The Real Estate Conversation

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How to achieve 'The Love Price' for your home

Leading real estate agent Peter Hutton was inspired to write 'The Love Price' when friends began asking him the secret to selling property for a top price.

National

Design

Nationwide evidence of shrinking block size

No longer do Australians dream of owning a home on a quarter-acre block.

Victoria (Vic.)Melbourne Collingwood

Featured Property

Modern warehouse conversion in Collingwood

Inner-city Melbourne warehouse conversion in dynamic lifestyle precinct for sale by Simon Shrimpton and Danielle Reynolds of Jellis Craig Fitzroy.

National

People

New app for property managers cuts inspection times in half

Vire allows agents to send comprehensive online condition reports to clients more quickly than ever before.

Western Australia (WA)

The Economy

New $270 levy for WA investors is irresponsible

The REIWA has spoken out strongly against a government proposal to lug property investors with a $270 levy.

International

The most expensive property in the world: a Hong Kong carpark worth $4 billion

Hong Kong's second wealthiest person, Lee Shau-kee, has bought a carpark in downtown Hong Kong for a record price.

Victoria (Vic.)Melbourne

Featured Property

Family elegance with a modern twist in Malvern East

A traditional federation residence with a spacious architectural extension is for sale by John Manton and Fiona Ansell-Jones of Marshall White.

Victoria (Vic.)Melbourne

The Economy

Melbourne's most affordable suburbs

With a median house price of $346,000, Melton West is Melbourne’s most affordable suburb.

International

Live next door to royalty

A unique opportunity has arisen to live next door to Her Majesty the Queen at the ultra high-end 'The Buckingham' apartments.

Western Australia (WA)

The Economy

House prices in regional WA rise for second quarter in a row

Mining towns Karratha and Port Hedland recorded the highest rates of growth in regional Western Australia during the March quarter, as iron ore prices staged a recovery.

Pages

News Roundup

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/real-estate-books-help-news-corp-lift-revenue/story-e6frg996-1227210000841

News Corp makes big profits off real estate

News Corp's second quarter result earning from digital real estate, which includes a contribution from REA Group, surged 50 per cent to $51m.

The Australian

http://www.wsj.com/articles/house-of-the-day-panoramic-sea-views-in-australiaphotos-1423099802

Victorian property gets global attention

A $2.7 million home in the coastal town of Wongarra, Victoria has been featured in an international publication.

The Wall Street Journal

http://www.afr.com/p/business/property/rba_rate_cut_to_spark_record_housing_CewxsQU0uaCNSVuPGDVNyN

Rate cut boom to building industry

BIS Shrapnel predicts the biggest building boom in Australian history is going to accelerate following the Reserve Bank’s interest rate cut. The number of dwellings built this year could come close to 200,000 for the first time, beating the previous record of 187,000 in 1994, when the economy was recovering from a recession.

The Australian Financial Review

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/property/industry-backs-fees-for-foreign-property-investors/story-fnko7zi0-1227208359679

PM introduces fee for foreign buyers

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has confirmed the government will introduce an application fee of up to $1500 for foreign buyers purchasing property in Australia.

The Australian

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/economics/banks-douse-housing-bubble-fears-after-rate-cut/story-e6frg926-1227208377797

No housing bubble, say banks

Bankers and mortgage industry veterans dispel fears the Reserve Bank’s interest rate cut will further ignite hot property markets like Sydney, insisting regulators were keeping a tight leash on lenders to head off a housing bubble.

The Australian

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-04/national-australia-bank-quarterly-profit-up-6-on-loans-growth

NAB does well on rising mortgage demand

National Australia Bank Ltd. posted a six percent increase in first-quarter profit on increased mortgage lending and higher markets income.

Bloomberg

http://mashable.com/2015/02/03/google-mortgage-calculator/

Google mortgage calculator

Google has now added the ability to calculate mortgage payments. The feature can be used by anyone via verbal interface on mobile devices, or on the desktop by typing in "mortgage calculator."

Mashable

http://www.afr.com/p/business/property/foreign_property_buyers_target_of_alE56ZZPkcK570m0znhkJJ

FIRB announcement soon

Treasurer Joe Hockey is set to announce the government's response to a parliamentary report into foreign investment in housing soon. The government's response is expected to focus on greater enforcement of the existing rules of the Foreign Investment Review Board, a fee of several thousand dollars for all applications and a national register of land title transfers that would be shared with the Department of Immigration.

The Australian Financial Review