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This is your unique opportunity to buy a highly-sought after new home and make a contribution to three great causes at the same time.

The sale proceeds from this rare two-bedroom apartment, with resort-like facilities will be donated to charity.

The estate owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, wanted the auction proceeds to be split equally across RSPCA, Beyond Blue and Cancer Council ACT.

A great apartment for a great cause.

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A generous move at any time, especially with all charities struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Perfectly situated in one of the most resilient growth markets in the country, this 90 sq m plus internal flat at 60/23 Aspinall Street, Watson, ACT has had plenty of interest.

And if you haven’t seen it yet, get in quick because it goes to auction on Wednesday night.

The apartment features a double balcony, two carparks in a secure garage with direct access to the apartment, and a large master with ensuite.

“Watson is a beautiful location and close to many amenities while still having that suburban feel,” said sales agent Andrew Grenfell, from LJ Hooker – Dickson, who holds the listing with fellow agent Andrew Browne.

The 90 sq m+ internal space has attracted many eager buyers.

As has the double balconies and resort facilities.

“It’s nice and leafy at the foothills of the Mount Majura nature reserve but also close to everything including walking and bike tracks and good schools.

“It’s a fantastic white collar, green lifestyle to buy into.

“It’s at a good price point and there has been a lot of interest from first home buyers, families and investors.”

The apartment has a price guide of $345,000+ and features balconies at both ends with access to a tennis court, a salt water swimming pool and BBQ areas in the complex.

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Proceeds will go to charities RSPCA, Beyond Blue and Cancer Council ACT.

The median value of a two-bedroom unit in Watson is $356,000.

Canberra home values have been one of Australia’s best performing during COVID-19 and over the past year. The national capital was one of only three major cities, along with Hobart and Darwin to enjoy positive home value growth over the month of August (0.5 per cent) and over the last quarter (1.3 per cent), according to CoreLogic data.

The property is close to the bike trails of Mt Majura. Picture: supplied

Dwelling values have risen 6.9 per cent over the last 12 months, second only to Sydney’s 9.8 per cent rise and ahead of Melbourne’s 5.9 per cent increase.

“Watson is one of the suburbs where we have seen apartment prices hold and even grow in value recently,” Mr Grenfell said.

“It’s a great area and a great opportunity.”

“This home is ideal for all types of buyers. At this practical price this could be a great investment, it could attract first home buyers, families, downsizers and any others looking for easy living or a healthy investment.

Watson is a short drive to the Canberra city centre

“This property will sell due to the reasonable price guide and the estate is motivated to get the money to the charities as soon as possible.

The generous donation to charity, gives it further appeal.

“Working on a sale like this hits very close to home, many of us in the office have felt the effects of these charities work,” Mr Grenfell said.

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“It is a proud moment to see a transaction like this happen knowing that the funds will be used to provide care and assistance to those who need it.

“It’s been aa really testing year and these charities have been hit hard. They do a lot of great things and help a lot of people in need, so it’s great they will receive the proceeds.”

The property goes to auction this Wednesday, 9 September, at 6:00pm.

The post Rare chance to make a real difference with your next home buy appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Jules Robinson and Cameron Merchant have bought their first home together. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

The Married At First Sight success story Cameron Merchant and wife Jules Robinson have bought their first home ­together. They’ve spent $1,806,000 on their family home in Cromer.

Settling just weeks ­before the pair welcome their first child in mid-September, the four bedroom home is getting a quick makeover. However, the couple have ­apparently chosen not to find out the gender of their baby, which has limited choices for the nursery by their decorators, The Block duo Mitch Edwards and Mark McKie.

MORE: Sam Armytage secures sale of Southern Highlands weekender

The couple paid just over $1.8m for the home.

The modern kitchen.

The four-bedroom, three bathroom, northern beaches house last traded for $1,075,000 in 2014.

It had recently been a $1300 a week rental before its sale by Belle agent Nick Duchatel, who sec­ured a pre-auction deal.

Cromer has 40 properties currently for sale on realestate.com.au, which puts its four bedroom median price at $1.65 million. Based on five years of sales, Cromer has seen a compound growth rate of 6.6 per cent for houses.

Open plan living with bright interiors.

The home last traded in 2014.

The buy comes after Merchant sold his one bedroom Kirribilli apartment for a loss. It fetched $926,000 post-auction having been bought for $941,000 in 2017, just before he took part in the Channel 9 show in 2018. Merchant retains an investment in Dee Why’s Grand Reef complex which cost $720,000 in 2014. The Cromer property was bought by the couple, who married last November, although Jules’ co-ownership has been registered under her maiden name.

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Only 11 homes sold under the hammer during Melbourne’s first weekend of September, starting the spring selling season in almost complete silence.

It came as a ban on private property inspections was extended through to October 26, causing concern the traditional selling season would be put on hold entirely.

Despite the quiet weekend, successful sales were recorded for all but two of the 13 auctions reported to the Real Estate Institute of Victoria.

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3 Allison Road, Mont Albert North was one of just 13 auctions on the first weekend of spring.

A Mont Albert North house at 3 Allison Road was one of the houses that succeeded in the tough auction conditions.

Ray White Blackburn director Peter Schenck said there were five registered bidders who pushed the sale price to $1.17m.

“To have it sell for above $1m, when a week ago buyers were saying they wouldn’t pay more than $1m, is amazing,” Mr Schenck said.

“It proves that buyers are out there and auctions are the way to go to get premium results.”

It sold for $1.17m.

There were five registered bidders competing for the property.

It was the third property the auctioneer had sold via an online sales platform during coronavirus lockdown.

Private sales are still being sealed across the city, with two Doncaster East units sold by Phillip Webb last week.

The agency’s Doncaster East sales consultant Harry Fares said 1/11 Dehnert Street sold for $795,000 after it was advertised with an $835,000 asking price.

1/11 Dehnert St, Doncaster East sold via private sale.

The unit transacted for $795,000.

There were 16 offers on the properties across 108 days, mostly from first-home buyers and investors.

Another unit at 2/243 Blackburn Road sold last week after just 32 days on the market. There were three offers on the property before it sold slightly below its $530,000-$580,000 price guide for $510,000, according to CoreLogic.

Big results have been recorded by homes amid stage four lockdown restrictions.

2/243 Blackburn Road, Doncaster East sold after just 32 days on the market.

In August, a Fairfield house at 36 McGregor Street soared $350,000 above reserve to $1.45m.

Jellis Craig Northcote’s Sam Rigopoulos said there were more than 20 registered bidders for the three-bedroom house.

He said a “scarcity of stock” and remaining buyer demand would help boost the market once restrictions lifted.

36 McGregor Street, Fairfield sold in August for a $350,000 premium.

Plenty of potential inside the Fairfield house.

Another lifestyle property at 105 Arcadia Avenue in Mickleham sold for $2.05m last month, making it one of the suburb’s most expensive homes.

The Eleet Wyndham City director Sahil Kakar said the four-bedroom house passed in at auction for $1.8m in October last year, when the market was much stronger.

“Nothing in Mickleham has been sold for this price that is less than three acres (1.2ha), so it has set a record by that measure,” Mr Kakar said.

105 Arcadia Avenue, Mickleham sold for $2.05m

The property scored one of Mickleham’s most expensive sales.

“We did an off-market campaign for two months before putting it on the market, which generated a lot of good leads and offers, but nothing as close to what the owners wanted.

“By the end of the campaign we had four buyers interested, who all bid over the phone … the ones who bought it were able to walk through the house about five days before stage four restrictions hit.”

Scoring a deal during stage four coronavirus restrictions had spurred on inquiries from other local vendors, who were keen to sell once restrictions were eased, Mr Kakar said.

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The Cove, Unit 1, sold under the hammer over the weekend.

When bidding opened at $4.8m for this Noosa apartment, the final price was always going to be eye-watering, especially with half the bidders dialling in from lockdown in Victoria.

A total eight bidders registered to bid on Apartment 1 at Noosa’s prestigious Little Cove, which sold over the weekend after a whopping 38 bids were cast.

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The kitchen of the apartment which sold for a whopping $6.3m.

Agent Nic Hunter from Tom Offermann Real Estate said “the strong opening bid of $4.8m set the pace on the sun-drenched balcony just 30m from Little Cove beach”.

“We had a lot of interest 130 email enquiries and hundreds of phone calls on the property, eight registered bidders on the day, six of whom were very active right up to $6m,” he said.

“From there two basically pitched for the property further and further with bids of $50,000 increments up to the successful Melbourne-based buyer being the last man standing at $6.3m. It was a fantastic response to what is a gloriously positioned property.”

The appeal was “absolutely about the location”, he said.

“That was the number one appeal for all these bidders,” he said. “It was a property that people have been waiting for. for a long time. The successful bidder actually missed out on the sale of the penthouse three years ago.”

Seconds from the beach and a close walk to some of the best features Noosa has to offer.

The ground floor unit in the luxury complex saw two bidders register from the Sunshine Coast, one out of Brisbane, one out of New South Wales and four register out of Melbourne.

“A lot of people are rebooting their thoughts on the next five years with themselves and their extended families, and the lack of opportunities to travel internationally.”

“A lot of people in the high end are looking to find a position in Noosa which ultimately once we clear these COVID-19 restrictions is just three hours from Melbourne door-to-door. Melbourne buyers have always had a strong interest in Noosa and even more so at the moment.”

The apartment was listed as having three bedrooms, three bathrooms and a single garage with “a private garden entrance, no stairs and no close neighbours except for koalas in the eucalypts near the easterly terrace”

At a massive 300sq m, the apartment is the largest in The Cove complex where the resort has 23 luxury holiday apartments, a pool, outdoor entertaining and BBQ facilities for guests.

Property such at Apartment 1 in such a prime position in Noosa came up “very rarely”, Mr Hunter said.

“One thing we noticed in prime spots is a lot of owners repeatedly say to us that they will hand them down to their family. A lot of people are buying for their future generations to enjoy.”

Mr Hunter has five buyers still on the hunt in the $5m price range for Noosa property.

Other bidders were still on the hunt in the $5m price range, he said.

“We’ve got five other cash buyers left over (from the auction) who are seeking a similar quality property and position in Noosa.”

Mr Hunter said the buyers were looking for opportunities that were an easy walk to the water or facilities, no matter whether it was an older or a newer property.

Agency principal Tom Offermann said the sale capped off a strong week for his team where two properties broke the $10m price tag.

He said the Apartment 1 sale “highlights how much confidence there is in the Noosa market, especially when you consider that seven other buyers with over $5 million to invest have walked away empty-handed”.

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Sam Armytage has sold in the Southern Highlands.

Channel 7’s Sunrise presenter Sam Armytage has sold her Southern Highlands weekender.

She has secured a $3.1m off-market buyer for the Burrawang cottage, in a deal well up on her $2.2m purchase price from three years ago.

Armytage also sold her North Bondi home for $3.15m in July, just a month after her June engagement to Richard Lavender, a Quirindi-born equestrian ­businessman.

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It would suggest Armytage intends living with her fiance at his longtime Berrima estate elsewhere in the Highlands. He celebrated his 61st birthday on Saturday with Sam turning 43 on Friday.

It sold for $3.1m.

The property has an open-plan kitchen and dining area.

The couple met at a friend’s 60th birthday party in the Highlands in April last year.

There’d been no development application to the five-bedroom, five-bathroom cottage during her brief ownership, although she did change the name from Pear Tree Cottage to Churchill.

The two-hectare property, which sold through Di Dixon at Belle Property Bowral, has an open-plan kitchen and dining area overlooking paddocks with post and rail fencing.

A relaxing spot.

Armytage is expected to live in Berrima with her fiance Richard Lavender. Picture: Richard Dobson

Her redundant North Bondi home was sold to chef Greg Anderson and his wife Patricia Nunes, who had been looking for a new home since selling their St Ives home for $2.08m.

The three-bedroom North Bondi home had been listed with a $2.8m guide having been bought by Armytage for $2.15m in 2014, just as the Sydney price boom was kicking in to gear.

She owned it for three years.

She has been spotted inspecting eastern suburbs rentals given her commitment to be in Sydney for the breakfast show four days a week. Her television career began in 1999 and she joined Seven after having impressed executives during her coverage of the 2003 Canberra bushfires.

Armytage grew up in the high country, Snowy River territory, on historic Bolaro Station.

With additional reporting by Joel Robinson.

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Victoria’s peak real estate body has been urged to retract its “callous” reaction to the state government’s continued lockdown of the sector, which social advocates say uses tenants as “collateral damage”.

The Real Estate Institute of Victoria responded to the government’s road map for reopening announcement on Sunday by advising its members to “refuse to negotiate rent reductions” with tenants in COVID-19 hardship.

REIV president Leah Calnan said the organisation would instead be advising tenants to “make their own inquiries with Consumer Affairs Victoria”, until the state government engaged in “genuine consultation” with the real estate industry.

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“Good faith” rent reduction agreements have been a key part of protecting tenants from homelessness during the pandemic.

The REIV particularly wants physical inspections of Melbourne homes to be reinstated sooner than the October 26 date advised by government, arguing “without inspections, buying and leasing cannot proceed”.

Ms Calnan said the “disastrous” road map announcement coming just days after Victoria’s moratoriums on evictions and rent price hikes was extended to March 28 was a “double whammy” for the real estate sector.

“This is not about making one party a victim, it’s trying to rebalance the rights for both landlords and tenants,” she said.

Victorian Council of Social Service chief executive Emma King urged the REIV to “retract this misguided, callous and dangerous directive”, as it would increase hardship for tenants.

“Rent reductions and deferrals are a key part of protecting tenants from eviction and homelessness during COVID-19 — a process agreed to by the National Cabinet,” Ms King said.

“That system is reliant on good faith negotiations between tenants and landlords.

“Intentionally undermining this process is a kick in the guts for renters.”

Ms King said it was important landlords understood if they refused to carry out a good faith negotiation with their tenant, they would still be compelled to enter into CAV’s formal dispute resolution.

VCOSS chief executive Emma King is urging the REIV to retract its directive to property managers.

Bricks & Mortar head of property Madeleine Cahill said while she respected the REIV and valued “how they’ve rallied behind” the real estate industry during the pandemic, refusing to negotiate rent reductions would only perpetuate issues within the sector.

“It’s crucial for property managers to conduct themselves professionally (and) advise our clients on all their options,” she said.

“Landlords can make the decision (about rent reductions) for themselves.

“I’ve even had landlords call me to get on the front foot about offering a reduction, knowing the industry their tenants work in and expecting they’re doing it tough, and on the basis their own cash flow is great.”

Landlords are only able to access land tax discounts being offered by the government if they agree to reduce rents for hard-hit tenants.

Consumer Action Law Centre director of policy and campaigns Katherine Temple tweeted on Sunday that Victoria’s tenants “shouldn’t be treated as collateral damage in the fight between landlords and government”.

“Thankfully, the CAV dispute resolution service is available to help sort out these rent reduction negotiations,” she said.

Victoria’s eviction moratorium has been extended into 2021. Source: iStock

And the newly formed Renters And Housing Union described the REIV’s move as “reckless” and “in bad faith”.

RAHU secretary Eirene Tsolidis Noyce urged the government to take “immediate action … to ensure the safety and security of thousands of Victorian renters” by enacting an amnesty on rental payments for tenants with no income due to COVID-19 and penalties for landlords and real estate agents who “infringe upon renters’ rights”. RAHU also wants all rental debts accrued due to the pandemic to be forgiven.

Ms Tsolidis Noyce said renters in severe hardship may even be “forced to skip meals” due to further delays in rent reduction mediation.

The Victorian Government has been contacted for comment.

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samantha.landy@news.com.au

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Dwindling migration is set to drag Australian population growth to a 103-year low with potentially disastrous results for the housing market.

Property research group CoreLogic warned the slowdown would have an impact on construction, rents and off-the-plan apartment sales.

Group head of research Tim Lawless said the construction sector was particularly exposed.

Fewer overseas arrivals would reduce housing demand which in turn would stall new projects, he wrote in CoreLogic’s latest Property Pulse.

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Lower migration could have the added effect of causing a protracted drop in rents within inner city areas considering overseas arrivals normally make up a large share of the tenants.

Falls in rents could also force down prices as there would be fewer investors willing to purchase units they may struggle to tenant.

This would increase “settlement risk” for buyers of units sold off-the-plan – a situation where the value of a property drops below the purchase price in the time it takes to get built.

CoreLogic head of research Tim Lawless.

But Mr Lawless added these impacts would not be evenly spread, with Melbourne and Sydney to be the worst affected.

Nearly 85 per cent of overseas migration last year flowed into capital cities and three quarters of the that movement went to Sydney and Melbourne.

“Overseas migrants are generally centred around the CBD … or transport hubs such as Parramatta in Sydney or Clayton in Melbourne,” Mr Lawless said.

“The impact of the sharp fall in overseas arrivals can already be seen in surging inner city rental advertisements, with rental listings more than doubling across some key inner city unit precincts.

There is a long pipeline of new residential projects within inner Sydney. Picture: John Feder

“The rise in available rental stock in these precincts is already weighing on rental income.

“Every capital city is showing a larger fall in unit rents relative to house rents through the COVID period to-date, with a more significant difference in Melbourne and Sydney.”

Sydney and Melbourne unit rents were down an average of more than 4 per cent since March, Mr Lawless added.

With rents reducing the ability of landlords to service their mortgages, there could be more distressed listings within inner Sydney and Melbourne.

“A higher proportion of (new) units may settle with a valuation lower than the contract price,” Mr Lawless said.

“Many of the aforementioned inner city precincts are toward the end of a surge in new apartment supply …

Lower population growth could result in fewer new projects down the line. Picture: John Fotiadis

“Many of these yet-to-be completed projects will settle while rental vacancies remain high and rents are falling, which may put downward pressure on property values.”

ABS building activity data showed there were more than 50,000 units under construction across NSW at the end of March, and just over 45,000 across Victoria.

Mr Lawless said lower population growth would affect the market for some time.

The outlook for overseas migration remains highly uncertain and dependent on international borders reopening and, potentially, travel agreements being negotiated between countries.

Recent forecasts from Treasury indicated annual population growth across Australia is set to slow from around 1.4 per cent pre-COVID to 0.6 per cent through the 2020/21 financial year.

Inner Melbourne attracts Australia’s highest numbers of new arrivals.

That implied Australia’s annual population growth will reduce from around 350,000 in 2019 to 154,000 over the year ending June 2021 – a reduction of 56 per cent relative to 2019 levels.

This would be the lowest rate of population growth since 1917.

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Fitness guru Kayla Itsines has put her SA home on the market.

All eyes are on fitness guru Kayla Itsines’ jaw-dropping South Australian home, which has been listed for sale just weeks after her shock split from finance Tobi Pearce.

The former couple’s five-bedroom Malvern home was the most viewed property on the market across the state and the second most viewed around the country on realestate.com.au last week.

It is for sale without a price tag through Harris Real Estate agents Henry Gower Tillett and Georgie Todd, who were contacted for comment.

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The property is a character home that’s been updated. Pic: realestate.com.au

Feature fireplaces can be found throughout. Pic: realestate.com.au

It has five bedrooms and four bathrooms. Pic: realestate.com.au

Property records show the character home on a 3193sqm block, which is one of the biggest in Malvern, was built in 1925.

It has been restored to its former glory and modernised inside, with feature fireplaces and decorative fretwork paying homage to its original character.

An open kitchen, family and dining room forms the centrepiece of the home, while there is a formal lounge room and formal dining room.

A pool, tennis court, entertainment pavilion, cellar, home theatre and guest studio are among its standout features.

Property records show Itsines bought the house in 2017. Pic: realestate.com.au

It’s for sale without a price tag. Pic: realestate.com.au

It also has a pool and tennis court. Pic: realestate.com.au

It also has a CCTV security system, built-in surround sound, a phone-controlled video intercom and gated entry.

Best offers for the home will be accepted until noon on September 30, unless it sells before then.

Property records show Itsines bought it in February 2017 for a multimillion-dollar price.

She and Pearce, who share an 18-month-old daughter and long professional history together, are selling it after announcing in August that they had made the “difficult decision” to part ways but would remain good friends.

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AFTER: 1/53 Forbes St, Hawthorne was transformed by attention to detail during the renovation.

Lisa Gamblin renovated and flipped seven units in a complex last year before turning her hand to an even more challenging project, transforming a 100-year-old Queenslander and creating another two luxury homes on site.

The results are astounding, with the first – located at 53 Forbes Street, Hawthorne – snapped up by buyers wanting a luxury inner Brisbane footprint last week.

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She was attracted to the property four years ago when it was listed on realestate.com.au as a home that was “looking for love”, located high enough to have stunning views of the city and Hamilton across the Brisbane river.

BEFORE: 53 Forbes St, Hawthorne was sold as a “Grand Traditional Queenslander featuring living spaces on the upper and lower levels” and “looking for love”.

Lisa Gamblin at the historic Queenslander she renovated at 53 Forbes Street, Hawthorne. Picture: Richard Walker

Apart from being a grand circa 1920s traditional Queenslander with features like high ceilings, polished timber floorboards, stained glass windows and architraves, the property also had an enviable block size at 830sq m – perfect for subdivision and redevelopment.

“This was always going to be a substantial renovation which included completely demolishing the ground floor, raising the home and moving it forward in line with the neighbouring homes in order to capture the incredible city views,” Mrs Gamblin said. “The budget was set around $700,000 with another $50,000 for contingency. All $750,000 was used.”

“The property went unconditional in April 2016, we negotiated a six-month settlement in order to allow time to sell another home I renovated in the same street. We settled this home in September 2016 and planned to live in it for a few years before starting renovations.”

“In the meantime I had renovated a block of seven units in Norman Park. We rented a home in a neighbouring street in July 2019 and I immediately started Forbes St renovations, the home was complete 12 months later and put up for sale. Complicated, there was a lot of moving.”

BEFORE: The sitting room and fireplace were very liveable, though in need of updating.

AFTER: The new-look open plan living and kitchen.

Mrs Gamblin, who has been renovating and building since her early 20s said when she first saw the grand home, she could already imagine how it would be finished.

“I imagined the enormous street presence this beautiful 1920s Queenslander will have when renovated, the city views it would capture when raised and it was also in good condition to live in for a few years before renovations would commence. Being in a medium density character residential, the plan was always to build behind the property as well.”

Post renovation: Making the most of the city skyline.

She said the home really enhanced the streetscape, and the coloured lights of the pool reflected across the white walls and were very eye-catching now.

“I love how proud the Queenslander sits,” she said. “I’ve heard locals go by and say that this is their favourite home in the street. It gives me a sense of accomplishment.”

Her favourite thing in the home was the 100-year-old pine floor which had “beautiful” character flaws that the choice of stain enhanced.

The new kitchen at 53 Forbes Street, Hawthorne.

Light, bright and airy inside the new kitchen, with those historic floorboards holding everything together.

They added ivory Travertine stone around the exterior of the home, Astrawalker tapware, Italian tiles, Ilve appliances, a fireplace, plunge pool “and a couple of wine and bar fridges” adding a more luxurious feel to the home.

The home is set so high on the street that locals gather there to watch the annual Riverfire fireworks. “The new owners will certainly have an envious and a great vantage point.”

Mrs Gamblin is currently in the midst of building out the back of the property at 55 Forbes Street, where two more luxury homes will go.

The plan was to continue a lighter neutral colour scheme, embrace trends, using lighting to set night mood, adding gatehouses to give some depth to the exteriors.

A special jewellery display to make life easier in the master bedroom.

Her tips for anyone wishing to fix and flip property was to “set a realistic budget and a contingency fund. In my first renovation I had unexpected blowouts”.

As well, she said, do a lot of research into your builder, so the work could be effortless like 53 Forbes Street where she used “energetic and proactive builder Dan Hansen from Hans Construct”.

Clean lines in one of the new bathrooms.

A mood board was essential, she said, as well as getting physical examples of product that you plan to use, with Mrs Gamblin using Tailored Home Styling for her listing shots.

“During the renovation, I always wondered who had lived here over the last 100 years and the life stories this house holds. I’ve always imagined who will live here and who will love the home as much I have and as much as the previous owner did who I have gotten to know well. I imagined how a young small family, empty-nesters, someone single or a couple could comfortably make this house their home after it’s sold.”

If the first home at 53 Forbes Street is anything to go by, the next two at 55 Forbes Street will be just as luxurious.

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Ready for a hot summer.

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