Builder-developer ALAND has drawn back the curtain on its first city-focused new apartment development.

The North Sydney development, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-walden-north-sydney-173-179-walker-street-north-sydney-nsw-2060">The Walden</a>, is the first time the company has ventured this close to the city, having previously completed thousands of apartments predominantly in Sydney's west, and more recently in Gosford.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/aland">ALAND</a> acquired the prime North Sydney site, spanning Walker and Hampden Streets just down the road from the Victoria Cross Metro station, for $240 million in June.

Now they've unveiled the new project, a mix of one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments across a 30-level building designed by Rothelowman.

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The Walden will capitalise on the site’s front-row position on the eastern fringe of the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/north-sydney-nsw-2060">North Sydney</a> CBD, which offers uninterrupted Sydney Harbour views stretching from the Sydney Harbour Bridge all the way to Sydney Heads.

The main tower will be flanked by a small four-level amenity building known as The Pavilion, offering exclusive resident-only amenities including a dedicated concierge service, a sauna and private wellness studio, a gymnasium and fitness studio, a resort-style rooftop pool and sundeck.

There will also be a&nbsp;residents’ lounge, private dining and a wine cellar, and co-working facilities with an on-site meeting room and boardroom.

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ALAND Founder Andrew Hrsto said the company knew they could create something "iconic" with The Walden when they saw the site.

&nbsp;

“As a company, we had been searching for a site in one of Sydney’s blue-chip locations, spanning the Eastern Suburbs, the Sydney CBD and the North Shore, and when we had the opportunity to purchase this site, we immediately recognised that it could be something iconic – being the last development with a view offering this exceptional.

“We identified the attributes and quality of the site as being perfectly aligned for ALAND – and we feel that this off-market acquisition is a perfect opportunity to showcase our craftmanship and expertise through a truly unique offering."

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Hrsto pointed to ALAND’s longstanding development expertise as a significant benefit in delivering a positive outcome for The Walden.

“Being a fully integrated development and construction business with a highly experienced team, we have the benefit of in-house experts across the development spectrum, from acquisitions, design, planning, and construction, to sales, marketing, property management, through to building management.

“As one of Australia’s largest private development and construction groups, we’ve been in operation for 23 years, with a Gold Star iCIRT rating and a 100 per cent delivery success rate across numerous masterplanned and mixed-use projects – and we’re very much looking forward to bringing this expertise to The Walden and contributing to the ongoing revitalisation of North Sydney."

The Walden is the latest development in Sydney to have the 10-year Latent Defects Insurance policy by Resilience Insurance, protecting buyers from any structural or waterproofing-related issues for 10 years post-completion.&nbsp;

Demolition of existing structures on The Walden site has already commenced through specialist civil contractor Moits, with the aim of completing preparatory ground works by the end of 2025, ahead of construction commencement in early 2026.

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Joel Robinson

ALAND unveils The Walden, North Sydney's latest luxury apartment development

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/toga-group">TOGA</a> has opened sales for the final building in Macquarie Rise, its latest mixed-use development in Macquarie Park.

Since launching its <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/macquarie-rise-122-herring-road-macquarie-park-nsw-2113">Macquarie Rise</a> in late 2023, TOGA has secured over 125 sales in the Herring Road development, to a range of purchasers, from first home buyers to investors and downsizers. Around 65 per cent of purchasers have been owner-occupiers.

TOGA has now launched a new release of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments in the final building, Saunders Rise. Many of the apartments feature multi-purpose rooms and offer views of the surrounding greenery. Also part of the release is a series of&nbsp;sub penthouses housed on the upper floors.

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“We’re delighted with the ongoing strong interest in our Macquarie Rise development, which is testament to the need for premium housing in this much-loved Sydney suburb,"&nbsp;Allan Vidor AM, Managing Director at TOGA, said.

"We’re proud to be able to offer buyers a unique product that includes luxury amenities, spacious living areas and flexible layouts, designed to suit all kinds of buyers, from young professionals to families and investors.

“We have long been advocates of Macquarie Park, and once Macquarie Rise is complete, TOGA will have built 1,000 apartments in the area, delivering much needed homes within a thriving precinct. It’s great to see the area become renowned for high-quality apartments, proximity to amenities and green spaces."

TOGA, one of Australia’s few Gold Star iCIRT rated developers, is also handling construction of Macquarie Rise. They are on track to complete the building in 2027.

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Macquarie Rise boasts a prime location, placing residents within immediate reach of Macquarie Centre, Macquarie University, and the newly completed Macquarie University Metro, connecting to the Sydney CBD is just over 20 minutes.

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Macquarie Rise residents also have access to Club Rise, an exclusive, residents only lounge designed by luxury hotel designers Stack Studio, offering an abundance of work and break-out areas, a Pilates studio, a gym, and a karaoke room. As well as these premium amenities Macquarie Rise will also feature an impressive podium top 20m lap pool.

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“Offering luxury, spacious apartments in a vibrant and well-connected neighbourhood, it’s no surprise that Macquarie Rise remains popular with a range of buyers," said TOGA's General Manager of Sales, Anthony Falas.&nbsp;

"With interest rates tracking downwards, we expect the final apartments to continue to receive high levels of interest.”

Located at 122 Herring Road, Macquarie Park, the development will be delivered in partnership with Baptist Union NSW and Morling College with a value of over $400 million.

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TOGA launches final stage apartments in Macquarie Rise

Southern Cross Station anchors the western end of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">Melbourne</a>’s CBD, connecting metropolitan and regional rail with tram and bus interchanges in one of the city’s busiest transport corridors.&nbsp;

Just metres away, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/640-bourke-street-melbourne-640-bourke-street-melbourne-vic-3000">640 Bourke Street</a>&nbsp;will place residents in the heart of the city, with immediate access to Spencer Street trams, a growing mix of retail, hospitality and cultural venues, and a neighbourhood evolving into a lively residential precinct.

Developed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/far-east-consortium">Far East Consortium</a>, the 68-level project integrates a sculptural glass tower with the heritage-listed Eliza Tinsley Building on a 2,765 sqm Bourke St site.&nbsp;

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Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a>, the development replaces a previously approved scheme for 813 apartments with a refined offering of just over 600 larger-format residences, responding to a growing owner-occupier demand for spacious city living.

The location sits within a dynamic pocket undergoing significant transformation. Marvel Stadium and the Docklands waterfront are less than 10 minutes away on foot, offering both sports and leisure attractions.&nbsp;

Bourke Street Mall, Queen Victoria Market, and the State Library are all within walking distance, while Flagstaff Gardens, Melbourne’s oldest park, provides a green escape just to the north.

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Proximity to some of the city’s largest employers and education hubs, including the courts precinct, legal chambers, RMIT, and major hospitals, makes 640 Bourke Street an appealing residential address for professionals, families and students alike.

Education opportunities span all levels. Nearby, Haileybury City Campus offers private schooling just a short walk from 640 Bourke Street. Just beyond the CBD fringe, Carlton Gardens Primary School, one of Melbourne’s oldest state primary schools, and Docklands Primary School provide convenient government schooling options.

Higher education is equally accessible. RMIT University’s city campus spans multiple buildings just a few blocks away, while the University of Melbourne’s Parkville campus is easily reached via tram along Swanston or Elizabeth Streets.

Victoria University’s City Queen campus, focused on law and business, is also close by, positioning 640 Bourke Street within walking distance of three of Melbourne’s major tertiary institutions.

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The neighbourhood’s retail tapestry continues to evolve into something distinctly local and walkable. Just steps away, Woolworths Metro on Bourke Street ensures that everyday essentials are easily within reach.&nbsp;

For larger shopping trips, Spencer Outlet Centre on Spencer Street and QV Melbourne on the opposite side of the CBD broaden the offering with supermarkets, fashion, dining and specialty stores.

The lane-to-lane vibe unfolds beautifully in nearby arcades and alleys. Hardware Lane, with its European-style red-brick paving and alfresco dining, pulses with jazzy evenings and casual lunches.

A few minutes north, Howey Place and Centre Place offer leafy, boutique-lined lanes where hidden cafés and niche retailers congregate under historic glass-covered cloisters.

Completing this tapestry is the newly opened Mecca “beauty playground” on Bourke Street. Spanning 4,000 sqm over three levels, the flagship blends immersive retail within an art-deco heritage setting.

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This finely grained network of shops, eateries, arcades and service outlets defines the everyday lifestyle at 640 Bourke Street - further enriched by over 3,000 sqm of resident amenity including a Turkish-inspired pool, gym, co-working rooms and private cinemas.&nbsp;

Apartments are priced between&nbsp;$640,000 and $3.95 million. Off the plan stamp duty concessions available until October 2026. Prospective buyers can visit the on site display gallery which has&nbsp;fully built one, two, and three-bedroom apartments.

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640 Bourke Street: A heritage address at the heart of Melbourne

Lower North Shore development specialists&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/abadeen-group">Abadeen</a>&nbsp;has topped out its new local apartment development,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/northcote-collective-naremburn-2-6-northcote-street-naremburn-nsw-2065">Northcote Collective</a>.&nbsp;

Located in the tightly held suburb of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/naremburn-nsw-2065">Naremburn</a>, Northcote Collective is a collection of just 58 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments designed by award-winning architects Rothelowman.&nbsp;

The building is just a five to 10 minute walk from the heart of Crows Nest and the new&nbsp;St Leonards and Crows Nest Metro stations. Abadeen has also brought doorstep convenience, with a ground-floor retail offering on Northcote Street.

Northcote Collective is being delivered by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/builders/decode">Decode</a> — an iCIRT-rated construction company well regarded in the new development industry.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=114189 project_image_fid=272840]

“This is an important and exciting moment for Northcote Collective, and we’re proud to celebrate this milestone with our partners, consultants, and future residents,” said Justin Brown, Executive Chairman and Founder of Abadeen.&nbsp;

“From the outset, our vision was to create something truly special for Naremburn — homes that respect the character of the neighbourhood while elevating the standard of Lower North Shore living. With connectivity to transport, retail on the doorstep and a true village lifestyle, this milestone also comes at a perfect time when buyer confidence is returning to the market. I am incredibly proud of our team and of Decode for their dedication in helping us bring this vision to life.”

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The development is two-tiered, with two rooftops for residents. The taller building has an impressive rooftop pool, a rare inclusion in the new Sydney apartment market. The level, with panoramic views, also includes an entertaining terrace with barbecue facilities.

Local downsizers and young professionals are showing the strongest interest in the development, with recent improvements in the property market — supported by three rate cuts in 2025 — boosting borrowing power and buyer confidence.

Auction activity across Sydney surged by almost 30 per cent in recent weeks, with clearance rates above 70 per cent — signalling a renewed wave of buyer demand.

Northcote Collective will welcome buyers in 2026.

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Abadeen tops out Northcote Collective in Naremburn

Sunshine Coast-based <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/devcon-property-group">Devcon Property Group</a> has acquired one of Maroochydore’s most prominent development sites for $12 million unlocking the potentialfor a mixed-use project in the Cotton Tree precinct.

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The 4,178 sqm site at 41–43 Aerodrome Road—well known locally as the former home to one of Australia’s last Sizzler restaurants—was sold via an off-market expressions of interest campaign by Colliers agents Nick Dowling and Baydn Dodds. More than 70 targeted buyer groups were approached, resulting in multiple competitive offers for the property.

Devcon Property Group Managing Director Michael Kain said the acquisition was a strategic move in line with the company’s focus on delivering high-quality projects in prime coastal locations.&nbsp;

“We’re excited about the possibilities this site, in one of the Sunshine Coast’s most iconic beachside &nbsp;communities, offers for a broad range of development outcomes,” Kain said.

“Its location, ocean view potential, and proximity to the Maroochydore CBD and beach make it an &nbsp;outstanding development prospect. Our plans are to refurbish the existing building and then review &nbsp;development options for the remainder of the site.”&nbsp;

<img alt="Aerodrome Rd site overlooking Beach (Large)" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a29dc4ed-68c1-4bec-a4fc-283063dcde1e" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Aerodrome%20Rd%20site%20overlooking%20Beach%20%28Large%29.jpg?VersionId=b0WxJWevmLoAfCP4YvGImZpR3rSCJJ9L" />

Colliers Special Projects Manager Baydn Dodds said the sale reflected the ongoing strength of the &nbsp;Sunshine Coast’s development site market, particularly for projects capable of achieving water views. &nbsp;

“Sites of this scale, in walkable beachside locations with ocean views, are tightly held and continue to attract significant interest from both local and national developers,” Baydn Dodds said. &nbsp;

“Holding a prominent position as the former home to one of Australia’s last Sizzler restaurants and more recently occupied by Rashays, the prime site is located just 150 metres from Maroochydore Beach.&nbsp;

“With stunning ocean view potential, located in one of the Sunshine Coast’s best known iconic &nbsp;beachside communities, within steps of shops, cafes and the beach it is no surprise that there was strong interest in the site. The transaction highlights the ongoing depth of demand for well-located &nbsp;mixed-use sites across the Sunshine Coast.”&nbsp;

Colliers Sunshine Coast Managing Director Nick Dowling said the transaction reinforced the &nbsp;Sunshine Coast’s status as one of Australia’s most active development markets.&nbsp;

“The combination of strong population growth, lifestyle appeal, and infrastructure investment is &nbsp;driving demand for quality development opportunities,” Nick Dowling said. &nbsp;

“The Sunshine Coast is one of only three markets nationally to record an increase in crane numbers, &nbsp;reflecting the strength of the region’s construction pipeline.&nbsp;

“Opportunities like this are rare and continue to generate strong buyer interest in the region.”&nbsp;

The Sunshine Coast development market is booming, with several high-profile developers like Cube Developments, Gardner Vaughan Group, and RCQ, planning developments in the region.

Devcon buys Sunshine Coast’s former Sizzler site for new apartment development

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The accelerated drop in home loans has prompted UBS analysts to downgrade their peak-to-trough forecast of home prices from a fall of 10 per cent to now 14 per cent.
"We cut our peak-to-trough forecast of home prices from falling '10% or more if regulators don't ease', to dropping '14%, even assuming the RBA cuts' (with Sydney and Melbourne closer to 20%), UBS analysts George Tharenou, Carlos Cacho and Jim Xu said.
"This is double the -7% decline so far."
They said they expect the RBA to cut rates in November.
The change in forecast comes after home loan approvals and values dropped to GFC levels in December.
The December 2018 slump for home loans approved, which was -5.9% month on month, was the worst since decline the GFC. UBS had predicted a -3% decline.
The -19.8% year on year figure was the worst since the GFC.
"The accelerating fall in home loans shows tighter credit is playing out," the UBS report stated.
"Looking ahead, while the Royal Commission didn't make material changes, we downgrade out long-held forecast peak-to-trough drop in home loans from '20% with risk of 30%' to '25% with rising risk of 30%.'"
They said it would mean housing credit growth will likely slow to 2% year on year by 2020, with risk of flat.
Click here to enlarge.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/2/UBS.jpg" alt="">
Investor lending slid another 4.6% month on month to be 27.8% down year on year. 
Despite holding a 16% share of total loans, the highest since 2012, first home buyers retracted sharply, down 8% month on month and 12% year on year.
Owner occupiers also weakened, down 6.4% to be 16.2% down year on year.
 
 
 
 
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jrobinson-rf4aSBido9

UBS analysts change home price forecast after home loan drop

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Housing prices could fall 10 percent as banks crimp riskier lending and the ALP plans to limit negative gearing tax breaks, warns UBS.
The global financial services firm has suggested the number of home loans could drop 30 percent due to credit tightening.
They said the economy could be set for a record long house price downturn.
"We expect further credit tightening, and the RBA’s lack of willingness to cut rates this time, to see the longest house price downturn in decades," the bank advised.
UBS have suggested the risks are now "tilted to the downside", having previously predicted the value of home loans written could drop 20 percent and housing prices could fall 5 percent.
They now expect home loan falls of up to 30 per cent and price drops of up to 10 per cent.
“Positively, the economy and labour market remain solid for now,” UBS noted.
They said borrowing capacity could reduce by around $100,000 for many households with new comprehensive credit reporting rules from mid next year.
Credit card limits and other debts could be taken into account.
National dwelling price to income ratio is near a record high of about 6.5 times. It's around nine times in Sydney and eight in Melbourne. 
Researchers George Tharenou, Carlos Cacho and Jim Xu said the federal opposition’s plan to limit negative gearing tax concessions for future purchases to new housing and halve the capital gains tax concession to 25 per cent.
Moody's recently suggested more borrowers will fall behind on their home loans in 2019.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Housing prices could fall 10 percent warns UBS

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Imminent restrictions on lending to heavily indebted borrowers will accelerate a squeeze on borrowing, according to UBS analysts.
UBS has repeated its warning of a potential credit crunch in the Australian economy where house prices would likely fall over a prolonged period across a few years.
This is because the price of money [via record low interest rates] becomes less relevant compared with the supply of money [credit availability] or demand for money — that is through employment, income, population," UBS economist George Tharenou said.
This week he noted about 30% of outstanding mortgage debt was held by borrowers with debts more than six times their income, which meant the flow of total lending going to borrowers with debt-to-income levels of more than six times would previously have been greater than 30% of lending.
Westpac advised recently that the share of loans on the bank’s books with a debt-to-income ratio above six times was about 20%.
UBS suggested this could be well above the new limit required by APRA.
“We expect boards, shareholders and management teams to recommend ‘very high’ debt-to-income be a low 5 to 10% of new lending flow,” Tharenou said.
“The impact of even a generous limit of 20% would likely be a negative for lending growth and credit availability.”
It is the latest warning from the UBS analysts of a potential credit crunch in the wake of the early evidence presented to the royal commission into banking and financial services, 
“This means that the introduction of debt-to-income limits will likely make borrowing for the median home in Australia (let alone Sydney or Melbourne) even more challenging,” Tharenou told The Australian.
He said restricting the amount of credit going towards borrowers with lower incomes could drag house prices in Sydney and Melbourne lower, as loan sizes would no longer support high house prices.
“Even taking into account higher household income in Sydney and Melbourne along with a 20% deposit, on our estimates the median household in Sydney will only be able to afford an $800,000 property, still well below the median house price,” Tharenou said.
UBS's George Tharenou said the credit crunch scenario would clearly be unintended by regulators and policy makers.
A tightening of access to credit for heavily indebted borrowers would also crimp the ability for property investors to enter the market. About 20% of investors own two properties, and 10% own three or more. About half of all investment properties are owned by investors with multiple properties.
“Limits could well spell the end of widespread multiple property investing in Australia — at least for those investors who maintain an owner-occupier mortgage and geared investments,” Tharenou said.
 
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

UBS see heavily indebted borrowers squeezed in pending credit crunch

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The ailing food franchisor Retail Food Group may close more than 400 stores over the next three years, according to a report by UBS.
The investment bank slashed its earnings forecasts for Retail Food Group after factoring in shrinking sales from store closures.
UBS analyst Jordan Rogers believes RFG may need to close as many as 456 stores in Australia between 2018 and 2020, mainly in its bakery division, which includes Donut King, Michel's Patisseries and Brumby's Bakery, and its quick service restaurants divisions, which owns the Crust and Pizza Capers brands. 
This doesn't include about 200 outlets forecast to close in 2018, the Australian Financial Review article noted.
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Store closures in Australia would be partially offset by about 145 new stores and outlets overseas, taking total stores to 1984 by 2020. However, RFG is unlikely to reach its long term target for 3500 stores.
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RFG shares have fallen 44 per cent since Friday, when the franchise systems business announced plans to close between 160 and 200 outlets over the next 15 months.
UBS believes more closures will be necessary before RFG reaches a sustainable base.
​"We expect the closures to accelerate and go beyond those initially identified by RFG given the deterioration in underlying performance and pressure with the Michel's structure, in particular,"  Mr Rogers said.
</div>
<div class="cq-article-content-media section">"A successful repositioning of Michel's and deceleration of closures would be the most likely potential change to our view, but it is difficult to have confidence in this scenario after network sales fell 22 per cent in (the December-half)," he said,</div>
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"We now forecast about 460 net outlet closures over the next 2.5 years (36 per cent closure of current domestic portfolio partially offset by about 100 net openings in the international division) and have lowered margins in each division to account for an expected change in the value split between RFG and franchisees."
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Retail Food Group may close 456 stores: UBS

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Chinese property investors are choosing Bangkok over Sydney and London, according to UBS.
Chinese buyers of property abroad tend to fade or pick up depending on key factors, UBS head of global real estate Kim Wright said.
“What we have found is that Chinese buying of property abroad tends to be very price and currency-aware,” Wright told The Australian.
“Their focus on specific markets will fade or pick up, depending on their view of currency. Over the last two years we have seen Asian buying of Australian property, specifically Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, that’s been very strong. It looks like that has started to fade over the past six months.
“I think it’s the combination of factors. Prices have been very strong in Australia so there is now a discussion that the cycle has started to peak and there’s the tax changes that have come through along with the tax controls.”
Wright suggested the decline in demand for property in Australia among Chinese buyers was similar to a loss of interest in London property in late 2015 when buyers felt the market had peaked, while tax changes and tighter capital controls further put them off.
Wright told the recent UBS Greater China conference in Shanghai that their research suggested tighter capital controls were just one factor.
Half those said the controls had encouraged them to bring forward purchases while the other half said it would slow their buying.
</div>
<div>The UBS research also found that two thirds of property purchases were cash settled.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Wright suggested that Chinese property investors were now looking to Bangkok, Thailand, as a new market.</div>
<div>
"I am not sure if that's a function of the One Belt One Road initiative and people are seeing the infrastructure spend and the co-operation, but also the price point is pretty attractive."
</div>
<div>
The Shanghai conference addressed efforts by Chinese authorities to reduce private sector debt levels and put the economy on a sounder footing without severely impacting growth, or triggering a financial crisis.
"A Minksy moment will not come in China. The debt problem is not going to result in a sudden collapse," said UBS head of Asian economic research Wang Tao.
Dr Wang said data that showed that China's foreign exchange reserves had actually increased was a "pleasant surprise" particularly in the context of fears last year that sustained outflows would deplete reserves and weigh on the currency
</div>
<div>
She is forecasting slower economic growth of 6.4 per cent in 2018 and 6.3 per cent in 2019 compared with the 6.8 per cent achieved in 2017.
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Chinese cooling on Australia property sees cash heading to Thailand: UBS

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The Brisbane apartment market is seeing one in five foreign buyers fail to settle, according to investment bank UBS.
It comes as tighter capital controls are imposed in China.
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UBS said default rates for top east coast developers remained low in light of residential price growth being strong for many of the buyers who purchased off the plan two to three years ago.
These buyers had a strong incentive to settle.
But the research highlighted the Brisbane market as where foreign buyers were not necessarily in the money.
The Brisbane apartment market has been the subject of recent warnings from the Reserve Bank after strong supply concentrated in inner city areas.
“The Brisbane apartment market is overbuilt in our view [with] residential prices largely tracking sideways for the last two years,” UBS analysts led by Kim Wright wrote.
“Resale prices are 10 per cent or more below purchase price and bank valuations are frequently below the initial purchase price.
“Poor quality projects are under significant pressure and we understand one in five foreign buyers aren’t settling, citing tightened capital controls.”
Listed developers Mirvac and Lendlease only had a small exposure to Brisbane apartment completions, UBS said, but flagged continued focus on the issue.
“We will be watching the market closely and also to provide an understanding of how foreign buyers will react if prices in Sydney and Melbourne also softened.”
More broadly, UBS said most Chinese consumers around the world had been financing their global property purchasers with cash or mortgages from Chinese banks, reducing concerns about settlement risk.
About a third of buyers paid cash using their savings and nearly three in 10 paid cash with help from family and friends.
Of the one-third of buyers who borrowed, 85 per cent used a Chinese bank rather than a local bank.
The research comes from a survey of 3,060 Chinese consumers that found an increasing trend in mainland Chinese ownership of global residential property.
The survey found around 14 per cent of properties purchased by Chinese consumers were bought for investment and left vacant, a figure that had fallen over the past six months.
Another 26 per cent of properties were used by their owners only part of the time, perhaps for holidays, business or to visit family.
“As much as 40 per cent of the overseas property owned by mainland Chinese may not be fully utilised,” UBS said.
“This may have ramifications for the vibrancy of the surrounding retail space and amenity of the area.”
Roughly a quarter of the purchasers live in their property full-time, while more than 40 per cent bought investment properties and rented them out.
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Brisbane foreigner OTP apartment defaults at one in five: UBS

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Just months after UBS called the top of Australia’s property market, the investment bank has now declared the housing boom is “officially” over.
In the wake of the latest home price figures for October, its economists forecast a “persistent and sharp slowdown” unfolding in response to lending restrictions and out-of-cycle mortgage rate hikes.
The weakness in auction clearance rates, and the near flat month-on-month growth in prices in the last five months, "suggest the cooling may be happening a bit more quickly than even we expected.”
UBS expects the Reserve Bank of Australia to keep the official cash rate on hold until the second half of 2018.
CoreLogic’s latest monthly read on home values found price growth was flat nationally during October and up just 6.6 per cent annually — the weakest pace of growth since 2016.
Values fell half a per cent in the nation’s biggest housing market, Sydney.
“This is broadly consistent with our housing deep dive ‘calling the top’, which forecast a moderation to 7% year-on-year by end-2017, before dropping further to 0-3% year-on-year in 2018,” UBS economists George Tharenou and Carlos Cacho said.
Now the duo have downgraded their growth forecasts for this year to just 5 percent.
“Australia’s world record housing boom is ‘officially’ over after a large ‘upswing’ of 6556% price growth in 55 years,” he says.
<div id="taboola-mid-article-stream-thumbnails" class=" trc_related_container trc_spotlight_widget">“After dwelling price growth was resilient at a booming 10% [plus annual] pace earlier this year, there is now a persistent and sharp slowdown unfolding."</div>
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UBS calls property boom over and lowers national price growth forecast from 7 to 5 percent

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Australia's national house price growth is likely to be flat - or possibly in low single digits - for the several years, according to UBS.
The latest UBS report, 'Get rich or borrow trying', warns that even small changes to credit conditions, such as a drop in availability of investor-only loans which have been targeted by the bank regulator, will "materially impact" house price growth.
According to UBS households are much more sensitive to tightening financial conditions from higher mortgage rates and the lagged impact of macroprudential measures than many realise.
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<div class="cq-article-content-media section">House price growth should moderate to around 7 per cent in 2017 and to between 0 per cent to 3 per cent in 2018, according to UBS economists George Tharenou and Carlos Cacho.</div>
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<div class="cq-article-content-media section">But the “forever boom” is ending, UBS clients were told, according to The Australian.</div>
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<div class="related-quotes section">"We would still characterise our outlook as a 'soft landing', given we still don't expect a sudden collapse in prices," they wrote in a report on Fairfax Media.</div>
"But it does seem likely that Australia faces a prolonged multi-year period of flat or low single digit nominal price growth." 
Signs of a slowdown in house price are fast-emerging. House prices in Sydney fell 0.1 per cent over September, the first fall since late 2015, on Corelogic figures and 1.9 per cent, on Domain figures.
Veteran analyst Louis Christopher is predicting sedate house price growth in Sydney of between 4 per cent to 8 per cent in 2018 if the cash rate and economy remains unchanged. 
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Australian property prices headed for "prolonged" flat period: UBS 

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A third of customers with interest-only home loans may not properly understand the product and could end up in stress once they start paying back the principal, according to investment bank UBS.
Typically, a borrower has to pay only the interest component of a loan when he takes out an interest-only loan for the first five years. After that, monthly payments go up as the borrower also starts paying back the principal.
The new analysis by UBS concluded that borrowers would be exposed to financial stress once their monthly payment jumps. 
The findings are based on a survey the bank conducted between July 7 and August 4 this year seeking responses from borrowers who took out a home loan within the previous 12 months.
UBS found only 23.9 per cent of 907 respondents had an interest-only loan, compared with economy-wide figures that show 35.3 per cent of loans are interest-only, Fairfax Media reported.
Lead analyst Jonathan Mott noted that he initially suspected the survey sample had an error, but now believed a "more plausible" reason was that interest-only customers did not properly understand their loan.
We are concerned that it is likely that approximately one third of borrowers who have taken out an interest-only mortgage have little understanding of the product or that their repayments will jump by between 30 and 60 per cent at the end of the interest-only period (depending on the residual term)," he was quoted by Fairfax Media as saying.
UBS quoted surveys by ME Bank to show many Australians have an apparent lack of financial literacy and understanding of home loan products, with 38 per cent admitting they had "no understanding of interest-only repayments".
He also cited a 2014 Standard &amp; Poor's report that said 64 per cent of Australian adults were financially literate, implying 36 per cent were not.
The survey follows another one by UBS which revealed that there were $500 billion of “liar loans”, meaning they were written based on inaccurate information provided by borrowers in their application.
UBS said that over 70 per cent of survey respondents that took out an interest-only loan said they were "under moderate to high levels of financial stress".
"While these loans are well secured, we believe many borrowers may face substantial stress as interest rates rise or when they revert to principal and interest," UBS wrote.
UBS pointed out that mortgage misselling and irresponsible lending could have contributed to the problem.
The survey also suggested that borrowers would cut their spending (50 per cent) or begin paying down principal (24 per cent), once the higher payments start.
It also noted that the moves by the banks to increase interest rates on interest-only mortgages provided a "substantial" boost to their margins.
Interest-only loan rates have increased by an average of 74 basis points for investors, to 6.26 per cent and 49 basis points for owner occupied borrowers over the last 12 months to 5.78 per cent.
It comes as banks have responded to regulators asking to restrict interest-only loans to 30 percent as the property sector is increasingly being seen as a risk to the economy.
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One in three interest-only borrowers don't understand their loans: UBS

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Investment bank UBS’s latest report saying ‘liar loans’ have reached $500 billion has met with strong opposition from a brokers body.
The Finance Brokers Association of Australia (FBAA) said in a media release that UBS was being reckless with its analysis of so-called ‘liar loans’ because it is based on implied presumptions.
UBS said that its latest survey of over 900 mortgage applications originated over the last 12 months revealed that about one third of home loans contained information that was not accurate.
Meanwhile, Australian Securities and Investments Commission chairman Greg Medcraft has said that a broken mortgage broker remuneration model and loose lending could trigger a subprime mortgage crisis.
Medcraft irresponsible lending is facilitated because of the mortgage broker remuneration model which rewards brokers for securing larger loans for their clients.
Referring to the UBS report, FBAA executive director Peter White said the figure was based on interpretation of their own research and asked the data be justified.
“I want to see their data analysis,” said White. “We need to see the questions they asked participants and we need to know how much and under what conditions they were paid.”
“UBS must prove there is no steering of answers or influences to produce outcomes which are not factual or fair or commercially sound,” he added.
White also questioned the validity of the data, saying UBS is not a lender in the home loan space, so there “needs to be clear transparency of their supposed results”.
“This is not their data and not data from a bank/lender, so the question must be asked as to the accuracy and integrity of the research, which is fundamentally divorced of market broker and lender marketplace data.”
 
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