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Melbourne property market showing signs of slowing

CoreLogic's final auction numbers show that Melbourne's clearance rate fell below 70 per cent to 69.2 per cent last week, the city's weakest result since July 2016.

International

Design

Australia takes out two prizes on Day 1 of World Architecture Festival

Australia has taken out two prizes on Day 1 of World Architecture Festival.

Queensland (Qld)Brisbane

Featured Property

Ithaca Fire Station, c1918, with commanding views and fireman's pole

Max Hadgelias of Ray White told SCHWARTZWILLIAMS, "This is an historic building, arguably in one of Paddington's best locations, with a near flat walk into Paddington, and with sweeping district and city views." For sale with George Hadgelias and Max Hadgelias of Ray White Paddington.

Western Australia (WA)

The Economy

WA's regional rental market improves in September quarter: REIWA

"I'm quite surprised," says David Hipworth, of LJ Hooker Karratha, about the up-tick in the level of interest in rental property.

Victoria (Vic.)

People

Get to know architect Maggie Edmond of Edmond and Corrigan

Architect Maggie Edmond told SCHWARTZWILLIAMS that good architecture can "enrich the human condition".

New South Wales (NSW)Sydney

Politics

Sydney's 'Parramatta Female Factory' granted heritage listing

The Federal Environment and Energy minister Josh Frydenberg has added Sydney's 'Parramatta Female Factory' to the National Heritage list.

Victoria (Vic.)

Featured Property

'Pasadera' is an outstanding estate with unlimited potential

Stretching over 115 acres (46.5ha. approx.) of undulating pasture and manicured grounds, with breathtaking rural and ocean views, ‘Pasadera’ is an established working farm of unparalleled scale. For sale through Michael Parker and Holly Longmuir of RT Edgar Flinders.

National

Design

Winners of the 2017 Eat Drink Design Awards announced

From a whimsical bar in Sydney's downtown Paddington, to a boutique hotel in regional Victoria, the Eat Drink Design Awards showcase the exquisite work being done in the field of Australian hospitality design.

International National

Politics

Senate clears legislation to slug foreign owners with tax if they leave their properties vacant

The senate has cleared legislation that allows foreign owners to be charged an annual fee if they leave their properties vacant for six months or longer.

National

Hobart's vacancy rate at record lows: SQM

Hobart's vacancy rate fell to a record low of 0.3 per cent in October, according to new data from SQM Research.

Pages

News Roundup

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/property/chinese-stay-keen-on-australian-property/story-fn9656lz-1227390392591

Chinese stay keen on Australian property

Chinese investors are expected to remain keen buyers of Australian property, despite the federal government’s tightening of foreign investment review controls. Property experts in mainland China said it was likely that Chinese investors would still be a major driving force behind Australia’s newly constructed property market.

The Australian

http://www.news.com.au/finance/work/hockey-made-one-blunder-telling-struggling-home-buyers-the-market-was-affordable/story-fn5tas5k-1227391579296

Hockey made one blunder: Telling struggling home buyers the market was affordable

Mr Hockey knows the Sydney real estate scene well because he is a significant player. But he is participating in a league well beyond the reach of the majority of Australians, with or without good jobs.

news.com.au

http://news.domain.com.au/domain/real-estate-news/an-underground-wine-cellar-in-tasmania-is-for-sale-for-3-million-20150608-ghgrob.html

An underground wine cellar in Tasmania is for sale, for $3 million

On the mainland, $3 million can buy you a fair bit – a six-bedroom home in Manly, or even Port Melbourne penthouse. However if neither of those ideas takes your fancy, you could also spend that money on a wine cellar in Tasmania.

Domain

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/property/retiring-boomers-rekindle-affair-with-bricks-and-mortar/story-fniz9vg9-1227385312610

Retiring Boomers rekindle affair with bricks and mortar

Retirees will shift a much larger portion of their savings into real estate as returns wane from other investments, according to the managing director of property heavyweight Charter Hall, who expects a 50 per cent increase in property investment from Australia’s $600 billion self-managed super fund industry.

The Australian

http://www.echo.net.au/2015/06/free-electricity-off-grid-housing-estates-can-do-it/

Free electricity? Off-grid housing estates can do it

Imagine this: Newly built housing estates that are not even connected to the main electricity grid. Solar and battery storage come standard in new homes, included in the purchase price and mortgage, and effectively providing free electricity. The package may even include an electric vehicle in the garage.

Echo Net Daily

http://www.cnbc.com/id/102728359

Is the bubble in this property market set to pop?

Taiwan's long-bubbly property prices appear headed for a correction, but it doesn't look like bargain hunters will fill the breach.

CNBC

http://www.afr.com/real-estate/residential/investor-lending-outstrips-firsthome-buyer-loan-growth-20150609-ghjocj

Investor lending outstrips first-home buyer loan growth

Property loans to investors grew five times as fast as loans to first home buyers in the year to April, as low interest rates boost investment appetite for housing. Lending to investors jumped more than 23 per cent to $145.5bn in the year to April from of $119bn in the previous 12-month period, the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures showed. Loans to first-time home buyers, by contrast, rose just 4.6 per cent to $31.2 bn from $29.9bn over the same time.

The Australian Financial Review

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/assistant-treasurer-josh-frydenberg-bursts-real-estate-bubble-speculation-20150607-ghif6l.html

Assistant Treasurer Josh Frydenberg bursts real estate bubble speculation

"I don't think there is a housing bubble," he told the ABC's Insiders program. "Housing prices have gone up, but it went up higher in the early 2000s."

The Sydney Morning Herald