Outrage over PM’s property hit

Original article by Phillip Coorey, Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 26-Feb-15

The Australian Government’s proposals to crack down on foreign investors in the residential property market has the support of Master Builders Australia CEO Wilhelm Harnisch. However, buyers advocate David Morrell says the proposed application fees should be higher, although the Real Estate Institute of Australia believes that the fees are too high. The Government plans to introduce a fee of up to one per cent of the value of new or established residential properties bought by foreign investors

CORPORATES
MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, THE REAL ESTATE INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, RAY WHITE REAL ESTATE, AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, NEW SOUTH WALES. THE TREASURY, PROPERTY COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CBRE PTY LTD

Lowy to stay on at top of Westfield

Original article by Robert Harley
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 39 : 26-Feb-15

Westfield Corporation says its funds from operations will be $A0.377 per security for calendar 2015. The listed property group’s shareholders will receive a distribution of $A0.123 per security for the second half of 2014, and it will pay a distribution of $A0.251 in 2015. Meanwhile, joint CEO Peter Lowy has advised that he intends to remain in the role "indefinitely", having previously planned to step down and become a non-executive director

CORPORATES
WESTFIELD CORPORATION – ASX WFD, SCENTRE GROUP – ASX SCG, O’CONNOR CAPITAL PARTNERS

Home and apartment building hits record $54.4b in 2014

Original article by Michael Bleby
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 26-Feb-15

New figures show that $A54.4bn worth of residential dwellings were built across Australia during 2014, compared with $A49.3bn in 2013. Dwelling commencements in the December 2014 quarter topped $A14.3bn, an increase of 12.3 per cent. Non-residential construction activity rose by 1.3 per cent to $A35bn in 2014, although there was 2.9 per cent contraction in the fourth quarter

CORPORATES
MASTER BUILDERS OF AUSTRALIA, WATPAC LIMITED – ASX WTP, CARDNO LIMITED – ASX CDD

Domain vs REA: apples for apples audience numbers from Roy Morgan Research

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 23-Feb-15

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that more than 3.5 million Australians aged 14+ accessed Realestate.com.au via its website or app in an average four weeks in the six months to December 2014. This compares with 3.3 million during the same period in 2013. Some 1.7 million Australians accessed Fairfax Media’s Domain in the second half of 2014, down from 1.8 million in the previous corresponding period. The total audience growth for Realestate.com.au comprised an increase in the number of both website visitors (up six per cent) and mobile phone or tablet app users (up seven per cent)

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, DOMAIN.COM.AU, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, REALESTATE.COM.AU, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA

Queue lengthens for tilt at Morgan Stanley’s Investa property business

Original article by Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 37 : 19-Feb-15

Australian and offshore groups are expected to bid for Investa Property Group’s assets, following a decision by Morgan Stanley Real Estate to exit the business. Cbus Property has expressed interest in the assets, with its main focus likely to be Investa’s development land in Sydney. BlackRock and Fosun International are among the offshore groups that could be potential buyers

CORPORATES
INVESTA PROPERTY GROUP, MORGAN STANLEY REAL ESTATE, CBUS PROPERTY PTY LTD, FOSUN INTERNATIONAL LIMITED, BLACKROCK INCORPORATED, BLACKSTONE REAL ESTATE ADVISORS LLC, VALAD PROPERTY GROUP, DEXUS PROPERTY GROUP – ASX DXS, CROMWELL PROPERTY GROUP – ASX CMW, IDERA, MGPA PTY LTD

China Capital realises Daydream

Original article by Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 38 : 17-Feb-15

China Capital Investment Group has paid around $A30m for Daydream Island in Queensland. The Chinese company intends to expand and upgrade the resort, which was previously owned by businessman Vaughan Bullivant. The deal represents China Capital Investment Group’s first foray into the Australian market, although other Chinese groups have been active in the tourism sector

CORPORATES
DAYDREAM ISLAND PTY LTD, CHINA CAPITAL INVESTMENT GROUP, LINDEMAN ISLAND PTY LTD, WHITE HORSE, CAPRICORN TOURISM, CHINA-AUSTRALIA ENTREPRENEURS ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Interest rate cut has instant impact at property auctions

Original article by Larry Schlesinger
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 16-Feb-15

Preliminary data shows that Sydney’s residential property market achieved an auction clearance rate of 77.9 per cent on the weekend of 14-15 February 2015, down from 80.5 per cent for the previous week. Melbourne’s preliminary auction clearance rate rose from 66.3 per cent to 67.4 per cent, while the national clearance rate rose from 67.3 per cent to 70 per cent. Mortgage Choice notes that the interest rate cut in February has resulted in a sharp rise in applications for home loans

CORPORATES
MORTGAGE CHOICE LIMITED – ASX MOC, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, CORELOGIC AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, RP DATA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN PROPERTY MONITORS PTY LTD, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, McGRATH ESTATE AGENTS, JELLIS CRAIG AND COMPANY

Housing underpins leap in Stockland’s interim profit

Original article by Robert Harley, Mercedes Ruehl
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 37 : 12-Feb-15

Listed property developer Stockland has posted a 2014-15 interim statutory profit of $A462m, which is 55 per cent higher than previously. The group’s residential development arm recorded a 72.8 per cent increase in operating profit, and MD Mark Steinert is upbeat about the outlook for the residential sector in the next several years. Stockland’s shares closed $A0.13 higher at $A4.73 on 11 February 2015

CORPORATES
STOCKLAND – ASX SGP, AUSTRALAND PROPERTY GROUP

Woolies’ supermarket growth revised

Original article by Sue Mitchell, Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 11-Feb-15

Shares in Shopping Centres Australasia Property Group have risen by 15 per cent so far in 2015. However, the listed property trust has reported that growth in sales at supermarkets in its shopping centres slowed to 4.2 per cent in the December 2014 quarter. Some analysts believe that this may have implications for the sales growth of grocery giants Coles and Woolworths, which will report their results later in February

CORPORATES
SHOPPING CENTRES AUSTRALASIA PROPERTY GROUP – ASX SCP, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, COLES GROUP LIMITED, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD

Foreign property buyers face stiff fees amid crackdown

Original article by Joanna Heath
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 10-Feb-15

The Treasury is investigating a number of cases of suspected illegal residential property acquisitions in Australia. A parliamentary inquiry into the matter issued a report in November 2014 which contains 12 recommendations. The committee recommended the introduction of an administrative fee for foreign buyers of between $A500 and $A1,500 to fund the compliance work of the Foreign Investment Review Board and the Treasury

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD, AUSTRALIA. PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET OFFICE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY