Podcast: Off-plan buyers rage and SMs slap back
In this week's podcast Jimmy and Sue discuss whether there is a viable solution to the Sapphire schemozzle in Gosford. And do strata managers have a point about unfair treatment…
developer
Wastes of space: ‘wow’ factor flats forget families
Developers are going to have to provide more family-friendly options in medium and high-rise blocks to make a serious dent in the housing crisis, says a new report. But too…
Podcast: Council cops unit block defects orders
We’re going interstate and all-ages in this week’s mixed bag but we start with a council on Sydney’s North Shore that has been served with a repair order for defects in…
Newbies get one shot at curbing locked-in rorts
Let’s be clear about this, if you have bought into an off-the-plan apartment, or a brand new one that hasn’t held its first AGM yet, you have one chance to…
Pouring chilled water on the govt ‘gift’ to strata
It’s starting to feel like strata in NSW is one big marginal electoral constituency – except the government can’t give apartment dwellers sports stadia and railway stations. What they can…
Chandler backs active lending to boost quality
Just suppose you want to invest in the residential property market but you don’t want to be a landlord, Airbnb host or, even worse, unwitting enabler for dodgy developers. You’re…
Forum: ‘Free’ votes give developer total control
We have a few fascinating questions on the Forum this week but the most intriguing one concerns a new, staged development where the developer has managed to hang on to…
Podcast: Chandler’s rating has starring role
This week’s podcast is mostly (but not entirely) focussed on an announcement we believe is going to change the way we buy apartments in NSW and probably across Australia. Last…
Developer accused of Chandler bribe smear
NSW Building Commissioner David Chandler has accused associates of Sydney developer Toplace of trying to discredit him by falsely claiming he asked for a $5 million bribe. Last Wednesday (Sep…
Strata insurers must not forget a horrible history
There’s a statement about a proposal to invite insurance firms to provide building warranties for new apartment blocks – but only those constructed by the best builders – which may…
Sun sets on developer, leaving buyers in the lurch
The Sydney property developer that was the first to fall foul of NSW’s ‘sunset clawbacks’ laws has gone bust – leaving the buyers of its latest apartments, already three years’…
Podcast: States’ split is rental as anything
This week, having survived a computer crisis on the home office front, we delve deeper into the differences between the way renters are treated in Victoria and NSW. In the…