mrd

THE Gold Coast-based Trilink Group has finalised plans for a $60 million permanent residential resort project at Varsity Lakes.

The project will comprise 120 apartments in three, eight-storey towers, a four-storey low-rise, and extensive community facilities.

It will be located on a 4900sq m site purchased by Trilink from Varsity Lakes master developer Delfin Lend Lease for $3.5 million this year.

Trilink CEO, Mr Kym Plotkin said the development application was lodged with the Gold Coast City Council last week.

The project, Three at 33 located at Varsity Central and overlooking the 80-hectare Lake Orr, will be the fifth development undertaken by the Trilink Group in the Varsity Lakes precinct.

It will follow the recent completion of the company’s $25 million Azzurra Eco project where sales have exceeded $18 million.

The new project’s three, eight-storey towers will be identical and include a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments on each of the 447.5sq m floors.

The four-level building will comprise one-bedroom apartments from 78 to 107sq m with six per floor.

“There will be a wide range of floor plans and we will be providing apartments that are 5-10 per cent larger than most of their type on the Gold Coast,” said Mr Plotkin.

“We will also be providing the highest level of community resort facilities ever offered in a permanent residential project on the Coast, with two swimming pools, both more than 20 metres in length, connected by a flowing watercourse.

“A suspended, glasswalled gymnasium will overlook the pools, sauna, spa, Zen garden, cabana barbecue areas and a teppanyaki bar. Each tower will have a rooftop Zen Garden with views to the ocean.”

Building work will be undertaken by the Cavalier Construction Group.

Mr Plotkin said the project was being advanced in anticipation of a strengthening permanent apartment market on the Gold Coast in 2011 and due to the company’s successful Azzura Eco project.

“The demand and supply fundamentals for permanent, non-holiday let, residential apartments on the Gold Coast are highly positive in the long-term and, subject to development application approval, we hope to have the first stage on the market early next year,” he said.

via Varsity tower signals resurgence Real Estate | goldcoast.com.au | Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.

A study by Westpac Economics released today finds little evidence of a price ‘bubble’ in Australian housing markets with prices instead being sustained by an acute shortage of supply.

While housing may be relatively expensive, affordability in Australia is not as stretched as some extreme estimates suggest. Affordability measures that take into account all dwelling types, after-tax income and financing costs show prices have broadly tracked income growth since 2003. Typical mortgage repayments are above long run averages as a proportion of income but still well below the peaks seen in the late 1980s and in 2007-08.

Moreover, the level of prices appears to be the result of a structural imbalance between supply and demand rather than speculative activity.

The study concludes that a bubble would have been very unlikely to have survived the ‘stress test’ of 2008, which saw high mortgage rates combine with the exit of many non-bank lenders, a slump in investor activity and intensely negative sentiment towards real estate reinforced by actual price declines. The resilient performance of the market in 2008-09 strongly suggests there was no pre-existing bubble in Australian housing at this time – a genuine speculative price bubble simply would not have survived.

And there is also little evidence of unsustainable market activity since then, with house price gains broadly in line with incomes, subdued investor activity and a solid equity buffer already built up for recent first home buyers.

Pricing and affordability instead reflects imbalances that have emerged over the past decade as new building has failed to keep pace with strong rises in physical demand associated with a population boom and long-run demographic and social trends. Australia’s population growth has nearly doubled yet we’re building more or less the same number of new dwellings each year.

The shortage is acute and is likely to worsen. With the population boom continuing and particularly strong growth amongst key first home buyer age groups, there is significant upside risk to future housing demand. Meanwhile, rising interest rates will put a dampener on new construction. Westpac estimates that the shortage, which is already around 200,000 dwellings, could rise to 250,000 dwellings by mid-decade.

With interest rates likely to rise through 2011, credit constrained and affordability below long run averages, house prices are likely to remain broadly steady over the next two years. At the same time a strong labour market and solid wages growth should see household incomes rising by over 7% a year. These dynamics will improve affordability, setting a basis for higher house prices in the medium term.

by Stefanie Balogh | The Courier-Mail | April 27, 2010

Almost a third of the nation’s dire housing shortage is in Queensland where Brisbane developers pay the highest infrastructure costs.

The National Housing Supply Council’s state of supply report found it takes between six and 15 years to turn vacant land in Australia into a home in a newly developed suburb.Queensland has a shortfall of 56,100 homes, only pipped in the accommodation squeeze by Sydney which needs an extra 57,600 dwellings. By contrast, South Australia was short 100 homes in June 2009 out of a national supply gap of 178,400 houses.Federal Housing Minister Tanya Plibersek seized on the report to call for an overhaul of state and local government rules to reduce red tape and development delays.

ComSec chief economist Craig James said the “new projections should sound a significant wake-up call to state and territory governments”. The snapshot crunches infrastructure charges and finds the costs are “quite substantial in Brisbane $25,000 and Sydney $15,000 but less so in Adelaide and Perth, and virtually negligible in Melbourne”. The cost of developing a two-bedroom unit in urban Brisbane is $525,362, second to Sydney which comes in at $553,621.

The report, now in its second year, informs the Federal Government about housing demand, supply and affordability as it works out how to tackle Australia’s rapidly ageing and exploding population. Southeast Queensland is at the epicentre of that growth boom, with the report forecasting a national housing shortfall of 640,600 homes in 2029.  NSW will feel the pinch sharpest then with a shortage of 261,800 dwellings, followed by Queensland which will need 197,700 more homes. The report blames housing shortfalls on planning, zoning, subdivision and development approval bottlenecks. It also found local councils took a conservative approach to development and favoured protecting “neighbourhood character” over broader social and economic planning needs.

“Failure to address these considerable issues will have dire outcomes for the cost of housing for both those purchasing homes and those who remain in the rental market,” the Housing Industry Association’s Graham Wolfe said.The Council of Australian Governments has agreed to a set of national guidelines to ensure capital cities have sustainable, liveable and affordable housing.Treasurer Wayne Swan and his state counterparts are also working on ways to speed up the release of land and rein in infrastructure charges.

>>> State’s growing housing crisis blamed on government bureaucracy

Why is it that when one person breaks a world record (that someone else had held for many years), others suddenly begin to start beating that previously unbeatable record too? Simple, because “As A Man Thinks… So Is He” (man referring to a human – male or female).

Our minds function like the hard drive in a new computer. We’re all born with a clean sheet and from day one our world begins to take shape. Drawing influence and experience from our parents, siblings, friends, neighbours, teachers and television (to name but a few)… our minds become programmed whether to succeed or to fail.

As we mature into adolescence we tend to develop tendencies towards either negative or positive expectations.

No matter how negatively our minds may have been programmed to date… the exciting news is that today we can begin the process of reprogramming our thinking… with new winning programmes!

Donald Trump believes…

“As long as you are going to be thinking anyway… THINK BIG!“

It’s true! We can change from being negative to being positive, from failure to success. From losing to winning! It’s all up to us!

In the words of Henry Ford…

“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t… either way you’re right!“

Read more…

Riding the favourite in the Melbourne Cup, the jockey is well ahead of the field.

Suddenly he’s hit on the head by a turkey and a string of sausages.

He manages to keep control of his mount and pulls back into the lead, only to be struck by a box of Christmas crackers and a dozen mince pies as they round the final bend.

With great skill he manages to steer the horse to the front of the field once more when, on the run in, he’s struck on the head by a bottle of sherry and a Christmas pudding.

Thus distracted… Read more…

I remember hearing a few years ago that Jimmy Barnes was financially destitute; I was shocked to say the least! Have you noticed that it’s not necessarily those who earn the big bucks that end up with the most? In fact I have clients, I prefer to call friends these days, who while only ever earning modest incomes have built large property portfolios. Today they are “stuck” with the reality that they are going to be very, very wealthy and wanting for nothing. So why is it that someone like Jimmy Barnes… who has earned many, many millions of dollars throughout his music career… hit financial hardship yet “Ordinary Joe”; a blue-collar worker raising a family in the suburbs creates such wealth? Because “It’s Not What You MAKE It’s What You KEEP!”

A farmer sows seeds to produce a crop. Within that crop are many, many more seeds. The harvested crop is sold to sustain the daily living needs of the farmer and his family. This indicates a dual purpose for the harvest:

1. Bread for eating (i.e. money to sustain immediate living expenses).
2. Seed for sowing (i.e. the ability to sustain his future).

This is really important! You may not be a farmer but whatever it is that you do for a living… your harvest (i.e. your pay cheque) ought to serve the same two purposes:

1. Sustain your immediate living expenses
   
2. Give you the ability to ensure your family enjoys a better, more rewarding and sustainable financial tomorrow

You see, it really isn’t what you make but what you keep… and what you do with what you keep… that will determine how you will live “tomorrow”.

A farmer who has a bumper crop one year and so doesn’t bother to sow seeds again the following year will quickly run out of money and face financial ruin. Something of today’s earnings must always go towards a new (future) income stream.

The Pain Of Discipline Vs. The Pain Of Regret

Read more…

Incredible Opportunity 4km from CBD of Brisbane

Click for Large Version

Home of Kevin Rudd

Completed and ready to go, these three bedroom apartments are only 4km from the heart of Brisbane in one the city’s prestige suburbs.

Norman Park features a diverse range of property from riverfront mansions and luxury apartments on the Brisbane river through to old Queenslanders further back from the river.

In addition to the great location, Norman Park is also well served by transport. Norman Park has its own train station, is well serviced by buses and the riverfront location also means Norman Park has its own ferry wharf. By car, the commute into Brisbane city is around ten minutes.

Palms on Wynnum is a boutique complex of just six apartments with three bedrooms, ensuite, built-in robes, air conditioning to master and living and single garage underneath.

With high demand for rentals in the area and low body corporate, this close to the city, investing in one of these is a must!

• To view property page and download property report >>>here
• To request a complimentary cash flow analysis >>>here
• To have your borrowing capacity assessed >>>here

Happy Investing,

Katrina Lockhart
Our Customer Care Program works for you… because investing is personal!

City Park Apartments have been designed to take advantage of one of the city’s most convenient sites. This 54 unit development is walking distance to shops, entertainment, schools and public transport. The focus of this development is a secure lifestyle. The apartments are of a multi award winning design and featuring two & (only 4)  three bedroom units, with an open airy deluxe kitchen + hi-bars and stainless steel appliances opening on to one of the best living areas available for our magnificent tropical lifestyle here in tropical North Queensland. Integral to all units is a Lanai, an indoor/outdoor area with tropical timber shutters to keep the rain out and entertainment in. Read more…

Many aspects of human sexuality are puzzling. Take “Celibacy”, for example.

This can be a choice in life, or a condition imposed by environmental factors.

While attending a Marriage Encounter Weekend, David and Julie listened to the instructor declare, “It is essential that husbands and wives know the things that are important to each other.”

He addressed the men. “Can you each name and describe your wife’s favourite flower?”

David leaned over, touched Julie’s arm gently and whispered,

Read more…

Recent headlines in newspapers and on television have highlighted the downturn in housing construction, the lack of new home approvals and the record low numbers of new loans approved.

Headlines like “Housing Squeeze Tipped to Tighten” and “Australia’s Construction Industry Crumbles“.

Some areas like Queensland’s Gold Coast have seen their building industry grind to a halt in recent months – so what does that mean both short and long term?

In the short term a lot of pain felt by some, higher unemployment, possibly an increased vacancy rate and a negative impact on the economy. In the medium to long term, however,  this should be a very different matter.

A recent article “Gold Coast Rebound Signs Strong” states:

“The Queensland Government’s Population Growth Highlights & Trends Queensland 2010 report reveals the Gold Coast was the second largest growing statistical local area in Queensland in terms of population, with an increase of 15,643 residents in the past year”.

From this 2010 report we see that Queensland has over 20% of the country’s population with a 24.6% share of the national growth. Yet in some cities in Queensland you can still buy a new 2 bedroom unit for under $300k (ask us for more information).

NB: Click the following images to see them enlarged!

Read more…