Property Focus
Rivalry suppressed as boutique agency swallowed whole
Antony Lawes IN THE fiercely competitive and highly prized Balmain real estate market, Sarah Lorden was for many years the darling of Darling Street, the top agent in one of the most lucrative areas in the city.
Construction feels the squeeze
Carolyn Cummins CONSTRUCTION across the country remains under pressure, as seen in by the trouble faced by building company Kell & Rigby, which shut down its operations this week.
Comfort food for malls
Carolyn Cummins TAKE a walk down any shopping strip or through a shopping centre and it's apparent that food and cafes dominate over other traditional retail outlets, such as fashion.
Lean times for bulky goods
Carolyn Cummins ILL winds of the tough retail market have blown over Sydney's bulky-goods sector, leading to a double-digit fall in prime asset rents.
Rate hold a good sign
Carolyn Cummins THE central bank's decision to keep interest rates unchanged was met with a mixed reaction from property experts.
Hot Property
The banks' space odyssey
Tony Wyllie The recent reports of job losses across the banking sector have created speculation about the impact on demand in the Sydney office market, given its heavy weighting to the sector.
Cotton On Group to open its third store on Elizabeth Street
Philip Hopkins High demand for retail space in Melbourne CBD continues to defy general gloom surrounding the sector.
Inner-city hotels go on the market
Philip Hopkins Railway Hotel in West Melbourne has been listed for auction, and Hotel Formule 1is for sale.
Market middle ground proving elusive
Nicole Lindsay Potential buyers and sellers drawn out by possibility of rate cuts, but can they agree on prices?
Office space demand rises
Carolyn Cummins Amid European gloom and unemployment fears, vacancy rates are down at their lowest in years.
Ups and downs for city fringe
Philip Hopkins Vacancy rate in St Kilda Road falling as demand reaches 17-year high, but increasing slightly on Southbank.
Cautious optimism as sales trend upwards
Andrew Wilson THE clearance rate for the first weekend of the autumn home auction season in Sydney was strong but it is still too early to gauge the underlying sentiment of buyers.
Lack of approvals keeps building sector sluggish
Carolyn Cummins ONLY two weeks before the start of the reporting season for developers and contracting companies comes news that building approvals are under pressure.
Demand bolsters north-west
Carolyn Cummins PARRAMATTA and North Ryde are experiencing better office market conditions, thanks to lower supply and a rise in demand by federal and state government departments.
A-list supply in demand
Carolyn Cummins TENANTS and landlords are locked in a battle for space and rental growth across Sydney, as the supply of prime locations and six-star buildings tightens.
The future's looking greener
Carolyn Cummins IN 2007, having a green star rating was considered a ''nice to have''. In 2012 it will be a ''must-have''.
Developer plans $20m Toorak pad
Simon Johanson Building will start this month in Melbourne's blue-chip suburb of Toorak on one of the state's largest and most expensive new homes.
Record slump in house prices in 2011
House prices plunged by the most on record in 2011 as global economic uncertainty and concerns about its impact at home kept a lid on demand.
Property prediction versus realisation
Amy Remeikis When it comes to property investment, there are just three words to live by: Do your homework.
Former coal depot gets new life as a gymnasium
Philip Hopkins One of Port Melbourne's most distinctive buildings with views to the sea will become home to a gymnasium.
Global fear has property sector on edge
Philip Hopkins Property sentiment in Victoria has turned sour and is the second worst in the country.
It's looking up down on the farm
Philip Hopkins A rural property specialist is tipping that more rural and farming properties will come on the market this year.
Not clinical, just thinking outside the box
Stephen Crafti Doctors' clinics, particularly those designed for children, can tend to be formulaic.
Office market goes beyond recovery
Philip Hopkins Sales across Australia's major central business district office markets have broadly recovered.
Bad end to a bad year in property
Courtney Trenwith Perth property prices ended 2011 down 4.3 per cent, with a sharp drop in December topping off a bad year, the latest report shows.
Queensland's best property value growth
Most improved Queensland suburbs for house values in the 12 months to September 2011:
Housing market healthy - but prices will slip, ANZ says
Chris Zappone Home prices will continue to weaken - but only because of subdued sentiment by buyers rather than fundamental problems in the market, ANZ says.
Sun shines for sellers of seaside dream homes
SIMON JOHANSON Vendors take advantage of school holidays to try to sell their seaside homes to holidaymakers.
Rental squeeze begins to ease
Chris Vedelago and Nathan Partenza Melbourne's rental market turns in favour of tenants with vacancy rates - particularly for high-end apartments - hitting a six-year high.
Units surviving Perth price slump better than houses: report
Courtney Trenwith It paid more to own a unit than a house in Perth last year, first full 2011 property report shows.
