L67 Property Operators and Real Estate Services

REITs in major sell-off

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Original article by Mercedes Ruehl
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 35 : 1-Oct-14

Australia’s listed real estate investment trusts index shed more than five per cent in September 2014. However, Freehold Investment Management’s Andrew Smith notes that a pullback was likely given the sector’s strong gains in the year to date. Stocks that were hard hit include Charter Hall Group, BWP Trust, Mirvac and Scentre Group. Lend Lease and GDI Property Group are among the stocks that posted gains

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 A-REIT INDEX, CHARTER HALL GROUP – ASX CHC, BWP TRUST – ASX BWP, MIRVAC GROUP – ASX MGR, SCENTRE GROUP – ASX SCG, LEND LEASE GROUP LIMITED – ASX LLC, GDI PROPERTY GROUP – ASX GDI, GROWTHPOINT PROPERTIES AUSTRALIA – ASX GOZ, WESTFIELD CORPORATION – ASX WFD, DEXUS PROPERTY GROUP – ASX DXS, INVESTA OFFICE FUND – ASX IOF, FREEHOLD INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LIMITED, CLSA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, STOCKLAND – ASX SGP, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, GPT GROUP – ASX GPT, INGENIA COMMUNITIES GROUP – ASX INA

News in $1.1bn US property play

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 21 : 1-Oct-14

Nasdaq-listed real estate web site operator Move is being acquired by News Corp for $US950m ($A1.08bn). News Corp will own 80% of the business and the remainder is to be held by Australian-listed REA Group, in which News Corp has a 61.6% stake. News Corp CEO Robert Thomson says the company will use its media assets in the US to promote and create synergies with Move, which had revenue of $US227m in 2013-14. The largest share of the online US property classifieds market is held by Zillow, of which Australian James Packer owns 9.4%

CORPORATES
NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, MOVE INCORPORATED, ZILLOW.COM, TRULIA INCORPORATED, CAVALANE HOLDINGS PTY LTD, HARLEQUIN ENTERPRISES LIMITED, NASDAQ

RBA asked to explain backflip on lending risks

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Original article by Christopher Joye
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 29-Sep-14

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) in mid-2013 reduced the official cash interest rate to a record low, and said the residential real estate market was not experiencing a "bubble". However a year on the central bank has revised its stance, and now warns of a dangerous prices surge. It may even resort to using macroeconomic tools, which has sparked concern among federal Senate economics committee members Matthew Canavan and Sam Dastyari of the National Party and Australian Labor Party respectively. RBA deputy governor Philip Lowe has been asked to address the committee on the issue

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON ECONOMICS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

Don’t ‘scare’ housing: Triguboff

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Original article by Turi Condon
The Australian – Page: 22 : 26-Sep-14

Apartment developer Harry Triguboff has warned against restrictions on residential property lending. The Reserve Bank of Australia has indicated that it may impose restrictions on bank lending for housing. Triguboff said that prices had risen in Melbourne and Sydney, but there was little growth in prices in the rest of the country. He said that restrictions could have unintended consequences and damage confidence in the housing market

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, MERITON APARTMENTS PTY LTD, HOUSING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION LIMITED, RP DATA LIMITED, CORELOGIC AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Apartment boom crowns Triguboff

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Original article by Michael Bleby
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 42 : 25-Sep-14

Meriton Group displaced BGC as Australia’s largest residential builder in 2013-14. according to the Housing Institute of Australia-Colorbond Housing 100 report. Meriton boasted 7,929 housing starts for the financial year, compared with 5,004 for BCG. The nation’s 100 largest home builders collectively boasted 66,764 housing starts in 2013-14, with apartments accounting for 24 per cent of dwelling commencements

CORPORATES
MERITON APARTMENTS PTY LTD, BGC (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, HOUSING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION LIMITED, ALCOCK/BROWN-NEAVES GROUP, METRICON HOMES, SIMONDS HOMES GROUP LIMITED, HENLEY PROPERTIES, JWH GROUP PTY LTD, HOTONDO HOMES, MASTERTON HOMES PTY LTD, BROOKFIELD MULTIPLEX LIMITED, LU SIMON PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, BEECHWOOD HOMES PTY LTD, AVELING HOMES PTY LTD, NICHE LIVING PTY LTD, HOME AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, METRO PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT PTY LTD, JAXON CONSTRUCTIONS, DIPLOMA GROUP LIMITED – ASX DGX, CAVALIER CORPORATION LIMITED, CAPITAL WORKS CONSTRUCTIONS PTY LTD, BOLD PROPERTIES, SOUTHERN VALE HOMES, ADENBROOK HOMES PTY LTD, ESSENTIAL FIRST CHOICE HOMES PTY LTD, J L FITENI HOMES PTY LTD, BOTANIC HOMES PTY LTD, MEGARA CONSTRUCTIONS PTY LTD, NOSTRA HOMES AND DEVELOPMENTS PTY LTD

Residents slam church’s ‘unforgivable’ deal

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Original article by Clay Lucas
The Age – Page: 10 : 24-Sep-14

The Uniting Church has been criticised for its deal with Leighton Properties for the development of a site in Lonsdale Street in central Melbourne. The Princess Mary Club will be demolished for the construction of an office tower. The heritage-listed building was erected in 1926 funded by philanthropic donations. The deal also involves the revamp of the Wesley Church and surrounding buildings

CORPORATES
LEIGHTON PROPERTIES PTY LTD, LEIGHTON HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX LEI, UNITING CHURCH IN AUSTRALIA, MELBOURNE CITY COUNCIL, VICTORIA. DEPT OF TRANSPORT, PLANNING AND LOCAL INFRASTRUCTURE

Funds cash up for expansion

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Original article by Ben Wilmot
The Australian – Page: 30 : 23-Sep-14

Real estate investment trusts are raising capital for expansion. South African-listed Investec Australia Property Fund plans to raise $A120 million. It is buying a $A65.5 million office tower in central Brisbane. GPT Metro Office Fund aims to raise $A255 million in a bookbuild on 30 September 2014

CORPORATES
INVESTEC AUSTRALIA PROPERTY FUND, GPT METRO OFFICE FUND, GPT GROUP – ASX GPT, MORGANS FINANCIAL LIMITED, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, LION PTY LTD, KIRIN HOLDINGS COMPANY LIMITED, SAMSUNG (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, FIFE CAPITAL PTY LTD, IM MEDICAL LIMITED – ASX IMI, ADX MANAGEMENT LIMITED, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ

House tax change may backfire: HIA

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Original article by Robert Harley
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 22-Sep-14

The Housing Industry Association (HIA) has argued against the dropping of negative gearing of investment real esate. In a research paper to be released on 22 September 2014, the HIA said that housing costs would be increased if negative gearing was reduced without changing other taxes. Critics of negative gearing claim that it increases the cost of housing. The report found that stamp duty was the largest tax distortion on housing

CORPORATES
HOUSING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION LIMITED, INDEPENDENT ECONOMICS

Minister denies plan is social engineering

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Original article by Kim Macdonald
The West Australian – Page: 9 : 22-Sep-14

The Western Australian Government has been criticised over public housing sales. After it was revealed that 55 state-owned properties are valued at over $A1 million, Housing Minister Bill Marmion said that high-value properties are usually sold. Shadow housing minister Fran Logan said that selling the properties was social engineering to keep poor people out of wealthier areas. He said that the land should be rezoned for public housing

CORPORATES
WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOUSING, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Planning disputes at VCAT take fall as price rises

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Original article by Clay Lucas
The Age – Page: 14 : 19-Sep-14

The Victorian Civil & Administrative Tribunal heard 2,186 planning disputes in 2013-14, down from 3,443 the previous year. However, its annual report revealed that it received nearly $A1 million more. Fees rose significantly from July 2013. Victorian Attorney-General Robert Clark said that changes to planning laws led to the drop in applications. The Opposition and a lawyer said that people could not afford the high fees

CORPORATES
VICTORIA. CIVIL AND ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL, VICTORIA. OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, VICTORIA. DEPT OF TRANSPORT, PLANNING AND LOCAL INFRASTRUCTURE