Hotel sector predicts strong growth

Carolyn Cummins   Hotels are now the hot ticket in town with all the major developers looking to expand their offerings. This is triggered by the increased inbound tourism from Asia, the higher propensity for "staycations" among domestic travellers and the rising demand from business and conference attendees.

Shopping centres wary of unseasonably warm winter weather

Simon Johanson   The abnormally warm weather across Australia's eastern seaboard has not slowed fashion sales in shopping centres but there are concerns it may have an impact.

'That job has now been done': Frank Lowy bids adieu

Carolyn Cummins   Frank Lowy has performed his final official duties as chairman of the company that now runs the Australian and New Zealand part of the Westfield shopping centre empire he began 57 years ago.

Genworth 'wary' of Australian housing

Katherine Chiglinsky and Emma Orr   The parent of Australia's biggest lenders' mortgage insurer cools on the market prospects, citing China and commodities risks.

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Castle Hill 'megalot' property sale to reap $100m

Carolyn Cummins   Real estate agents have been hit again, with 25 residents in Castle Hill, Sydney, opting to sell the homes in one superlot, worth about $100 million.

Auto parts makers driving new business

Nicole Lindsay   Rubber and plastics manufacturer Graham Hopkins saw the writing on the wall in 2008. His company Lasslett Rubber and Plastics supplied parts to Ford, Holden and Mitsubishi in deals which made up 86 per cent of the company's business.

Accor expands Melbourne hotel assets

Carolyn Cummins   AccorHotels has expanded its hotel network with the announcement of two new-build hotels and two takeovers.

Mirvac and Goodman on track for earnings growth

Carolyn Cummins   Mirvac and Goodman Group are on track to reach their end-of-financial-year earnings forecasts as they benefit from strong demand for residential and industrial assets.

Three shops in a row on one title sell for $2.4m

Three shops in a row on one title have sold for a combined $2.44 million. The properties had been owned by the same vendor since 1920.

Failed Bendigo land bank on the market

Simon Johanson   A Bendigo paddock at the centre of a collapsed land banking scheme run by property spruikers Jamie McIntyre and Henry Kaye is on the market.

Fitzroy gasworks back in play

Nicole Lindsay   Plans to redevelop the contaminated Gasworks site in North Fitzroy are back on track as the government land agency Places Victoria kicks off a community consultation process.

Land banker buys chunk of Anakie

Marc Pallisco   A local land banker has paid more than $15 million, sources say, for a 240-hectare piece of Anakie – a semi-rural area nestled 70 kilometres west of Melbourne's outskirts, and just beyond Greater Geelong's northern edge.

NEGATIVE GEARING

How investors outgun first home buyers

Caitlin Fitzsimmons   It's not just that one in three buyers are investors, it's also that they're disproportionately competing with first-home buyers.

Stockland plays down deflation worries

Carolyn Cummins   The developer and landlord says it doesn't see deflation as an imminent threat, with cost savings from retailers and the higher dollar helping reduce the impact.

UK retailers in a world of hurt

Eric Pfanner and Sam Chambers   Britain's high-street retailers are feeling low. In the last week alone, two stalwarts of the country's downtown shopping districts have moved to appoint administrators, similar to filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the US.

Food retailers on the march across city

Carolyn Cummins   Foodies have emerged as the fastest-growing tenants in all capital cities as they vie for space with retailers but are willing to pay a premium for the right location.

Renaissance rising at new housing estate

Stephen Crafti   Renaissance Rise, a new housing estate in the Shire of Whittlesea to the north of Melbourne, puts its community first.

Changing era for supply chain operators

Carolyn Cummins   GPT Group has paid $16 million to expand its industrial footprint, as a reflection of the rise in importance of the once-humble shed.

Pubs in hot demand

Carolyn Cummins   Pub sales are the hot ticket with close to $200 million worth of pubs have changed hands in the past year, from the outer suburbs of metropolitan Sydney to the inner fringe and parts of the City.

Leasing Ladder

Carolyn Cummins   SYDNEY $5,923 sqm gross.

Office landlords back in the driver's seat

Carolyn Cummins   Office landlords are now back in control as space is taken for infrastructure projects and residential conversions, leading to a forecast for rent rises of close to 8 per cent, according to Cushman and Wakefield.

Changing city density needs understanding

Stephen Cox and Kevin Driver   It is expected that the current 41 per cent of Sydney's population living in medium-to-high density housing will soar through 50 per cent over the next five years, with many people located in the middle-to-outer ring of the city. 

Lego lands at Dreamworld

Carolyn Cummins   Ardent Leisure has boosted its Dreamworld offering with a deal to open a Lego certified store at the theme park.