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

Joel Robinson

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

<main data-perf-region="main">
Castle Hill, the longtime hub of the Hills District, has been one of the major beneficiaries of Sydney's Metro expansion, with improved connectivity helping drive continued population growth, development and buyer demand across the Hills District.

But despite that growth, the suburb has seen relatively few major new apartment projects brought to market over the past 18 months.

Hills District developer Reve Group is looking to fill that gap with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nova-r-ve-castle-hill-2-garthowen-crescent-castle-hill-nsw-2154">Nova Rêve</a>, a major new mixed-use precinct on the corner of Garthowen Crescent and Old Castle Hill Road, a short walk from Castle Hill Metro Station and Castle Towers.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377679]

The project will comprise three residential towers alongside a hotel, restaurants, cafes and a skybar, more than 1,600 sqm of ground-floor retail and almost an acre of landscaped gardens.

It represents the largest project undertaken by Reve Group, the development arm of the Kassis family, which has been building across the Hills District for more than 30 years through Kassis Homes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377675]

Nova Rêve also represents a significant step up from the family's first apartment development, Grand Rêve, which was delivered nearby on Garthowen Crescent.

Grand Rêve introduced larger, house-like apartment layouts and premium inclusions including Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances to the Castle Hill market.

Nova Rêve takes that approach to a precinct scale, combining the residential component with hospitality, retail and substantial public and resident landscaping.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377685]

Reve Group Managing Director Sam Kassis said the project reflected the family's three decades of building in the Hills, which has evolved from trophy homes on quarter-acre blocks to larger-scale apartment development.

"Grand Rêve was our first apartment project here and it showed us what this pocket of Castle Hill could be. Nova Rêve is the refinement of that idea: not just apartments, but a place the whole suburb can use," Kassis said.

A key part of that approach is the hotel, which has been designed to operate as an amenity for the wider Castle Hill community rather than solely hotel guests.

It will include restaurants, cafes, skybars and all-day dining, alongside conference and event facilities catering to business functions, community groups and private events.

At ground level, more than 1,600 sqm of shops and cafes will open onto the surrounding streets and landscaped areas.

Almost an acre of gardens designed by Land and Form Studios will run through the precinct, incorporating pathways, seating, barbecue areas and children's play spaces.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377680]

Reve Group's Romio Georges said creating an active ground plane had been central to the planning of Nova Rêve.

"There are gardens with pathways, barbecues, seating and play areas, shops and cafes opening onto the street, and a hotel with restaurants and a skybar that anyone in Castle Hill can walk into," Georges said.

The project's elevated position on one of Sydney's highest ridgelines will also provide apartments with outlooks toward the Sydney skyline, surrounding parkland and the Blue Mountains.

More than 80 per cent of the apartments will occupy corner positions, with Turner responsible for both the architecture and interiors.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152737]

<h3 data-end="3697" data-section-id="q3n5ak" data-start="3672">&nbsp;</h3>
</main>

Nova Rêve arrives as Reve Group bets on Castle Hill's next growth phase

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]

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

Terry Ryder

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Mortgage Choice says it’s surprised by the results of its own survey of property investors.
Why? Because the people at Mortgage Choice have their heads as full of misinformation about real estate issues as everyone else out there.
They apparently expected the survey to show that saving a deposit was the biggest problem faced by property consumers, given the (alleged) big increase in property values around the nation and the (apparently) ongoing affordability crisis.
<a href="/expert-insights/finding-an-investment-property-harder-than-saving-for-one-mortgage-choice">But the survey showed</a> that the biggest challenge for investors was finding the right property, while affordability issues ranked well down the list of concerns.
There’s actually nothing surprising in any of that. You just need to have a little market knowledge – by which I mean real knowledge, not vague impressions absorbed from media sound bytes.
Mortgage Choice issued a press release, which presumably was designed to generate credibility for the organisation, but it did the opposite.
Here’s what the media release said:
“According to Mortgage Choice's 2014 First Time Investor Survey, 50.6% of investors who purchased their first investment property within the last two years said finding the right property was the hardest part of investing. Mortgage Choice spokesperson Jessica Darnbrough said the results were surprising, especially given the current market conditions. With property values climbing considerably over the last 12 months, we expected to see more first time investors saying their biggest challenge was saving a deposit, Ms Darnbrough said. Instead, just 15.3% said 'saving a deposit' was the biggest challenge they faced when investing in property.”
A couple of points about that - property values haven’t been climbing considerably in the last 12 months. Only in Sydney (and, more recently, in near-Sydney centres) have property values boomed. Most major cities and regional centres have had only moderate growth and some have had no growth at all.
While media continues to fabricate an affordability crisis, the two quarterly indexes published on affordability show the opposite is true. They’ve both just published their latest editions and found that affordability continues to improve and is the best it’s been in 12 years.
How can national organisations that make their living from real estate be so badly informed about it?
It’s no surprise that finding the right property is the biggest issue for novice investors. At Hotspotting we encounter this from consumers on a daily basis. The most commonly used word is “overwhelmed”.
Real estate consumers are overwhelmed by many things, including the massed of bad and conflicting information, but most of all by what to buy and where to buy it. This is a seriously large country with tens of thousands of locational choices. Sydney alone has over 700 suburbs.
The key element missing for most investors is not financial capacity – it’s the absence of a clear strategy for putting their financial capacity to effective use.
The investors who are not overwhelmed are those who have a clear set of goals, an understanding of their risk profile and borrowing capacity, and a strategy for achieving the end game.
Investors like that are quite rare – which is why the Mortgage Choice survey found that most novice investors struggled with finding the right property in the right location.
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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terryryder-YECXbqmri2

No surprise that finding a property is first time investors' biggest worry

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Investors should steer clear of Brisbane’s inner city, New South Wale’s Hunter region and Queensland's Emerald, according to Hotspotting.com.au’s Terry Ryder.
In his <a href="https://hotspotting.com.au/reportDetail.php?num=146" target="_blank">Over-supply Alert</a>, commentator and regular Property Observer contributor Ryder nominates 10 regions that investors should avoid due to oversupply issues. According to Ryder, “supply is the factor most over-looked by property investors,” with many focusing on demand.
He attributes the Gold Coast’s five year price tumble to oversupply, while the same factor is also to blame for Wyndham City’s stagnation. With oversupply, writes Ryder, comes a fall in rents which in turn pulls down property values.
The regions Ryder to avoid fall loosely into two “danger situations”: inner city apartment markets and regional centres where increasing supply has coincided with declines in demand due to the resource sector slowdown.
Here are Ryder’s top 10 markets to avoid:
<ol>
<li>
Brisbane inner-city (QLD) 
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Emerald </a>(QLD) 
</li>
<li><a href="/news">Gladstone </a>(QLD) </li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Gracemere</a> (QLD) 
</li>
<li>
Hunter region (NSW) 
</li>
<li><a href="/news">Mackay </a>(QLD)</li>
<li>
Melbourne inner-city (VIC)
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Moranbah</a> (QLD)
</li>
<li>
Perth inner-city (WA)
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Port Hedland </a>(WA)
 
</li>
</ol>
This article continues on the next page. For Terry Ryder's explanation of each city's market, click below.
<hr class="system-pagebreak">
 Terry Ryder explains why each region is affected by oversupply issues.
<ol>
<li>
Brisbane inner-city (QLD) Despite the “aura of safety and respectability” surrounding CBD apartment markets, Ryder warns that <a href="/news">Brisbane</a>’s CBD residential market hasn’t performed well historically. He notes the city has 69 apartment developments, of 100 or more units each, scheduled for the next five years, which “suggests the situation will get worse before it gets better.” 
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Emerald </a>(QLD) Ryder cites the shrinking Bowen Basin coal industry as a factor in Emerald’s growth prospects, with new stock from developers hitting at exactly the wrong time. “But currently this is a market to avoid – at least until the new resources projects get under way and the existing accommodation surplus is absorbed.” 
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Gladstone </a>(QLD) Gladstone’s vacancy rate currently sits at 8%, up from 1.5% in August 2012. According to Ryder, Gladstone is now experiencing the effects of a wave of developer activity in late 2012 and early 2013. 
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Gracemere</a> (QLD) About 10 kilometres out from Hotspotting favourite Rockhampton, Gracemere “has just been smashed by developers” according to one of Ryder’s clients. Ryder sees the almost doubling of residential building approvals in Gracemere from 2011-2012 to the next year as a “warning signal.” 
</li>
<li>
Hunter region (NSW) The coal industry’s downturn has also hit New South Wales, with Ryder claiming that despite several other strong economies in the area, the resources sector once “elevated its status to a boom region.” Though he believes that the coal industry’s contraction isn’t likely to be permanent, Ryder says the downturn in demand is occurring alongside a rise in developer activity, driving oversupply. 
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Mackay </a>(QLD) Mackay is another region feeling the effects of a contracting coal industry, according to Ryder. But he believes that it will eventually pick up. “Mackay has been a strong regional property market numerous times in the past and will be again in the future. It's a growth centre and it has one of Queensland's most important export ports for the resources sector,” he writes. “But currently this market is still in decline and is one to avoid until the bottom has been reached.” 
</li>
<li>
Melbourne inner-city (VIC) This isn’t the first time Ryder has raised concerns over Melbourne’s inner city market. Last month, he wrote that <a href="/expert-insights/buying/the-inner-melbourne-boom-is-toxic-growth">“the inner Melbourne “boom” is toxic growth if ever I’ve seen it</a>.” “Local investors should stay well away from this market,” advises Ryder. 
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Moranbah</a> (QLD) With a vacancy rate of 10%, “the Moranbah market is a basket case – and Australia’s most spectacular example of the rise and fall of a property market,” writes Ryder. Again, Ryder writes that although the area will recover in the future, “right now it’s the nation’s No.1 No Go Zone.” 
</li>
<li> Perth inner-city (WA) Oversupply is a smaller issue in Perth’s inner city than in Melbourne or Brisbane, writes Ryder. But nevertheless he cautions investors against the area. “There are high levels of urban renewal activity in and around the <a href="/news">Perth </a>CBD and this is likely to see considerable new construction in the near future,” he writes. 
</li>
<li>
<a href="/news">Port Hedland </a>(WA) Ryder urges investors to disregard marketing materials when it comes to Port Hedland, where properties are taking five months to sell as the mining boom winds down.
</li>
</ol>
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jrichardson-uRX5hFdKfN

Terry Ryder’s top 10 markets to avoid

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Gosford is making waves in real estate. Or, more accurately, it’s catching the wave generated by Sydney.
<a href="/news">Gosford</a>, on the NSW Central Coast about 80 kilometres north of Sydney, has sparked to life after years of under-achievement. Partly it’s the ripple effect from the state capital’s strong market and partly it’s local infrastructure events.
The coastal city of 165,000 is a classic case study of why it’s the future that matters in hotspotting, while the past can be irrelevant.
No investor would buy in the Gosford area based on its track record. The market in the past decade has had with more periods of decline than times of rising values. Many locations throughout the City of Gosford have averaged just 1% per year in price growth. Some have negative growth averages.
But, Gosford and surrounds are coming into a period of strong growth, one that’s likely to last. Revised planning laws are expected to bring major construction projects and general revitalisation to Gosford, while the federal government decision to relocate 600 public servants there from Canberra will enliven the property market.
Gosford is another example of a local economy which has struggled because it’s primarily about tourism and retirement – but is now revitalising through a combination of government policy decisions and spending on infrastructure. Queensland is full of such places, including Cairns, the Sunshine Coast and Hervey Bay, and Gosford has put itself of the list.
In February 2014, NSW Planning Minister Brad Hazzard announced rezoning approval for the old Gosford Public School site and the waterfront. The change will allow developments such as waterfront dining and shopping, hotel and conference facilities, a regional performing arts centre, conservatorium and public recreational areas, creating 2,000 jobs.
“Today marks the start of the future of Gosford,” Hazzard said. “This is great news for the rejuvenation of Gosford's waterfront and will boost the Central Coast’s economy by acting as a catalyst for the renewal of the Gosford CBD.”
In recent years, Gosford has been quietly gathering momentum.  Mantra Ettalong Beach Resort opened in 2005, while businessman John Singleton invested $16 million buying and refurbishing two properties, Pretty Beach House and The Bells at <a href="/news">Killcare</a>.
More recently, a retail precinct at Umina Beach saw Woolworths open and Coles expand in 2010, Aldi open in 2011 and Bunnings in 2013. Masters Hardware now has an outlet at West Gosford and the Central Coast Cancer Clinic opened in 2013.
The Kibbleplex development in the Gosford CBD will see a former shopping centre refurbished to create an education hub, which will be opened in 2015. The federal government and Gosford City Council will each contribute $7 million towards the project.
Perhaps the single biggest event in the future of Gosford is the announcement in May that the Australian Tax Office intends to relocate 600 public servants from Canberra to Gosford, as part of the cost-cutting outlined in the federal budget. Such a move would have a considerable impact on the residential property market in the area.
The residential market is already moving. While long-term growth rates (the average annual rise in median house prices in the past 10 years) are low across the region, significant growth has been experienced in numerous suburbs recently.
Many have recorded double-digit growth, including some suburbs with one-year growth above 20%. Given that this is median price data, which can produce some fairly wild aberrations, it’s wise not to take them too literally. But the pattern across 20 or so suburbs in the Gosford LGA is a consistent one – strong annual price growth.
This correlates with Hotspotting analysis of sales activity in the region, with a significant uplift in the number of dwelling sales in the second half of 2012.
But affordability, relative to Sydney, remains evident with 12 suburbs having median prices below $450,000.
Vacancy rates across Gosford have been consistently low, with most suburbs below 3% in the last five years. Currently, the vacancy rate in postcode 2251 (<a href="/news">Avoca Beach</a>, <a href="/news">Copacabana</a>, <a href="/news">Green Point</a>, <a href="/news">Kincumber </a>and <a href="/news">Saratoga</a>) is 1.8%, while vacancies in postcode 2250 (<a href="/news">Erina</a>, <a href="/news">Gosford</a>, <a href="/news">Kariong</a>, <a href="/news">Lisarow</a>, <a href="/news">Narara</a>, <a href="/news">North Gosford</a>, <a href="/news">Point Clare</a>, <a href="/news">Point Frederick</a>, <a href="/news">Springfield</a>, <a href="/news">Tascott </a>and <a href="/news">Wyoming</a>) are 1%.
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 Sean Riley/Flickr/<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons</a>.
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Gosford catching the waves left in Sydney's wake

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There has been broad agreement among analysts that this will be the year of Brisbane, but it's regional Queensland leading the charge in 2014.
Most commentators, especially the chattering economists, focus exclusively on the capital cities in their "analysis" of real estate in Australia. The regions seldom rate a mention, other than an habitual obsession with bad news areas like the Gold Coast.
Property investors also tend to overlook the regions - and that's to their detriment. Over the years surveys have found most investors believe you have to buy in capital cities to get capital growth. But regional centres offer the potential for a win-win-win situation: cheaper prices, better rental yields and excellent potential for capital growth (assuming you buy wisely).
In Queensland in particular, regional cities must always be considered. Queensland is the most decentralised state and has a line-up of strong regional cities that matter both economically and in a real estate sense: <a href="/news">Townsville</a>, <a href="/news">Toowoomba</a>, <a href="/news">Rockhampton</a>, <a href="/news">Cairns</a>, the Sunshine Coast, <a href="/news">Gladstone</a>, <a href="/news">Mackay</a> ... and, yes, even the Gold Coast, though it's more of a theme park than a city.
The latest figures from the Real Estate Institute of Queensland indicate that Brisbane overall hasn't moved a great deal but many of the regional cities have.
<a href="/news/qld/the-regions-have-queenslands-most-pronounced-rental-price-movements-terry-ryder">Since the middle of last year</a> I have been recommending that investors consider some of Queensland's coastal cities which have been poor performers in recent years but are now moving into growth phases.
These include Cairns, the Sunshine Coast and Hervey Bay. These places have a number of things in common - economies that have struggled in the past through over-reliance on tourism and property markets weighed down by over-supply.
Their recoveries have common features as well - a big increase in infrastructure spending, efforts to diversify their economies, absorption of the previous accommodation surpluses and recovery in tourism markets. These places have been at the forefront of Queensland price growth in the early part of 2014.
I have spoken to investors who own Cairns property and have only negative things to say about the city's market. But that's the past and hotspotting is about perceiving the future. And, in line with our forecasting, Cairns was Queensland's leading performer in the March quarter - it's median house price rose 5.6%.
Hervey Bay rose about 3%, <a href="/expert-insights/investing/rocky-on-the-rise-as-gladstone-stumbles-terry-ryder">as did Rockhampton</a>, while the Sunshine Coast improved 2% in the quarter, as did Townsville.
The Gold Coast rose 4% and is now back on a growth path after five years of decline. There's plenty of infrastructure spending happening there as well and normally I would have such a place on my good list.
But the coast's miserable capital growth history, thanks to continual bouts of over-supply, counts against it - particularly with the level of new supply in the pipeline.
Every week brings new announcements of new skyscrapers. The Gold Coast is gearing up to repeat the mistakes of the past.
I'd rather own real estate in <a href="/expert-insights/buying/regional-hotspot-toowoomba-shows-great-investor-potential">a city of substance like Toowoomba</a> than a place of froth and bubble like the Gold Coast.
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 Townsville at night: Creative Commons.
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Forget the Gold Coast, it's regional Queensland leading the charge

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Melbourne had a solid year in real estate in 2013, its best since 2009/10, but it was well short of the “boom” claimed by some.
This has continued in the early part of 2014. Three different research sources, including the Australian Bureau of Statistics, broadly agree that the housing market has risen 10% or 11% in the past 12 months (although growth in the unit market has been considerably less – up about 5%, according to Australian Property Monitors).
The fundamentals of the Melbourne market – and several key regional markets – are strong and there should be further price growth in selected areas.
However, there are three key events which may influence prospects for price growth – a couple of them negative and one likely to be positive.
The first is the federal budget, which has hit consumer confidence and caused household belt-tightening. Consumer sentiment polls since budget night show a sharp decline in confidence.
The budget also makes severe cuts to funding to Victoria (and other states), particularly in the areas of health and education.
The second key event is the state election, which is scheduled for 29 November. Elections usually cause businesses and households to delay spending decisions.
Although this factor is somewhat overstated by media, the impact this year is likely to be enhanced by the federal budget and its consequences for Victoria’s finances.
<blockquote>
The fundamentals of the Melbourne market – and several key regional markets – are strong and there should be further price growth in selected areas.
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Marketers of real estate in Melbourne like to milk the mythical spring cow for all its worth, aided by a compliant media, but the so-called spring selling season is likely to be undermined by the undercurrent of political campaigning.
Beyond the political factors, the underlying fundamentals suggest growth in Victorian property markets. The latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows a 10.5% annual rise in loans to home buyers and a 24% annual rise in loans to property investors in Victoria.
And sections of the Melbourne market will benefit from the third key event, the Plan Melbourne document from the state government, particularly as many of the suburbs nominated as “national employment clusters” and as “key activity and job centres” already rate highly on the Hotspotting scale.
They include the municipalities of Brimbank, Dandenong, Wyndham, Whittlesea, Casey and Monash.
Dandenong City, which features in the plan as both an employment cluster and a key activity centre, is typical of areas which are under-rated by property buyers but which have all the credentials needed for solid price growth over time.
The power combination in real estate is affordability plus infrastructure plus jobs. Dandenong is one of several correct answers to that equation.
Others include the Sunshine precinct in Melbourne’s west (Brimbank City), the City of Casey in the south-east and Epping in the north in the municipality of Whittlesea.
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 three factors that will influence Melbourne price growth

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Property investors do many strange things. They act impulsively, rather than methodically. They dive in without a plan. They make decisions without research. They’ll listen to family members and ignore professional advice.
But the strangest of all the conduct I see from investors is that they will splurge hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy real estate, but refuse to outlay a few hundred dollars to ensure they buy wisely or maximise their return.
Many investors are too lazy (they say busy) to conduct research and too stingy to pay for someone else to do it. Rather than spend a few hundred dollars for professional advice on the price they’re paying, they’ll risk losing tens of thousands by paying too much. They’ll seek to save small change by doing their own inspection, rather than paying a qualified building inspector to ensure there are no issues which could cost tens of thousands to fix.
One of best outlays an investor can make – but one most investors don’t do – is to spend $700 or so on a depreciation schedule which can improve the bottom line by many thousands of dollars each year.
ATO statistics show most Australians who own investment property don’t claim depreciation or fail to maximise their claims. It’s probably the single biggest missed opportunity by property investors.
According to Brad Beer of BMT Tax Depreciation, calls it “hidden cash flow for property investors”. But three-quarters of investors get less than they should in allowable claims.
It’s clear most punters fail to fully understand depreciation and how much it can change the bottom line for an investment property. Many still believe that you need to buy new to get depreciation benefits worth claiming.
ATO figures show property investors will readily claim body corporate fees, agent fees, council rates, borrowing expenses, interest on loans, repairs and maintenance – but miss out on capital works deductions and plant and equipment depreciation.
Beer says 2.5 million property investors claimed deductions in the 2011-12 financial year. Of these investors, about a million received an average capital works deduction of $2,029 while 1.7 million investors claimed an average deduction of $1,139 for plant and equipment depreciation. That suggests a total depreciation claim of $3,168 on average.
And that is well short of what’s achievable. Too many people, it seems, are doing it on the cheap. But rather than saving money, they’re losing thousands per year.
Beer says data collected from tens of thousands of depreciation schedules prepared by BMT suggests the average claim should be around $10,100 in the first full year and $7,350 per year on average over the first 10 years of owning a property.
My own experience with investment properties confirms that. I always get a quantity surveyor to prepare a proper depreciation schedule for each property – and that one-off outlay can be used for the life of the property, with long-term savings of tens of thousands of dollars.
But I regularly meet investors who don’t claim depreciation at all.
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 single biggest missed opportunity by property investors: Depreciation

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The thing about federal budgets is that the repercussions take time to become visible.
On budget night and in the days that follow, we get the big picture stuff. Well, most of it anyway. Joe Hockey’s budget speech managed to overlook the biggest single item of all: an $80 billion decimation of funding to the states for education and health.
Did he forget? Or did he lack the gumption?
The devil, as always, is in the detail – and that takes time to become known. We’ll still be hearing about newly-realised consequences a month from now.
This week the high school attended by my teenagers told students about the exponential rise in the cost of attending university. The message was: work harder and get a scholarship. Otherwise, unless your parents are rich, you won’t be able to afford university.
I’ve just read that community providers will have to scrap plans for 3,500 affordable homes in Sydney, a place that could do with a few more, because the federal government has cancelled funding. The Commonwealth was to provide 70% of the cost but that was axed in Joe Hockey’s budget.
But he does have $50 million to donate to resources companies wanting to establish coal mines in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley.
Many investors love to invest in towns boosted by mining ventures, the volatile nature of those markets notwithstanding.
But given the recent history of companies seeking government handouts to start mining ventures based on new technologies in the Latrobe Valley, I wouldn’t be rushing out to invest in <a href="/developments/traralgon-vic-3844">Traralgon</a> or <a href="/developments/morwell-vic-3840">Morwell</a> just yet. Like their predecessors, they’ll probably never happen.
I’m struggling to understand the philosophy behind the federal government’s spending priorities. It seems that “the age of entitlement” is over, unless you’re a poor starving mining company.
The impact on Canberra’s economy and property market from this budget will become more and more apparent as the details become known.
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It’s another blow for Canberra’s struggling property market, but potentially a major boost to accommodation demand in Gosford.
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Not only will the national capital take the brunt of the cuts to public service jobs, but there will be further impacts on the relocation of jobs from Canberra to other, more politically-deserving, regions.
For example, 600 Commonwealth public service jobs are being moved from Canberra to <a href="/developments/gosford-nsw-2250">Gosford</a> in New South Wales.
It’s another blow for Canberra’s struggling property market, but potentially a major boost to accommodation demand in Gosford.
Gosford has had a topsy-turvy market in the past decade, with peaks matched by troughs and, as a result, a poor long-term capital growth rate. But it’s currently immersed in another up-cycle, having caught the wave from Sydney, but remains affordable – with median prices of $325,000 for houses and $280,000 for units.
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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Pain or gain? The areas that will feel the impact of the budget

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Nothing in the federal budget directly impacts on real estate, notwithstanding tinkering with NRAS and First Home Saver Accounts.
But indirectly the consequences will be considerable – some good and some bad.
The first point is that there are no changes to negative gearing tax benefits. The government realises this would hurt rather than help the nation.
It seems that every year before budget time there is an attack on negative gearing from people who see only their vested interest or political viewpoint – and fail to think through the consequences.
So the only potential nasty for the real estate industry has failed to occur, yet again.
Indirectly, the biggest impact on property markets nationwide will come from the dent to confidence. The overall perception about this budget is likely to be negative. The changes will hurt a lot of households and cause belt-tightening.
Despite what the government claims, the burden is not evenly spread. The mining industry gets special treatment and the most vulnerable take the biggest hit.
Confidence is also damaged by the betrayal of trust that is sadly so common in politics. The public is fed up with broken promises and they’ve just been whacked again.
Even more frustrating is that political leaders lack the integrity to admit they’ve been deceitful. They compound dishonesty with further dishonesty.
How refreshing it would be to see a politician respond to a direct question with a direct answer. Treasurer Joe Hockey looked weak and shifty under the blowtorch applied by ABC TV presenter Sarah Ferguson. Why not just admit that election promises were broken and move on?
Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen was no better when questioned about which elements of this budget the Opposition will seek to vote down. I thought Ferguson decimated both Hockey and Bowen, by insisting on honest responses to direct questions.
So, a major dent to public confidence, and that doesn’t help the real estate industry.
Nor will the dramatic trimming of the public service, with greatest impact on Canberra, a market that is already struggling.
On the other hand, the industry will be boosted by the spending on transport infrastructure – if the undertakings are honoured. That’s the biggest “if” in politics.
Spending on new transport infrastructure is the biggest game-changer in residential real estate. If Badgerys Creek goes ahead, and the road and rail upgrades are implemented as suggested, there will be massive consequences for real estate. So too if the $11 billion WestConnex project starts construction next year, as indicated by Hockey in his budget speech.
There’s a long list of transport infrastructure projects as part of a $40 billion budget package, with strategic projects across most of the states and territories. But will they be delivered? And, if so, when?
Right now, I wouldn’t believe federal politicians (on either side of politics) if they told me today was Thursday.
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 Carmello Fernando/Flickr/<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons</a>.
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The budget was another exercise in political dishonesty

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I’d rather be a seller than a buyer in Sydney in 2014. That’s my general response to a frequently-asked question: is it too late to buy in Sydney?
The time to buy in Sydney to achieve maximum gain from the recent recovery was late in 2012. Most of the Sydney locations I was recommending back then have experienced capital growth between 15% and 20% in the past 12 months. That won’t be repeated in the next year, although there will be further growth.
Some commentators have sought media profile by making the absurd statement that “the property boom is over”.
It has a similar ring to the declaration in mid-2013 that “the resources boom is over”. A year later we still have projects worth around $250 billion under construction, with major new ones (like the $9 billion Roy Hill mine and Galilee Basin projects totalling $30 billion) just getting under way, but if it makes a headline no one seems to care too much about balance or accuracy.
The claim that the “the property boom is over” is equally flimsy and made for the same shallow reason: short-term publicity and the truth be damned.
Sydney’s boom is unlikely to retain the heights of 2013 but growth continues. Melbourne is yet to reach the levels of Sydney. Brisbane and Adelaide are just getting started and are likely to feature among the growth leaders by the end of the year. Perth still has momentum and Hobart, following the election of a new state government, is set for its best year in a long time.
The thing about Sydney is that it’s a very big city, with 700-plus suburbs. There are many locations with activity created by local reasons, rather than city-wide momentum. There will be ongoing growth in specific locations for specific reasons, most of them related to transport infrastructure.
There will investment opportunities from the Badgerys Creek airport, once definitive information about flight paths and infrastructure location is known. The North West Rail Link is advancing, with impacts on real estate along its route to Rouse Hill. Ditto the South West Rail Link. WestConnex will be another game-changer, impacting suburbs such as Westmead.
So the secret to finding further growth in Sydney is to <a href="/expert-insights/investing/follow-the-infrastructure-trail-to-find-future-growth-suburbs">follow the infrastructure trail</a>.
Beyond that, investors can profit by looking outside Sydney to regional New South Wales. When capital cities boom, there is often a ripple effect out to the regions. Two cities not far from Sydney, and advancing for local reasons also, are Wollongong and Newcastle.
Wollongong has defied predictions that it would lapse into recession following economic reversals such as downsizing by Bluescope Steel. One hysterical headline suggested property values would fall 50%. But the Illawarra is the latest example of a regional community fighting back from adverse circumstances. A lot of infrastructure and property development money is pumping into Wollongong and real estate markets are rising.
Others to watch include Dubbo, Tamworth and Gunnedah, as well as Newcastle - which continues to be one of Australia’s most under-rated cities and property markets.
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 Wikipedia/Creative Commons.
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Too late to buy Sydney - try Wollongong or Dubbo, Tamworth and Gunnedah, and Newcastle

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The factor overlooked in the “debate” about tax benefits for property buyers is that the amount taken from real estate by government is considerably more than the amount given back.
Real estate is the cash cow of choice for all three levels of government – including through stamp duty, land tax, capital gains tax, rates and infrastructure charges.
The appeal for governments of taxing real estate transactions and ownership is so great that we’ve just seen a government with a multi-billion dollar budget surplus (thanks to revenue from a rising real estate market) introduce a new tax on real estate construction to help fund its attempt to buy the upcoming state election.
The Victoria state government is able to spend big in an election year thanks to real estate and the increased tax take via stamp duty on increased sales levels and land tax helped by rising property values.
<blockquote>
Abolishing negative gearing would ultimately cost government more than it saves, while resulting in a dramatic escalation in residential rents, especially in the major cities.
</blockquote>
The amount of stamp duty ripped out of each real estate transaction by state governments is so obscene ($27,000 on the average purchase in Sydney) that it’s a wonder citizens aren’t marching in the street – particularly as we were told the introduction of a GST would result in the elimination of stamp duty.
But governments never eliminate existing taxes. They only introduce new ones – even governments like that of Tony Abbott who promised repeatedly before the federal election he would never do so.
Land tax is an example of an impost that was introduced for a specific purpose and then became entrenched as a convenient revenue source. It was introduced in the nineteenth century specifically to break up large land holdings, which were considered a problem at the time, and remains a blight on the property landscape 130 years later.
So we can be sure that the new tax in Victoria – which has started life as a tax on the construction of buildings costing more than $1 million to fund a new bureaucracy, the Metropolitan Planning Authority – will still be around a century from now, but with much broader application that in 2014.
The Property Council of Australia’s executive director in Victoria, Jennifer Cunich, says: “A government projecting multi-billion dollar surpluses shouldn’t be introducing new property taxes.”
Well of course they shouldn’t, but they can’t help themselves. It’s like telling a rodent that’s been raiding your kitchen every night that it can’t eat the chocolate mud cake you left sitting on the bench.
The total tax take from real estate is around $33 billion per year. The cost to the federal budget from negative gearing is around $4 billion a year.
Abolishing negative gearing would ultimately cost government more than it saves, while resulting in a dramatic escalation in residential rents, especially in the major cities. There would only be losers from such a move.
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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Terry Ryder

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