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New rules mean lenders see 'positive data' when assessing loans

At last some good news for first-home buyers: new rules are being fast tracked to provide lenders with greater access to 'positive data' about borrowers, potentially making it easier for first-home buyers, who may not have a long credit history, to have their loans approved.

National

Construction

Aerial imagery reveals Australia's growing population

Australia’s population is booming, with some regions growing by more than 50 per cent over the last five years.

Queensland (Qld)Brisbane

Design

Council reveals designs for $18m Brisbane River moorings

Brisbane City Council plans to build ten new moorings on the Brisbane River, opening up access to the central waterway and improving connectivity in the city.

Victoria (Vic.)Melbourne

Featured Property

From creche to contemporary Carlton pad

A first-floor apartment in the building that previously housed Melbourne's first crèche is for sale through Andrew Lusi and Terri Thompson of Woodards Carlton.

National New South Wales (NSW)Sydney Victoria (Vic.)Melbourne

The Economy

Twenty per cent of Newcastle sales from Sydney buyers: PRDnationwide

Newcastle real estate is benefiting from new transport infrastructure and Sydney affordability pressures, says John Church of PRDnationwide Newcastle.

International

People

Beyoncé and Jay-Z buy over-the-top Bel Air mansion

Beyoncé and Jay-Z have been long-term renters in Los Angeles, but are plunging into the market with the purchase of a $113 million Bel Air mansion, billed the most expensive sale of the year.

National

People

Get to know Lisa Merkesteyn, architect at Carter Williamson

Lisa Merkesteyn, project director of Carter Williamson Architects, talks to SCHWARTZWILLIAMS about her love of architecture, and about growing interest in 'green' buildings.

New South Wales (NSW)Sydney

Featured Property

Industrial luxury on a grand scale in Balmain

Like a New York townhouse, this impeccable Balmain home, designed by Carter Williamson Architects, is a timeless contemporary adaption of its industrial heritage. The home is for sale through Monique Dower and Rita Lopresti of Belle Property Balmain.

International

Construction

Twinpalms Residence MontAzure proving popular with Aussie investors

The MontAzure marketing team has noticed the beachfront condominiums have seen a marked uptick in interest from Australian buyers, particularly during the school holidays and since the dollar has gained ground.

International

People

Raine & Horne announces Fiji expansion

Australian property giant, Raine & Horne, has launched Raine & Horne Fiji, and has flagged further expansion in the region.

Pages

News Roundup

http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2015/03/australia-one-worst-housing-bubbles-ever/

Does Australia have a nasty housing bubble?

By all accounts, Australia is experiencing what is one of the greatest credit-fuelled real estate bubbles in modern times. On the back of a collapsing mining sector, we can thank the RBA, APRA, ASIC and the political elite in Canberra for creating a flawed household wealth-creation strategy that shares all the hallmarks of a predictable economic disaster.

macrobusiness

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/26/australia-rmbs-idUSL3N0WS08520150326

Australian lenders may seek relief from US rules for mortgage securitisation

Australia's non-bank residential lenders may soon be unable to raise funds in the United States by securitising their mortgage assets unless U.S. regulators give them special relief from tough regulatory requirements - potentially denying them access to the world's major capital market.

Reuters

http://mashable.com/2015/03/27/penis-shaped-house/

Unusually-shaped Sydney house garnering global attention

Influential Australian architect Stan Symonds sure has a way with design. One of his architectural works is on sale in Sydney and it is the whole package. The house has been getting giggles from interested buyers due to the phallic shape of the floor plan. The beautiful curvature of the penis-shaped home has remained the same since it was built in 1958.

Mashable

http://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/news/former-aia-president-shelley-penn-announces-federa

Former AIA President Shelley Penn announces Federal Senate candidacy

Shelley Penn, the Former national president of the Australian Institute of Architects, recently announced that she will contest for one of the six Senate Parliamentary seats available to Victorian candidates at the next Australian Federal election. Penn will run as one of three Victorian Australian Labor Party candidates alongside the incumbent Kim Carr and current Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Stephen Conroy.

Architecture & Design

http://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/gerard-minack-says-australia-one-in-three-chance-of-a-recession-20150326-1m7z17.html

Australia 'one in three chance' of a recession

Australia has up to a one in three chance of sliding into recession in the next year, according to high-profile strategist Gerard Minack. The stark warning comes after BT Investment Management gave the economy a 50 per cent chance of recession in the next two years. Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs chief economist Tim Toohey also said he continued to predict a one in three chance in the next year.

The Sydney Morning Herald

http://oilprice.com/Energy/Oil-Prices/Norway-Investing-Oil-Wealth-In-Foreign-Real-Estate.html

Norway Investing Oil Wealth In Foreign Real Estate

Amidst the uncertainty, Norway’s nearly $900 billion sovereign wealth fund (the largest in the world) is keen on being a source of stability in an increasingly unstable world — which is why it’s planning on spending the country’s oil revenue on “a lot” of Asian skyscrapers and shopping malls.

oilprice.com

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-25/china-investors-seeking-greener-pastures-eye-aus-property/6341220

Chinese investors seeking greener pastures eye Australia's real estate market

Chinese investors are looking for better returns outside the country in part because they have limited options on the mainland. China's real estate sector — which accounts for between 16 to 25 per cent of the country's GDP — has produced some of the country's richest men, but is still cooling along with the rest of the economy.

ABC News

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/brisbane-real-estate-apartment-buyers-set-for-boon-20150325-1m7eyv.html

Brisbane Apartment buyers set for boon

Inner-city apartment hunters are in for a bonanza, with a huge supply of new developments set to flood the Brisbane market in 2015. But property consultancy Urbis moved to quell the jitters of developers at a business breakfast on Wednesday morning, reassuring agents and investors that demand for inner-city living in the river city has hit record levels.

Brisbane Times