Simon Johanson

Property Editor at The Age and BusinessDay journalist for Fairfax's theage.com.au, smh.com.au, watoday.com.au and brisbanetimes.com.au.

The Salvos' Royal Parade training college.

Salvation Army selling Parkville training college ahead of move to Ringwood

Simon Johanson The Salvation Army has put its 11-storey Parkville training college on the market ahead of its move to a new location in Ringwood this year.

Red tape reforms blindside commercial property industry

Simon Johanson Commercial property professionals will no longer be required to hold a real estate agent's licence for large property transactions under Victorian government reforms.

Waterside blocks at Paynesville and Metung attract strong interest

Simon Johanson Mortgagee fire sale of property in Metung and Paynesville may spark a local building boom, according to agents.

Property

Melbourne vacancies soar and rents fall as new apartments stay empty

Simon Johanson Melbourne’s vacancy rates are soaring as a surge in inner-city development adds thousands of apartments to the rental market.

Developers make most of prime conditions

Simon Johanson Prime development conditions deliver two large unlisted property players record profits, with one using the money on a $48 million private plane.

CEL Australia buys office building in St Kilda Road for $45.28 million

Simon Johanson Australian subsidiary of large Singaporean property developer buys 12-level office building in St Kilda Road for $45.28m.

Soaring towers for city sites

Simon Johanson Malaysian newcomer UEM Sunrise Berhad will build two high-rise towers at 224-252 La Trobe Street that will soar 78 levels above the city on a site it bought just two months ago.

Property

Housing affordability at decade high

Simon Johanson Housing is at its most affordable level in a decade despite recent rises in home prices, the latest index says.

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Art Series Hotel Group adds colour in regions and interstate

Simon Johanson The Art Series Hotel Group is expanding its national and regional footprint with a new hotel in Adelaide and a smaller ''studio'' hotel in Bendigo.

Sentinel group pays $20m for Virgin Active site

Simon Johanson A Queensland syndicate has snapped up Virgin Active's Bourke Street fitness premises in Melbourne for $20 million.

Property

Commonwealth Property Office Fund pulls takeover deal

Simon Johanson CPA pulls a deal giving Dexus and its Canadian pension fund partner exclusive right to takeover talks.

Rosebud shopping centre sells for $100m to Charter Hall Retail REIT

Simon Johanson Shopping centre changes hands as investors target non-discretionary retail properties.

Executive

Fairfax names new Domain chief

Simon Johanson Fairfax Media has appointed Antony Catalano as the chief executive its standalone Domain real-estate business.

First-home crisis triggers call for action

Glenda Kwek, Simon Johanson A record plunge in first-home buyer activity has sparked calls for a national debate on housing affordability.

First-time buyers retreat as investors win property war

Simon Johanson A generation of young people are being squeezed out of the housing market. Skyrocketing house prices and the difficulty of saving a deposit are putting the great Australian home-owning dream out of...

Property

Young buyers find home-owning dream a nightmare to fund

Simon Johanson First home borrowers are at record lows as they face skyrocketing property prices, the struggle to save a deposit and investor competition.