State of the Nation Issue 36 Apr 26, 2013

State Of The Nation Compiled By Kevin Lee of Smart Property Adviser

www.smartpropertyadviser.com.au E: [email protected] T: (02) 9980 1311 M: 0416 083 995

Disclaimer: This document is a compilation of recent articles published in the media. The media sources are quoted beneath their respective article capture. Smart Property Adviser does not claim to be the author of any articles included within this document.

Solid Start For House Prices

Melbourne's median house price growth exceeded Sydney's during the March quarter, according to new data released on Wednesday. The

Fairfax-owned Australian Property Monitors said house prices in the southern capital grew 3.6 per cent to $538,922 over the three months while Sydney's median price grew 1.7 per cent to $673,681. 24 April 2013. More.

Property Salaries – The Risk And Reward Equation With decision making on hold while business waits for the Federal election in September 2013, a number of property players are facing a new recession. Having survived the GFC, the project pipeline is looking very bare for those companies whose contracts have been completed. They are not getting their previous steady supply of work from reliable and active sources. Riding the roller coaster of the property industry calls for stamina, agility and persistence. 24 April 2013. More. Melbourne Leads Regions Where Property Investors Can Double Their Money In A Decade: RP Data

Melbourne has the greatest number of suburbs across Australia offering the potential for property investors to double their money in 10 years if house prices in these suburbs continue to appreciate at current rates. However, across the country, there are more regional locations offering the probability of investors doubling their money in a decade than in city suburbs, according to the Autumn Investors report from RP Data. 23 April 2013. More. Tread Carefully With US Real Estate

Whether it be apartments for $100 million or houses for $100, the US has something for just about every property buyer, but Australians thinking of making an overseas investment should know that real estate in Uncle

Sam's backyard is a whole new ball game. Recent years have seen Australians inundated with advertisements for great investment opportunities abroad. 22 April 2013. More Property Prices To Double In 20 South Australian Areas Property prices in 20 suburbs and towns across South Australia are tipped to double in 10 years, latest figures show. The latest RP Data Investors Report, released yesterday, highlights 15 suburbs and five towns where property prices have increased by at least 7.2 per cent a year over the past five years. 24 April 2013. More

Sydney And Canberra The Quickest Sellers, But Brisbane, Hobart And Darwin Units Speed Up With Less Time On Market: RP Data

Units in Brisbane, Hobart and Darwin are spending significantly less time on the market, according to the latest information from RP Data. Figures for the week ending April 21 show Brisbane units are spending 69 days on the market before selling, down from 80 days the week prior. Hobart units are spending 62 days on the market before selling, down from 83 days the week prior. 24 April 2013. More. Gen Y May Be Falling Out Of Love With Apartment Living

Generation Y's love affair with inner city apartments could begin to sour in coming years as the lure of a house and a backyard proves too strong. A surge in the popularity of well located

apartments has led to strong ongoing demand for rentals among 20- to 34-year olds over the past decade. 22 April 2013. More. Sydney Scores Second-Highest Clearance Rate Sydney’s auction market continued to strengthen on the weekend despite the school holidays and bad weather. And Melbourne produced another steady auction result, just below the city’s average for the year despite a large number of listings. 22 April 2013. More. Shocking Spread Of Distressed Sales Nearly a quarter of all properties, including commercial, industrial and residential, advertised in Australia are distressed sales, according to figures released by valuation group LandMark White. The research shows Queensland accounted for a massive 54% of properties advertised by a mortgagee, receiver or liquidator during the March quarter. 23 April 2013. More. Developer Banks On Green Spaces A major property developer has identified an area in north-western Sydney – on the cusp between Putney and North Ryde – as an emerging hotbed of real estate activity, putting its chips on the area becoming increasingly popular among buyers. Frasers Property Group Monday unveiled landscaping plans for a master community at Putney Hill, which the company’s marketing material claims will include flowering parks and exotic gardens. 23 April 2013. More. How Happy Are Your Clients With Their Mortgage? An impressive 93% of Australian home owners say they are ‘comfortable’ with their mortgage, according to the ING DIRECT Financial Wellbeing Index, suggesting that household efforts to reduce debts are paying off. In the first quarter of 2013, 44% of borrowers were ahead with their loan and comfort with long-term debt is now the strongest rating across all six financial indicators. 24 April 2013. More.

Issue # 036 April 26, 2013

State Of The Nation Continued…

E: [email protected] T: (02) 9980 1311 M: 0416 083 995 Disclaimer: This document is a compilation of recent articles published in the media. The media sources are quoted beneath their respective article

capture. Smart Property Adviser does not claim to be the author of any articles included within this document.

If you would like to voice your opinion on any article you have read in the State Of The Nation Newsletters or elsewhere that has concerned you, please send the article and your opinion on it to us and we will include it in a future issue of the State Of The Nation. Send your opinion to [email protected]

'Bang And Olufsen' Home In Sydney's Point Piper Sells For $33m

The third highest residential property price ever recorded in Sydney has been paid by a mystery buyer for a harbourfront landmark. Known as the "Bang and Olufsen

house" due to its design reminiscent of a hi-fi sound system, the Point Piper home sold for $33 million - the highest price paid in Sydney this year. 23 April 2013. More. Gold Coast Slump Could Be Over After a tumultuous three years where property values have gone backward, the Gold Coast property market appears to be on the mend, according to PRDnationwide research. PRDnationwide research director Aaron Maskrey said the market appears to have found its feet again, waving off falls in median prices for the first time since 2010. 23 April 2013. More.

Middle Suburbs Outperforming Inner City In SA

Middle and outer suburbs are outperforming inner-city suburbs in Adelaide, data from the Real Estate Institute of South Australia (REISA) has shown. Suburbs such as Somerton Park, Henley Beach South and Plympton were leading with growth of 19.5, 19.2 and 17.3 per cent respectively in the past year. 23 April 2013. More. Drones The Newest Real Estate Marketing Tool

A military vehicle used in combat is carving out a less sinister role revolutionising the world of real estate marketing. Arial drones are being used

to take photos of homes for sale from angles that have never been snapped before, with the remote-controlled devices reaching unique photographic angles to showcase homes to maximum effect, capturing views, elevated perspectives and a property's unique features. 22 April 2013. More. Majority Of Investors Would Consider NRAS

A majority of investors would purchase a property under the National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS), a recent poll suggests. According to the latest Smart Property Investment straw poll, of the 107 voters, 62.6 per cent of respondents said they would purchase an NRAS property as an investment. 22 April 2013. More.

Unit Owners Vow To Fight Forced Sale Law

It’s not a unit, it's a home. And Suzanne Paech doesn't ever want to be forced to sell her castle to developers. Right now it is not possible to make her - but that could soon change. If 19 out of 20 unit owners want to sell their apartments but one refuses, the block cannot be sold. But proposed changes to the Unit Titles Act mean as few as 70 per cent of owners in blocks older than 20 years could force the rest to sell. 24 April 2013. More.

Property Experts Pick Cool Hot Suburbs Across Sydney They’re the suburbs that are hot even though you think they're not. There are pockets of Sydney where homes can still be picked up for bargain prices that don't reflect their attractions, such as cafes,

art galleries and community spirit. So while they may be off your real estate radar, experts have identified a handful of areas set to become the next "hip" places to live. 21 April 2013. More. Getting The Most From Your Renovation

Mary's other concern was whether or not she would be able to depreciate the renovation costs. The renovation included repairs to the carpets and vinyl flooring, and the installation of a heating/cooling system. My client was worried that the costs associated with this renovation would only be added to the cost base of the property and not be classed as repairs. She was fearful that she wouldn't be able to depreciate any of it in the first year. And therefore unsure about whether or not she should 'bother' getting a depreciation report done. 24 April 2013. More.

Controversy Corner

Bruises Found On Mosman Woman's Body, Say Police Bruises were found on the body of Sydney woman Kate Malonyay, who was discovered dead inside her Mosman apartment on Monday, police have revealed. A post-mortem examination was conducted on the body of the 32-year-old, but police say the results were inconclusive and her cause of death is still under investigation. 24 April 2013. More.

Some Parting Advice

“You should be involved in the decision-making processes and have a clear understanding of why you're investing in the area

recommended to you.”

Until Next Time… Kevin Lee

www.smartpropertyadviser.com.au