Posts by Alexandra Ruffell

Kristen discusses property options with Hodges director Julian Augustini.

In vast contrast to the auctions we attended last week, we saw more properties pass-in on vendor bids this Saturday than sell under the hammer.

The REIV clearance rate for reported properties was sitting at 64% at 6pm Saturday, with 17% of the properties auctioned passing in on vendor bids. More than 10% were sold before auction.

The disparity between vendor expectations and buyer interest is increasing. We are still seeing good numbers at many of the opens we attend, particularly for the ‘A’ grade properties; however, this is now not converting into bidders at auctions for a number of properties.

Some questions that come to mind:

• Do buyers think they need to be above the price range stated on the statement of information to be successful?
• Should buyers expect sale prices to be lower than comparable homes sold in the past 12 months?
• Are vendor sellers within the quoted statement of information?
• Do vendors think the market is always going up?

Stock levels are good for May with plenty of choice, but most agents are suggesting June will see lighter stock levels, with many vendors opting to wait for Spring before selling.

A changing market can be a good time to buy, sell or upgrade. However, it is important to understand a property’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as the process you might be transacting in. It’s also important to remember that an opportunity is only an opportunity if it meets the goals you are trying to achieve.

Highlights:

• 2 Rouen Street Hampton (John Clarkson/Sonja Sendin, Buxton) – pretty period home in the Castlefield Estate (heritage protected), small original front rooms, updated and well located to Hampton Street shops – $2,310,000
• 33 Broadway Camberwell (James Tostevin/Nikki Van Gulick, Marshall White) – comfortable period home that could be further improved, passed in with no bids, selling afterwards over $4m
• 43 Karma Avenue Malvern East (Steve Burke/Tony Doh, Hocking Stuart) – renovated single-storey smaller home with pool, suit downsizers and younger families – $2,420,000

‘Land’ Sales:

• 5 Rockingham Street Kew (Claire Endersbee/Sally Morrison, Kay & Burton) – approx. 747sqm, south rear – undisclosed but early $3 millions or around $4,000sqm
• 507 Orrong Road Armadale (Dean Gilbert/Nicholas Franzmann, Marshall White) – approx. 1250sqm, zoned GRZ3, west rear with older apartment block – $6,600,000 or $5,280sqm
• 57 Metung Street Balwyn (Sue Wooldridge/Julian Tonkin, JellisCraig) – approx. 649sqm, east rear in the Balwyn High zone – $2,120,000 or $3,266sqm

Some of the better properties scheduled for auctions on 19 May: an architect’s view

63 Wheatland Road Malvern – Carla Fetter / Ian McLennan, Jellis Craig

9 Condor Street Hawthorn East – Michael Hingston/Chris Hingston, Jellis Craig

5 Thomas Street Hampton – Kate Fowler / Robin Parker, Marshall White

15 Moffat Street Brighton – Jason Gill / Kate Schuster, Hodges

‘Off-market’ Properties:

• Family home on large land, Kew – $6m
• Period home, well located, Hawthorn – high $3millions
• Modern, large family home, Hampton – over $4m
• Large townhouse, good OSP, walk to amenities – early $2millions

Auction Spotlight:

135 Victoria Road Hawthorn East

Andrew Macmillan from Jellis Craig ran a no-nonsense auction (with the usual touches of light comic relief) at 135 Victoria Road Hawthorn East – great crowd & two bidders.

A liveable single-fronted Victorian home with good fundamentals (ie pretty facade, north-facing rear, central location) was on offer here, and a solid crowd of around 100 attended. There was a real vibe at this auction and for good reason: the quote was an enticing one and seemingly the vendor had reasonable expectations. Where else in Hawthorn East can you buy a product like this in the early $1m range? Auction started with a confident crowd bid of $1.25m, and, not long after, bidder 2 came along. Some mixed bidding increments saw the property announced on the market at $1.33m, and then sell under the hammer for $100,000 more ($1,430,000). Good result for listing agents Andrew Macmillan and Clayton Smith – bit of experience there.

2 Serrell St Malvern East

Daniel Wheeler from Marshall White worked hard to try and entice bids out of those attending the auction at 2 Serrell St Malvern East.

This home offers a family package in comfortable condition, having been renovated and extended some years ago. Perhaps the flow of the floorplan and proximity to Dandenong Rd are holding buyers back here. Daniel Wheeler and Clare Moloney headed up the Marshall White team at this auction, where the sun tried to glimpse through the autumn trees onto the reasonable crowd in attendance. Daniel opened with a vendor bid of $1.8m after he was met with the usual silence at the commencement of proceedings. A young family reciprocated with a $20k bid. Following a half-time break and a second bidder placing $10k counter bids, the first bidder gained pole position for further discussions with vendors when the property was passed in at $1.87m. The property did not sell after, with the vendors having far higher expectations, seeking $2.18m.

Now, more than ever, it’s important to understand what the selling agent is really saying: Adam discusses the market with Bernadette Kiraly from Marshall White.

Clearance rates are still good but the method of selling is shifting. The REIV reported a 68% clearance rate at 6pm on Saturday. While not the 70% and 80% clearances we have become used to seeing over the past two years, this is still healthy, suggesting that the auction process is still delivering desirable outcomes.

The method in which the transactions are completing, however, is becoming more varied: ie bought beforehand, sold under the hammer, bought in post-auction negotiations or even a few days later.

Some vendors’ price expectations are too high, quoting laws are tricky to interpret, and banks are tightening lending criteria, which adds up to an environment where alternatives to the auction system are attractive.

Whichever way the property is sold, the opportunity is there for buyers and sellers to achieve their objectives.

For buyers, this means more research to obtain a greater understanding of the process, prices and strategies. For some, this may mean inspecting many more homes in varying suburbs and price ranges to get a better understanding of what their money can buy, interpreting the quotes, interpreting the volume of other buyers (working out the serious buyers from the neighbours, serial inspectors, family etc) and knowing how many buyer groups the property may appeal to and why, to name a few.

We are noticing an increasing divide in the number of properties selling above expectations and those selling below, and this isn’t taking into account the quote. The quote doesn’t determine whether the property is a good one. The fundamentals do: position, size, orientation, style, flow and quality. If one or more of these isn’t quite right, the price can vary significantly.

Of the auctions we attended on the weekend, we saw competition at all of them. They were good properties, however, they didn’t all sell under the hammer and some are still for sale.

• Hawthorn East – single-fronter on good land, but needing work (major renovation down the track) – sold under the hammer, 2 bidders
• Hawthorn – fully renovated, well located, single-storey two-bedroom home – sold strongly, 2 bidders
• Malvern East – renovated period home on good land, sold afterwards, 3 bidders
• Brighton East – modern home (as new) on good land, passed in, 2 bidders
• Glen Iris – large renovated period home, sold under the hammer, 3 bidders
• Bentleigh – modern home (as new), sold under the hammer, 3 bidders

The ‘done’ properties – the ones buyers can move into and don’t need to do anything else to seem to be attracting stronger interest than those needing work. In terms of houses that suit downsizers, that market hasn’t really changed since this time last year. In fact, it may have even strengthened.

We have noticed, with the banks tightening their lending, properties needing unquantified additional spending above the purchase price have lost a little bit of intensity in recent months.

That being said, if the vendors are holding strong on a figure, rather than an outcome, they may well be owners for a bit longer yet.

Some of the bigger pass-ins:

Over $4m

• Brighton – well-located modern home, good land, flexible floorplan and triple garage
• Toorak – dated home, predominantly land (approx. 429sqm)
• Parkville – two-storey terrace, 3-4 bedroom, good living spaces, no off-street parking

Over $3m

• Kew – renovated family home with pool, court location
• Canterbury – period home (with heritage overlay), ready for next update, good land

Properties we like:

23 Manor Street Brighton – Justin Follett, Follett & Co.

77 Brunel Street Malvern East – John Manton/Fiona Ansell-Jones, Marshall White

14 Kasouka Street Camberwell – Jonathan Graham/Evan Lykourinos, Bekdon Richards

19a Valentine Grove Armadale – Fraser Cahill/Madeline Kennedy, Marshall White

‘Off-market’ Properties:

Buyers will no doubt be offered many off-markets right now, and we have inspected dozens in the past month. Here is a small sample of the better ones:

• Single-storey townhouse, Brighton East – $2m
• Family home with court, Brighton – over $7m
• Period family home, Brighton – $3.6m
• Two-storey terrace requiring work, Prahran – circa $2m
• Family home with pool, could be further improved, Camberwell – $3m 

Auction Spotlight:

43 Plantation Avenue Brighton East

Peter Kennett from Hocking Stuart heads up the well-attended auction of 43 Plantation Ave Brighton East.

The sun was shining on the large crowd spread along the reserve on the south side of the street to see Peter Kennett and the rest of the Hocking Stuart team in action. This modern home gained a lot of interest for the indoor-outdoor lifestyle and entertaining zones it offered. The north rear orientation was another plus. Dramatic two-storey windows spread light in the southern zones of the home. Once the preamble was complete and the call went out for bids, an opening offer of $4.2m was quickly received. A second bidder made one $50k offer, which was countered by the first bidder. Here the action slowed and a vendor bid of $4.35m was placed to move things along. Eventually the first bidder replied with an offer of $4.375m and the property was passed in at this level. It sold after for an undisclosed amount. Perhaps the lack of a downstairs bedroom-bathroom combination and the vendor’s price expectations deterred  some potential buyers.

2 Irymple Avenue Glen Iris

A slow start to this auction, but auctioneer John Morrisby fielded bids from three Chinese parties and eventually sold the property under the hammer for a very healthy $2.75m.

A compact two-storey builder-spec home was on offer here, and a reasonable crowd of about 40 were keen to see how the market would receive it. Located not far from Central Park, this is not a typical offering of the area, but that didn’t deter many Chinese groups who clearly saw interest in a home they traditionally fight very hard for, particularly in suburbs such as Kew and Balwyn. Opening with a vendor bid of $2.4m, auctioneer John Morrisby had a bit of work to do get some crowd participation, but that eventually came with a $25k offering. Not long after, another party joined in. Soon after the half-time break, another party got involved, and the property was announced on the market at $2.7m, selling not long after for $2.75m. Good result for the vendor and well run campaign by local agents Ian McLennan and Danielle Waterton.

There is a new market emerging. Like 1950s furniture, wallpaper and black granite benchtops from the ‘90s, expressions of interest (EOI) campaigns are back in fashion.

EOIs are a take on the old-fashioned method of private sale, just with a deadline to create urgency.

Peruse the advertised properties in Stonnington Council over the past month and the number of properties advertised as ‘EOI’ has increased substantially.

Brighton, in the past fortnight, has followed suit.

Vendors are seeing it as a positive alternative to higher quotes and potential auctions with no bidders.

A year ago, it was fair to say that most properties saw multiple bidders, whether it was an ‘A’, ‘B’ or ‘C’ grade property.

The market has definitely cooled and, while certain properties within the market are still out-performing, many now have limited interest, particularly at the level the vendors are hoping to achieve.

What does this mean for buyers? Smoke and mirrors. If the house is an ‘A’ grader, there is likely to be good interest still, so how do you work out where other buyers’ levels really sit? Is there anything you can do to increase your chances of buying? What are the rules?

If the house is a ‘C’ grader, you may be the only interested buyer. How will you know whether the asking price is realistic or well above what others may be prepared to pay?

Expressions of interest, sometimes known as expressions of confusion, are a perfect campaign for vendors when the market is softening, as it provides opportunity.

What does opportunity mean?

• Opportunity for a good agent to encourage a sole buyer to pay a price well above what others might pay.
• Opportunity for buyers to increase their chance of certainty.
• Opportunity for vendors to maintain higher prices.
• Opportunity for properties to sell well, even if there is only one buyer.
• Opportunities to buy well, if there are no other interested parties.

It therefore comes down to the rules and communication.

• Communication with the selling agent (who is being paid by the vendor) to treat you as the preferred buyer.
• Communication with the agent about your price limits.

In the emerging EOI market, some buyers will come out winners, but others may be left wondering why they paid the price they did.

Highlights:

• 28 Selborne Road Toorak (Andrew Smith/Ross Savas, Kay & Burton) – modern townhouse with lift as all bedrooms upstairs – $3,800,000
• 43 Cobden Street Kew (Maurice DiMarzio/Joshua Brinkhuizen, HockingStuart) – semi-detached smaller home needing work – $1,285,000
• 4 Netherlee Street Glen Iris (John Manton/James McCormack, Marshall White) – Stonnington Glen Iris, modern family home over three levels with a flexible floorplan – $3,740,000
• 58 Armadale Street Armadale (Carla Fetter/Andrew McCann, Jellis Craig) – well positioned townhouse over two levels, all bedrooms upstairs, sold before auction – $2,800,000
• 5 Collingwood Street Sandringham (Scott Hamilton/Brydie Hamilton, Buxton) – approximately 727sqm of unencumbered land with wide frontage, with a dated home likely to be replaced in the future (stca) – $2,216,000 or $3,048sqm
• 38 Clarendon Street Armadale (Tim Wilson/Anthony Grimwade, RT Edgar) – townhouse over three levels (no lift) – $2,212,000

Some of the better properties scheduled for auctions on 28 April : an architect’s view

43 Plantation Avenue Brighton East – Peter Kennett/Chelsie Cargill, Hocking Stuart

81 Kerferd Street Malvern East  – James Redfern/Daniel Wheeler, Marshall White

25 Connell Street Hawthorn – Chris Barret/Zali Reynolds, Marshall White

12 Rockley Road South Yarra – Justin Long/Fiona Counsel, Marshall White

Auctioneer Justin Long from Marshall White got interest from several buyers for a Robin Boyd-designed apartment in Domain Rd South Yarra but it passed in for $2.175 million.

After a small break, and with only one auction weekend left now until Easter, Saturday saw a similar number of auctions as the same weekend last year. However, a noticeable difference was evident in the clearance rate: 68% this week compared with 79% 12 months ago.

Of note, just over half of the homes that did not sell passed in on a vendor bid, suggesting buyers had no interest in the property at that price level.

We don’t think the market has faulted to that extent. It is more likely the combination of negative media hype, the continuing impact APRA is having on bank lending criteria, some vendors’ belief that their property should just be worth more and the agents’ attempts to accurately quote properties contributing to some of the results we are seeing.

If we look at properties that have been accurately quoted, the changes have probably highlighted how an ‘A’ grade property can achieve even stronger results compared with some that have seen limited inspections and/or no bidding.

It is often said that history repeats itself, so it was interesting to see 56a Dendy Street Brighton, which sold very strongly back in October 2013 with eight bidders for $2,272,000, pass in on a vendor bid.  It could be fair to suggest that at certain price points buyer discernment for items such as garaging, privacy, overlays, zoning and road quality impact their decisions to pursue a sale.

At certain price points, particularly within strong demand suburbs, less-than-ideal properties have the potential to attract greater interest as the home provides an entry point opportunity to enter the suburb. However, strong interest at a certain price point doesn’t necessarily suggest that the property will grow at the same rate as other homes in the area and continue to attract the same interest as prices increase.

It is important for buyers to understand all the strengths and weaknesses of the property they are interested in, how it will work for them both financially and emotionally, and take into consideration how many other buyers might be looking for the same thing at certain price levels.

We believe that nearly every property should have a stop level, regardless of a buyer’s financial capacity.  Knowing where these points are and why can help avoid surprises down the track if deciding to sell, renovate or re-build, trade-up or trade-down.

Highlights:

• 13 Wilks Avenue Malvern (Jeremy Fox/Holly Gillham, RT Edgar) – large family home on approx. 900sqm, with multiple living zones and five bedrooms – $6.3m
• 7 Keats Street Sandringham (Jenny Dwyer/Stephen Tickell, HockingStuart) – approx. 931sqm with north rear and a large family home with pool, very liveable as is but could also be further improved – undisclosed but over $3.3m
• 6b Henderson Avenue Malvern (Andrew Hayne/Fiona Ansell-Jones, Marshall White) – new townhouse on approx. 465sqm, with pool, although all bedrooms upstairs and no lift – $5,040,000

‘Land’ Sales: 

• 25 Denham Place Toorak (Hugh Hardy/Ada Taylor, Abercromby’s) – approx. 617sqm with west rear – $5.5m or $8914sqm
• 8 Johnston Street Ashburton (Damien Davis/Talia Tomaino, Jellis Craig – approx. 906sqm with west rear – undisclosed but circa $2.5m in the mid-high $2000s/sqm
• 59 Brunel Street Malvern East (Steve Burke/Margot Dawson, Hocking Stuart) – approx. 636sqm with north rear – undisclosed in the early $2millions or closer to $3500sqm

‘Off-market’ Properties:

• Modern family home on good land, Ashburton – $2.3m
• Semi-detached home, no heritage, no car park, Prahran – early $1millions
• Dated modern home with garaging, Malvern East – $2.2m
• Large land, good street, Black Rock – early $2millions
• Large home, renovated single, level, Kew – $6m
• Land 800sqm, Kew – circa $3.5m

Auction Spotlight:

10 Royal Crescent Armadale

A group of reluctant bidders forced Gowan Stubbings from Kay & Burton to work hard in the afternoon heat at 10 Royal Cres Armadale.

Top position to amenities and a pretty brick period semi-attached home was on offer here.  The single-level layout would work well for downsizers and was marketed with a range of $1.75-1.925m. Gowan Stubbings and Julia de Campo from Kay & Burton teamed up for the campaign and auction, facing a crowd of about 30 people.  While the weather was hot, the bidding activity was not – the auctioneer was forced to open proceedings with a vendor bid of $1.75m and could not elicit a counteroffer from anyone.  The home remains available for sale.

25 Barrington Ave Kew

Richard Earle and Richard Winneke from Jellis Craig direct auction traffic at 25 Barrington Ave.

An interesting offering this one: architect-designed by Peter Staughton, the home had a lovely modernist feel. Small secondary bedrooms, no car access from the street and the lack of a large open plan area didn’t deter interest from four parties here (which was really only three, with one bidding also through a family member). Richard Earle opened with three vendor bids ($3.2m, $3.225m and the $3.25m), then the auction finally got started with a clip of bids. Announced on the market at $3.43m, the property sold under the hammer to the original bidder for $3.621m.

Very big results for the very good offerings, but how do you as a buyer or seller know what a very good offering is?

Another good day for sellers on the weekend, especially for those selling the ‘rare birds’.

While we did witness a number of pass-in auctions on the weekend, many properties had sold by the end of the day and the reported clearance rate with the REIV (on a good number of reported auctions, 1219) was a healthy 70%. Although we are nearly at the end of February, it does feel like a slow start to 2018. With limited opportunities to buy, it has made things harder for buyers, and the quality offerings have sold very well if vendor expectations have been fair and the property has been well managed and marketed.

If the home is nicely renovated and has good bedroom/bathroom combinations, land size doesn’t seem to factor in too much for buyers, as we saw on the weekend with many WOW homes selling and selling well (i. Fawkner Street, Wrights Terrace, Grove Road). That said, if the land is very special and difficult to repeat, that too will be well received (ie Farleigh Grove – well located, unencumbered, well proportioned, etc).

First open inspection numbers were well attended too, with many buyers viewing the upcoming stock.

Of interest, we noted two four-bedroom family homes with some similar lifestyle offerings auctioned on the weekend. The first to auction had three bidders. With one bidder successful, the two underbidders re-focused their attention on the second home and were the only two bidding parties. Both homes sold within $30,000 of each other.

Identifying what is an A-grader and what is a C-grader is perhaps one of the biggest obstacles for buyers to work out right now, and many are missing by a big margin. Understanding this is important, as it can help when trying to determine value.

Highlights:

A number of homes were ‘bought before’ auction, some with big results:

‘Land’ Sales:

 Off-markets:

• Renovated home, Grace Park, Hawthorn – circa $6m
• Basic home with good land content, Hawthorn East – mid $2ms
• Updated period home, Port Melbourne – high $2ms
• Period home with good land content (nearly 1,000sqm), Sth Yarra – circa $7m
• Dated but functional home on large land, Sandringham – circa $6-7m

Some of the better properties scheduled for auctions on 3 March: an architect’s view

10 Green Street Windsor – Darren Lewenberg/Grant Samuel, Kay & Burton

31 St. Johns Avenue Camberwell – Geordie Dixon / James Fitzpatrick, Jellis Craig

36 Park Road Middle Park – Simon Carruthers / Jason De Stefano, Cayzer RE

29 Fawkner Street South Yarra – David Wood / Nick Gatacre, Hocking Stuart

Auction Spotlight:

67 Kerferd Street Malvern East

John Morrisby conducted a very measured auction in Kerferd Street, Malvern East

This was a nicely presented home over a single level in one of the better streets within the prized and leafy Gascoigne Estate. This property had a number of pluses: north-facing rear and the flexibility on offer to live in now as is and then renovate in time. No car garaging (or potential for it)  was the main question mark here, and many would say it was not located in the best part of the street. Opening with a vendor bid of $2.4m, auctioneer John Morrisby received measured bids from three bidders, yet ultimately passed the property in for $2.555m and it sold after auction for an undisclosed price below $2.7m. Not a bad result here and the vendor should be pleased given next door (which although not as good in terms of condition had more upside) sold for $2.585m last August.

73 Stanhope St Malvern

Andrew James from Hocking Stuart faced a good-sized crowd on both sides of the street at this successful auction.

This home offered the opportunity to create a new home for the next generation after a substantial renovation/extension to the existing period front, within Heritage Overlay guidelines. Off-street parking and a north rear orientation were further bonuses to the proximity to amenities. Andrew James led the team from Hocking Stuart in this entertaining auction. A strong opening offer of $1.5m was immediately received after the preamble. The intimidation tactic worked, as all others stayed silent and a break was called to confer with the vendors. The property was pronounced on the market, enticing bidder 2 to join the action. $5k and $10k bids flew back and forth swiftly, bringing the offer to $1.615m, where the opening bidder reluctantly stepped out. Andrew had to dispense with the jacket as the auction heated up with a fresh bidder entering the fray. At one point, he joked that he’d throw in the Lamborghini parked out the front, only to be trumped with the reply that the bidder already owned it, to the laughter of all. Alas, he had to drive away in it, as bidder 2 ended up the successful purchaser for $1.71m.

Auctions back in earnest for the first time in 2018, and results were solid with clearance rate over 70%.

Saturday saw the first key auction weekend for 2018. Although numbers are still low, the REIV reported a clearance rate at 72% at 6pm on Saturday evening. That is still healthy.

The early $2 million market saw good competition and some strong results, particularly for well-positioned, smaller family and/or downsizer properties (predominantly single storey).

Malvern East performed well on the weekend. There were about half-a-dozen similar homes and all sold for solid results.

We have noticed an increased number of Chinese buyers across Melbourne (including Bayside) looking at homes to buy and saw an increased number bidding on Saturday.  This feels noticeably higher than the numbers we were seeing towards the end of last year.  Whether this is a result of the recent Chinese New Year or a continuing trend, time will tell.

The increased volume will provide a better gauge for this year’s direction. There are some well positioned properties for sale this weekend; however, many are not without their challenges – no off-street parking, large trees, neighbouring growth zones, poor flow, the list goes on.

There is a market there, ready to purchase. But if vendors are holding out for the ‘A+ grade’ price, we may see a few more pass-ins this weekend.

Highlights:

‘Land’ Sales:

Some of the better properties scheduled for auction on 3 March: an architect’s view 

13 Emo Road Malvern East – Madeline Kennedy / Daniel Wheeler, Marshall White

59 Manningtree Road Hawthorn – Simon Curtain / Andrew Harlock, Abercromby’s

10 Kingsley Street Elwood – Torsten Kasper / Andrew Vandermeer, Chisholm & Gamon

7 Pine Street Hawthorn – Scott Patterson / Tim Picken, Kay & Burton

Auction Spotlight:

12 Stawell St Beaumaris

Mark Earle and the team from Buxton faced a large crowd at the successful auction of 12 Stawell St Beaumaris.

The offering at 12 Stawell St Beaumaris attracted plenty of interest for auction day. Maybe it was the mid-century style, the lifestyle offering with pool in the rear and park out front, the good family zoning all in a fresh and neatly presented package, or perhaps its proximity to the new Beaumaris Secondary College. The crowd stood along both sides of the street as Mark Earle from Buxton summarised the benefits of the property and commenced proceedings. An opening bid of $1.8m was made and quickly moved along, with two further bidders bringing the price into the $1.9m range, where one dropped out.  Bids slowed down to $10k and $5k intervals, but climbed steadily to exceed reserve at $2.005m. The going got tough for both parties, resorting to single thousands to try and outlast the opposition. The opening bidder was eventually the successful purchaser with $2.082m.

1 Wright Street Hawthorn

A smallish crowd of about 25 people turned up for this auction, one of the few in Boroondara on the weekend.

We remember when this property last sold in 2013 (for $1.46m) and didn’t mind it then – wide frontage, single-level home, brick, close to Glenferrie Road and MLC etc. The property hasn’t really changed since, apart from a clever cosmetic update internally and some smart landscaping externally. James Tostevin, professional as always, got the auction started promptly at 10.30am and started proceedings with vendor bid of $2.15m. Not long after, bidders 1 and 2 were in a tussle throwing mainly $10K rises. A half-time break was taken at $2.335m and the property announced on the market. Not long after, the hammer came down at $2.371m – a pretty solid result we felt. In fact, who could complain about making almost $1m in just under five years. Interesting point of note is that the underbidder was a Chinese family – traditionally they don’t like properties that are of old appearance, and semi-attached.

The 2018 market was slow to resume this year. While there were still properties to view in January, the majority were unsold homes from last year.

Most of the new stock didn’t hit the market until after Australia Day and this coming Saturday (17 February) will be the first auction weekend to test the market.

For buyers, it has been hard to find the gems. There are a number of homes for sale with compromises and some will need additional work, which may or may not be easy to undertake. There are structural issues, council regulations and overlays to consider in addition to the extra costs involved, and these issues probably outweigh any potential benefits.

Buyers may also like to consider the practicalities of some of the ‘move in with nothing to do’ homes – how well the floorplan/zoning works for the family, orientation and privacy, to name a few.  Stripped of the staged furnishings, the shell may not be as functional as originally thought.

Some buyers now regard homes that were considered close to infrastructure 10 years ago to be too far from the shops and station.

Council zoning is also becoming more of a concern for buyers.  Potential for development next door and undercapitalising … a new concept.

Of note, the single-storey homes with flexible floorplans (ie suit downsizers and/or younger couples/families) have continued to be well attended at inspections.

In fact, most of the Saturday opens we have attended have had large numbers of buyers through.  The question is whether this will this result in competition and sold stickers on auction day.

While many of the homes may not be ‘A’ graders, there is still a feeling of intensity in the market. There are only five auction weekends for the first quarter of the year, which means that there are only 2-3 weeks of new stock before the market shuts down again for Easter.

Some of the better properties scheduled for auction on 24 February: an architect’s view 

67 Kerferd Street Malvern East – John Morrisby / Adam Cashmore, Jellis Craig

90 Gatehouse Street Parkville – Nicholas Corby / Antony Harbor, Collin Simms

13 Edro Avenue Brighton East – Peter Kennett / Chelsie Cargill, Hocking Stuart

23 Radnor Street Camberwell – Désirée Wakim / Hamish Tostevin, Marshall White

‘Off-market’ Properties:

• Period home on good land, Hampton – early to mid $2millions
• Modern townhouse – Brighton – early $2millions
• Double-fronted period home needing work – Malvern – circa $3m
• High Victorian brick home needing work – Hawthorn – circa $5m
• Art Deco brick townhouse – Prahran – $1.5m
• Good-sized period family home Glen Iris – $2.4m
• Basic home on good sized land in Camberwell – $2.8m

Auction Spotlight:

10 Station St Sandringham

Peter Hickey from Buxton worked hard to try and entice a bid from the crowd in the rear garden of 10 Station Street.

This home offers a comfortable single-storey home, conveniently located to shops and restaurants, the beach and trains. While there was a reasonable crowd present at the auction, no one was ready to take up these opportunities. Peter Hickey and the team from Buxton opened with a vendor bid of $1.55m, before placing another one at $1.6m and passing the property in.

20 Erica St Windsor

Neighbours were keen to see who would take up the opportunities on offer at this auction led by Scott Banks.

Opportunities beckon for the 237sqm of land at 20 Erica St Windsor: retain, renovate and extend the existing period home or start afresh. Lapsed plans exist to build a large family home with additional studio above the rear garage. The wide ROW access could also be utilised as a second ‘street frontage’ to build two homes on the site STCA. Scott Banks Real Estate has been seeking out buyers since before Christmas, culminating in this auction. Opening proceedings with a $1.5m vendor bid, Banks consulted with the vendors when no bids were received. Eventually an offer of $1.505m was made to secure the first right to negotiate post-auction. These seem not to have met vendor expectations yet, as the home remains on the market.

Adam and Kristen at one of the hundreds of house inspections they undertook this year.

Some insights from the 2017 market:

• New quoting laws were introduced mid-year, really changing the game for agents, sellers and buyers
• The gap grew between the ‘A’ graders and ‘C’ graders
• Buyer focus moved even more heavily to ‘position first’
• Increased choice of ‘off market’ homes, although many overpriced
• More apartments near completion
• Lending criteria has continued to tighten
• Tighter regulations enforced for building – by planning departments and building surveyors

Our thoughts for next year?  February/March usually starts strongly, with many new buyers starting their searches; however, overall, we expect a more balanced market with competition for the good homes and fewer numbers interested in the homes with issues.

Auction numbers for the last auction weekend of 2017 were low. According to REIV records, Stonnington Council auctioned 16 homes (over $1 million), of which only six sold.

A big thank you for following us this year – we appreciate your support.

Today’s Market Pulse will be our last one for 2017 (the Year of the Tiger!) and we are looking forward to returning when the auction season commences in 2018.

Highlights:

• 6 Hollingsworth Avenue Hawthorn (Oliver Booth/Abbey Innes, RT Edgar) – large five-bedroom family home on 1,335sqm – undisclosed in the high $6millions 
• 9 Devorgilla Avenue Toorak (Justin Long/Andrew Baines, Marshall White) – two-storey home on smaller land, all bedrooms upstairs – undisclosed but circa-mid $4millions
• 37 Motherwell Street South Yarra (Mark Harris/Nicholas Brooks, Marshall White) – period home with no off-street parking and ready for further improvement –$2.8235million
• 31 Belson Street Malvern East (Rae Tomlinson / James Tomlinson, Marshall White) – 674sqm approx.., basic single-level original home period home – undisclosed in the high $2millions

Some sold and some didn’t this weekend.  Vendors of those that didn’t will most likely have to wait until January now, although, for buyers still looking to buy before Christmas, there are still some good homes for consideration.

• 23 Raynes Park Road Hampton (Scott Hamilton/Brydie Hamilton, Buxton) – an ‘Inform’ home with practical floorplan, good land and north-facing garden – passed in on a vendor bid of $2.35million
• 75 Baird Street Brighton East (Andrew Campbell/Ben Veith, Marshall White) – large, modern family home, easy walk to St Leonards and/or Haileybury Colleges – passed in on a vendor bid of $3.1million

 ‘Land’ Sales:

Land buyers looking to purchase in the Stonnington Council were void of choice, with no land options for consideration this weekend. Here are some in Boroondara and Bayside.

• 114 Summerhill Road Glen Iris (Damien Davis/Talia Tomaino, Jellis Craig) – approx. 802sqm with west-facing rear – undisclosed around $2million or $2,600/sqm
• 29 Victoria Street Sandringham (Jenny Dwyer/Stephen Tickell, Hocking Stuart) – approx. 1833sqm, north-facing land (irregular shape) with dated home placed awkwardly on the block – undisclosed around $5million or $2,650/sqm
• 15 & 15a Fordham Avenue Camberwell (Julian Tonkin/Sue Wooldridge, Jellis Craig) – approx. 766sqm backing onto Frog Hollow Reserve – $2,560,000 or $3,342/sqm

Auction Spotlight:

1/69 Denbigh Rd Armadale

James Tomlinson from Marshall White works the crowd for the successful sale of 1/69 Denbigh Rd Armadale.

A unique church conversion was on offer at 1/69 Denbigh Rd Armadale. Well positioned to amenities, this three-level townhouse is one of eight in the group. The property could suit downsizers with a downstairs master, while also appealing to a younger demographic with two further bedrooms and multiple living zones. James Tomlinson from Marshall White led the auction in front of the church façade, immediately starting with a vendor bid of $1.4m. It looked like the auction would not take off, but, after giving everyone time to think with a quick break, two bidders finally moved things along to $1.625m. With another vendor discussion announcing proceedings very close, the home then went on the market at $1.63m, bringing out a third bidder. Eventually the property was fought out between the first and second bidder. Bidder two was the eventual winner with a couple of $5k bids unsettling the competition more focused on thousands, purchasing for $1.681m.

2 Cross St Toorak

The front garden was a picturesque backdrop for the auction of 2 Cross St Toorak, led by Gerald Delany from Kay & Burton.

2 Cross Street Toorak offers a large 1930s family home on 613sqm of east rear land. Comfortable enough to live in, yet offering future options into this well positioned part of Toorak. A decent crowd of 30-plus people sought out the shady spots in the front garden for the auction. Gerald Delany led the Kay & Burton team and, after the preamble, quickly started proceedings with a vendor bid of $4.3m. Two bidders slowly took the property up to $4.47m before this was taken in to the vendors. Not yet on the market, a third bidder entered the action, mainly against bidder two, eventually slowing things down with $5k bids. The property was passed in at $4.505m, with negotiations taken inside. Sold after.

Kristen and Adam analysing the properties available in the lead-up to Christmas.

Saturday was only the third weekend since the market resumed for Spring where we saw the number of properties auctioned exceed 1000.  Of the 1275 properties reported to the REIV at 6pm on Saturday, the clearance rate was 69%.

This is also the first clearance rate dip under 70% for the same time period. The market has definitely lost some of the ‘heat’ we saw earlier in the year. That being said, the quality/flexibility of the home will also have a big influence on the outcome and if it ticks the key boxes (great position, flexible floorplan and ready to move in), buyers need to be prepared for strong competition. This weekend, the overall quality was average.

Vendors who think that buyers who need to buy something before the end of the year will pay ‘anything’ may need to reconsider or they will still be ‘owners’ of their homes as they move into 2018.

Where the market is generally slowing at this time of year and new properties start to dribble onto the internet, we have been surprised to see new listings still in volume. Add the ‘off market’ homes to the pool and buyers can see choice. With choice comes discernment.

As we move into 2018, if the choice remains, then we may start to see a return to a more ‘steady’ market place with more differentiation between the quality homes and the rest.

Highlights:

‘Land’ Sales:

Properties we like from an architect’s perspective, auctioning before Christmas:

26 Edward Street Sandringham – Adam Saunders/Romana Altman, Buxton

12 Cole Street Brighton – Myles Howell/Barb Gregory, Marshall White

39 Ryeburne Avenue Hawthorn East – Campbell Ward/Chloe Quinn, Jellis Craig

37 Motherwell Street South Yarra – Mark Harris/Nicholas Brooks, Marshall White

‘Off-market’ Properties:

 Auction Spotlight:

76 Hawksburn Road South Yarra

Daniel Wheeler from Marshall White working the crowd to entice a bid for 76 Hawksburn Rd South Yarra. The property passed in on a vendor bid of $1.6m.

This property is a pretty, renovated two-bedroom Victorian home. The opened-up rear delivers easy inside-out flow to the low maintenance courtyard. While there is no OSP, the home is well positioned to Toorak Rd and Chapel St, almost eliminating the need for a car.  The property should appeal to downsizers and there were several in attendance for the auction. Daniel Wheeler from Marshall White worked hard to lift the crowd, after starting proceedings with a vendor bid of $1.6m. The property had been marketed with a range of $1.6-1.76m, so this opening was no surprise, but no-one was prepared to meet the vendor expectations at this stage. The home in now available for sale at $1.785m.

51 Hawksburn Road South Yarra

Auctioneer Mark Wridgway of RT Edgar conducts a professional, no-nonsense auction and brings the hammer down at $2.261m.

A neat townhouse, well-designed by architectural draftsman Brett Gilbert, the south side of the pair. Position is a convenient one, and that underpinned the package well. A modest crowd looked on here in hot conditions, and respite was taken under every available tree. Opening with a crowd bid of $2m, the auction clipped along at an even pace in mixed bidding increments. Announced on the market at $2.23m, bidding started to falter and the property sold to bidder two for $2.261m. Good result for buyer and seller.

76 River Street South Yarra

A beautiful day for a courtyard auction in South Yarra: Hugh Hardy from Abercromby’s at 76 River Street South Yarra.

Adam and Kristen in our new Brighton office.

The market is becoming more confusing for buyers.

We are often seeing lower numbers of bidders at auctions; however, if the property is very good or has been quoted low, it is not unusual to see four or five bidders or more, although usually a couple of these fall out of the competition fairly early into the bidding.

Confusion is continuing with regard to quotes, price and value. We are still seeing some properties advertised without the Statement of Information sheet and some properties not being announced ‘on the market’ anywhere near their advertised quotes.

The REIV reported a clearance rate at 70%. This doesn’t accurately reflect the number of homes sold ‘under the hammer’. There are number of properties reported as ‘sold at auction’ that have been passed in on the street and sold afterward in private negotiations.   There are also a number of auctions (many that haven’t sold) that aren’t reported at all.

Next weekend, 25 November, is shaping up to be another really big weekend and the run to Christmas, which is only five weeks away, looks to be a frantic one. As well as properties advertised for auction, there are also an increasing number of homes available for private or quiet sale.

Some vendors may be starting to feel a sense of urgency to sell before the long holiday break. Many of the prices asked for these homes are particularly high, with a view that if that price is not reached, the vendor will try again next year. Unless the market surges again strongly when it resumes in 2018, we are not sure the asking prices will be achievable next year either.

Given the high amount of transactions in the past few weeks, there are a number of homes that will come onto the market as successful buyers now look to offload their previous homes. These sellers can provide great opportunities for buyers looking to buy before Christmas, as the vendors may prefer to try and sell quickly, minimising their risk of any market fluctuations that can occur during extended breaks.

Auction Highlights:

‘Land’ Sales:

New office

Our second office is officially open for trade at 5/279 Bay Street in Brighton, making it easier to help our Bayside clients buy their next homes.  You can’t miss us: we’re next door to the chemist and not far from the Asling Street roundabout.

If you are in the area, please call in and say ‘hi’.

Some of the better properties, due to auction on December 2 

6 Hollingsworth Avenue Hawthorn – Oliver Booth/Abby Innes, RT Edgar

7 St Killian Street Hampton – Jenny Dwyer/Will O/Brien, Hocking Stuart

38 Alice Street Malvern – Tim Derham/Kate Cusack, Abercromby’s

11 Gwendoline Avenue Bentleigh – Gerry Gordon/Ivana Dobro, Jellis Craig

 ‘Off-market’ Properties:       

Auction Spotlight:

64 Mason Street South Yarra

An Andrew Macmillan auction is always an entertaining one, and this was no exception. Although it passed in, this property sold soon after for $3.075m.

A nicely renovated and extended home in a fantastic location was on offer here at 64 Mason Street. Toddlers were able to wander freely in the quiet street as auctioneer Andrew Macmillan gave a concise and very entertaining preamble to the crowd of about 30 people. The auction did open with a crowd bid of $2.7m, but this was fairly quickly countered with a vendor bid of $2.9m. Bidder 2 offered a $20K rise. Bidder 3 joined in soon after, yet the property was passed in to bidder 2 at $3.02m. Not long after, the property sold for $3.075m, which was a solid result, we thought, given next door (an unrenovated version on similar land) sold for $1.85m only a couple of weeks ago. We know architects can be expensive, but…

49 Mills Street Hampton

Robin Parker from Marshall White put on an entertaining auction in the pretty front garden of 49 Mills St Hampton.

A good-sized crowd was drawn to this well renovated original Hamptons-style home. Positioned well to the shopping precinct, schools and transport, plus a good-sized north rear, made this an attractive package for potential buyers. Robin Parker and Kate Fowler from Marshall White welcomed everyone into the pleasant shade of the front garden for the auction. An opening bid of $2.2m was quickly received from a gentleman on the phone before a vendor bid of $2.3m was placed. At this point, all was silent and Robin was made to work hard, including a chat to the man on the phone, but was unable to draw out a bid. Eventually a second bidder came in, and there was a quick discussion with the vendors, followed by a further two bidders, with the price working up to $2.555m. A fifth bidder stepped in briefly for a couple of bids before the final battle between bidder 1 on the phone and bidder 3. The vendors seemed to have higher expectations and the property was eventually passed in to the man on the phone for $2.61m. The home was sold in post-auction discussions for the same price.