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3D home – with kitchen and bathroom – printed in a day for $15,000

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Future House: 3D printed and ready to flyThe future of Western ‘s south-west to include 3D-printed housesChina 3D prints mansion and apartment block

A San Francisco-based company has successfully 3D-printed a home in a day and claim it all cost less than $15,000.

The distinctive-looking home was put together using the latest 3D-printing technology at one of their facilities in Stupino, near Moscow in Russia.

Using a concrete mixture, Apis Cor along with the Russian PIK group report that they have produced a 38-square-metre building with a kitchen, bathroom, living room and self-bearing walls.

According to their website, the “pure machine time of printing amounted to 24 hours”, with set-up time of around half an hour.

Just adding a lick of paint. Photo: Apis Cor

Other 3D-printed houses have popped up before, most notably in China, but these generally require some individual components to be printed separately – or constructed elsewhere – then assembled together at the final location.

For this latest project, there were some challenges with the weather – in the dead of winter, the temperature was much colder than the minimum 5 degrees celsius the concrete mixture needed, so a tent was erected around the site to keep the printer warm enough to print.

Inside the 3D-printed house.Photo: Apis Cor

Apis Cor’s distinctive home is expected to last about 175 years – not bad for a day’s work and a budget of $US10,134 ($13,375).

There was some follow-up work, with windows, furnishings and a paint job to the outside added after printing had finished, but if it’s a feat that can be replicated then prefab building could one day be a lot easier.

The printing system in action. Photo: Apis Cor

Buyers face mass confusion as agents prepare for new laws on prices

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Melbourne auctions Photo: Dan SoderstormAgents face new laws forcing them to publish indicative selling priceFletcher and Parker to contest Federal Court underquoting caseVillage Real Estate fined, another to contest allegations

Confused about the conflicting terms that real estate agents use to quote the likely selling prices for properties? Then get set for the uncertainty to intensify – at least for the next few months.

Many agents are adopting highly divergent approaches to quoting prices in the countdown period to the Victorian government’s introduction of new laws to clamp down on underquoting by agents.

The most widely used terms include “offers above,” “price on application” or no price indication at all. Other popular guidelines for prospective buyers are “$900,000-plus” or a clear price range with a bottom figure and an upper-end one.

On May 1, the Andrews Government will bring in stronger laws aimed at stamping out underquoting.

A number of major agency groups are already applying the new quoting laws, which will ban agents from using the “offers over” terminology and the equally inaccurate “price-plus” description. Instead, agents will be required to advertise either a single price or a price range that must fall within 10 per cent of the lower end and upper end.

For example, you’ll be able to advertise your property with a range of $900,000 to $1 million, but not $850,000 to $1,050,000.

Property expert John Sommers said until the new laws were enacted consumers needed to tread warily because current quoting practices were “all over the shop.”

Mr Sommers, a director of the buyers’ advocacy group McRae Property, said quoting on properties was much more confused compared to the situation six months ago.

“Some agents have a policy of quoting right on the money in terms of where they see the value of the property sitting,” Mr Sommers said.

“They are quoting responsibly. There are other agents not quoting at all and there are others who, in my view, are still underquoting.”

Mr Sommers said several agency groups were now “quoting prices more fully than they have in the past” due to the impending introduction of the Estate Agents Amendment (Underquoting) Act.

Jarrod McCabe, from Wakelin Property Advisory, agreed there was considerable uncertainty surrounding pricing at the moment.

“The agency groups are feeling their way on how pricing needs to be done and on what is allowable and what’s not,” he said.

Industry insiders say there can be big differences in the way various offices of franchised real estate groups quote prices.

More than ever, it’s up to buyers to do their own homework and research comparable sales before submitting an offer.

Agents aren’t valuers and don’t pretend to be.

Some agents worry that the overhaul of quoting rules may result in fewer people inspecting listed properties.

“I think buyers are still in the mindset that they should be adding 10 per cent or more to the quoted price,” said Biggin & Scott director Trudy Biggin.

She said the new quoting rules may cause people not to come to open house inspections that they otherwise would have attended.

“If the market turns at any point that could be a problem,” she said. “You won’t sell if you’re not getting the competition.”

Graeme Wilson, from St Kilda’s Wilson Agents, couldn’t agree more.

“People often value a property from a photo or a drive-by,” Mr Wilson said. “They will say (the asking price) is ridiculous, and won’t even turn up.”

Property bargains in inner-city Brisbane? It’s possible. Here’s how

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15 Vale Street, Kelvin Grove Photo: SuppliedThe best Brisbane suburbs for public transportQueensland’s best holiday homes under $500,000What $1 million will buy you in south-east Queensland

With Brisbane’s median house now at $655,000, the chance of finding something close to the city can seem a little idealistic, particularly on a first-home buyer budget.

Most of the inner-city has medians over $1 million, like New Farm, where the median price for a three-bedroom home is $1.35 million, and Teneriffe, where the median price is $1.15 million.

But affordable inner city housing does still exist. At Kelvin Grove, a two-bedroom gabled renovator on 521 square metres recently sold at auction for $670,000. Five registered bidders, most of them first-home buyers, fought to secure what is an unusually large block of land only two kilometres from the CBD.

At Brooks Street, Windsor, only three kilometres from the CBD, a three-bedroom, one-bathroom Queenslander on an elevated block went to auction with an opening bid of $600,000 before the hammer came down at $685,000 ??? nearly $200,000 below Windsor’s median house price.

According to Place New Farm agent Alex Rutherford, you need to be patient, eagle-eyed and able to move fast.

“Yes, the bargains are out there. Properties do come up from time to time but there’s no luck involved when it comes to who buys them,” Ms Rutherford says.

“You’re not going to stumble across a bargain property that no one else knows about – everything is out there for everyone to see – and when it comes to properties at this price, in these areas, the interest is generally pretty huge.”

Ms Rutherford’s advice for buyers wanting to break into the inner city market is to be ready.

“It’s very competitive obviously ??? there’s a lot of first-home buyers and investors looking ??? and so you need to be in a position to bid,” she says.

“The people who bought that house at Windsor had been looking for a long time, they had their final approval from the bank, had viewed the property four times and had all their inspections done. They knew what they were doing.”

Even if a property is not going to auction, it’s important to have those elements taken care of because properties in this price range often end up in a multiple offer situation, Ms Rutherford says.

“I can tell you that not every offer accepted for a property is the highest. The conditions of an offer are just as important,” she says.

“Buyers need to be organised, have their ducks in order and realistic about what they are going to get for their money inner city. There will need to be compromises made and they need to have accepted that, so that when something comes up…they can recognise it as a great property and be ready to move.”

Gary Rose, agent at Century 21 Prestige, is currently marketing an original three-bedroom character home at Jubilee Terrace, Bardon.

Its owners are wanting a quick sale and it’s likely they’ll get it. Mr Rose expects the character home will sell somewhere in the mid to late-$600,000s.

“Bardon is a great inner city suburb so close to the city with great amenities and this property has got that old world charm that buyers want in this area,” he says.

“This is where the market is going … to buy in this area in this price range is always difficult as they don’t come up often but when they do, they’re popular.”

Why the RBA cares so much about house prices

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Why first-home buyers want RBA to hike rates

Three things that could trigger a house price crash: higher interest rates, unemployment, the dollar

How an interest rate rise will affect the property market

The majority of countries in the world have a central bank whose role is to maintain economic stability by managing the currency and interest rates, and issuing bank notes.

In , this institution is known as the Reserve Bank of , also referred to as the RBA or the Reserve Bank.

On the first Tuesday of every month, except for January, the RBA board meets to determine whether it should change the official cash rate. The result usually makes headlines – even when it chooses not to change the rate at all – as has been the case since a cut in August 2016.

But what does this mean for you? And should you be concerned about an increase in rates? Domain spoke to the experts to answer your questions about this critical part of ‘s economy. What is the cash rate?

When someone talks about the “cash rate” they’re really talking about the “official cash rate”. This is the rate at which the RBA provides overnight loans to commercial banks and setting this rate is one of the Reserve’s most critical functions.

When this rate changes, it has a knock-on effect to the rest of the economy as it affects how much people can borrow, the incentives to spend or to save and the actions of businesses. For this reason, it’s a tool used to help maintain stability in the economy.

Currently, the rate is 1.5 per cent – a record low.

Why does the RBA increase or decrease the cash rate?

The interest rate is a “blunt tool” used by the Reserve Bank to make changes in the n economy, the chief economist at Compass Economics, Hans Kunnen, said.

Lowering interest rates makes it more attractive to take on more debt and invest, because repayments on this amount are smaller.

“If it’s cutting rates, it’s to get the economy going again – to help jobs and investment,” Mr Kunnen said.

On the other hand, raising interest rates restricts consumers from spending more as they’re usually spending more money on paying off their debt.

“If [the RBA is] raising interest rates, it is worried about inflationinto the future,” Mr Kunnen said. The RBA’s official inflation target is 2 to 3 per cent “on average, over time”. Currently, inflation is low – at about 1.5 per cent.

If the RBA is keeping interest rates stable, it’s because there are equal forces pushing either way or the RBA is taking a “wait and see” approach to gather more data about where the economy is heading.

To work out how the n economy is performing to make this decision the RBA considers a range of factors, including: The housing marketGDPInflationUnemploymentThe value of the n dollarBusiness investmentRetail performanceImports and exportsThe global economyConsumer confidence

Source: Finder

The standard rate cut or increase is 25 basis points at a time, but the RBA has been known to shift the cash rate by larger amounts in a month when needed. Why has the housing market become such a big focus?

During the past three years, the housing market – particularly in Sydney – has been a focus of the Reserve Bank.

In 2016, even then RBA governor Glenn Stevens admitted Sydney’s house price growth caused him some discomfort and needed to be weighed up against the rest of the economy when making rate decisions.

The reason for this is the clear relationship between the cash rate, housing construction and property prices, Mr Kunnen said.

“When interest rates are low, more people can afford to build, which increases construction jobs,” he said. This is usually an ideal outcome for the RBA when cutting rates, as it helps boost employment.

Low interest rates don’t just allow people to borrow more to buy and build new properties – they can afford to spend more on established homes as well as a “side effect”. This pushes prices up, he said.

But it’s not just the specific price of a Sydney house but the level of household debt that should be considered. Or, how much people are taking on in the form of mortgages.

“When you’ve got no money left after your mortgage, you can’t go out and spend … if debt levels are high it can prevent economic growth,” Mr Kunnen said.

Considering the Reserve Bank’s decisions over the long-term, it’s clear the housing market has always had an influence because it’s a factor of the business cycle, MacropPlan Dimasi chief adviser Nigel Stapledon said.

“It’s a two-way street, [housing] has an impact on the economy, but interest rates also impact on housing,” Dr Stapledon said.

“The Reserve Bank is aware that when it cuts rates it will stimulate housing, but it’s interested in the total picture for .”

The latest price boom in eastern capital cities, in particular Sydney, has largely been driven by the “fundamentals” – fewer homes were built for several years, high rates of immigration and higher rents.

When you add lower interest rates to the mix, you have the “ingredients for a house price boom,” he said.

While a degree of the surge can be explained by lower rates, housing markets tend to develop their “own momentum” whereby expectations of growth lead to higher prices being paid.

“The longer these booms go on, the greater the risk they might overshoot,” he said. How does this affect me?

For those who aren’t in the housing market, it can seem as though the changes in interest rates are irrelevant to their everyday life.

However, all ns are directly or indirectly affected by the RBA’s decisions.

If you’re a “saver” with money in the bank, you will tend to find the interest rate on your savings declining when the official cash rate is dropped. This concerns retirees and first-home buyers in particular, as well as those who have additional funds sitting in a savings account as a cash investment.

“If the RBA reduces interest rates, people are forced to look at non-cash investments,” Mr Kunnen said. These non-cash investments include the sharemarket, and the housing market – meaning those who can afford to buy are more likely to jump into an investment property.

This can cause prices to rise, leading to an even more difficult situation for first-time buyers, he said.

But if you’re a home owner, this can have the direct opposite impact – you pay less each month in your mortgage repayment.

Rising interest rates have an opposite effect – savers are better off, but those repaying loans on a variable rate will find the cost of holding on to debt rising.

It’s also worth noting that lenders have been increasingly out of step with the official cash rate since 2008, at times increasing their standard variable rates even when the RBA has not changed rates.

What will the RBA do next?

After months of interest rates being on hold, it’s unlikely we’ll see a change any time soon, comparison website Finder’s insights manager Graham Cooke said.

“With GDP figures somewhat recovering from a bad quarter and wage growth slow, the RBA may be cautious to disrupt these gentle improvements,” Mr Cooke said.

“On the other hand, a surging housing market driven by Sydney and Melbourne is making property less and less affordable for first time buyers,” he said.

This has left the RBA walking a “thin line”, but it is likely to continue to wait.

On Finder’s Reserve Bank survey, 90 per cent of economists anticipate out-of-cycle rate increases in the future from banks as they look to increase capital.

All 38 experts surveyed expected the RBA would keep rates on hold this month.

Meet five of the top women in property. Why are there so few of them?

By admin|苏州桑拿会所

Meet the female newsreader turned auctioneerHow Indira Naidoo ‘found her purpose’ in an apartment gardenMeet the female leaders in Melbourne’s property industry

It’s no secret that positions of power in the property and real estate industry have long been dominated by men, but the tide is slowly turning.

A 2016 report by Ernst and Young showed men outnumbered women three to one in senior leadership positions within the property sector.

“Women hit a glass ceiling at manager level, with fewer women than men being promoted to leadership positions across all ages,” the report said.

This year’s International Women’s Day is dedicated to highlighting the need for a more gender inclusive world with the theme “be bold for change”. To mark the day, Domain asked five female leaders from the real estate and property sector what change they think is needed to get more women to the top in property. Leanne Pilkington, managing director of Laing + Simmons

Real estate is in Pilkington’s blood. Growing up, both her parents worked in the industry – her dad owned three offices – and it was helping him out on Saturdays at age 12 where she began earning her real estate stripes.

While studying to be a valuer, Pilkington continued to work as an agent, before a stint in recruitment and then in shopping centre management provided the interval in her real estate career.

She then returned to the industry to work for Laing and Simmons in 1995 and was promoted up the ranks before becoming the only female managing director of a real estate group in NSW – and one of just a handful from around the country – in 2015.

What change needs to occur in the real estate industry?

Pilkington says one of the biggest barriers obstructing more women working in management positions in real estate is a lack of self-confidence.

“You’ve got to be prepared to put your hand up and do it. Women tend to doubt themselves, they want to know they can do everything 100 per cent, but unfortunately, by the time they are comfortable, someone else has taken the position” she said.

“[Women] need to be comfortable with the concept of being uncomfortable.”

A move to a more flexible workforce is something Pilkington says would encourage more women to get involved in the industry and take on management positions.

“I think we do need to be prepared to be more flexible, I think people in general do require more flexibility now.”

Advocating for more women to become business owners would also help even out the gender in balance in the industry. Georgia Willis, senior development manager – acquisitions, Caydon Property Group

Before getting her masters in property, Willis studied hotel management and worked on the ski fields.

Now, she is one of just three women in the leadership team of Melbourne-based property developer Caydon and was last year awarded the Urban Development Institute of ‘s women in leadership award.

Willis says there were far fewer women working in the development industry when she first started 15 years ago.

“I used to go to functions … and it would just be a sea of suits. It was really uncommon to see females,” she said.

What change needs to occur in the real estate industry?

Today, Willis says, the industry is just over halfway to improving female representation in the industry.

Willis thinks a shift away from the mentality of bums on seats equals productivity, to a more flexible working schedule, would help boost the number of women in property development.

“It is not about how long you are spending in the office or how many people you know, it is about delivering and getting outcomes, and I think the more we can focus on that in any profession, I think that will be more flexible for a gender balance.” Catherine Baudet, principal of Ferrier Baudet, fellow of the n Institute of Architects

Catherine Baudet

When Baudet completed her architecture degree in 1979, she was one of just three women in her class to graduate.

The discrimination she faced at university – her father was an architect, so people often accused her of getting him to do her homework – followed on into the workforce, where the majority of the jobs for architects were advertised under the “men and boys” section.

“We knew if we were to survive in the industry we actually had to change it. So we formed a small group called women in architecture back in about 1983,” Baudet said.

Business and family life saw the group peter out eventually, but Baudet remained a pioneer for raising the profiles of women in the industry during her ssints on the council of the n Institute of Architects. Last month she was awarded the inaugural Paula Whitman Prize by the AIA for her efforts to improve the gender imbalance in the industry.

What change needs to occur in the architecture industry?

Baudet, who runs her own practice in Queensland, says the industry is about halfway there when it comes removing barriers for women looking to enter the industry, but thinks women working in private practices are more susceptible to the effects of discrimination than those working in larger firms.

“I think that people still see big buildings associated with men; there is a comfort factor with the men that they don’t have with women and a lot of the decision makers are men,” she said.

“Clients need to be aware that they should consider gender equity in their selection process.

“There is a lot of big clients out there and I reckon they need to be conscious of [whether] they are really giving women a chance.” Kate Lumby, auctioneer and real estate, My Auctioneer

Growing up, Lumby’s father told her every day before school “dare to be different” and her career as a female auctioneer is exactly that.

Watching her father conduct auctions of rural acreage was what inspired Lumby to become an auctioneer. She worked in the family business growing up and made her first sale at just 16. By 24 she was already listing and selling more than $70 million in sales each year.

She cut her auctioneering teeth calling charity auctions, then as an auctioneer’s scribe writing down the bids, before picking up the gravel.

Now founder of auction house My Auctioneer, Lumby has called thousands of auctions and was last year awarded auctioneer of the year and the excellence in business award in the Real Estate Business Awards.

What change needs to occur in the real estate industry?

Having served on the Real Estate Institute NSW board and as chair of the RENSW Auctioneers Chapter, Lumby says she believes the industry “welcomes, encourages and promotes women”.

“Women are recognised as an integral part of real estate transactions,” she said.

But time is one of the barriers women face to achieving success in the industry Lumby admits.

“As a working mother I see the biggest challenges are prioritising your time, energy levels, balancing work, family and fun, and being super organised.”

“When I began my business My Auctioneer I was one of the only female auctioneers in the country. I was told that I would never be accepted as an auctioneer, that females belonged in the kitchen and many other antiquated thoughts.” Antonia Mercorella, chief executive officer, Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ)

REIQ chief executive Antonia MercorellaPhoto: Supplied

A lawyer by trade, Mercorella got her first taste of real estate working as the legal counsel for the Real Estate Institute of South (REISA).

“I knew absolutely nothing at all about real estate,” admits Mercorella.

After a move to Queensland, Mercorella approached the state’s real estate institute to offer her legal services and was offered the general counsel position. Then, in 2014, after working her way up the ranks, she was appointed as chief executive officer of the REIQ – the first female head in the institute’s almost-100 year history and the only female head of a real estate body in the country.

“I love being involved in shaping policy and legislation impacting on real estate agents; that is one of the things I am most passionate about and I really enjoy about my role,” she said.

What change needs to occur in the real estate industry?

Mercorella believes there is a good balance between men and women working in the residential sales and property management areas, but outside of those areas – in commercial real estate, auctioneering and corporate support roles – women lack representation.

“We’ve [the REIQ] probably got a bit of a role to play in terms of educating women about what kind of opportunities are available to them and developing some role models and mentors to expand their horizons and sort of broaden the areas they want to practice in.”

What’s a woman really worth? The $345b value of unpaid work to China’s economy

By admin|苏州桑拿会所

If we were to measure the value of unpaid childcare to ‘s economy in dollar terms, it would be the nation’s biggest – estimated at $345 billion.

A new report from PwC, to be released on Wednesday as part of International Women’s Day, asks: Why is it that a mother caring for her children produces no measured economic value, but the same mother hiring others to look after her children does?

The report, Understanding the Unpaid Economy, suggests policymakers are using “narrow measurements of economic activity, which currently only capture activities for which people are paid”.

‘s ageing population will also place greater pressure on working families.

“Unpaid work is excluded but we intuitively know that this work generates great value to society: from the raising of children, caring for the sick or elderly through to volunteering,” the report says.

The report estimated the value of unpaid activities across 2214 locations.

It found that if the total economy includes a conservative estimate of the value of unpaid childcare work then, in 2011 terms, it is a $345 billion sector, making it almost three times bigger than the financial and insurance sector.

The report assumes there are 16 million people undertaking some amount of unpaid childcare.

It puts the total amount of all unpaid work in hours at about 24 billion hours.

Unpaid childcare makes up the bulk of that at 17 billion hours – an average of 21 hours per week per person.

Care of adults takes up about 10 million people undertaking care of adults, with an average of just above an hour a week.

Women do most unpaid work

Women are significantly over-represented in the unpaid economy, accounting for almost three-quarters of all unpaid work.

People in locations with higher education levels are more likely to spend more time per capita on unpaid childcare.

But regardless of socio-economic status, it’s still females doing the bulk of the unpaid work.

Women conduct 76 per cent of childcare, 67 per cent of domestic work, 69 per cent of care of adults and 57 per cent of volunteering.

Childcare is defined in the report as “all activities done for children aged under 15 years”. It contains activities including “the physical and emotional care of children, teaching, reprimanding, playing with and talking to children. It also includes minding children and visiting child care establishments or schools”.

Care of adults includes “anyone over 15 years of age that needs care”. It its defined as “physical care and emotional support as well as any other activities done for anyone outside the household who was sick, frail or who had a disability.”

A need to measure the value

The report urges policymakers to begin to measure this unpaid work and highlight its importance, especially in terms of its impact on female workforce participation.

“Capturing the nature and value of unpaid activities alongside our formal industries, such as mining, construction, manufacturing, financial services, health care, education, indicates that childcare should be regarded as ‘s largest industry,” said Jeremy Thorpe, PwC economics and policy partner.

“Once we understand the unpaid economy, we can give it appropriate weight in policy and investment decisions, outside of the traditional understanding of maximising economic returns,” he said. Location matters

The report also examines unpaid work on a state-by-state basis.

The larger economies of New South Wales and Victoria have less unpaid work per capita.

Canberra also dominates per capita amounts of unpaid work. It is the highest state average, and also has six of the top 10 individual locations for per capita childcare (Acton, Bonner, Civic, Crace, Namadgi and Phillip).

“All these locations are in the top three deciles of median incomes and with the exception of Namadgi, are also locations with high education and socio-economic advantage,” the report said.

Looking at the large cities and examining only high-density population locations (with at least 10,000 residents), Melbourne leads in unpaid work.

Of the top 10 per capita value of childcare locations with dense populations, Melbourne has eight (Brunswick, Carlton, Elwood, Kensington, Melbourne CBD, Southbank, St Kilda and St Kilda East) with only two going to Sydney and none of the other capital cities represented. Victoria a hotspot

In pure size of value of unpaid work (not per capita), Victoria is also strongly represented with six of the top 10 locations.

The top 10 largest unpaid work locations include Werribee, Mildura, and Craigieburn???Mickleham.

“The drivers of this Melbourne and Victorian bias are not known but may be due to lack of availability of paid childcare options, cultural attitudes or favourable leave conditions,” the report said.

Point Cook, ‘s largest unpaid economy, has had rapid population growth in recent years as a “masterplanned community”.

Similar growth patterns in areas with large recent residential developments can be seen in other top 20 unpaid work locations include Craigieburn???Mickleham, Werribee, Caroline Springs, Forest Lake – Doonlandella.

The report suggests it may because these areas are more affordable to young families who would like to substitute paid work for unpaid work.

What you can expect to pay for Gold Coast beachfront (it may be less than you think)

By admin|苏州桑拿会所

Surfers Paradise, ‘s holiday playground, is home to some of Queensland’s most expensive property. Take, for example, 187-191 Hedges Avenue, a five-bedroom, modern masterpiece currently on the market in the Gold Coast suburb of Mermaid Beach – familiar territory to an A-list of entrepreneurs, high flying executives, cashed up footy players and international players of a different kind looking for a beachfront base.

Hedges Avenue, Jefferson Lane in Palm Beach to the south, and Main Beach to the north, are the Gold Coast names that spring to the minds of Queenslanders as a cypher for the highest of high-end properties within a step or three of some of the best beaches in the country – if not the world.

But despite the high price tags attached to many Gold Coast addresses, it’s still possible to purchase a beachfront apartment for a relative song in this part of sunny Queensland, and it’s a region that’s worth investing in.

Recent figures from Domain Group’s rental and house price report demonstrated that in 2016, more than half of Queensland’s top 20 property sales were made on the Gold Coast – the top five alone were in Surfers Paradise and Mermaid Beach – and local agents report that properties across all price points are highly sought after.

Hedges Avenue along Mermaid Beach. Photo: Domain

Ruth Fea of HUM & FEA Gold Coast Realty says that even though some properties are selling before they’re even listed, buyers from Sydney and Melbourne seem slow to realise the Gold Coast’s potential.

“They don’t seem to have grasped that the Gold Coast is doing very well right now,” she says.

A quick search of the Gold Coast on domain苏州夜总会招聘.au using the keyword “beachfront”, and $1 million as a top price, throws up a trove of beachfront, near beachfront or so-called beachside apartments from a base of around $400,000 – far more affordable than their counterparts in Sydney and Melbourne.

Northcliffe Residences, a new development being marketed through the McGrath Projects team, is the first beachfront residential-only high rise build on the Gold Coast in more than a decade. It offers a combination of 75 luxury apartments in a boutique building of 25 levels. A further bonus is a residents-only Beach Club with expansive lounge, private dining room, fully equipped gym, steam room and sauna.

The project’s entry level, one-bedroom apartments are priced from $455,000; Brent Dallow, of McGrath Projects, Queensland, says he sold the same sized apartments in Bondi 18 months ago for an average of $980,000.

Northcliffe Residences, beachfront view. Photo: McGrath Project QLD

“When you compare that with the same sized apartment here, with a whole beach club to use, I know where I’d rather be having my beer in the afternoon,” he says.

“And those have the highest yield, too. Our property managers have highlighted that they are the easiest to rent.”

For McGrath Projects general manager Adam Sparkes, the Gold Coast offers value and potential in a fast-growing market.

“There has been significant interest on the Gold Coast over the last few months, with the McGrath Projects team fielding increased enquiry leading to strong sales activity,” he says.

“There’s a renewed confidence with sentiment showing there is value along the coast representing good buying opportunities for astute purchasers.”

While Dallow accepts there are other entry level beachside apartments available on the coast priced around the mid-$400 thousands, the vast majority are in older complexes, and often attract higher levies and rates than those quoted at Northcliffe.

Sparkes believes it all adds up to a positive investment outlook.

“As a lifestyle choice, or purely as an investment hold, we believe there will be continued interest from local and interstate purchasers seeing all the benefits the Gold Coast has to offer.”

Completion is expected in late 2018 with purchase currently available off the plan with a 10 per cent deposit.

Northcliffe Residences, residents beach club dining, gym and terrace. Photo: McGrath Project QLD

*Northcliffe Residences are currently under construction at 3 Northcliffe Terrace, Surfers Paradise. The display location is at the Paradise Shopping Centre: 214A Cavill Avenue, Surfers. Inspection by appointment. Details are available at domain苏州夜总会招聘.au

APRA fires warning shot over commercial property lending

By admin|苏州桑拿会所

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – SEPTEMBER 23: A crane is seen at the top of Metro Grand construction site is seen in Chatswood on September 23, 2014 in Sydney, . (Photo by Daniel Munoz/Fairfax Media via Getty Images) Photo: Daniel Munoz’s banking watchdog has flagged concerns about commercial property lending, sounding a warning about falling lending standards at domestic and foreign banks.

A review by the n Prudential Regulation Authority found banks and other lenders’ risk assessments were “hampered by inadequate data, poor monitoring and incomplete portfolio controls”.

Banks were falling “well short of expectations” in their portfolio controls for commercial property, it warned.

The regulator put ‘s banks on notice, saying it expected improvements in their lending and management standards and would be conducting further investigations this year.

APRA fears some banks have not been pricing risks adequately, but “at this point in time” would not introduce more controls.

“Commercial property lending has historically been a source of significant loss for banks, both in and overseas,” APRA executive manager Brandon Khoo wrote to the banks in a letter.

Information gained from the review will be used for further targeted supervision, Mr Khoo said.

Digital Finance Analytics banking and finance consultant Martin North said APRA had fired “another shot across the bows”.

The regulator was concerned about temperature of the property market.

It had been “breathing down the necks” of banks on residential lending and was now focusing on commercial loans, he said.

APRA said over the past year it had observed a general tightening of standards, especially for residential development lending.

However it was concerned, the tightening was not “uniform”.

Lenders needed to “exercise particular care” and avoid taking on greater risks as other lenders pulled back, APRA said.

Financial institutions were also failing to account for potential “marketability issues” with apartment developments they were lending on, it said.

The regulator also highlighted that banks should to be more careful about their loan-to-value ratios in light of recent strong growth in asset prices.

It warned banks about mezzanine debt and quasi equity that developers they were lending to had taken on, as well as refinancing risk and settlement risk, particularly from foreign purchasers.

Despite years of debate in about soaring house prices, property crashes have historically played out in commercial sector.

Yields now being achieved by commercial property are at levels last seen in 2007 before the Global Financial Crisis, which itself caused a prolonged slump in values and activity.

Bad commercial loans were the trigger for an extended property crunch in the 1990s, which caused significant losses across the country, particularly in Queensland.

Mr North said APRA identified that some banks were failing in their “micro prudential” understanding of their loan portfolio and that risks in the commercial sector were not properly understood by lenders.

“It’s a shot across the bows, an important warning,” he said.

Is this suburb Tuggeranong’s best-kept secret?

By admin|苏州桑拿会所

Aranda and Cook: Practically the inner north, right?

Narrabundah: The foot in the door to home ownership in Canberra’s inner south

A proud Tuggeranong resident emailed me a while ago, unimpressed with my generalisation of the valley as part of a tongue-in-cheek “guide” to Canberra’s regions.

But the reader spoke fondly of their suburb, Macarthur, which I agree is perhaps one of Canberra’s best hidden gems.

If there’s one part of the previous article I’m confident I got right, bad humour aside, it’s the description of Tuggeranong “as one of the more picturesque parts of town thanks to those rolling Brindabellas”.

These sorts of views are aplenty throughout the relatively small suburb of Macarthur, which is surrounded by green space in the north-eastern corner of the region.

It seems no-one wants to leave this tightly-held suburb, with just five properties listed on Allhomes as of Tuesday.

The suburb is surrounded by Wanniassa Hill Nature Reserve and Wanniassa Hill Special Purpose Reserve (its purpose I’m unsure of), meaning dozens upon dozens of properties back onto green space.

There also seems to be quite a large number of swimming pools, relative to the suburb’s size. /**/

Cream Residential director Chris Wilson agrees Macarthur is somewhat of a hidden gem in the territory, with numerous drawcards.

“One is the quality of houses; there are some nice, more substantial homes,” he says.

“There’s also the reserve at the back of the suburb.

“It’s a bit like Theodore; at the end of the suburb is a main street but unless you’re going into the suburb, you don’t drive through it.”

Macarthur is conveniently close to the Monaro Highway and Isabella Drive but without the noise or through traffic.

It’s a location that has attracted Woden residents looking to up-size at a potentially more affordable price, Wilson says.

Macarthur’s median house price is $680,000, according to Allhomes data – just below the territory’s median house price of $684,395.

Wilson says the upgraded Chisholm shops, which are just minutes away, are another bonus.

The suburb also has its own childcare centre, Teddybears, plus a number of home businesses. Sporting hub, the mpowerdome, is just across the suburb border.

The broader area is also an equestrian hub with the Gilmore and Macarthur Park Horse Holding Paddocks located nearby, either side of Isabella Drive.

Keep an eye out for more Allhomes suburb profiles.

Royal Arcade retail on Bourke St Mall comes to market

By admin|苏州桑拿会所

It’s the holy grail of Melbourne retail. A coveted shop in the Royal Arcade with an entrance to the Bourke Street Mall is on sale. But it carries a hefty price tag of more than $30 million.

Leased to Bankwest, the shop at 331-339 Bourke Street is the first shop on the Mall to be listed for sale since 2004 – not counting the Myer family’s $151.3 million sale of its one-third stake in the Myer department store in September 2016.

The Thomas family, whose Thomas the Jewellers business occupy the shop next door to BankWest, has owned the property for more than 30 years.

Colliers International agents Daniel Wolman, Oliver Hay and Matt Stagg are handling an international expressions-of-interest campaign for the 500 square-metre property that includes the basement and two storeys.

“It’s the most tightly held retail in the city,” Mr Wolman said. “Supply in the Bourke Street Mall usually only comes up every two decades.”

Bankwest occupies three floors and Thomas the Jewellers has the top level. They are on aligned three-year leases with three three-year options and pay just under $1.3 million net a year.

“There’s plenty of upside there. Next door, Nike is paying $10,000 a square metre for their new flagship store,” Mr Wolman said.

The anchor tenant, Bankwest, would appeal to global investors, he said. “International buyers are always asking us to buy retail leased to the big four banks in premium locations.”

But there’s no shortage of potentially more lucrative tenants. International fashion retailers are on the hunt for multi-storey retail space in Melbourne.

“There’s a lot of people lining up for the space if they don’t want to renew their lease,” he said.

Royal Arcade is Melbourne’s oldest existing arcade and was built in 1870. It is in the heart of the the city’s retail core, close to Myer, David Jones, Zara and H&M and links to Little Collins Street.

The last shop to sell on the strip was 280-282 Bourke Street in February 2004. The 451 square-metre shop fetched $8.5 million, or $18,847 a square metre, more than doubling its value since it last changed hands in November 1997.