CQ outperforms state in building and construction

THINGS are looking up for the Central Queensland building and construction industry, after a mix of pressures and successes last year.

Developer Stockland to dump key Sunshine Coast projects

STOCKLAND will dump its interest in five major Sunshine Coast development projects as the company shifts its portfolio focus,

Sluggish property market behind dwellings approvals fall

QUEENSLAND communities are being transformed by an increase in medium-density housing, but more slowly than the rest of the country.

Home sales rise 8% in quarter, according to REIQ figures

THE number of homes being sold is on the rise, according to the Real Estate Institute of Queensland.

From drafting to real estate, Ashley’s keen to start new job

24-YEAR-OLD Ashley MacMaster is feeling confident about starting his new role as a real estate agent.

REIQ data shows QLD house sales up at the end of 2012

THE final three months of 2012 were unusually good for much of Queensland’s real estate market, with a rise in median house sales prices, claims the REIQ.

Court stoush with council over rising sea level problems

A JUDGE will have to evaluate whether rising sea levels from global warming could place parts of a proposed caneland development under water in the future.

Hiring a local builder an advantage in the long term

WHEN you hire a local builder rather than an out-of-towner, you are doing more than just looking after your own business community.

ABS data shows housing still struggling to recover

THE number of housing loans approved across the country fell 0.1% in December, while the values of loans approved rose 0.4%, ABS figures showed today.

Saving up first is best option

THERE is nothing more stressful for many young people than the pressure of saving for their first home – that is until they start to pay the mortgage.

Mander secures caravan park’s future with ‘win-win’ plans

THE residents of a Brisbane caravan park, set to be sold for public housing, lost their $5.5 million bid to buy the land.

Balance sought in lease dispute

THE Queensland Government is reviewing the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act following a series of complaints from investors.

Housing recovery lost momentum in December

WHAT had been a modest recovery in ABS building approvals lost momentum in late 2012, said the Housing Industry Association.

Home owners saving for renovations

MOST home owners are prioritising saving for renovations over other household upgrades, according to a survey by leading mortgage broker Loan Market.

Renovators beware of asbestos risk

RENOVATORS must be mindful of the dangers associated with asbestos when completing home improvement projects over the summer period, Master Builders has said.

Most expensive place claim is “absolute bulls..t”: Agents

A GLOBAL survey has found Coffs Harbour is one of the most expensive places in the world to buy property.

Sunshine Coast, Coffs among most unaffordable to live

THE Sunshine Coast, Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie remain among the most unaffordable places to live in Australia, a new survey has found.

Salt Village defies trends with near sell-out

WHENEVER the subject of the housing market is raised, most people agree it is doing rather badly, but not at Salt Village.

Mortgage broker calls RBA cuts ‘too little, too late’

A SURPRISE dip in home loan approvals highlights how the interest rate cuts by the RBA have proven to be too little and too late, says mortgage broker.

Make your home work for you

MOST people know how much money they have in the bank but far fewer know how much their home is truly worth, says LJ Hooker Toowoomba salesperson Alan Reilly.

Positive growth expected in the housing industry

THE home building industry has moved to instil confidence in Queenslanders to build their own homes this year, forecasting a turn-around in the industry.

Housing finance figures disappoint the market

THE number of new housing loans for owner-occupiers fell 0.5% in November last year, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed on Monday.

Resort says poor visitor numbers will increase

HOLIDAY makers deserted Palmer’s Coolum Resort as a Christmas destination, with sources putting occupancy at just 14% last night and 6% for the next week.

Rocky’s most expensive home last year sold for $800,000

AS a Little Musgrave St house in North Rockhampton sold for $146,000, The Morning Bulletin also checks out the most expensive homes sold in Rockhampton.

Victoria masks building approvals fall in other states

BUILDING approvals rose nationally in November by 2.9% – but the improvement was based entirely on a rise in approvals in Victoria.

New housing figures show growth in Qld mining regions

REGIONS with a big mining presence continued to dominate growth in the housing sector in August, revealing the multi-speed nature of the residential sector.

Interest rate reductions lead buyers out of the closet

THE cuts to official interest rates by the Reserve Bank have brought some buyers back to the housing market, according to a survey conducted by PRDnationwide.

Grand Hotel Demolition

Grand Hotel Demolition

Old world charm is relived

When Ben Wilson of Ray White Lifestyle contacted me about a one-of-a-kind property he just listed, little did I know just what special piece of paradise lay there.

PGA Golf Championships at Hyatt Regency

PGA Golf Championships at Coolum.

75 Mary Street, East Toowoomba

Toowoomba carpenter Dan Berigan’s newly-renovated home at 75 Mary St perfectly balances the old with the new.

First step toward $20m Woolworths

THE shovels were shiny and new when they hit the dirt at the corner of Boundary and Broadsound roads.

Celebrity Island owners

Celebrities who own/have owned their own Island paradise include…

Green Planet: eco ideas, sustainable stuff