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The Economy

Canberra records nation's highest auction clearance rate

Canberra recorded a clearance rate of 72.9 per cent last week, the highest clearance rate in the country, according to CoreLogic.

Western Australia (WA)Perth

People

Get to know Simon McGrath of Abel McGrath, Perth: "I go to bed at the end of the day feeling great about what I do"

Simon McGrath was helping out in a mate's plumbing business when a casual conversation with a customer triggered the realisation that real estate was a career he could excel in.

Victoria (Vic.)Melbourne

The Economy

Buyers can save up to six figures by buying the next suburb on the train line in Melbourne: REIV

Melbournites can save up to six figures by buying a home in the next suburb down the train line, according to new data from the REIV.

New South Wales (NSW)Sydney

Featured Property

An immaculately restored sandstone terrace in Sydney's inner-city Darlinghurst is for sale

A sandstone terrace, originally built for the warder of Darlinghurst Gaol, is for sale with Fraser Turvey and Chris Chung of McGrath Edgecliff.

National

The Economy

APRA measures push investors out, let first-home buyers in

APRA's efforts to clamp down on investor lending are taking effect, with the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showing that as investor lending declines, first-home buyers are increasing their presence in the housing market.

National

The Economy

Sunny weather brings higher prices at auction

Auction sales achieved prices that were 0.974 per cent higher on a sunny day, which equates to nearly $11,500, based on the current median Sydney house price of $1,178,000.

National

Design

How do 'green' buildings improve the health and productivity of their occupants?

A new study in the US will look at how the indoor environments of 100 office buildings around the world impacts their occupants' productivity and health.

Victoria (Vic.)Melbourne

Featured Property

Dreaming of a Grand Victorian mansion with a tower: 'Waratah' c1890

An impressive refurbishment by award-winning architects Edmond & Corrigan, complemented by interiors designed by Naylor Booth & Associates, for sale by Nelson Alexander Coburg.

Western Australia (WA)Perth

The Economy

The worst seems to be over for the Perth property market: REIWA

Preliminary September quarter data from the REIWA indicates that the worst seems to be over for the Perth property market.

New South Wales (NSW)

Politics

Exemptions could apply to land tax and stamp duty increases for foreign developers

Finance minister Victor Dominello is proposing new legislation that could allow foreign-owned developers to qualify for upfront exemptions to stamp duty and land tax rises outlined in the June budget.

Pages

News Roundup

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/realestate/news/the-countries-with-the-worlds-fastest-growing-house-prices-include-ireland-uae-and-australia/story-fni0cly6-1227382914703

The countries with the world's fastest growing house prices include Ireland and the UAE

Research from Global Property Guide examined price growth data among 41 countries and territories for the fourth quarter of 2014 and found that a 5.25 per cent year-on-year jump in the median value of housing meant Australia had the 10th fastest growing house prices.The top ranked country was Ireland, with the UAE (Dubai) ranked in second place. Other countries in the top 10 included Estonia, Sweden, Israel and Turkey.

The Daily Telegraph

http://www.theland.com.au/news/agriculture/general/news/going-nuts-for-timber-tech/2734007.aspx

Going nuts for timber tech

Macadamia shells are already used as a biofuel, but Australian researchers are now proposing to use the nut’s extraordinary properties as a basic element in a new microtimber, made using pioneering 3D-printing technology.

The Land

http://www.businessinsider.com.au/goldman-sachs-the-5-million-investor-visas-could-quadruple-venture-capital-in-australia-2015-6

$5 million investor visas could quadruple venture capital in Australia

Investment bank Goldman Sachs says changing the risk profile of Australia’s Significant Investor Visa scheme so that 40% of the $5 million payment is diverted towards higher risk opportunities could quadruple the nation’s venture capital pool to $500 million.

Business Insider Australia

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/jun/08/negative-gearing-phased-out-for-all-grattan-institue-economist-john-daley

Negative gearing should be phased out for all not just some, says economist

One of Australia’s most vocal advocates of ending negative gearing has warned against shielding existing property owners from policy changes, saying this could entrench “intergenerational unfairness”. The Grattan Institute chief executive and economist, John Daley, applauded the Greens for proposing a policy to stop investors claiming a tax deduction for rental property expenses, but said it should be phased in for all properties rather than applying only to future purchases.

The Guardian

http://www.afr.com/real-estate/one-developer-is-selling-sites-not-apartments-into-the-sydney-boom-20150603-ghfgw2

One developer is selling sites, not apartments into the Sydney boom

Legacy Property, a Sydney apartment and housing developer headed by Matthew Hyder, is selling four of its sites to Chinese developers. "The uplift premium on the sales is close to, if not more than, the profit we expected on the entire project," he said.

The Australian Financial Review

http://www.news.com.au/finance/real-estate/berlin-to-become-first-city-in-germany-to-introduce-rent-ceiling-to-tackle-skyrocketing-house-prices/story-fncq3era-1227381551593

Australia could learn a thing from Berlin

Berlin will become the first city in Germany to lock in rents from Monday. The fine print on the new legislation approved by parliament in the German capital stipulates new tenants will pay no more than 10 per cent above the local rental average.

news.com.au

http://news.domain.com.au/domain/real-estate-news/high-risk-property-advisers-under-scrutiny-from-ato-20150603-ghg6lg.html

'High risk' property advisers under scrutiny from ATO

A preliminary audit of dodgy foreign investment in Australian real estate is looking at a network of "high risk" investment advisers, sources say. Breaches are expected to be clustered around individual advisers in a range of professional firms including at a top tier law firm and one of the "big four" accounting firms.

The Sydney Morning Herald

http://www.voanews.com/content/chinese-corporations-show-new-patterns-of-investment-in-australia/2805588.html

Chinese Corporations Show New Patterns of Investment in Australia

Last year, the Chinese poured $8.3 billion into Australia. The combination of real estate, leisure and infrastructure made up 79 percent of new Chinese business compared with mining, which was worth 11 percent. While real estate is the most popular sector, there is also growing interest in Australian agriculture.

Voice of America