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Young Melbourne buyer turns 'property hound' to keep dream alive

Samantha McCarthy of hockingstuart Werribee says she can hear the stress in people's voices as they inspect properties they fear may have drifted out of their price range.

Victoria (Vic.)Melbourne

Featured Property

A beautiful home built around a serene pool and garden is for sale

A luxurious sanctuary in Toorak is for sale by Marcus Chiminello and Nicole French of Marshall White.

Western Australia (WA)

Politics

‘Long overdue’ WA strata title reform welcomed by industry leaders

Leading industry bodies, including the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia, have welcomed the Western Australian State Cabinet's decision to continue with strata title reforms.

National

The Economy

CoreLogic numbers dispel smashed avo theory

The 20% deposit and stamp duty required to buy a house in Sydney is $158,933, based on new CoreLogic data. That's equivalent to 20 years' worth of smashed avo.

International

People

Robert Downey Jnr buys historic windmill in the Hamptons

Robert Downey Jnr has bought a 19th-century 'windmill house' in the Hamptons.

Western Australia (WA)Perth

Featured Property

New York-style warehouse apartment in Perth CBD

This historic warehouse conversion, designed by Scanlan Architects, has city views and spans an entire floor on King Street in Perth's CBD. It is for sale by Richard Mathlin and Callum Davidson of Knight Frank.

The Economy

Six common mistakes developers make when securing finance

Dan Holden of HoldenCAPITAL outlines the common mistakes developers make when they are securing construction finance.

New South Wales (NSW)Sydney

The Economy

New home completions beat 1971 record, but will it be enough?

A record number of new homes were built in Sydney in the year to February, but John Cunningham, president of the REINSW, says more needs to happen in NSW to alleviate affordability pressures.

Victoria (Vic.)

The Economy

Regional Victoria offering higher returns than Melbourne

Rental returns in regional Victoria are higher than in Melbourne. We take a look at the best yielding towns in regional Victoria.

New South Wales (NSW)

Featured Property

Waterfront home for sale with direct access to Cammeray marina

An architect-designed waterfront home with DA-approved plans for an extension is for sale with Anthony Cowie of LJ Hooker Mosman.

Pages

News Roundup

http://www.afrsmartinvestor.com.au/p/property/sea_views_below_gfc_top_4uWOGJoPbembgJ7f489x3L

Holiday home values below GFC highs

Australia’s holiday home hotspots are in the midst of their busiest season of the year but most are still recovering from post-GFC lows.

AFR Smart Investor

http://thenewdaily.com.au/life/2015/01/29/house-flipping-block-phenomenon/

The Block influence on house flipping

Property industry figures say television shows like The Block and House Rules are encouraging people to renovate homes with a view to selling them for profit, but the outcome isn’t always satisfactory.

The New Daily

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/26141158/tributes-flow-for-murdered-s-africa-family/

Engel & Volkers Australia mourn family

Martin van Breda, a South African who worked in Queensland for Engel & Volkers Australia, has been killed near Cape Town along with his wife and son. "A very sad time for the Engel & Volkers network with the loss of Martin van Breda, our thoughts are with everyone affected," the firm tweeted.

The West Australian

http://www.afr.com/p/property_industry_takes_aim_taxation_dezJ9wHzKyKlAdDlj2DYxO

Property industry takes aim at stamp duty

The property industry hopes the federal government's review of taxation will lead to the reform of a plethora of property taxes, including stamp duty. Real Estate Institute of Australia chief executive Amanda Lynch said the GST should be raised to 12 per cent to allow for removal of stamp duty.

The Australian Financial Review

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-01-28/get-ready-for-the-return-of-risky-mortgage-bonds-credit-markets

Subprime bonds are back

Seven years after the U.S. housing market triggered an economic collapse, the business of bundling riskier U.S. mortgages into bonds without government backing is gearing up for a comeback. Sydney-based bank Macquarie Group Ltd. are among firms buying up loans to borrowers who can’t qualify for conventional mortgages.

Bloomberg

http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2015/s4169920.htm

SA developers back state amid concerns

The Wetherill state government has tried to promote desperately needed development in South Australia by providing new land and planning laws to encourage growth.

ABC Radio

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/property/booming-housing-market-could-see-a-devine-comeback-for-metro/story-fnko7zi0-1227200017593

A public return for Devine

The hot residential property market could see developer David Devine make a return to public markets. His privately held Metro Property Development is on track to generate $500 million in sales this year and has about $2.5 billion worth of projects under way in Brisbane alone.

The Australian

http://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/news/there-s-a-sunny-future-ahead-for-rooftop-solar-pow

Solar soaring into the future

Solar energy is now a real alternative and considerable player in the power markets because over the past five years the world has seen a dramatic fall in the cost, particularly rooftop solar panels or solar photovoltaic power.

Architecture & Design