investors: the major mining companies became fed up with paying those sorts of rents and prices for very ordinary houses. And they came up with a new model that cost them less – they constructed temporary workers’ camps to accommodate fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) workers.
The median house price of Moranbah dropped to around $150,000 and vacancies went above 10%, with a dramatic negative effect on rents.
In the past year or so, the market there has started to recover. Vacancies have come down to below 2% and prices are rising again (from a very low base). 
But will the opening of major new mines create a new housing boom? It’s unlikely, because the mining companies have established a successful model of FIFO workers and workers camps. Those crazy booms of the past won’t be repeated. Any peripheral upsurge in values will be temporary.
Right now, the long-term growth rate for Moranbah prices (the average annual change over the past 10 years) is -3% per year. That’s minus 3% per year. Which means the current median price – around $205,000 – is considerably lower than it was 10 years ago.
The Moranbah story has been repeated in mining-related locations elsewhere in Queensland, including Gladstone, Emerald and the towns of the Surat Basin. It’s also happened, spectacularly, in resources centres in Western Australia, like Port Hedland and Karratha.
Gladstone had a big property market slump while three huge gas plants costing $60 billion were under construction. The market in Newman in the Pilbara region of WA dived while Gina Rinehart was building a $10 billion iron ore mine near the town.
All suffered from the same syndrome: while developers built lots of new dwellings in anticipation of a property boom, the resources companies built workers camps and many of the new homes sat empty, creating a property downturn.
The notion that a big new mine means a housing boom for nearby towns is no longer valid.
And, when you read a little deeper into the News Ltd article, you find this:
CoreLogic senior research analyst Cameron Kusher said it was hard to say what the approval of the mine would mean for the surrounding regions because there was still a lot of contention around how many local jobs would be created.
“If you assume job creation is significant, it will increase demand for housing both from a purchase and rental perspective,” Mr Kusher said. “The challenge will be that since the end of the mining boom these areas have seen very low demand for housing so, if demand exceeds supply you would expect rents and prices to increase, however, I can’t say with any confidence whether that will or won’t be the case.”
I agree with those sentiments. And I would go further – the big property booms in mining towns are history, unless the miners’ modus operandi changes.
There will be some benefits to property markets from the Adani mine, if it goes ahead (it still has some federal regulatory hurdles to get over). Townsville will benefit from having the project HQ, Bowen is close to the export port and may get some spinoff - and Mackay may benefit through proximity and the ability to provide workers, perhaps.
I regard Mackay as a growth property market, because it is benefitting from the revival in Central Queensland mining plus – and this is the key factor – it has other growth elements to its economy. It’s not solely reliant on a buoyant mining sector.
Investors seeking to exploit the Central Queensland mining revival would be better off considering the larger, more diversified regional cities like Mackay, rather than the small towns near the mine sites.
Terry Ryder is the founder of hotspotting.com.au
<a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au">ryder@hotspotting.com.au</a>
twitter.com/hotspotting
 
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Be careful of “The Adani Boom” hype: Hotspotting's Terry Ryder

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EXPERT OBSERVATION
Newspapers and other forms of mainstream media add to the great seething mass of misinformation when they publish a single figure to describe price trends in a major capital city.
When they declare that Sydney prices have dropped 10% or 12% in the past 12 months, it paints a picture of a market where there is universal decline in prices right across the Sydney metropolitan area - which includes hundreds of suburbs as diverse as Bondi v Penrith or Manly v Campbelltown.
The proposition that a city so big, with all its diverse elements and situations, can be described with one figure depicting a single homogeneous market, is quite ludicrous. And when we dig a little deeper, we finds all kinds of different scenarios in play.
Our suburb-by-suburb analysis shows that there are close to 100 Sydney markets where median prices are higher than a year ago.
Many of the markets where prices have continued to grow are apartment precincts – it’s not happening across the board, but it’s a significant sub-plot in the Sydney market.
A feature of this scenario is the number of suburbs where the unit market is out-performing the house market.
Suburbs where the median house price has dropped in the past 12 months, but the median unit market has risen, include Lindfield, Annandale, Jannali, Matraville, North Bondi, Peakhurst, Roseville, Rozelle, Turramurra, Bondi Junction, Burwood, Dulwich Hill, Hurstville, Manly, Naremburn, Newport, Seaforth and Stanmore, among others.
In North Bondi, the median house price has dropped 18% but the median apartment price has increased 19%.
In Peakhurst, the median house price is down 16% but the median price for apartments is up 8%.
In Jannali, the median house price has dropped 10% over 12 months, but the median apartment price has risen 22%.
We believe this reflects buyers seeking affordability in an expensive market.
Sydney’s prolonged boom peaked in terms of buyer activity in 2015-16 and sales volumes started to reduce from that point – but it wasn’t until 2017 that it started to show up noticeably in the published price data.
After several years of strong growth, buyers in all market sectors began to resist the high pricing levels. Essentially, the Sydney market hit an affordability wall.
Since then, demand for the cheaper unit product has helped to boost price levels in some suburbs, while demand for houses in the same suburb has declined.
In Hurstville, the median price differential is $1.43 million for houses and $730,000 for units - i.e. the typical apartment is half the price of the average house.
There’s an even greater variance in Annandale, where the median house price of $1.6 million is more than double the apartment median of $755,000.
In upmarket Roseville, the median comparison is $2.85 million for houses and $1.08 million for units.
Those numbers help to explain why unit prices are defying the house price trend, in some areas.
Another part of the equation is the preference among younger buyers for the apartment lifestyle, rejecting the house-on-land in the 'burbs choice made by their parents and grandparents.
Terry Ryder is the founder of hotspotting.com.au
<a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au" target="_blank">ryder@hotspotting.com.au</a>
twitter.com/hotspotting
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Sydney's apartment markets are defying the general trend: Hotspotting's Terry Ryder 

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EXPERT OBSERVER
Melbourne shows that even in a city with a distinct overall trend, there are many diverse scenarios in play. Melbourne generally continues to decline but different sectors are producing different results, especially with price outcomes.
Apartment markets in particular are holding up well and there are more suburbs with rising unit prices than those with prices down. That runs contrary to the general media rhetoric of prices down across the board, thanks to generalised data and bad analysis.
Across the Melbourne metropolitan area, Hotspotting has analysed price trends in 435 house and unit markets and found that 44% have median prices higher than a year ago, while 56% have prices lower than last year.
Markets with significant declines in prices are relatively rare. Only 35% of the 435 suburban markets analysed have had median prices fall by more than 5% in the past 12 months – and it’s mostly the top end markets where prices have dropped a lot. Conversely, the locations where prices are still up substantially are primarily in the outer-ring areas where buyers are chasing affordability.
But, as we frequently observe, prices take time to respond to market realities, as shown by sales activity. The trends with buyer demand suggest Melbourne overall is at the bottom of the trough – suburbs with rising demand are virtually non-existent (the worst outcome since we started our quarterly surveys four years ago) and there are 73 suburbs which we have classified as “decline” markets (more than Sydney currently has).
In terms of trends with buyer demand, the steadiest markets are the areas where most suburbs are “plateau” or “consistency” markets. These are mostly the more affordable areas, either outer-ring precincts or middle market ones.
The City of Melton LGA on the western outskirts of the Melbourne metro area is a stand-out, both with sales trends and price outcomes. There are no “rising” suburbs in terms of sales activity but there are 11 classified as “plateau” markets. And many of the Melbourne suburbs where median prices have risen by more than 10% in the past 12 months are in the Melton LGA.
Other municipalities with steady buyer demand include the Hume LGA in the north, Casey in the far south-east, Brimbank in the western suburbs and Wyndham in the far south-west, as well as middle-ring areas like Darebin, Nillumbik and Moreland. The only LGAs in the Melbourne metro areas with no suburbs classified as “decline” markets are those three middle-ring areas, plus Melton City in the far west.
The middle-market Kingston LGA demonstrates the many different scenarios that can be found in real estate, even within one municipality. We have ranked 13 suburbs in the Kingston LGA: 2 rising, 6 plateau, 2 consistency and 3 decline. The rising suburbs are Chelsea and Chelsea Heights, the only two suburbs across Melbourne to be identified as having rising buyer demand in this Autumn survey.
The strongly-emerging trend is the number of Melbourne locations with significant declines in sales activity – and they are found right throughout the metropolitan area.
Many of the upmarket areas have multiple decline suburbs, including the LGAs of Boroondara, Glen Eira and Melbourne. But middle-markets LGAs like Whitehorse and Monash, as well as more downmarket locations like Greater Dandenong, have multiple decline markets.
And suburbs classified as decline markets are now starting to appear in the outer-ring LGAs like Casey and Hume, which provides further evidence that the previous growth cycle is over.
But the worst of the decline markets is the Mornington Peninsula – in this outlying LGA, we have classified 10 suburbs as decline markets.
Price levels remain quite resilient in many parts of Melbourne. Among the housing markets, 36% of suburbs have median prices higher than a year ago, while in the apartment sector 57% have higher prices.
In the housing markets, 94 suburbs have median prices higher than last year, while among the apartment markets, 98 suburbs have higher prices (compared to 73 with lower medians).
In terms of locations with significant price decline (a drop of more than 5% in the median price), only 38% of housing markets and 25% of apartment markets are in this category.
The suburbs with major decline in median house prices are all millionaire suburbs. Those where the median house price has dropped more than 20% in the past 12 months are Box Hill, Brighton, Canterbury, Carlton, Caulfield North, Hawthorn, North Melbourne, South Melbourne, South Yarra, St Kilda, St Kilda East and Toorak. 
The biggest drops in median house prices have occurred in Box Hill (down 36%), St Kilda (35%), Toorak (31%) and Hawthorn (30%).
Conversely, the areas still delivering good price growth are at the affordable end of the market. Of 11 suburbs with median house price growth above 10% in the past year, 5 are in the Melton LGA, 2 are in Hume and 2 are in Casey. Virtually all of these 11 suburbs are suburbs with median house prices under $600,000.
Terry Ryder is the founder of hotspotting.com.au
<a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au">ryder@hotspotting.com.au</a>
twitter.com/hotspotting
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Multiple property scenarios producing different results in Melbourne: Hotspotting's Terry Ryder

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EXPERT OBSERVER
Media portrays Sydney as a market of universal and relentless decline, but our analysis shows there’s a lot more to the story. While sales activity and prices are down generally, there are many different scenarios playing out across the Greater Sydney Area. 
In Hotspotting’s latest quarterly survey of sales activity, we can find only three suburbs where sales activity is trending higher, but there are 90 suburbs with steady, consistent sales and a similar number of plateau markets (where activity has dropped from the peak but remains at solid levels).
And there are 61 suburbs classified as decline markets and 14 which we regard as danger markets, with the Sydney City, Parramatta, Bayside and Canterbury-Bankstown LGAs heading the list of markets to avoid.
Our analysis of 416 suburban markets in the Greater Sydney Area shows that 77% of them have median prices lower than a year so, while 23% have higher prices. Given the negative sensation about Sydney in mainstream media, many people would be surprised to learn that there are 95 Sydney markets where prices are not falling.
That includes 36 where median prices have risen by more than 5%, led by the top end of the Sydney market (suburbs with median prices above $2 million). Suburbs with median house prices above $2 million have recorded trend-defying growth, including Bellevue Hill (up 17%), Vaucluse (15%), Collaroy (22%), Palm Beach (17%), Artarmon (28%), Abbotsford (16%), Darling Point (12%) and Neutral Bay (17%), among others.
In another interesting trend that defies the general media rhetoric, there are 44 suburbs where the median house price is down but the media apartment price is up. This reflects the reality that many of the Sydney markets where prices have continued to grow against the overall trend are apartment precincts – it’s not happening across the board, but it’s a significant sub-plot in the Sydney market.
Our analysis of the Sydney market shows why the generalisations prevalent in media are so misleading for consumers. This Autumn survey has given ratings to 258 Sydney suburbs: 3 rising, 90 plateau, 90 consistency, 61decline and 14 danger markets. The absence of growth markets and the dominance of struggling ones is the over-riding trend, but there are other stories to be told in the Sydney market.
The strongest precincts are those that are displaying stubborn consistency of sales activity in the face of the general downturn.
The Sutherland LGA has two of only three rising suburbs (Jannali and Kirrawee), as well as five plateau and four consistency suburbs. The median price for Jannali units has risen 22% in the past year, while Kirrawee houses are up 3%. It’s notable that median prices for units have risen in many Sutherland suburbs, including Caringbah, Cronulla, Caringbah South, Gymea and Miranda, as well as Jannali.
Other precincts that are showing solidity, with plenty of consistency and plateau suburbs (and no decline or danger markets), including LGAs at the more affordable end of the market like Blacktown, Camden, Penrith, Wollondilly and Campbelltown.
The Blacktown LGA has one rising, three plateau and 10 consistency suburbs. A characteristic of this market is that median prices are down, but only a few percent in most suburbs – including Plumpton (-2%), Ropes Crossing (-2.3%), Schofields (-1.2%), Marsden Park (-0.4%), Blacktown units (-2%) and Mt Druitt units (-2.8%).
Other solid markets include the LGAs of Inner west, Northern Beaches, North Sydney,  Woollahra, Randwick and Fairfield.
Inner West suburbs where median prices are higher than a year ago include Annandale (units), Camperdown, Lilyfield, Rozelle (units), Dulwich Hill (units) and Stanmore (units).
Standout price performances in the steady Northern Beaches precinct include Collaroy, Narrabeen, Avalon Beach, Manly (units), Seaforth (units) and Newport (units).
The weakest precincts of the Sydney market are the LGAs of Parramatta, Sydney City, Bayside and Canterbury-Bankstown.
Parramatta has six suburbs which we classify as danger markets: those where sales activity is sharply down, prices are falling and vacancies are high. These suburbs are Carlingford, Epping, North Parramatta, Parramatta, Wentworth Point and Rosehill. This LGA also has six suburbs ranked as decline markets.
Median prices are down sharply for North Parramatta houses (20%), Parramatta houses (30%), and Rosehill units (22%).
Sydney City has seven declining suburbs and two danger markets (Haymarket and Waterloo).
The Canterbury-Bankstown LGA has nine suburbs classified as declining markets, based on a sharp decrease in sales activity over the past 12-18 months: Bankstown, Belmore, Campsie, Canterbury, Croydon Park, Lakemba, Padstow, Panania and Roselands.
Terry Ryder is the founder of hotspotting.com.au
<a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au">ryder@hotspotting.com.au</a>
twitter.com/hotspotting
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What's really going on in the Sydney real estate market? Hotspotting's Terry Ryder

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EXPERT OBSERVER
After the weekend we’ve just had, normal transmission can resume in Australia’s property markets. Well, almost.
At the start of this month, four factors were creating a perfect storm that impacted negatively on housing markets.
Thanks to the unexpected events at the weekend, two of those are done and dusted.
A Federal Election is always a brake on activity in real estate and elsewhere. It creates uncertainty in the minds of consumers who want to see what happens before deciding on big spending commitments.
Mercifully, that’s all over and we can get on with life in an atmosphere of political certainty.
The second element of the perfect storm was the prospect of a Labor Government causing major problems in real estate with its ill-advised changes to negative gearing.
Now the housing industry can get on with business without that negative-gearing negative lurking in the background.
If the Labor Party learns anything from losing the un-loseable election, it will consign the negative-gearing policy to history and never speak of it again.
The increased difficulty in getting finance, thanks to APRA’s over-eager bureaucrats and the banks’ over-reaction to the Royal Commission, is the third element of the perfect storm. That’s the next one to get sorted.
There are growing signs that major lenders are loosening the shackles and competing for new business from investors. The ANZ Bank recently admitted it had gone too far in tightening up its criteria in assessing borrowers.
If banks fail to lighten up and make it easier to get loans at competitive interest rates, they’ll be shooting themselves in the foot along with everyone else in the housing industry.
Banking boffins aren’t the sharpest tools in the corporate shed, but there’s evidence they know they have to make it faster and easier for consumers to get the loans they need on attractive terms.
The process would be aided by a reduction in the official interest rate which, according to most analysts, is likely to happen sooner rather than later – especially given the evidence that the economy is coughing and spluttering a little. Rapid and decisive action from the newly-endorsed Federal Government, as well as the Reserve Bank, is needed.
The fourth factor, and it’s been a big one, has been the attitude of mainstream media. The big newspapers have been indulging a feeding frenzy of negative sensation, taking the downturn in the two biggest cities and turning it into a national crisis.
There have been repeated claims that prices are falling everywhere. They’re not, not even in Sydney, where there are 95 suburbs with median prices higher than a year ago and particularly strong price performance by some of the apartment markets. 
In Melbourne, 57% of suburbs with unit markets have median prices higher than a year ago, as well 36% of suburbs with house markets. That’s what our suburb-by-suburb analysis shows.
The message is even more positive in cities like Adelaide and Brisbane, and in many of our regional markets, notably Victoria and New South Wales.
Notwithstanding those facts, the big city newspapers keep telling us that prices are falling across the nation and there are regular predictions of a nation-wide collapse in prices. That needs to change because, frankly, it’s becoming boring.
More recently, the tone of the headlines has started to lighten. Writers have begun to acknowledge the gathering evidence of a bottoming of the Sydney and Melbourne downturns, with the prospect of impending recovery - while also noting that there are markets elsewhere in the country that are strong and rising.
It’s amazing how fast things can turn around. A few months from now, I expect we will be able to look back to early May and marvel at the difference in conditions and atmosphere as, one by one, those four elements of the perfect storm have been struck down.
One weekend has changed the whole atmosphere surrounding residential real estate.
Terry Ryder is the founder of hotspotting.com.au
<a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au">ryder@hotspotting.com.au</a>
<a href="https://twitter.com/hotspotting" target="_blank">twitter.com/hotspotting</a>
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Get set for the four elements of the perfect property storm to be struck down: Hotspotting's Terry Ryder

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EXPERT OBSERVER
The biggest recurring problem for real estate is politicians who don’t understand the industry. Which is pretty much all of them, on both sides of politics.
They also display a chronic inability to think through the consequences of their policies designed to impact housing markets. This sad truth is evident in the policies from both the major parties in the impending Federal Election.
We’re going into Saturday’s poll with no policies from any of the major parties that address the fundamental problems of the housing industry, of which affordability is the biggest. What they’ve served up just fiddles around the edges of the problem.
The Liberal Party has announced a plan that will make it easier for first-time buyers to get loans with smaller deposits, by supporting loans to people who have saved 5% of the purchase price. Federal Labor has given a “me, too” response to that policy (and why not, they’re spending like drunken sailors, why not just add this to the national credit card as well).
But the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme will be available to only a limited number of FHB borrowers and it fails to address the core issues – the price they will pay for properties and the associated costs of getting into the market.
Labor’s core policy is changing negative gearing tax benefits. This is a revenue measure dressed up as a policy to improve housing affordability but clearly it won’t make a positive difference, while creating myriad problems elsewhere.
Whenever they’re asked whether their negative gearing policy will force down house prices, Bill Shorten and Chris Bowen are adamant that it won’t. That being the case, how does it improve affordability? The answer is: it doesn’t. It’s purely a revenue measure.
What the policy will do is put first-home buyers in direct competition with investors for new properties.
This is the polar opposite of the Labor’s stated intentions, because they say they want to prevent FHBs having to compete with investors. These clowns simply don’t understand their own policy or its consequences.
Currently most first-time buyers have to buy or build a new home if they want a state grant. And investors are encouraged to buy new by the recent changes to depreciation benefits. Now Labor says investors will get tax benefits through negative gearing only if they buy new.
So everyone will be compelled to buy new rather than established property. Labor’s policy puts FHBs on a collision course with investors.
The thing is, most buyers don’t want to buy new because it’s usually considerably more expensive than a comparable second-hand home. The core problem in real estate, and none of the major parties are addressing this, is the high cost of creating new dwellings in Australia. 
The costs are so high because all three levels of government milk real estate for revenue. They treat the housing industry as their favourite cash cow. Stamp duty, land tax, capital gains tax, GST, rates, infrastructure charges, application fees, the list goes on and on.
Every time a state or territory government brings down a budget, it adds to the affordability problem by increasing existing imposts or imposing new ones. It’s relentless and it’s the core of the affordability problem.
Everyone (if Labor wins) will be pushed to buy new property but the prices are unreasonably high, thanks to our cynical politicians.
This is occurring at a time when new supply is drying up, partly because federal and state policies have extinguished the contribution of foreign investors – officially to help FHBs but in truth just another grab for cash. 
The surcharges placed on foreign investors in Australian real estate are revenue-raising measures, pure and simple, but they’re hurting Australian buyers by killing off projects that can no longer make the required level of pre-sales to get funding. The reduced supply is just another component of the affordability problem. 
Another unforeseen consequence of the Labor policy will be a revival of the spruiker industry. With most categories of buyers being compelled to buy new – e.g. off-the-plan apartments – we will see a revival of the get-rich-quick seminars that used to proliferate, where crooks make lots of money by ripping off unsuspecting consumers.
So it's not much of a choice this Saturday for voters who care about the housing industry and its related issues, like housing affordability. 
Labor proposes to increase the taxation burden on the real estate industry, which will worsen the problem, and the Liberal pitch may make it easier for FHBs to get a loan to buy a home, but it won’t make the cost of the home cheaper.
It’s a choice between dumb and dumber.
Terry Ryder is the founder of hotspotting.com.au
<a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au">ryder@hotspotting.com.au</a>
twitter.com/hotspotting
Currently MOST first-time buyers have to buy or build a new home if they want a state grant
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FHB deposit guarantee scheme shows politicians don't understand the housing market: Hotspotting's Terry Ryder

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EXPERT OBSERVER
Remarkable consistency of steady performance is the hallmark of the Adelaide property market, which I regard as the nation’s most under-rated. It has more suburbs with rising demand than any other capital city and the current number is the second highest for Adelaide since Hotspotting started its quarterly surveys of sales activity four years ago.
In the past seven quarterly surveys, the number of growth suburbs has been 48, 45, 58, 61, 71, 60 and 62, showing that the market remains elevated compared to the levels of 18 months ago and continues to show great consistency.
SA, dominated by Adelaide, has impressed with its steady performance in the past five years. Each of the past 21 quarters has recorded between 8,000 and 9,500 dwelling sales. Adelaide has recorded between 45 and 71 growth suburbs in 16 of the past 17 quarterly surveys. 
It continues to rank well ahead of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, as well as the strongly recovering Perth market, in terms of the number of growth suburbs – and ahead of most state regional jurisdictions (where most of the strong growth markets are found at present).
And while sources such as CoreLogic and SQM Research report annual growth of only 1-2% in Adelaide house prices, these generalised figures disguise individual areas which have done better. Our suburb-by-suburb analysis shows that 74% of Adelaide markets have median prices higher than a year ago - and roughly half of those have grown by more than 5%.
Of the 199 Adelaide suburban markets analysed, 70 have grown 5% or more and 78 have increased by less than 5%. There are 23 suburbs where the annual growth in median prices has topped 10% - including North Adelaide (up 23%), Mansfield Park (20%), St Georges (18%), Henley Beach South (15%), Glenelg units (27%) and Norwood units (17%).
It’s noteworthy that many of the upper-end suburbs have recorded more than 5% growth in their median prices in past 12 months. Suburbs with median prices above $700,000 and good annual price growth include Beulah Park, Clarence Park, Craigburn Farm, Glen Osmond, Glenelg East, Glenunga, Goodwood, Henley Beach, Henley Beach South, Kensington Park, North Adelaide, Prospect, Seacliff, Somerton Park, St Georges, Stirling, Unley and Walkerville.
The growth is not all confined to the top end: there are suburbs with growth above 10% spread across all price ranges, including Broadview (up 15% to $560,000), Daw Park (up 14% to $640,000), Mansfield Park (up 20% to $395,000) and Tea Tree Gully (up 12% to $445,000). This reinforces the reality that out-performing areas can be found even when the overall market appears to be moderate.
The high number of suburban markets with rising sales activity suggests price growth will continue.
Adelaide has a broad geographical spread of LGAs with good numbers of growth markets. There are nine municipalities which have four or more suburbs with rising sales trajectories leading to price growth. This means there is growth momentum across the metropolitan area.
Port Adelaide Enfield continues to be a leading precinct, with eight growth suburbs including Dernancourt, Enfield, Greenacres, Lightsview, North Haven, Northfield and Semaphore. Five suburbs have recorded annual median price growth above 5%.
Onkaparinga, which always features prominently, also has eight suburbs with growth momentum – including Aldinga Beach (quarterly sales 54, 62, 71), Flagstaff Hill (36, 42, 53, 56), Reynella (16, 26, 36, 31, 42) and Sellicks Beach (15, 15, 23, 22, 35).
The upmarket Burnside LGA is a new contender: it has six upwardly-mobile suburbs, including Glenunga, Burnside, Kensington Gardens, St Georges and Toorak Gardens. Five suburbs have recorded annual price growth above 5%, including Glenunga (up 11% to $1,055,000) and St Georges (up 18% to $1,150,000).
The Marion LGA, a middle-market area in the south-west of Adelaide which has been a market leader for the past 18 months, has faded slightly but still has five growth suburbs in terms of sales activity and five where median prices have increased more than 5%.
Six municipalities have four or five rising markets each: the Charles Sturt, Campbelltown, Holdfast Bay, Playford and Salisbury LGAs, as well as Marion.
The affordable Tea Tree Gully LGA features as a highly-consistent market and one where eight suburbs have recorded median price growth of 5% or more – including the suburb of Tea Tree Gully (up 12% to $445,000) and Fairview Park (up 9% to $410,000).
The solid performance of the Playford and Salisbury LGAs (eight growth suburbs between them) means the northern suburbs provide a range of very affordable markets with rising momentum. The suburb of Salisbury Hills ($285,000) in the Salisbury LGA has lifted sales from 30 to 32 to 41 to 56 in the past four quarters, while Andrews Farm ($275,000) in the Playford municipality has recorded quarterly sales totalling 33, 46, 50 and 52 after the past 12 months.
Terry Ryder is the founder of hotspotting.com.au
<a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au">ryder@hotspotting.com.au</a>
twitter.com/hotspotting
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Adelaide the most under-rated property market in Australia: Hotspotting's Terry Ryder

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EXPERT OBSERVER
The number of growth markets in Regional Queensland is rising, helped by recovery in resources-related regional centres. Mackay is now the most upwardly-mobile market, having overtaken the softening Sunshine Coast market, and Gladstone is now showing signs of recovery, with some of its suburbs rising.
Regional Queensland markets collectively have improved in the past year or so: in the past five quarterly surveys of sales activity by Hotspotting, the number of locations with growing demand has increased from 30 to 36 to 40 to 45 to 48. 
The number of growth markets had decreased sharply in the late 2017 survey but showed steady improvement in 2018 and this has continued into 2019. 
The other key feature is the number of Regional Queensland markets with price growth. We analysed price movements in 313 markets and found 203 (65%) have median prices higher than a year ago. Of the 203 growth markets, 99 have recorded median price growth of 5% or more, while another 104 markets have increased by less than 5%.
Of the higher growth markets, 42 have increased by more than 10%, including 15 which have grown 20% or more. Some of the highest annual growth in median prices has been recorded in mining towns Emerald (up 24%), Clermont (up 33%) and Dysart (24%), but these are rising from a low base after several years of downturn.
A number of unit markets have recorded high growth in the median prices, including Noosa Heads (31%) and Peregian Springs (23%) on the Sunshine Coast; Airlie Beach (26%) in the Whitsundays; Bilinga (26%), Broadbeach Waters (27%) and Coolangatta (25%) on the Gold Coast; and East Toowoomba (29%) in the inland regional city of Toowoomba. 
Other growth markets are Sunshine Coast lifestyle locations Sunshine Beach (40%), Eumundi (23%) and Doonan (21%).
A standout characteristic is the recovery in resources-related markets which have spent the past few years in downturn. This trend is headed by Mackay, which now has rising demand coupled with much lower vacancies, and some suburbs are now showing good price growth.
Emerald, which is located near the mines of the Bowen Basin and the Galilee Basin, is a standout: quarterly sales have been 51, 57, 66, 62, 60, 76 and 78, while the median house price has risen 24% to $310,000 in the past 12 months. The trend here is a prime example of the recovery in the resources-related towns.
There’s further evidence of revival in Gladstone, in addition to the steady reduction in vacancies (now below 3%). In our latest analysis we have classified six Gladstone suburbs as rising markets and three suburbs (Clinton, Kin Kora and West Gladstone) have median house prices higher than a year ago. But the market remains patchy – some suburbs are still classified as decline or danger markets and most suburbs still have median prices lower than a year ago (but it’s significant that most of those suburbs have recorded an uplift in prices in the most recent quarter).
As always, never forget that markets that have strong links to the resources sector are volatile and are prone to major downturns. They’re not good places for risk-averse investors.
The larger, more diversified regional centres of Queensland continue to have steady markets, headed by Cairns and the Fraser Coast. Cairns has seven suburbs with rising sales activity, but prices have yet to react to improved demand – most Cairns suburbs have median prices lower than a year ago, although there are exceptions like Caravonica, Whitfield and Yorkeys Knob.
The Fraser Coast region, centred on Hervey Bay, now has six rising suburbs, like rapidly-improving Urangan. Toogoom, Tinana and Kawungan have all recorded strong price uplift in the past year.
Toowoomba remains a solid market without yet showing any overt growth signs, while Townsville has suffered setbacks from the recent major flooding.
The Sunshine Coast, which for some time has been the strongest of the Queensland markets, no longer has that mantle. It now has few suburbs with rising demand, but many plateau markets –which suggests this market may have passed its peak in terms of demand.
But it’s still producing strong price outcomes. Of the 99 Regional Queensland markets with annual price growth above 5%, 38 are in the Sunshine Coast region – plus another 24 suburbs have growth of less than 5%. Both house and apartment markets in and around Noosa continue to be leading performers on price growth. 
Sunshine Coast markets with annual growth above 10% include the Doonan, Eumundi, Mooloolaba, Maleny, Sunshine Beach, Woombye, Wurtulla, Pomona, Twin Waters and Peregian Beach house markets, as well as the Golden Beach, Noosa Heads, Noosaville, Peregian Springs and Warana unit markets.
As we reported in the previous edition, the post-Games boost predicted by some has not eventuated on the Gold Coast. This market was strong from 2015 to 2017 because of the pre-Commonwealth Games construction boom. 
Since then the growth has subsided and it’s difficult to find any growth suburbs (in terms of sales activity) in Gold Coast City, but 41 suburbs classified as either plateau or consistency markets – plus a couple of decline markets. The price outcomes are also mixed: 57 suburbs have median prices higher than a year ago, but there are 27 with prices lower than last year.
A notable trend on the Gold Coast is that many of the best performers on price growth are apartment markets – but not the iconic beachside enclaves like Surfers Paradise, Main Beach and Broadbeach. The unit markets showing growth are in the inland suburbs like Ashmore, Benowa, Elanora, Helensvale, Pacific Pines and Mudgeeraba – or the beachside suburbs outside the glitter strip, like Bilinga, Coolangatta, Palm Beach and Runaway Bay.
Terry Ryder is the founder of hotspotting.com.au
<a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au">ryder@hotspotting.com.au</a>
twitter.com/hotspotting
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