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New Zealand financier Rayo Withanage buys Picasso's French Riviera estate

Picasso's magnificent country estate, on eight acres with a large renovated chateau, has been bought by a fellow Australasian, New Zealand financier, Rayo Withanage.

National Tasmania (Tas.)Hobart

The Economy

Hobart likely to lead price gains in 2018: SQM Boom and Bust Report

Australia’s housing market is likely to record "moderate" price gains in 2018, says Louis Christopher of SQM Research in the latest Housing Boom and Bust Report.

Victoria (Vic.)

Featured Property

Builder's own luxurious hidden oasis in Lower Plenty for sale

This Lower Plenty home, complete with gym, wine cellar, fire pit, and direct access to Heidelberg Golf Club, is for sale through Rocco Montanaro of Morrison Kleeman Eltham.

International

People

Real estate tycoon Xu Jiayin, now China's richest person, forced to sell Australian home by Joe Hockey in 2015

The Chinese real estate tycoon who was forced to sell his Sydney harbourside mansion by Joe Hockey in 2015, has been named China's richest person.

South Australia (SA)Adelaide

People

Get to know Kate Smith, one of Raine & Horne’s top agents

Kate Smith recently won the Raine & Horne award for Top Salesperson (Principal) Number of Sales.

New South Wales (NSW)Sydney

Politics

Sirius listed on World Monument Fund's 2018 watchlist

International historical-site preservation agency, The World Monument Fund, is calling on the NSW government to preserve the Sirius for its architectural and social significance.

Victoria (Vic.)Melbourne

Featured Property

Austin Maynard-designed winner of the 2009 Timber Design Awards is for sale

Barrow House, a Victorian house with a contemporary extension designed by Austin Maynard Architects, is for sale through Scott McElroy and Jordan Terlizzi of hockingstuart Melbourne.

New South Wales (NSW)Sydney

The Economy

Vaucluse mansion hits the market with $70m price tag

Will the waterfront Sydney mansion owned by Singaporean businessman CK Ow break the record for Australia's most expensive home?

National

The Economy

Roy Morgan: 345,000 Aussie mortgage holders have little or no equity in their homes

The proportion of Australians with little or no equity in their homes is rising, according to new research from Roy Morgan.

Victoria (Vic.)Melbourne

Design

Greville Pabst on what you can learn from The Block

There are lessons for renovators and home buyers on The Block, says Greville Pabst, judge on hit TV show, The Block.

Pages

News Roundup

http://www.afr.com/real-estate/residential/the-risky-property-tax-grab-grows-faster-than-gst-income-tax-20150520-gh5cwb

The 'risky' property tax grab grows faster than GST, income tax

If you thought you were slugged for stamp duty or land tax last year, you are not alone. Taxes based on property - on sales or values - topped $40 billion for the first time in 2013-14, according to the latest analysis of taxation revenue, released last week, by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The Australian Financial Review

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/city-east/sydney-real-estate-narrowest-home-on-the-market-expected-to-fetch-upwards-of-700000/story-fngr8h22-1227360122039

Narrowest home on the market expected to fetch upwards of $700000

At only 2.85m wide, the narrowest house on the market in Sydney is expected to sell for upwards of $700,000. With an internal area of 48sq m and a land area of 38sq m, the two-storey Victorian terrace at 29 Terry St, Surry Hills, is roughly the same size as a one-bedroom unit.

The Daily Telegraph

http://thenewdaily.com.au/money/2015/05/19/dark-days-wa-property-market/

Dark days for Western Australian property market

Western Australia is facing serious problems. Plunging commodity prices are forcing iron ore mines to shut, mining companies to cut jobs, and tax revenue for the state coffers to plummet. But one of the big casualties in this painful process that hasn’t received a lot of attention is the WA property market.

The New Daily

http://www.businessinsider.com/r-us-bank-bank-of-america-win-dismissal-of-mortgage-claims-2015-5#ixzz3aadGI3Rj

US Bank, Bank of America win dismissal of mortgage claims

U.S. Bancorp and Bank of America Corp won a dismissal of claims in lawsuits accusing them of breaching their duties as trustees for residential mortgage-backed securities that suffered losses tied to the global financial crisis.

Reuters

http://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/comment/in-profile-the-face-behind-mirvac-design-national

The face behind Mirvac Design, national director Peter Cotton

Cotton joined Mirvac Design in 1989 and became the National Practice Director in 2004. As the Design Director for the Newington Olympic Village, he led the architectural team through the successful bid phase to the start of the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

Architecture & Design

http://www.propertynews.com/blog/mortgages-money/money-matters-what-s-to-gain-with-long-term-mortgage/

What's to gain with long-term mortgage?

The advantage of fixed-rate mortgages is knowing how much your monthly repayments will be for some time into the future. In theory, that means you will be able to rest reassured that your mortgage will be affordable for the length of your fixed deal. In practice, it could mean you end up paying more than you need to if the rate at which you fix remains higher than standard rates for any length of time.

propertynews.com

http://www.smartcompany.com.au/finance/investment/46948-do-we-tell-foreign-buyers-to-buy-or-bye-robert-simeon.html#

Can the government stop foreign buyers?

It’s interesting to note that last week a Senate committee made 40 something recommendations pertaining to housing affordability which included calls to review negative gearing and the appointment of a federal minister for housing, to name just two.

Smart Company

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/property/gpt-leading-the-way-in-parental-leave-and-childcare-policy/story-fn9656lz-1227358033235

GPT leading the way in parental leave and childcare policy

The conservative world of Australian commercial real estate has begun to redouble its efforts to foster workplace diversity. Two days after the federal government announced a significantly revamped childcare scheme, GPT Group, one of the country’s largest diversified property landlords, unveiled its parental leave and childcare support policy, which it says is one of the most generous yet.

The Australian