Property developer One Living, backed by former Macquarie banker turned investment manager Chris Green’s investment firm, has unveiled plans to bring more institutional capital into housing to help address the national supply crisis.

The New York-based investor has focused his firm, GreenPoint Partners, on addressing the supply shortage hitting middle market housing in Australia.

It is backing the new One Living business to develop more than 1000 units along the eastern seaboard. The new firm is starting with a development on Mona Vale Road, on the border of Mona Vale and Pymble, in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, with around 140 apartments planned. They are eyeing off more sites across the city.

With cost pressures rising in the industry, One Living’s model is to be a vertically integrated developer-builder, so it can respond directly to the housing gap by removing the cost inefficiencies embedded in traditional residential delivery.

“We are building a platform designed to operate at scale and starting in a market where there’s a clear need for quality, attainable housing,” One Living joint managing director Joseph Scuderi said.

“It’s that missing middle – it’s that attainable end of housing… that’s what most Australians invest into and what Australians can actually afford.”

<img alt="Mona Vale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="798dfa93-4941-4db6-a696-31e9dc18e81c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%202.31.50%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=mKBqi5C_DmeiXS.AtJkcR8LQIxqCqmFi" />

GreenPoint Partners brings years of experience assembling and scaling real estate operating businesses across major markets. And Green sees a big opportunity in Australia.

“For its size, sophistication and importance to the community, Australia’s living sector has remained largely under-institutionalised, which represents significant opportunity,” Green said. “GreenPoint identified that gap, assembled the right team, and is backing One Living to build a platform that is aligned to market needs.”

Green said being a builder-developer would give the company the capacity and flexibility it required to deliver reasonably-priced homes.

“We want it to be at that attainable level; not super high end luxury but at that attainable level,” he said.

<img alt="Mona Vale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="74a5344a-4b26-4d4a-ada3-056b1220be77" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%202.32.15%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=vY8hXHO4reBMdO8ZXMWCNtGZJofUPQ3j" />

&nbsp;

One Living will undertake a component of affordable housing in its schemes, which it will own and operate, and it could also run build-to-rent on some sites.

Green praised local policy settings.

“The NSW government is being very supportive, strategic and pragmatic in terms of how do we generate more supply of housing,” he said. “We think it’s actually positive for development and the bit that’s been lacking at that attainable level is that it’s lots of relatively small private developers, whereas we want to create an institutional platform.”

One Living is also&nbsp;looking at high-density projects and could take on more institutional funding in the future.

“The way we will be able to achieve economies of scale is through size,” Green added.

Joel Robinson

One Living enters Sydney's new apartment market with Northern Beaches site acquisition

It's been several years since there's been an opportunity to buy a brand new townhome in Melbourne's coastal suburb of Mordialloc. Even apartment developments in recent times have been few and far between in the area.

Local developer LDS Property identified the gap in new housing, securing a site on White Street, directly opposite&nbsp;Woodlands Golf Club Mordialloc. They've recently launched&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-townhouses/wm-residences-mordialloc-102-white-street-mordialloc-vic-3195">WM Residences</a>, just 13 townhouses which they have already started building.

Projects by Buxton Director Heath Thompson, who is selling WM Residences, says the townhouses x that perfect middle ground be

"Mordialloc residents have had limited options to downsize within the suburb, often forcing them to look elsewhere despite long-standing ties to the area," Thompson says.

"With very little comparable new supply coming to market, projects like WM Residences are well placed, particularly as buyers look to capitalise on current conditions amid constrained supply."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6109]

The development, designed by regarded architecture firm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/ewert-leaf">Ewert Leaf</a>,&nbsp;adopts a deliberately restrained architectural approach, focusing on simplicity, durability and liveability rather than overt design gestures.

The boutique scale is central to the offering. With only 13 three-bedroom residences, each home is configured to prioritise functional layouts and everyday use, supported by private terraces and secure two-car garages.

Ewert Leaf’s design response leans into a calm, neutral material palette. Interiors are defined by oak flooring, white walls and soft finishes, creating a consistent and understated backdrop. The approach avoids trend-driven detailing in favour of longevity, with an emphasis on natural light and spatial clarity.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6110]

Beyond aesthetics, the homes are designed to meet contemporary performance expectations. Each residence targets a minimum 6-star energy rating, incorporating double glazing, comprehensive insulation and all-electric Bosch appliances.

The project’s location supports a walkable coastal lifestyle, sitting within close proximity to Mordialloc’s foreshore, Main Street retail strip and the train station. Local cafés and dining venues, including Suburbia Deli and Hendriks Café, are within a short walk, reinforcing the area’s established neighbourhood character.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134646 project_image_fid=6116]

While <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/mordialloc-vic-3195">Mordialloc</a> is often defined by its beach and pier, the project taps into other areas of day to day living, offering easy access to local food, casual dining and transport, rather than positioning itself purely as a lifestyle retreat.

WM Residences reflects a continued trend across Melbourne’s coastal suburbs towards smaller-scale, design-led townhouse developments, particularly on infill sites where proximity to amenity is already established.

With construction commenced prior to its market entry, the project aligns with a growing preference among buyers for developments with visible progress and defined delivery timeframes.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=134646]

WM Residences fills gap in Mordialloc townhouse market

&nbsp;

Developer GURNER™ Group has revealed $1.65 billion in residential sales nationally across the 12 months to December 2025, driven largely by the continued momentum of its Docklands wellness-focused precinct, Elysium Fields.

The sales result was generated across seven projects in Victoria and New South Wales, headlined by Elysium Fields, GURNER™’s $2.75 billion mixed-use precinct planned for Harbour Esplanade in Docklands.

The project has recorded more than $500 million in sales across the first three towers, equating to around 580 apartments sold.

The first tower, Helios, has now sold out of its 240 private residences, with GURNER™ preparing to release a premium penthouse collection comprising 15 three-bedroom penthouses in coming weeks.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370975]

Elysium Fields is being developed on the long-held 20,000 sqm Docklands site at 208-226 Harbour Esplanade, which had remained undeveloped for more than two decades prior to GURNER™ taking over the project around four years ago.

Construction has now commenced across four towers ranging between 18 and 30 storeys, with Hamilton Marino and Maxcon appointed as builders.

Once complete, the precinct is expected to comprise around 1,100 residences, alongside retail, hospitality and public realm uses integrated throughout the site.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370981]

Designed by Fraser &amp; Partners in collaboration with GURNER™ Design House, the project has been positioned around the developer’s broader focus on wellness-led residential living.

“We don’t sell apartments. We create a true luxury lifestyle that simply doesn’t exist elsewhere in the market today,” Founder and Executive Chairman Tim Gurner said.

“To deliver that requires an extraordinary level of detail, coordination and discipline across multiple verticals, from design and hospitality through to wellness and service.”

“We’ve always believed that living extends far beyond the physical residence. It’s about how you feel the moment you arrive, how you live day-to-day, and the ecosystem that supports that.” 
[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370977]

The project’s design places a heavy focus on landscaping, wellness amenities and biophilic design principles.

Plans include around 3,700 sqm of landscaped gardens and open space throughout the precinct, alongside a retail and dining offering spanning approximately 5,000 sqm.

The broader public realm strategy centres around what GURNER™ describes as the “Path of Life”, an urban forest and landscaped pedestrian environment intended to connect the various buildings and wellness spaces across the precinct.

The apartments themselves will incorporate a range of wellness-focused inclusions, including purified air and water systems, circadian lighting, antimicrobial surfaces, and optional in-home wellness upgrades.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370980]

Gurner said the company’s experience through its Saint Haven wellness clubs had directly informed the residential offering now being incorporated into Elysium Fields.

“We’re seeing a clear global shift toward longevity, performance and proactive health,” Gurner said.

“Our role is to deliver that in a way that feels seamless, highly private and beautifully resolved within the environments we create.”

A large component of the wellness offering is planned through the resident amenity and health facilities proposed within the precinct.

That includes plans for bathing and recovery facilities spread throughout the towers, incorporating mineral pools, saunas, steam rooms, flotation therapy, red light therapy and wellness lounges.

The developer is also seeking approvals for what it describes as a “reverse ageing medical clinic” within the precinct.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370978]

According to project information released by the group, the proposed facility would include cryotherapy, IV infusion therapy, infrared and dry saunas, PEMF beds, MRIs, DEXA scans, brain scans and blood analysis services.

Within the first tower, Helios, residents will also have access to a dedicated amenity offering known as the Sky Private Club.

The upper 15 levels of the building will include private lounges, dining spaces, rooftop amenities and optional private wellness studios integrated within residences.

The Helios tower itself comprises 260 apartments ranging between 60 sqm and 300 sqm, including a collection of penthouses.

That includes a planned two-storey penthouse spanning around 600 sqm with uninterrupted bay views.

The Elysium Fields precinct is being delivered in partnership with Digital Harbour Holdings, a consortium that includes the Liberman family, which controls the development rights across the Docklands site.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144441 project_image_fid=370979]

The sales result comes as GURNER™ continues expanding its national development pipeline beyond Victoria.

“We have a strong pipeline across Australia and are now focused on scaling into key markets including New South Wales and Queensland, while continuing to build on our Melbourne base,” Gurner said.

“We currently have more than $3 billion in the market, growing to over $5 billion by October, and expect to materially outperform last year in the 2026 calendar year.”

The result also reflects the continued strength of the upper-end apartment market in Melbourne, particularly for owner-occupier-focused product with large-scale amenity and lifestyle offerings.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=144441]

Record result anchored by the Group’s “utopian” Elysium Fields precinct – defying market headwinds in Docklands.

Elysium Fields drive Gurner to $1.65 billion in apartment sales over 2025

National Australia Bank (NAB) will fund <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/palmera-residences-gold-coast-18-garfield-terrace-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Palmera</a>, a $1 billion, 52-level luxury residential tower being developed by Central Equity in one of the Gold Coast’s most tightly held coastal locations at Northcliffe.

The project, launched recently by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/central-equity">Central Equity</a>, one of Victoria’s largest private residential developers, comes at a time when construction funding for large residential developments has become increasingly competitive as lenders tighten exposure to the sector.

Multiplex has been appointed the builder, and construction is now underway.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365784]

Since its first project, Central Equity has delivered more than 85 residential developments with a combined end value exceeding $8 billion.

Palmera reflects Central Equity’s growing focus on the Gold Coast luxury apartment market and continues a relationship between Central Equity and NAB that dates back to the late 1980s, when the bank funded one of Melbourne’s earliest inner-city residential towers at a time when high-rise apartment living in the CBD was largely unproven.

“NAB’s funding of Central Equity’s $36 million CBD development in the late 1980’s to the financing of the billion-dollar tower today highlights the long-term relationship between the two organisations in delivering major residential projects” said Central Equity Founder and Chairman Eddie Kutner.

He said NAB’s early support was instrumental in helping establish the company’s development model.

“When we commenced our first residential tower in the late 1980s the concept of funding off-the-plan apartments was still largely untested in Australia,” Kutner said.

“NAB recognised the opportunity early and supported the project when others were uncertain. That relationship has now continued for more than 37 years across many developments.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365771]

Central Equity was established in 1987 when Melbourne’s CBD and Southbank precinct were still dominated by warehouses and commercial buildings. Fewer than 100 residents lived in Southbank at the time, and large-scale residential development in the inner city was not widely considered.

Recognising changing demographics and lifestyle preferences, the company began developing high-rise residential projects designed to bring permanent residents into the city centre.

Central Equity has provided accommodation for approximately 40,000 residents across Melbourne’s CBD and Southbank, while also incorporating supporting infrastructure including essential lifestyle facilities like retail spaces, childcare facilities and neighbourhood activity centres.

Central Equity has spent many years assembling the Palmera development site on the corner of Garfield Terrace and Frederick Street in Northcliffe, creating a supersite of around 3,300 sqm.

The developer said the Palmera apartment tower reflects its long-term view of the Gold Coast as a growing and increasingly diversified economy.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365768]

Supported by infrastructure including the light rail network, major road upgrades expanded education, hospital and medical facilities and continued expansion at the Gold Coast Airport with more international and domestic flights.

Positioned in the tightly held Northcliffe precinct, the 52-level tower will deliver 347 apartments, targeting buyers seeking a high-end coastal lifestyle, from downsizers to interstate investors.

Designed by Marchese Partners with interiors by DBI, Palmera has been conceived as a next-generation residential offering, featuring a collection of oversized apartments, with premium three-bedroom residences offering sweeping northern views stretching from Surfers Paradise through to Burleigh Heads.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=108274]

NAB funds $1 billion Surfers Paradise apartment development, Palmera

Two years after completing one of the newest developments in North Sydney, developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/aqualand-australia">Aqualand</a> is turning its attention to the rapidly evolving St Leonards apartment market.

The developer, which completed AURA by Aqualand on North Sydney's Walker Street, has lodged plans for a 5,918 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/33-37-herbert-street-st-leonards-nsw-2065">33-37 Herbert Street, St Leonards,</a> seeking approval for a pair of residential towers rising above a shared podium opposite Royal North Shore Hospital.

The proposal forms part of the broader transformation underway across the St Leonards-Crows Nest precinct, where former industrial and commercial sites are increasingly being redeveloped into high-density mixed-use projects tied to major transport infrastructure.

<img alt="Aqualand" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2cc428cf-fe70-4cac-9cd5-264ad53af62c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.51.56%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=otKSnHtbjAvAddOnovyXQMgcAwE6DMe1" />

According to the planning documents, the site sits “within the St Leonards–Crows Nest Strategic Centre, identified by the NSW Government as a key area for accommodating future jobs and housing across Sydney.”

The proposal has been designed by fjcstudio, formerly FJMT Studio, and is being progressed through the State Significant Development pathway due to its scale and affordable housing provision.

The scheme would comprise 413 apartments, including 46 affordable housing units, alongside retail and commercial uses fronting Herbert Street. The project would also include communal open space, landscaping, a swimming pool, gymnasium, children’s play areas and podium-level resident amenities.

Planning documents show the development would consist of a part-13, part-39 storey tower form positioned above a four-storey podium.

“The development comprises a unified podium that activates the street interface, and two setback towers to accommodate new housing supply while maintaining an appropriate human scale at ground level,” fjcstudio noted in its Design Report.

The northern and southern towers have been shaped to respond to the surrounding skyline while also limiting overshadowing impacts to nearby public open space, particularly Talus Reserve.

The design report said the differing tower heights were intended to “contribute to a varied skyline while responding to the surrounding built form context and solar access considerations.”

<img alt="Aqualand" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="36da62dc-ff9e-41f2-a7e3-7be38373751c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.51.45%E2%80%AFAM_0.png?VersionId=Mo6Rp2r.XRLTzIfg_PEEpw8NepDH8UBs" />

The site sits directly opposite Royal North Shore Hospital and within walking distance of both St Leonards Station and the new Crows Nest Metro station.

While the site itself sits just outside the formal Crows Nest Transport Oriented Development boundary, the planning documents repeatedly reference its alignment with the broader TOD objectives reshaping the Lower North Shore.

“The site is located adjacent to St Leonards Station and in close proximity to Crows Nest Metro which is within the Crows Nest Transit Orientated Development Accelerated Precinct which has been identified by the NSW Government to support housing delivery,” the Design Verification Statement noted.

According to fjcstudio, the project has been designed to respond to the broader transition occurring across St Leonards, where increasing residential density is being concentrated around transport infrastructure and employment hubs.

“The broader precinct is undergoing significant change, with a mix of existing mid-rise buildings and newer high-density developments,” the report stated.

“Recent and approved projects indicate a consistent shift toward taller built form, typically organised as tower-and-podium typologies with more active ground levels.”

The proposal includes close to 6,000 sqm of retail and commercial space across the ground floor and podium levels, designed to create a more activated street edge along Herbert Street.

Aqualand’s plans would also introduce a landscaped podium shared between the two towers, with communal open space in the form of a podium rooftop designed to support resident interaction and improve urban greening outcomes. The scheme would also introduce pocket parks at the northern and southern ends of the site, including a landscaped area at the corner of Herbert and Ella streets designed to improve pedestrian amenity and soften the streetscape.

&nbsp;

The proposal is being progressed through the NSW Government’s Housing Delivery Authority pathway, which was introduced to accelerate housing supply across the state. The application was declared State Significant Development in April 2025 following an expression of interest process.

<img alt="Aqualand" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="faf6d97d-2671-454f-b85a-fe1c6a7be608" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-28%20at%209.51.49%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=diVd28OBVr5.YV.7prrOz.uAanwwwm7a" />

St Leonards has been particularly active with new developments in recent weeks. Developer SP Setia’s <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-sp-setia-targets-st-leonards-skyline-with-40-storey-tod-tower">plans for a new 42-storey tower</a> recently went on exhibition through the same pathway, while <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-stockland-plans-52-storey-538-apartment-st-leonards-tower">Stockland’s 52-storey tower proposal</a> was also recently unveiled.

Aside from the St Leonards project, which is expected to take around nine months to move through the approvals process ahead of a potential 2027 launch, Aqualand is also preparing to launch Boronia, a new apartment project in Roseville comprising around 111 apartments on Larkin Street.

The developer also has approvals in place for the next stage of the Barangaroo precinct, which will feature new residential, retail, hospitality and community uses, alongside a new metro entry across the five-hectare site.

More than 50 new retail destinations are planned for Central Barangaroo, alongside a 270-metre-long boulevard connecting Hickson Park to Nawi Cove. Together with Harbour Park, more than 50 per cent of the precinct will comprise public open space and parkland.

First look: Aqualand joins St Leonards apartment party

Terry Ryder

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Real estate would be a delight for investors, were it not for the real estate “industry”.
There are times when the industry appears to exist only to mislead consumers into taking action not in their best interests.
Consumers’ best interests are subverted by industry vested interests.
There are myriad examples. Here’s one. There’s a company that makes it money marketing property in specific locations. But the principal markets himself as a mentor. Someone who guides investors on how to buy the best properties in the best locations.
A recent promo advised consumers on the best places to buy for high yields. By the purest of coincidences, the “top three picks” in Australia to buy for positive cash-flow were all places where the company is marketing product.
They included the company’s specialty area, the Pilbara region of Western Australia. South Hedland and Karratha were recommended as the best places in the nation to buy.
Here’s the pitch from the “mentor”:
“I’m a big believer in investing for cash flow and I’m always keeping an eye on which locations around the country are performing well in this area. Knowing how to locate these is vital if you want to find positive cash flow properties in Australia.
“I have some great strategies for how to locate high yield investment properties, but for now I want to share with you my top three property picks.
“There are plenty of towns where investors are achieving higher yields than those that I suggest. However, I have greater confidence in the long term outlook for the ones I’ve featured in my blog.”
He then suggests areas in which his company is a major marketer of off the plan apartments and other properties.
Here’s the reality for Port Hedland/South Hedland and Karratha. Both markets are in decline but remain outrageously overpriced.
The median house price for <a href="/news">Port Hedland</a> was $1.2 million, but has dropped 17% in 12 months and is now down to $970,000 - still way too high for investors to consider.
Rents have declined a lot so, despite the price drop, yields are typically 8%. In the boom times they were commonly 12%. Vacancies have been around 6% since late in 2012 and this market is still falling, with discounting of about 11%, according to Australian Property Monitors.
<blockquote>
Here’s the reality for Port Hedland/South Hedland and Karratha. Both markets are in decline but remain outrageously overpriced.
</blockquote>
Nearby South Hedland is also in rapid decline, with the median house price down 6% and the median unit price down 14% in the past year. The marketing company says yields from 9% to 12% are typical, but APM says the median yields is 7.8% for houses and 7.5% for units. It takes six months to sell on average, with discounting around 12%.
It’s even uglier in <a href="/news">Karratha</a>, with price decline steeper, yields lower, discounting higher and time on market longer.
In the Karratha suburb of <a href="/news">Nickol</a>, the median house price has dropped 17% in 12 months. That includes 5% in the most recent quarter, so the market is still falling. The last time there was any price growth was 2010, with the market sagging an average 12% per year for the past three years.
Discounting is around 13% and it takes five months to sell the average Nickol property. In nearby <a href="/news">Pegs Creek</a>, it takes seven months to sell.
Typical yields are claimed by the marketing company to be 8-10%, but APM indicates 6-7%, amid 6% vacancies.
Keep in mind that the mentor says these are not just good places to buy, but the best places to buy in Australia. Mentors like this you don’t need.
To provide a further feel for how this organisation pitches to consumers, here’s what is claimed to be a testimonial from a “seminar attendee” …
“I spent an evening at (name of presenter)’s seminar and all I have to say is: this guy delivers. It was a supersonic combo of strategic investment insights and wealth-building how-to’s from people who walk the talk. Incredible speakers, killer content and amazing connections, all brought together in one jam-packed evening. They clearly have a talent for creating a valuable, education, high-energy experience.”
The chances of a genuine customer writing such a tribute are zero. A “supersonic combo”? Who talks like that?
You will note they claimed it came from a “seminar attendee”, which was probably a team member or possibly the seminar presenter himself. Technically, it’s not untrue.
You can contact Terry via <a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au" target="_blank">email</a> or on <a href="https://www.twitter.com/hotspotting" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
</body></html>

terryryder-YECXbqmri2

Port Hedland and Karratha "the best places to buy"? Don't get roped into that one

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What are we to believe about the state of the mythical national property boom?
We were told it was over, based on the figures for May, but now the data for June suggests it’s still very much still on.
When RP Data rushed out its findings for May, commentators competed to be the first to declare “the boom is over”. It didn’t seem to bother any of them that the boom had been declared to be finished twice before, only to be contradicted by subsequent data from the same source.
Now it’s happened again. June figures show a 1.4% index rise for the combined capital cities. Annualised, that equates to double-digit growth - if you believe the figures.
I’ve been scouring media sources over the past week to read the apologies from all those self-proclaimed analysts who misled the Australian public by declaring the death of something that appears very much alive.
To date, no apology has been forthcoming.
Do they all deem it of no consequence that they grossly misinformed consumers about a matter of considerable importance? Is it just a game they play in the pursuit of publicity? Are they really that shallow and lacking in ethical substance? Apparently so.
In reality, none of these monthly movements in median prices or price indexes mean a damn thing. That is the core message of this latest media fiasco on the state of the mythical property boom.
Monthly movements are meaningless. That is true of house prices, just as it is for retail spending or building approvals or the jobless rate. The graph depicting data on any economic or real estate subject is never smooth. There are always monthly aberrations.
The only thing of any relevance is the longer-term trend.
I’m quite certain most of the people publishing or commenting on real estate data know this to be true. If they do not, they’re incompetent and have no right to put their views into the public arena.
So, why do they do it? Because they don’t care if they misinform and confuse the public, so long as they further the end game - publicity for themselves and their businesses.
They’re shysters, every one of them.
The data for the financial year just ended shows why I term the national property boom “mythical”. The annual figures suggest that only Sydney has had a property boom.
A true national boom is when all - or, at least, most - capital cities plus major regional centres have double-digit price growth.
If we are to believe RP Data, five of the eight capital cities, plus the regions, had annual growth lower than 6% in the 2014 financial year. Only Sydney among the major markets across the nation had double-digit growth.
Brisbane grew 7% and Melbourne about 9%. Solid markets, but not booming ones. Not yet, anyway.
Bogus analysts, including most economists, simply look at the national average figure - 10% in this case - and declare that to mean something: a national boom, or a bubble, and then start looking around for someone to “blame” for runaway house prices across the nation.
The usual suspects are negative gearing, first home buyer grants, foreign investors, property taxes, low interest rates and the equally mythical housing shortage. One commentator recently tied himself in knots trying to construct an argument that other countries’ economic policies were to blame.
The reality is that Sydney’s data has inflated the national figure. The national city average might be 10% but only Sydney has recorded growth that big.
Some of those analysts know no better. They look at a graph on their computer screen, which is the extent of their knowledge of real estate matters, and pontificate about the “national property market”.
Others do know better but are too lazy or dishonest to put together a thoughtful and thorough analysis.
As a result, the great seething mass of misinformation grows larger by the day.
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Latest media fiasco shows exactly why monthly movements are meaningless

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You may be surprised to learn that the greatest place to live in Australia is … wait for it, Canberra!
In another of those pointless exercises in which bureaucrats take delight, the Organisation of Economic Co-operation has developed a global well-being matching tool, which considers factors such as safety, health, services, life expectancy, environment, crime rates and income.
Using this exciting new technology, it has determined that Canberra outranks every other city in Australia as the best place to live out your days.
This being so, you might wonder why Sydney has 4.6 million residents and Canberra 380,000, and why there are eight Australia cities with more people than Canberra. Even Tasmania has more residents than the ACT.
Apparently all those poor saps in Sydney don’t know that Canberra is a superior city. Imagine - four million Australians, living a lie.
But here’s an important thought: despite what the OECD tool says about life expectancy, you don’t live longer in Canberra, it just feels that way.
Do the OECD boffins realise that living in Canberra means having Tony Abbott as a neighbour? Or, even worse, Clive Palmer?
Another relevant question is this: if Canberra’s so damn good, how come it’s the worst-performing property market in capital city Australia?
Every other city is showing at least some forward movement in its property markets, but Australia’s best place to be is going nowhere.
Prices have stagnated at a time of very high growth down the road in inferior Sydney. Canberra rents are going backwards and developers of apartment buildings are having to downsize through lack of buyer interest.
Auction clearance rates are 53% for houses and 36% for apartments.
<a href="/news">Goulburn</a>, not far from Canberra, is showing solid growth, but in the capital there’s little in the way of meaningful growth.
<a href="/news">Gosford</a>, where the federal government plans to send 600 Canberra jobs, apparently oblivious to the OECD’s findings, is booming.
Canberra markets are stalled by uncertainty and nervousness resulting from the federal government’s plans to make big cuts to the public sector workforce.
Canberra has maintained consistent turnover of residential property, quarter by quarter, throughout 2013 and into early 2014. The city seems to churn through 1,250 to 1,300 home sales each quarter with consistency.
But, unlike every other capital city in Australia, it has no suburbs charging forward price-wise.
At the top end of the Canberra market, prices are falling. In upmarket <a href="/news">Yarralumla</a>, the median price has dropped 7% in the past 12 months. In <a href="/news">Griffith</a>, the median price has fallen 12% (but remains above $1 million). Equally swanky <a href="/news">Red Hill</a> has dropped 14% in 12 months.
So, a damn fine place to live, if you don’t mind stiff winters and lousy neighbours, but not a great place to own real estate at the moment.
You can contact Terry via  <a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au" target="_blank">email</a> or on <a href="https://www.twitter.com/hotspotting" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.
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Canberra ranked "the best place to live", but it's certainly not the best place to buy

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I suppose you can’t blame them for trying. But you can blame them for the lack of originality and imagination.
People developing a residential estate in Mackay, where the market’s a tad unwell, are trying to pump up business. Their sales pitch? Now is the time to buy!
The market’s bottomed, recovery is just around the corner, so don’t delay or you’ll miss out. Compelling stuff.
First, a reality check on Mackay. A double-whammy has struck in the past 12 months. Demand inspired by the coal industry has fallen away, at a time when developers – always a year or two behind the play – have brought on lots of new supply.
At the end of 2012, residential vacancies were below 2%. In the 18 months since then, they’ve been rising steadily. They’re now 7% and they’re still going up.
A year ago in central <a href="/news">Mackay</a>, the median house price was a tick under $400,000, after 10% growth in the preceding 12 months, and rents were strong, providing a median yield of 6.5%.
Fast-forward 12 months and the median price is down to $355,000. Rents have fallen also and the median yield has reduced to 5.9% (Australian Property Monitors figures). It takes six months to sell a house, on average, and 13% is the typical discount to make a sale.
Around other parts of the Mackay market, it’s a similar scenario: prices down as much as 10% in the past 12 months, including a significant reduction in the past three months.
The clear message is: one, the Mackay market is down, and two, it’s still falling. This is definitely not the time to buy.
The bottom line is, this should not be happening. Mackay is a solid citizen of regional Queensland. It has lots going for it, including an export port, a strong agricultural sector and plenty of tourism. Even with the local resources sector in decline, its market would normally remain steady.
But developers did what they always do – they piled into what appeared to be a boom market and built too much too late. In their inimitable fashion, they’ve plucked defeat from the jaws of victory.
Do these people ever do any research? Do they notice that they’re not the only people trying to exploit a boom market?
It’s as if each operates in an isolated bubble and eventually wakes up, with: "Oh my god, I didn’t notice all those other projects being built at the same time."
So here we have one group putting out a press release, trying to convince people they should dash out and buy a home, preferably in their estate, which I gather is not excelling at the moment.
They say the current oversupply means great deals for buyers. And it says the market is tipped to recover in the second quarter of 2015.
So, let’s see what they’re saying. We’ve just ended the second quarter of 2014, and “property valuation experts” tip a recovery in the second quarter of 2015, so now is the time to buy?
I would have thought that, by this line of logic, early next year would be the time to buy. Right now, the market is still falling.
You can contact Terry via <a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au" target="_blank">email</a> or on <a href="https://www.twitter.com/hotspotting" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.
Photo courtesy of eTravel Guide/<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons</a>.
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Mackay market is down and it’s still falling

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Recent reports from economic forecaster BIS Shrapnel have brought some strong counter arguments to a couple of real estate’s biggest furphies.
It has disputed claims that “the boom is over” and it has presented views which contradict the general party line from the property industry that there’s a chronic housing shortage.
The “boom is over” stories were prompted primarily by figures for May from RP Data, which indicated some price decline – the third time in the past eight months that the same source has prompted claims of impending downturn, only to be submerged by later figures showing further growth.
What odds that the June figures will show resurgence, thereby rendering those earlier predictions redundant?
As Louis Christopher of SQM Research commented recently, people and organisations making outlandish claims for publicity reasons generally rely on “the community’s collective amnesia” to cover their tracks.
BIS Shrapnel said it believed the<a href="/expert-insights/buying/sydney-slowdown-fears-premature-15-unit-growth-tipped-over-next-two-years-bis-shrapnel"> “boom is over” claims to be rather premature for Sydney</a>, with the apartment market in particularly to remain strong.
The forecaster’s latest report, looking at price growth up to 2017, sees price growth eventually tapering off in some cities, with an oversupply of dwellings a major contributor.
That’s a useful observation, in the light of constant claims from the building and development sector about a “chronic housing shortage crisis”.
Claims from political entities like the Housing Industry Association and the Urban Development Institute of Australia about a serious shortage, never supported by any definitive data, are always followed in the next breath by a wish list of actions demanded from government, all of them highly beneficial to builders and developers.
It’s easy to believe that some organisation concoct convenient “research” to support an argument that governments need to make life cosy for developers – release lots of land, speed up approvals, reduce infrastructure charges and eliminate unwelcome taxes – all motivated, you understand, by a desire to provide cheap homes to needy people.
As I’ve often remarked, the biggest noise in real estate is the voice of vested interest.
Recently the UDIA in NSW was shallow enough to urge government not to provide assistance to first home buyers because it would unleash unsustainable demand that the industry couldn’t meet because of the chronic shortage.
The UDIA wants us to believe its members are standing on the sidelines, desperate to provide new homes to a clamouring public, but rendered impotent because developers don’t own any land on which to build, because none is available. It’s laughable but that’s the line they keep running.
The evidence is that the biggest issue in real estate is not shortage, but the opposite.
Many of our inner-city markets have oversupplies of apartments, led by Melbourne where the situation is serious and destined to get worse. There are legitimate concerns about Brisbane, Canberra, Perth and Darwin.
Sydney doesn’t have an apartment oversupply yet, but within two to three years it’s likely to have a big one.
Most of the boom markets which sprung up around resources related towns and regional cities are now in marked decline, caused by over-building by developers. In that category are Gladstone, Mackay, Emerald, the Bowen Basin coal towns, several Surat Basin towns, the Hunter region of NSW and several mining towns in Western Australia.
The Gold Coast has just emerged from five terrible years caused by oversupply and now, just as growth returns, <a href="/expert-insights/investing/gold-coast-enters-growth-phase-but-is-it-really-a-good-place-to-invest">is working hard on generating the next big apartment glut</a>.
The BIS Shrapnel report which forecasts price movements in major city markets over the next three years, sees Melbourne prices eventually going backwards, largely because of the oversupply I mentioned earlier.
It sees similar problems in other major cities, although not so much for Sydney and Brisbane.
You can contact Terry via <a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au" target="_blank">email</a> or on <a href="https://www.twitter.com/hotspotting" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.
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Biggest issue in real estate is not shortage - it's the opposite

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There’s no doubt the Gold Coast residential market is entering a growth phase. After five bad years, in which prices went backwards, the Gold Coast is moving again.
Sales activity is rising strongly across the region and the latest figures from the Real Estate Institute of Queensland suggest prices are moving in the right direction.
But we remain opposed to investment in this market.
Here’s an example of why. On 12 June, the Gold Coast Bulletin published a news article under this headline: '104-storey Southport tower poised to steal Q1 crown of Southern Hemisphere’s tallest residential high rise'.
Apparently a three-tower complex called Imperial City is planned for Southport. The building will be 75, 85 and 104 storeys, dwarfing the 78-storey Q1 which is currently tallest high-rise on the Gold Coast, as well as in Australia and Southern Hemisphere.
Imperial City will contain 2,200 apartments, as well as 200 student rooms and a 200-room hotel.
The Gold Coast Bulletin reported: 
"The project has been welcomed by city leaders, with area councillor Dawn ­Crichlow declaring Imperial City would be the jewel in Southport’s development crown. “This is one of a range of Southport developments before the council at the moment and the number, as well as the size of this project, are a real show of faith,” she said.
"Southport MP and Assistant Planning Minister Rob Molhoek said he was “incredibly excited” by the proposal. “There are more than 17 major development approvals in line for Southport right now which is a testament to the fact that the CBD is on its way back to its former glory,” he said
“If this gets approved and built it would be a symbol of everything we are trying to achieve right now.”
That pretty much sums it up. This latest monument to a developer’s ego is seen on the Gold Coast as “a symbol of everything we are trying to achieve”.
Presumably Molhoek and Crichlow like oversupply and falling property values. The mentality of civic leaders and business people on the Gold Coast never seems to change. The place lurches from boom to bust, relentlessly and repeatedly, because this is how they think. They see the Gold Coast as a theme park for foreign tourists and property speculators, rather than as a city with families who needs services and jobs. If it reaches for the sky, it has to be good.
Just when the Gold Coast has soaked up its surplus of apartments, a process that took five agonising years, its developers and politicians are sowing the seeds of the next calamitous glut. The Imperial City monstrosity is one of many mega proposals for the glitter strip. New ones are announced weekly.
If you must buy on the Gold Coast, avoid the highrise. Buy houses in an inland suburb.
These are the areas of the Gold Coast market that really stand out in the research I’ve just completed for The Price Predictor Index. 
Rising markets include <a href="/news">Nerang</a>, <a href="/news">Mudgeeraba</a>, <a href="/news">Coombabah</a>, <a href="/news">Arundel</a>, <a href="/news">Ashmore</a>, <a href="/news">Carrara</a>, <a href="/news">Coomera </a>and <a href="/news">Varsity Lakes</a> – all housing markets inland, away from the skyscraper insanity.
Lest you forget, the latest edition of the REIQ’s quarterly report reminds us that if you bought the typical Surfers Paradise apartment five years ago, it’s still worth 10% less than you paid back then.
You can contact Terry via   <a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au" target="_blank">email</a> or on <a href="https://www.twitter.com/hotspotting" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.
Photo courtesy of Syed Abdul Khaliq/Flickr/<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons</a>.
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Gold Coast enters growth phase, but is it really a good place to invest?

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People who stare at graphs on computer screens and never get out of the office are lining up to declare that the national property boom is over.
I’d like to declare that we haven’t had a national property boom - but one is about to start.
Here’s what I mean. The only price boom so far has been in Sydney. A national property boom is when all the capital cities and many significant regional centres record double-digit annual price growth. We clearly did not have that in 2013: only Sydney among the major cities excelled last year. The last time we had a national property boom was a decade ago.
Those who think that we’ve had a significant national event – and one that has now ended – are making a series of mistakes ...
<ul>
<li>They’re looking at national data and failing to understand that Sydney is elevating all the national figures.</li>
<li>They’re extrapolating the Sydney situation nationwide.</li>
<li>They’re being swayed by monthly aberrations with median prices and other statistics.</li>
<li>They’re over-analysing auction data.</li>
</ul>
In other words, they’re stupid and they’re lazy.
Meanwhile, significant momentum is building in real estate around Australia. Home-buyers remain busy and investors are becoming increasingly active. Building approvals are continuing their upward trend (ignoring the occasional monthly distortion). The latest survey shows a rise in consumer sentiment towards real estate.
Above all else, there is a rising tide of sales activity in most parts of Australia.
Many markets in Sydney and Melbourne still have upward momentum. But, more importantly, other capital cities are stirring. In Brisbane, Adelaide and Hobart, which last year showed little in the way of price growth, have significantly rising sales volumes.
Darwin, which appeared to taper off in 2013, sparked back to life late in the year and early in 2014. Perth, which did well in late 2012 and early 2013, still has many markets with growing sales activity.
There is also a push happening in regional Australia. Sydney’s growth has rippled out to nearby regional cities, such as Gosford, Newcastle and Wollongong. There are also busy markets in Dubbo, Tamworth, Wagga Wagga, Goulburn, Albury, Tweed Heads, Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour.
Perhaps the greatest centre of <a href="/news/qld/regional-queensland-back-on-the-growth-path-with-sustained-momentum">strongly rising regional markets is Queensland</a>. Cairns, the Sunshine Coast, the Gold Coast, Hervey Bay, Townsville and Toowoomba all have a major head of steam.
There are few major population centres in <a href="/news/sa/adelaide-is-the-standout-market-and-opportunity-for-investors">South Australia outside Adelaide</a>, but two of them are ascendant markets: Mount Gambier and Port Lincoln. A number of markets in Western Australia, notably south of Perth, are sparking to life, including those in Mandurah, Bunbury and Busselton.
My conclusion is that rumours of the death of the Australian property boom have been greatly exaggerated. In many ways, it’s just in its infancy.
You can contact Terry via  <a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au" target="_blank">email</a> or on <a href="https://www.twitter.com/hotspotting" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.
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The property boom isn't over - it's only just beginning

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Just over a year ago I started pushing an argument for investment in Queensland regional centres <a href="/expert-insights/buying/change-is-the-only-constant-in-real-estate-terry-ryder">like Cairns, the Sunshine Coast and Hervey Bay</a>.
It seemed like a big call because those locations – and others with similar CVs – had been poor performers in the previous three, four or five years.
But with hotspotting the future is the most important thing and the past is often irrelevant – because, in real estate, things change.
Cairns, the Sunshine Coast and Hervey Bay had several things in common. They had struggled in recent times because their economies were dependent largely on tourism, which is volatile at the best of times and had been through a rough patch. Their property markets had suffered badly from oversupply and prices had gone backwards.
But it was apparent in the early part of 2013 that important changes were happening. The previous surpluses had been largely soaked up. Tourism was improving. Local councils were working hard to diversify their local economies and find ways to attract new business.
And, most importantly, big money was being directed into significant new infrastructure. Growth was on the way back to these coastal cities.
The latest quarterly Market Monitor from the Real Estate Institute of Queensland confirms that these locations, and a couple of other coastal cities, are back on the growth path.
In the March quarter the median house price for Cairns rose 5.6%, the Fraser Coast (Hervey Bay) was up 3% and the Sunshine Coast rose 2%. Other growth was recorded in Rockhampton (3%), Townsville (2%) and the Gold Coast (4%).
As I have often pointed out, median prices can be a dodgy way to gauge markets. But when all data is pointing in the same direction, you can start to believe it. Particularly when other research arrives at the same conclusion.
That other research is our charting of sales volumes, which show that many <a href="/expert-insights/investing/forget-the-gold-coast-its-regional-queensland-leading-the-charge">Queensland regional markets have strong forward momentum</a>, headed by Cairns, the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast, and followed by Hervey Bay and Townsville.
Another Queensland regional market that’s had my vote in recent years <a href="/expert-insights/buying/regional-hotspot-toowoomba-shows-great-investor-potential">is the inland city of Toowoomba</a>, and this is another location moving in a positive direction.
In many ways, Toowoomba has been the success story of Queensland real estate in recent times. Market Monitor published data on the percentage of recent sales which made a profit and Toowoomba led the state for houses with a 95% success rate, ahead of Brisbane at 95% and Rockhampton on 87%. It also led the field for units, with 92% of sales making a profit.
Toowoomba also has a low vacancy rate, at 1.4%, is the fastest-selling region in terms of average days on the market and recorded an 8.2% rise in its median house price over the year to the end of March, with the unit median up 6%.
These regional Queensland cities are poised for a sustained period of growth, boosted by population growth, growing economies and, above all, infrastructure spending.
You can contact Terry via   <a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au" target="_blank">email</a> or on <a href="https://www.twitter.com/hotspotting" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.
Photo of Hervey Bay courtesy of Greg Schecter/Flickr/<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons</a>.
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Regional Queensland back on the growth path with sustained momentum

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The standout market for me at the moment is Adelaide.
The South Australian capital has more forward momentum than most of the capital cities. Given that this has not yet translated into major price growth, it represents an opportunity for investors.
Adelaide is the only capital city which ended 2013 with sales volumes rising significantly and carried that into the early part of 2014. Some of our cities peaked, in terms of sales activity, in early or mid 2013. Some ended 2013 strongly but made a lukewarm start to 2014.
But SA is really just beginning its run.
Sales volumes are now 25% higher than they were at the start of 2013. Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and Australian Property Monitor for the March quarter showed some movement in prices, but nothing substantial – around 1% for the quarter, with annual median price growth hovering around 4%.
The numbers will be larger by the end of the year. Throughout Adelaide there are suburbs with strongly rising sales activity.
What makes Adelaide so attractive for property buyers is that it’s by far the cheapest mainland capital city. You can buy two Adelaide houses for the price of one Sydney house.
The standout area of Adelaide, the one with the most forward momentum and the most compelling growth drivers, is down in the far south of the metropolitan area.
The municipality of Onkaparinga has an array of growth markets and is boosted by significant new transport infrastructure.
The new rail links to <a href="/news">Seaford</a> are now operating, with plans to further extend the line south to service areas like <a href="/news">Aldinga Beach</a> and <a href="/news">Port Willunga</a>.
At the same time, the $500 million upgrade of the Southern Expressway is under way. The two infrastructure projects together are revolutionizing transport links from the south to central Adelaide, a factor that usually supercharges property markets.
This is showing up in the sales figures. Several Onkaparinga suburbs are moving forward strongly, including Aldinga Beach, <a href="/news">Flagstaff Hill</a>, <a href="/news">Happy Valley</a>, <a href="/news">Huntfield Heights</a>, <a href="/news">Woodcroft</a>, <a href="/news">Aberfoyle Park</a>, <a href="/news">Christies Beach</a>, <a href="/news">Christie Downs</a>, <a href="/news">Port Noarlunga South</a>, Seaford and <a href="/news">Seaford Rise</a>.
Other areas of Adelaide with plenty of forward-moving markets include the municipalities of Campbelltown (a cluster of inner north-east suburbs, mostly with median house prices in the $400,000s), Holdfast Bay (bayside area including <a href="/news">Glenelg</a>) and <a href="/news">Salisbury</a> (lower end northern suburbs, with median prices mostly in the $200,000s).
There’s also steadily rising activity in the inner-city apartment market.
The hard part is convincing anyone that Adelaide and South Australia are worthy of investment. The state and its capital city lack the growth reputation that draws investors to Queensland and Western Australia. 
Even South Australians are reluctant to invest in Adelaide. Now would be a good time for an attitude adjustment.
You can contact Terry via  <a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au" target="_blank">email</a> or on <a href="https://www.twitter.com/hotspotting" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.
Photo courtesy of Doug Barber/ <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons</a>.
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Adelaide is the standout market and opportunity for investors

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The nature of Australian media makes its difficult to have a genuine debate on any subject and real estate is no different.
This is particularly so for print media, where desperate attempts to stave off the inevitable (death) leads to more and more extravagant treatment of story lines that contradict most of the available research evidence (e.g. <a href="/expert-insights/investing/the-problem-with-first-home-buyers-isnt-affordability-its-expectations">the mythical affordability crisis</a>).
We’ve now had three clear instances in the past eight months of publicity junkies declaring “the property boom is over”, each time based on one month’s median price figures (dodgy at the best of times) from one unreliable source, only to have the notion controverted a month or so later by another more buoyant set of monthly figures.
Newspapers have been only too happy to regurgitate the press releases declaring the market dead, then re-born, then definitely dead, then miraculously resuscitated, then really truly absolutely dead, this time we really mean it.
If we can believe the headlines, the market peaked in October, then surged again, then peaked in February, then surged again, and more recently peaked yet again in May.
In the past week, individuals and organisations have clambered to be the first to declare, one more time: “The property boom is over.”
The first question that arises is: Which boom are they speaking of? Although most of the “I was the first to say it’s over” commentators refer to a thing they call “the national property market”, I’m quite sure they’re thinking of Sydney and extrapolating that situation across the country.
This must be so, because Sydney is the only major centre in Australia with exceptional growth figures. Nowhere else is booming, although there are other places with forward momentum.
The second question is: What does that mean, the property boom is over? Does that mean markets have ground to a halt? Does that mean prices have stopped rising? That people have stopped buying?
If that’s what these “publicity addicts” mean, then they’re clearly wrong.
I think we’re in similar territory to mid-2013, when people declared “the mining boom is over” at a time when projects worth over $250 billion were under construction. Then, as now, the declaration had little to do intelligent debate – it was nothing more than a desire to generate a headline.
There’s all sorts of evidence that makes nonsense of the idea that real estate markets are grinding to a halt, in Sydney and elsewhere. There is, for example, the evidence that sales volumes in the March quarter were <a href="/expert-insights/buying/march-quarter-strongest-for-house-sales-in-five-years">the highest for any March quarter in the past five years</a>.
There are the various arguments that have contributed to the BIS Shrapnel conclusion <a href="/expert-insights/buying/sydney-slowdown-fears-premature-15-unit-growth-tipped-over-next-two-years-bis-shrapnel">that Sydney will continue to show growth for the next couple of years</a>. This concurs with my own analysis of sales activity, which shows there is still a lot of momentum in markets across Sydney (keeping in mind that sales volumes are a far better barometer than median prices, which mislead more than they inform).
I’ve just finished analysing, suburb-by-suburb, sales activity in Perth for an update of our Price Predictor Index and there remains considerable momentum in this market as well. The current market cycle is far from over in Perth. There’s no doubt sales volumes generally are not rising at the rate they were in early/mid 2013, but sales levels remain elevated across Perth.
The same exercise has confirmed a steady improvement in Tasmanian markets, with suburbs in both Hobart and Launceston on the improve.
For these markets and elsewhere, it’s way too early to declare the end of anything. 
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Terry Ryder

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