Understandably, our news feed was chockablock with speculation about the lowering of the interest rate this week.

And then, even more predictably, there was acres of coverage of what it really means (like that would have changed from what was correctly anticipated).

So we’ve taken an executive decision and cut out all the pre-announcement stuff from LeftField Communications’ comprehensive coverage and restricted the links to post stories to a couple of sources. Yes, it’s important and yes it could have a profound effect on the economy, especially property prices.

And we know you can only take so many stats and prophecies of doom so we’ve added a few more stories to our “Weird and not so wonderful” section at the end of this post.

Oh, and I had an opinion piece in the SMH this week where I somewhat cynically enticed readers with a discussion about drying your undies on your balcony, which I then turned into a rant about Fair Trading needing to run tests cases on new strata laws at the Tribunal.

Back to this week’s news, the links below are only to stories about apartments from free resources in the past week. To find out how to get even more property news in your email inbox (for free) every day, including reports on houses and from pay-walled publications, scroll down to the end of this post.

ABC ONLINE

More than 17,000 properties impacted by latest Brisbane City Council flood mapping
An update to Brisbane City Council’s flood risk map will impact 17,246 properties. Over 10,000 properties will be added, with more than 2,000 other properties subject to increased flood risk categories.
Joshua McIntosh

Australia is now a ‘home owners’ welfare state’, and income inequality is worse than we think
Inequality is worse than we think in Australia, and it is exacerbated by our tax-free treatment of housing. In a new paper, Professors Peter Siminski and Roger Wilkins argue standard measures of income are not fit for purpose.
Gareth Hutchens and Rhiana Whitson

How banks are responding to the Reserve Bank decision to cut interest rates
Here’s a breakdown of how Australia’s Big Four banks have responded to the decision.
 
Where will interest rates go from here? The RBA’s latest economic forecasts give strong hints
Alongside today’s decision to cut the cash rate by 0.25 of a percentage point to 3.6 per cent, the Reserve Bank released its latest insights into the economic, and therefore interest rate, outlook.
Michael Janda
 
Mortgage repayment calculator: How much will the RBA’s latest rate cut save you?
Use the repayments calculator with your home loan details to find out how much you could save each month.
 
Reserve Bank cuts interest rates by 0.25 percentage points in August in unanimous decision
The Reserve Bank has delivered its third interest rate cut of 2025, with a 0.25 percentage point reduction at its August board meeting. That takes the cash rate to 3.6 per cent for the first time since April 2023.
Stephanie Chalmers

Sprawling city block in Hobart up for sale but development roadblocks could dictate its future
The old K&D Warehouse site in the Hobart CBD is up for sale by the University of Tasmania after the university scuppered plans to fully move into the CBD.
Scout Wallen
 
Real estate agents say new seller disclosure laws are ‘bottlenecking’ Queensland’s property market
Real estate agents say new seller disclosure laws are “bottlenecking” property sales due to lengthy turnaround times on required documentation. The laws allow buyers to get their entire deposit back, and even claim compensation, if the vendor fails to offer up vital information.
Ciara Jones

Five-storey buildings could replace farmland on Sunshine Coast CBD block
Developers had their eyes on Maroochydore’s Wises Farm for decades, and for good reason.  The prime parcel of land on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast lies mere minutes from the Maroochydore city centre and Alexandra Headland beach.
Jessica Ross, Tim Wong-See and Jake Kearnan

DOMAIN 

Where home owners have pocketed the biggest resale profits across the nation
Home owners in Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide have pocketed the biggest resale profits across the nation, with new data revealing the median profit ​in these capital cities climbed to $700,500 in the first half of 2025.
Maria Gil
 
Profit and Loss Report – First Half of 2025
Profit-making resales hold strong in 2025, but some markets are losing steam. Australian homeowners continue to cash in as market momentum regains pace.
Domain Research

Inside the $150m Pearl Bondi development redefining oceanfront luxury
Sydney builder-developer Central Element is ready to rewrite Bondi’s property history with the release of the Pearl Penthouse, the jewel in the crown of its $150 million Pearl Bondi project.
Kate Farrelly – SPECIAL FEATURE

Why Burleigh Heads is Australia’s coolest coastal escape
In the ’70s, the Gold Coast was leaning into a retro, Cali-cool aesthetic. Burleigh Heads attracted global attention as the centre of Australia’s surf scene with its big barrelling waves. While developers set up their dreams in Surfers Paradise and Sanctuary Cove, filmmakers and photographers flocked to Burleigh Heads, turning the locale into a creative hub built around the point break. It offered an alternative to the glitz that became synonymous with the Gold Coast, carrying a grungier, anti-establishment outlook.
James Williams

New research finds Australia is losing 24 affordable houses every day
Australia is losing 24 affordable houses a day, driven by cost issues in the building sector and initiatives aimed at supporting first-time buyers. Every day, 24 houses priced under $750,000 vanish from capital cities, Ray White research shows.
Emily Power
 
Former AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou lists Toorak pad for $14.5m-$15.5m
A classic Marcus Martin-designed 1930s Toorak beauty with a superb David Hicks update.
Lou Sweeney
 
Melbourne mum reveals property decision that left her $30,000 out of pocket
When Nicole Sherwin bought her beachside apartment the decision wasn’t entirely her idea. It was 2019 and the Melbourne marketing professional was pregnant with her first child.
Kate Kachor

Billionaire’s heiress buys $3.1m pad with family help, lists it for $19m
Beau Neilson, the daughter and heiress of billionaire arts patron Judith Neilson and fund manager Kerr Neilson, has listed her stunning Chippendale abode for a cool $19 million.
Tawar Razaghi
 
Canberra auctions: Buyer activity builds momentum ahead of spring
The Canberra auction circuit buzzed with heightened activity over the weekend, marked by determined bidders and steady momentum, reflecting a stronger property market.
Olwyn Conrau
 
Secret goldmine hidden in the desert is for sale
Every aspiring homebuyer dreams of landing a goldmine property. But one family in the US has taken that dream literally.
Orana Durney-Benson
 
Outrage over ‘hallway house’ asking $121k
A tiny studio apartment for sale in the UK is so narrow, you cannot even fit a bed lengthways.
Orana Durney-Benson
 
From renting to owning: What young Canberrans think about home ownership in 2025
Twenty-five years ago, young Canberrans had every right to be optimistic about their future in the property market.
Karen Hardy

Why Chatswood is Sydney’s ultimate multicultural hub
When the Stier family first migrated from Indonesia in 1989, they settled in Chatswood, drawn by the suburb’s diverse demographic. More than 65 per cent of the population hails from overseas, and 67 per cent speak a language other than English at home.
Kate Farrelly
 
Unit prices rebound in Canberra
The Canberra unit market is showing renewed strength, with prices making a comeback after a softer 2024.
Olwyn Conrau

REALESTATE.COM

Australia’s best suburbs to live ranked in new lifestyle study
Sydney and NSW’s best places to live have been revealed, ranging from exclusive Harbour enclaves through to hidden gems offering an affordable refuge from soaring city prices. Aidan Devine

A look inside Canberra’s booming new apartment market
Apartment buyers in the nation’s capital have found themselves searching for a home at an opportune time – there have never been so many new residential buildings in the works across the city.
Juliet Helmke – Canberra
 
Crocodile Dundee icon’s bold $6.6m move
The director of the legendary film Crocodile Dundee, Peter Faiman, has listed his luxury pad in ‘The Toaster’ for auction.
Stephen Nicholls – Sydney

Buyers line up for harbourfront apartment within sought-after Latitude complex
Boasting picture-perfect harbourside views from nearly every angle and Hollywood’s elite as neighbours, this chic apartment is sure to be snapped up fast.
Melissa Iaria – Sydney
 
Melbourne auction clearance rate surges before rate cut
Melbourne buyers and sellers are acting early ahead of Tuesday’s expected interest rate cut, fuelling fierce competition at the weekend’s auctions and pushing the city’s clearance rate to 72.5 per cent, according to PropTrack data from 374 reported results.
David Bonaddio – Melbourne
 
Melbourne sellers: What’s hot and what’s not
Melbourne sellers heading to auction this spring have been warned outdated or poorly-presented fittings and styling could be costing them thousands.
David Bonaddio – Melbourne

Sydney investor wins Jacana bidding war for townhouse
When Robert King and Jinda Traynor decided to put their Jacana townhouse on the market, they hoped for a strong result, but didn’t expect 11 bidders and a final price of $515,000, $65,000 above the top of the guide.
David Bonaddio – Melbourne
 
18 suburbs on the cusp of $2 million ‘dream home’ status
These sought-after suburbs are close to reaching a premium price point, with typical house values about to surpass $2 million.
Daniel Butkovich
 
Big bank ups property price-growth call as interest rates fall
Home prices are predicted to surge faster in the next year and a half than was once thought, thanks in large part to multiple interest rate cuts. In its newly released Australian Housing Outlook report, ANZ predicts combined capital city home prices will increase by 5% by the end of 2025 and 5.8% by the end of 2026.
Jemimah Clegg
 
Up 11pc: Big bank’s surprise forecast for Aussie home prices
One of the big four banks has upgraded its forecast for Aussie home prices, tipping capital city values to rise even higher next year as interest rate cuts boost borrowing power.
Elizabeth Tilley
 
APRA’s refusal to revise the 3 per cent stress test keeps Aussies locked in mortgage prison
If you’re in mortgage prison, don’t get too hopeful of a release any time soon. Because even though the RBA moved to lower the cash rate to 3.6 per cent at its August meeting, there is one organisation refusing to move on another important rate.
Tim McIntyre
 
Hidden home loan costs: The sneaky fees you need to know about
Aussies are potentially throwing away thousands of dollars on confusing home loan “extras” they don’t even understand, new research reveals.
Lydia Kellner

 
Revealed: Sydney landlords giving away ‘free rent’ to secure tenants
Sydney’s rental market is shifting gears as a number of unit listings are being offered with weeks of free rent in a bid to entice tenants to lock in a home.
Kaylee Cranley – Sydney
 
Carlton penthouse features bizarre crawl-through fireplace bathroom
An “extremely unique” Melbourne penthouse is offering homebuyers the unusual chance to crawl under a fireplace to get into the bathroom.
Nathan Mawby – Melbourne

Major banks upstaged in rate response as 110 lenders under the microscope
Big Four banks have been upstaged, with two lenders passing on the RBA’s August rate cut by a full 25 basis point cut within minutes.
Tim McIntyre
 
Staggering $54 billion spent on Aussie home renovations within the past year
Aussie homeowners are spending $5 billion more on renovations than they were before the pandemic, with a jaw-dropping $54b splashed over the past year.
Nicholas Finch

Bondi sub-penthouse below Wallaby legend has $18m guide
A Bondi Beach sub penthouse has just been listed right below a penthouse bought for $23m by a Wallaby legend.
Stephen Nicholls – Sydney
 
Gold Logie winner’s next $1 million move
Retiring Home & Away star, and newly-minted Gold Logie winner, Lynne McGranger, pulled her Kensington investment apartment from it’s scheduled auction last weekend.
Jonathan Chancellor – Sydney

Plans for 19 high-end townhouses in prime Highton location
Civil works are underway for a development of 19 high-end homes on a beloved Highton “frog hollow”. Up Property is the developer behind the $10m ARC Highton project at 2 Morven Court, in the suburb’s Shoubra estate.
Peter Farago – Geelong

Sydney Inner-West Metro Rezoned for 15,000 Homes
Plans to rezone an inner-west Sydney Metro precinct are paving the way for the delivery of 15,000 homes. The NSW Government said it would “take the lead” in rezoning the Burwood North Metro Precinct, a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to create a new precinct just four stations from the Sydney CBD.
Clare Burnett
 
In with the Old: Why Building Coalition Says Reuse Must Trump Redevelopment
An alliance of property developers, architects and academics is mounting pressure on governments to abandon the demolition-first mentality, arguing that huge carbon savings and economic benefits are being squandered by current planning policies.
Leon Della Bosca

Bondi Boutique Developer Reveals Byron Midrise Play
Boutique developer Ronnie Shulkin is moving from Bondi to Byron and plans to build an apartment complex in the sought-after region.
Renee McKeown
 
‘Benchmark’ Inner-Hobart Site Comes to Market
An inner-Hobart site with approval for a hotel and apartment scheme has come to market in what is being called one of the city’s most significant development opportunities of recent years.
Leon Della Bosca
 
Above Zero Wins Permit for Stonnington Apartments
Melbourne developer Above Zero has won approval for its eight-apartment Stonnington project, Kooyong Gardens.
Taryn Paris

Crest Camberwell fills low-density gap in prestigious suburb
Melbourne-based developer Progressio Developments has timed the launch of its latest residential project to perfection.

Buyers look to RBA for borrowing boost as APRA rules out policy tweak
An expected interest rate cut on Tuesday could add tens of thousands of dollars to an average buyer’s borrowing capacity, but one simple policy tweak could give them an even greater leg-up.
JP Pelosi
 
Named: Every bank that’s slashed rates to under 5pc
Eighteen Australian lenders have slashed interest rates below 5 per cent ahead of the Reserve Bank’s expected big move on Tuesday.
Sophie Foster
  
Buying into strata? The hidden rules that could ban your pets
This is it, after years of renting you can finally buy a home. You no longer have to worry about getting another person’s permission to own a pet. Or do you?
Kate McIntyre
 
Trinity Point’s $665 million masterplan approved in Lake Macquarie
Development approval has been granted for the $665 million expansion of Trinity Point, marking a major milestone for what is set to become one of Australia’s largest waterfront developments.
Joel Robinson

Housing crisis: Aussies fear they’ll never own a home
A growing number of Australians believe they’ll never own their own home, prompting calls for drastic government action to boost housing affordability.
Lydia Kellner
 
Why Australia is losing 24 affordable houses every day
The dream of affordable housing slips further away as new research reveals Australian cities are hemorrhaging 24 sub-$750,000 homes every single day.
Samantha Healy

 
Sydney auction market heats up ahead of predicted rate cuts
Apprehension over how another interest rate cut might push up home prices has been driving increased bidding activity at auctions, with a flurry of big sales coming in just days before the Reserve Bank’s expected announcement of another cash rate cut Tuesday.
Owen Raymond – Sydney

Major real estate reform revealed to combat Victoria underquoting
The Victorian government is facing calls to fix the state’s underquoting problem with the same solution it has failed to act on since at least 2009.
Nathan Mawby – Victoria

URBAN DEVELOPER

Peet Plots 1600-Home Precinct on Former Canberra Uni Site
A residential precinct on former University of Canberra land would add more than 1600 homes to the national capital under plans now before the territory government.
The Urban Developer
 
Funding Rollout to Unlock Delivery of 1300 Qld Homes
The rollout of the Queensland Government’s Residential Activation Fund is gaining momentum, providing more than $60 million to unlock the delivery of almost 1300 homes in Brisbane’s south.
Phil Bartsch

Fast-Track Bid for Holdmark’s Parramatta Skyscraper
A $421-million Holdmark plan would add 72 storeys of housing and convert a 13-storey tower to co-living in Western Sydney under the state’s fast-track program.
Vanessa Croll
 
Billbergia Live-Work Highrise at Chatswood Wins Appeal
Billbergia’s 28-storey dual-tower project at Sydney’s Willoughby, its first to experiment with the live-work model, has been approved on appeal.
Clare Burnett

Former Developer Jailed for Misusing Investor Funds
A former Gold Coast developer who a magistrate described as the  “controlling mind” of a scheme to defraud investors of their superannuation funds has been jailed.
Clare Burnett
 
Future of Inner-Sydney Megasite Under Investigation
After 180 years of military history, an inner-Sydney military precinct may be on the brink of reinvention.
Clare Burnett
 
Barings Tops Out Melbourne Build-to-Rent Towers
Global asset management firm Barings has topped out two major build-to-rent developments in Melbourne.
Leon Della Bosca
 
Australia’s 10 Biggest Social and Affordable Housing Projects
Australian capital cities are now collectively losing 24 affordable houses every day, while the unit market is adding 1.5 affordable apartments each day.
Shravanth Reddy
  
APARTMENTS.COM.AU

Eastern Suburbs developer heads north to Byron’s Marvell Street
Prominent Bondi developer RnB Property Group is making its mark in Byron. The developer, who is currently delivering boutique developments Mangata and Allara in Vaucluse, has filed for a boutique shoptop development on Byron Bay’s dress circle Marvell Street.
Joel Robinson
 
Fitzroy Fitzroy: Designed by locals, rooted in place
For Koos de Keijzer, Founder and Principal at DKO, the outcome is a project that feels inherently local, that that is “truly authentic in a Fitzroy context”
Joel Robinson
 
Ention Properties release final Greenwich, Chevron Island apartments ahead of September completion
Jayde Pezet, Director at Pezet Matheson, says buyers have been drawn to the central location of the development, abutting public open space, with water and skyline views
Joel Robinson
 
Riverfront living with Australia’s most advanced residential parking system at The Lennox, Parramatta
Three years after completion, The Lennox on the Parramatta River remains one of the suburb’s most distinctive residential towers, not just for its 46-storey presence on the water, but for its integration of the Southern Hemisphere’s first fully robotic car park, now well-proven in daily use.
Joel Robinson

NSW Government to rezone Burwood North and trigger 15,000 new homes near future Sydney Metro Station
The NSW Government will take the lead in rezoning the Burwood North Metro Precinct, that could deliver around 15,000 new homes near the future Sydney Metro station, creating new housing and job opportunities close to transport and services.
Joel Robinson
 
Strong buyer response to Aeris, Melrose Park’s latest stage
Apartments sold were evenly split between one and two-bedroom configurations, with strong demand from young couples, professionals, downsizers and first home buyers.
Joel Robinson
 
City Beat July 2025: Melbourne values continue to trend upwards
Melbourne is continuing its bounce-back from bottoming out of the property market earlier this year. The gains are modest, but have been continuous now for the last three months. Dwelling values, which incorporate both houses and units, rose 0.4 per cent in July, according to Cotality’s latest Home Value Index.
Joel Robinson
 
CASA reveals The McLaren, North Sydney’s newest apartment development
For the first time in four years, a new apartment development has launched in the growing North Sydney commercial and retail hub.
Joel Robinson
 
VIC Government introduces Latent Defects Insurance as alternative to Strata Building Bond
Resilience has been working closely with the Victorian Government over the past 12 months to help establish a workable framework for the policy’s adoption.
Joel Robinson

VIEW.COM.AU

Your guide to buying a home alone under $700,000
Buyer’s advocate Anissa Cavallo of Eda Property knows first-hand how life and finances can be turned upside down.
Emily Rayner
RBA cuts rates – But is AI the real threat to Australia’s economy?
After three interest rate cuts in just six months, the Reserve Bank has sent a clear signal: inflation is under control, and the easing cycle is here.
VIEW.COM.AU

Double deal: developer snaps up huge lakeside block for $3 million
A prime development site opposite the largest marina on Lake Macquarie has fetched a significant price.
Jade Lazarevic

WEIRD AND (NOT SO) WONDERFUL

Wild way Aussie scored home for just $4000
An Aussie home buyer walked away with a home for just $4,000 at an unusual Northern Rivers auction Tuesday.
Owen Raymond – New South Wales

Australia’s most bizarre home renovations revealed
They’re homes made from old barns, warehouses, grain silos and even police and fire stations.
Kaylee Cranley

No keys, no viewings: The house nobody can enter
A mysterious brick house is up for sale on the outskirts of Glasgow in Scotland.
Orana Durney-Benson

Major update on Queen Elizabeth’s $57m Royal Lodge
Prince Andrew has reportedly achieved a quiet victory over his home at Royal Lodge. According to UK’s Express, King Charles III has given up on trying to evict the disgraced Duke of York from his $57 million mansion.
Belinda Palmada

Secret goldmine hidden in the desert is for sale
Every aspiring homebuyer dreams of landing a goldmine property. But one family in the US has taken that dream literally.
Orana Durney-Benson
 
Outrage over ‘hallway house’ asking $121k
A tiny studio apartment for sale in the UK is so narrow, you cannot even fit a bed lengthways.
Orana Durney-Benson

WANT MORE?

The Left Field Newsletter also curates stories from the paid-for media websites, such as the SMH, the Age, the AFR and all the News Corp titles.

If you want to get the very latest information – including links to stories about houses and commercial properties, from pay-walled sources as well as freebies – all you have to do is go to this link, type in your email address and you will get a full summary of the latest property related news delivered directly to your email inbox for free every day.